The Beatles: "Let It Be" at 50, its words are relevant today

[no one]

True genius transcends time. It speaks to many generations.

 

[mikedt]

I've talked to my dad a few times about the Beatles. And for him and my mum, they were never much of a thing, because they had more important considerations... Raising me(b.1963) and my sister(b.1965) right in the middle of Beatlemania.

 

[ocnbrze]

I can think of a country where hardly anyone knew where the Beatles stood. Although Elvis Presley was never a thing in the PRC either, unlike say Michael Jackson. What does surprise is that the Carpenters are very well known here.

When I was in Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia, there was people there who knew much more about the Monkees than the Beatles. Mainly because the Monkees was a subject in the school People's Education Press(PEP) textbooks.

i love the Monkees!!!!!! i used to Listen to Rodney Bingheimer on KROQ. he would always talk about and play them all the time.

curious as to why they were a subject of study?

 

[mikedt]

i love the Monkees!!!!!! i used to Listen to Rodney Bingheimer on KROQ. he would always talk about and play them all the time.

From what I can remember, in very early 70s in the UK. I knew much more about the Monkees than the Beatles. Mainly because when I was 8 or 9 I loved watching the Monkees TV show, that was often repeated on BBC throughout the 1970s. And I knew all their songs.

curious as to why they were a subject of study?

It's still a bit of a mystery to me as well. But it still sticks in mind from when I first started teaching in China. The textbook the school in Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia was using was New Senior English for China, published by PEP in Beijing.

And it always sticks in my mind Lesson 5 "The Monkees" There was an accompanying cassette with some Monkees songs, and a VCD featuring an episode of the Monkees TV show, to go with the school textbook.

PEP(People's Education Press) Is what what schools in China must use.



Of course now my former students I was teaching have grown up, and they still like the music of the Monkees. Many of them are now police, or are party cadres, or something. Some went abroad, and are now living in the US, or Canada, or Australia.

"Monkies" one of my ex-students sent me that.


Myself I prefer the Sex Pistols version of Steppin' Stone.

My thoughts on this:-

It's not the Beatles the changed the world, It's American popular culture that changes the world, even stuff that goes back to the 1960s.

 

[mikedt]

And I still wonder why the People's Education Press(PEP) in Beijing didn't hook on to the Partridge Family, with David Cassidy. They produced more syndicated TV shows and records than the Monkees did.

 

[mikedt]

I'm quite tempted to buy this. An official Chinese release of Beatles albums on a 6CD set.

緮置这行话￥jYjd1JINV78￥转移至τáǒЬáǒ，【正版披头士乐队专辑合集 The Beatles：Abbey Road/Let It Be 6CD】

 

[MoodyBlues]

When I was in Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia, there was people there who knew much more about the Monkees than the Beatles. Mainly because the Monkees was a subject in the school People's Education Press(PEP) textbooks.

That's very interesting. Do you know why they were in the textbooks? I'm curious because of something I recently learned about one of their songs. I'll explain later.

And, yes, of course your point is well-taken about China not being up on the Beatles back then. So let me alter my statement slightly: everyone who COULD know about the Beatles, did.

 

[Milo Willamson]

My mother and myself where unearthing a treasure chest of my late Father's stuff, we unearthed a ticket from him, to see the Beatles in Concert, back in I would say 1960s. I think around Boston or someplace else ya know.

 

[Milo Willamson]

I am going to add my Grandmother had a singing cola can with shades on, it was robot anyways, that sung "When I am sixty four" I think she got into the Beatles too, just one of those persons who hide their taste in music with oddish like older gen music of the fourties.
But depends on when you are exposed with.

 

[mikedt]

That's very interesting. Do you know why they were in the textbooks? I'm curious because of something I recently learned about one of their songs. I'll explain later.

And, yes, of course your point is well-taken about China not being up on the Beatles back then. So let me alter my statement slightly: everyone who COULD know about the Beatles, did.

No idea actually. The subjects in the older PEP books seemed to be rather random, because the chapter after "The Monkees" was "Machu Picchu", and other things about Peru. Current PEP English textbooks seem to concentrate a lot more about practical subjects, like shopping, family, health, food, etc.

 

[MoodyBlues]

No idea actually. The subjects in the older PEP books seemed to be rather random, because the chapter after "The Monkees" was "Machu Picchu", and other things about Peru.

Hmmm...very...weird!

So my recent enlightenment is probably old news to everyone else, but here goes: I was watching one of many shows I record from AXSTV, an amazing channel I've actually posted about before. I'm reasonably sure that this particular show was Rock Legends; each episode discusses one artist or, more rarely, one music genre.

This episode was about the Monkees. It was very fun and interesting, but really nothing new to me--until they started talking about Last Train to Clarksville. I distinctly remember listening to it, and its album, with my cousin in her bedroom when she got the album. I remember hearing the song regularly on the radio and in the Monkees' TV show. What a cute, sweet song!

The music commentators started talking about how the song slipped past the show's censors, how the Monkees were shown laughing, romping and doing silly things [in the show] as the song played...the song protesting the Vietnam War. What?!, I said.

Yes, the Monkees themselves, years later, confirmed that it was a Vietnam War protest song about a young man who'd been drafted, wanting to see his girlfriend one last time before possibly being killed in Vietnam. Whoooosh! That's the sound of its message going right over our heads.

In our defense, we were kids. Of course we knew about Vietnam--it was hard to avoid, what with heart-wrenching images of bloody soldiers, helicopters evacuating them, gunfire and grenades going off in the background, on the 6:00 news every night. But the Monkees?! We had no clue. *SMH*

 

[mikedt]

Hmmm...very...weird!

So my recent enlightenment is probably old news to everyone else, but here goes: I was watching one of many shows I record from AXSTV, an amazing channel I've actually posted about before. I'm reasonably sure that this particular show was Rock Legends; each episode discusses one artist or, more rarely, one music genre.

This episode was about the Monkees. It was very fun and interesting, but really nothing new to me--until they started talking about Last Train to Clarksville. I distinctly remember listening to it, and its album, with my cousin in her bedroom when she got the album. I remember hearing the song regularly on the radio and in the Monkees' TV show. What a cute, sweet song!

The music commentators started talking about how the song slipped past the show's censors, how the Monkees were shown laughing, romping and doing silly things [in the show] as the song played...the song protesting the Vietnam War. What?!, I said.

Yes, the Monkees themselves, years later, confirmed that it was a Vietnam War protest song about a young man who'd been drafted, wanting to see his girlfriend one last time before possibly being killed in Vietnam. Whoooosh! That's the sound of its message going right over our heads.

In our defense, we were kids. Of course we knew about Vietnam--it was hard to avoid, what with heart-wrenching images of bloody soldiers, helicopters evacuating them, gunfire and grenades going off in the background, on the 6:00 news every night. But the Monkees?! We had no clue. *SMH*

I suspect the Monkees themselves may not have known that when they were active with the TV show and their records, and possibly they found out later. Because unlike the Beatles with Lennon and McCartney, most if not all Monkees songs were written by others. Last Train to Clarksville was written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, who wrote quite a few of the Monkees songs, like Steppin' Stone and Hey, Hey, We're the Monkees. Neil Diamond wrote I'm a Believer. The Monkees was really the first manufactured boy band, who came into fruition because of NBC.

Unfortunately I can't see anything on AXS.TV, because it seems to be US only, and they lock out VPN access.

 

[MoodyBlues]

You're absolutely right, @mikedt, about the Monkees not writing their songs. If I knew that way back when, well, I really don't recall. I probably did, because it was my habit to thoroughly scour a new album's jacket as soon as it was in my hot little hands! I imagine my cousin and me reading who wrote the songs, and reacting with "who's Boyce and Hart?!" *giggle giggle giggle*

Anyway, from what I've now read and watched, including interviews with Micky Dolenz, the group most definitely did know what LTTC was about. They considered it an accomplishment that it whoooooshed right over the censors' heads, and made its way into the show.

Unfortunately I can't see anything on AXS.TV, because it seems to be US only, and they lock out VPN access.

That's a real shame. Its programming is amazing--I remember posting a thread about it last year. It's geared heavily to Boomers, but anyone who appreciates popular music and culture should enjoy it. They have shows like The Top Ten Revealed, which picks a year and runs down the top 10 [comedy movies] [TV sitcoms] [songs about breaking up] [stand-up comedians] and so on, from that year. And much, much more. If you ever figure out a way to watch it, I'm sure you'd enjoy it.

 

[MoodyBlues]

these songs of the last century are nothing like those we're hearing now, I guess, I was born in the wrong time))

You and me both!

Honestly, some of what passes as 'music' today is downright shocking. No, I don't mean its explicit language, I mean its complete and utter lack of any resemblance to actual music. And, as I've said before, I can't imagine anyone, 50 years from now, celebrating/commemorating/re-enacting/honoring ANY of it. But guess what? They'll still be doing that for the Beatles.

 

[finny66]

love them so much

 

[Deleted User]

You and me both!

Honestly, some of what passes as 'music' today is downright shocking. No, I don't mean its explicit language, I mean its complete and utter lack of any resemblance to actual music.

Lol. I agree, (I have to, I'm getting on a bit) but that reminded me again of when I was eight or nine and not into music at all (but my oldest sister next to me was) with my uncle swinging around to me while lamenting the detioration of modern music playing on the radio (late '60s at that time) saying "It's all : I said yeah yeah yeah" and stomped off in disgust. I hadn't got a clue.