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TL;DR:

  • The Monkees’ theme inspired the most successful song by a 2000s band.
  • A music executive thought the 2000s song was much older because of its style.
  • The track in question was a bigger hit than The Monkees’ theme.

The Monkees‘ theme became one of the most famous theme songs in the history of television. Subsequently, it was quoted in a hit song from a 2000s band. The music of the 1960s heavily influenced the band in question.

The Thrills’ ‘Big Sur’ tips its hat to The Monkees’ theme

The Thrills were an Irish rock band that had a few hits in the United Kingdom during the 2000s. Their single “Big Sur” couldn’t possibly be more influenced by the music of the 1960s. The instrumentation is reminiscent of The Beach Boys, the vocals sound like Neil Young, and the lyrics reference The Monkees’ theme.

“Big Sur” is a song where The Thrills ask a woman to abandon here crazy lifestyle and not go back to Big Sur, a coastal area of California. The song includes the lines “Hey, hey you’re The Monkees / And people said you monkeyed around / But nobody’s listening up.” This is a callback to the chorus of The Monkees’ theme.

Virgin Records signed The Thrills because they mimicked the sound of 1960s music

During a 2003 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Philippe Ascoli of Virgin Records said he signed The Thrills because “Big Sur” impressed him. “My A&R; guy, Nick Burgess, got a tape and we loved the music because it was our roots … people like Gram Parsons and The Beach Boys,” he said. “When I heard ‘Big Sur’ on their demo tape, I couldn’t believe the band wrote it. I thought it was some great old song they had found.”

The Thrills’ Conor Deasy had no interest in being trendy. “We had no interest in just trying to be in fashion and fit in with all the other over-hyped bands out there that were getting signed because they had the right haircuts or the right guitar sound,” he said.

Tony Wadsworth of Virgin Records said The Thrills wanted to work with his label because of their taste in music. “I think the band wanted to sign with a company that had just as much love for an era of music as they do,” he said.

Related

The Monkees’ Theme Song Was Inspired by This Classic Hit

How The Monkees’ theme and The Thrills’ ‘Big Sur’ performed in the United Kingdom

Notably, “(Theme From) The Monkees” was not a single in the United Kingdom. The Official Charts Company says it never charted there. The tune appeared on The Monkees’ self-titled debut album. The Monkees reached No. 1 and lasted a total of 37 weeks on the chart.

According to The Official Charts Company, The Thrills’ “Big Sur” peaked at No. 17 in the U.K. and stayed on the chart for four weeks. “Big Sur” remains The Thrills’ biggest hit. It appeared on the album So Much for the City. The record hit No. 3 and lasted on the chart for 40 weeks.

“Big Sur” is a great song and it wouldn’t be the same without The Monkees.

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