1 of The Monkees’ Songs Was Originally by The Byrds
The Monkees‘ songs sound very different from The Byrds’ songs. Despite this, one of the Prefab Four’s tracks was a cover of a song by The Byrds. Notably, the track was co-written by Carole King.
Carole King co-wrote songs for The Byrds and the Prefab Four
King co-wrote a number of The Monkees’ hits in the 1960s, such as “Pleasant Valley Sunday” and “Porpoise Song.” She also co-wrote The Byrds’ “Wasn’t Born to Follow.” The Prefab Four’s remaining members — Peter Tork, Mike Nesmith, and Micky Dolenz — regrouped for the 2016 album Good Times! The album includes a cover of “Wasn’t Born to Follow.”
During a 2016 interview with Goldmine, Tork discussed recording the song. “I started to sing it and felt, uh oh, this is a little out of my range,” he said. “Can we bring the whole track down a whole tone? I think I can do it better that way. But they said, ‘Just give it a try.'”
The Monkees’ cover of the song combined elements of a track recorded in the 1960s with new material
Tork sang the song. “So I just gave it a try and the next thing I knew I was singing the whole thing over and over again without much strain,” he recalled. “I mean a little here and there, of course. It was higher than I thought I could keep singing but somehow it just came through. I’m kind of surprised as I listen to that and it sounds better than I do.”
During a 2016 interview with Las Vegas Weekly, Tork revealed his musical contribution to “Wasn’t Born to Follow.” “I played banjo over the ’60s track, so that’s a little bit of an Evian spritz in the face,” he said. “I mean, it’s not like I couldn’t have played the banjo on it back then, but it somehow made it more present, because I did it now.” Tork praised the cover for blending elements of the track that were recorded in the 1960s with new material.
How The Byrds’ ‘Wasn’t Born to Follow’ and The Monkees’ cover of it performed on the charts in the United States
The Byrds’ “Wasn’t Born to Follow” never charted on the Billboard Hot 100. It appeared on the album The Notorious Byrd Brothers. The album reached No. 47 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 19 weeks.
The Monkees’ “Wasn’t Born to Follow” didn’t hit the Billboard Hot 100 either. The cover’s parent album became more popular. Good Times! peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for four weeks. It was the group’s final studio album to hit the Billboard 200.
“Wasn’t Born to Follow” was not a hit — but it remains an interesting connection between The Byrds and The Monkees.
