Why a Songwriter Said The Monkees’ Mike Nesmith Was the ‘Leader of the Group’

TL;DR:

• The Monkees’ Mike Nesmith came across as “tense” to one of the Prefab Four’s songwriters.
• The songwriter said Nesmith was the “leader” of The Monkees.
• Nesmith started a rock group of his own.

The Monkees‘ Mike Nesmith didn’t always get along with one of the group’s songwriters. Subsequently, the songwriter said Nesmith was the “leader” of the Prefab Four. The writer discussed Nesmith’s work as a musician and his knowledge of the music industry.

The Monkees’ Mike Nesmith said going to the laundromat was more important than meeting the group’s songwriter

Bobby Hart co-wrote many of The Monkees’ songs with his songwriting partner, Tommy Boyce. In his 2015 book Psychedelic Bubble Gum: Boyce & Hart, The Monkees, and Turning Mayhem Into Miracles, Hart recalled meeting Nesmith for the first time. “There was a tension in his energy, not hostile, but certainly not relaxed or approachable,” he said. 

“He seemed to exude a feigned nonchalance, claiming to not have much time for the meeting since he was on his way to do something important at the laundry-mat,” Hart added. Hart said Nesmith was the “most music-business savvy member of the group.” He noted Nesmith understood the value of music royalties.

Why the singer had issues with The Monkees’ songwriters

Hart discussed how Nesmith related to his fellow Monkees. “Almost immediately Nesmith had emerged as the de facto leader of the group,” he said. “He was an accomplished singer, songwriter, and musician with several records under his belt.” Hart said Nesmith “positioned himself as [The Monkees’] ringleader.”

Hart discussed how he got along with Nesmith at first. “During my first attempts to talk with Michael, he seemed to me to be somewhat unapproachable,” he wrote. “I didn’t push it because I had heard that he was already beginning to feel like he was being taken advantage of and was already looking to find some way to control the musical material and direction for the group. To him, Tommy and I must have appeared to be two of the major establishment figures who were standing in his way.”

Mike Nesmith started a rock group called The First National Band that had a few hits in the United States

Of all the members of The Monkees, Nesmith had the most musical success without the group. He founded a country-rock group called The First National Band. 

The band released three singles that hit the Billboard Hot 100: “Joanne,” “Nevada Fighter,” and “Silver Moon.” In addition, three of the group’s albums hit the Billboard 200: Infinity Rider on the Big Dogma, Loose Salute, and Magnetic South. 

Hart said Nesmith was the leader of the Prefab Four even if he didn’t always get along with the singer.