Welcome to DU!
The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards.
Join the community:
Create a free account
Support DU (and get rid of ads!):
Become a Star Member
Latest Breaking News
General Discussion
The DU Lounge
All Forums
Issue Forums
Culture Forums
Alliance Forums
Region Forums
Support Forums
Help & Search
August 16, 1966: The Monkees relase "Last Train to Clarksville"
Hat tip, This Day in Rock:
1966 – THE MONKEES’ FIRST SINGLE, “LAST TRAIN TO …
Last Train to Clarksville
"Last Train to Clarksville"
US single cover
Released: August 16, 1966
Format: 7"
Recorded: July 25, 1966; RCA Victor Studios, Studio A; Hollywood, CA
Length: 2:46
Label: Colgems #1001
Songwriter(s): Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart
Producer(s): Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart
"Last Train to Clarksville" was the debut single by The Monkees. It was released August 16, 1966, and later included on the group's 1966 self-titled album, which was released on October 10, 1966.[1] The song, written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, was recorded at RCA Victor Studio B in Hollywood on July 25, 1966, and was already on the Boss Hit Bounds on August 17, 1966. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 on November 5, 1966.[3] Lead vocals were performed by the Monkees' drummer Micky Dolenz. "Last Train to Clarksville" was featured in seven episodes of the band's television series, the most for any Monkees song.
Song
The song, written by the songwriting duo Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, has been compared to the Beatles' "Paperback Writer", particularly the "jangly" guitar sound, the chord structure, and the vocal harmonies. The Beatles' song had been number one in the US charts three months earlier.
The lyrics tell of a man phoning the woman he loves, urging her to meet him at a train station in Clarksville before he must leave, possibly forever. There was no explicit reference to war in the song but its last line, "And I don't know if I'm ever coming home", was an indirect reference about a soldier leaving for the Vietnam War.
It has often been presumed that the song refers to Clarksville, Tennessee, which is near Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the home of the 101st Airborne Division, which was then serving in Vietnam. However, according to songwriter Bobby Hart, that was not the case. Instead, according to Hart, "We were just looking for a name that sounded good. There's a little town in northern Arizona I used to go through in the summer on the way to Oak Creek Canyon called Clarkdale. We were throwing out names, and when we got to Clarkdale, we thought Clarksville sounded even better. We didn't know it at the time, [but] there is an Army base near the town of Clarksville, Tennessee — which would have fit the bill fine for the storyline. We couldn't be too direct with The Monkees. We couldn't really make a protest song out of it — we kind of snuck it in."
"Last Train to Clarksville"
US single cover
Released: August 16, 1966
Format: 7"
Recorded: July 25, 1966; RCA Victor Studios, Studio A; Hollywood, CA
Length: 2:46
Label: Colgems #1001
Songwriter(s): Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart
Producer(s): Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart
"Last Train to Clarksville" was the debut single by The Monkees. It was released August 16, 1966, and later included on the group's 1966 self-titled album, which was released on October 10, 1966.[1] The song, written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, was recorded at RCA Victor Studio B in Hollywood on July 25, 1966, and was already on the Boss Hit Bounds on August 17, 1966. The song topped the Billboard Hot 100 on November 5, 1966.[3] Lead vocals were performed by the Monkees' drummer Micky Dolenz. "Last Train to Clarksville" was featured in seven episodes of the band's television series, the most for any Monkees song.
Song
The song, written by the songwriting duo Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, has been compared to the Beatles' "Paperback Writer", particularly the "jangly" guitar sound, the chord structure, and the vocal harmonies. The Beatles' song had been number one in the US charts three months earlier.
The lyrics tell of a man phoning the woman he loves, urging her to meet him at a train station in Clarksville before he must leave, possibly forever. There was no explicit reference to war in the song but its last line, "And I don't know if I'm ever coming home", was an indirect reference about a soldier leaving for the Vietnam War.
It has often been presumed that the song refers to Clarksville, Tennessee, which is near Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the home of the 101st Airborne Division, which was then serving in Vietnam. However, according to songwriter Bobby Hart, that was not the case. Instead, according to Hart, "We were just looking for a name that sounded good. There's a little town in northern Arizona I used to go through in the summer on the way to Oak Creek Canyon called Clarkdale. We were throwing out names, and when we got to Clarkdale, we thought Clarksville sounded even better. We didn't know it at the time, [but] there is an Army base near the town of Clarksville, Tennessee — which would have fit the bill fine for the storyline. We couldn't be too direct with The Monkees. We couldn't really make a protest song out of it — we kind of snuck it in."
Oh, I forgot to include a video. Here's a compilation video:
woolhat1
Published on Feb 1, 2012
A re-edited song from The Monkees TV series. This is from episode 2 with adds from episode 3 and live shot from episode 32. This completes all editing of songs from the first season of the TV series.
What? I wasn't expecting this:
JayandCompany95
Published on Nov 11, 2011
Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs - Last Train To Clarksville
2 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
He had been known as a child actor ("Circus Boy"
but possessed a voice that was well-suited for The Monkees' brand of commercial material. Jones was also a good singer, with a career in musical comedy. The other two were the better all-around musicians. All in all, they cast the right people for the show and the recordings that accompanied it.
