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TL;DR:

  • The Monkees’ Micky Dolenz discussed how the band’s supervisor, Don Kirshner, helped them.
  • Dolenz dumped ice on Kirshner and that became an “urban legend.”
  • Kirhsner was later dismissed.

The Monkees‘ Micky Dolenz said the band often improvised on TV. Subsequently, he dumped ice on The Monkees’ supervisor, Don Kirshner, in the studio. Kirshner then told Dolenz how he expected to be treated.

Micky Dolenz dumped ice on The Monkees’ supervisor because he said something silly

Don Kirshner was The Monkees’ music supervisor. During a 2020 interview with Forbes, Dolenz discussed a famous anecdote about Kirshner. “Donnie Kirshner was responsible to some degree in picking The Monkees songs because he was head of Screen Gems Columbia Music in the famous Brill Building in New York,” he said. “He was the Brill Building during that period, along with those incredible writers like Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, Neil Diamond, Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, David Gates, Paul Williams, Diane Hildebrand, etc. We were surrounded by the best of the best. 

“Donnie would come out to the studio once in a while,” he said. “I didn’t really know who he was. I didn’t pay too much attention to the suits, as we called them. 

“There was this one recording session when I was drinking a Coca-Cola, and it was down to a cup of ice,” he added. “Donnie made some comment that I thought was silly. So I dumped the cup of ice on his head as a riff. It’s now become an urban myth.” 

Micky Dolenz had a theory as to why he dumped ice on Don Kirshner

Dolenz said Kirshner subsequently told him that he had to have a level of respect around him. The Monkee said the incident happened because the members of the band were encouraged to improvise while they filmed their sitcom. He said he couldn’t walk off the set and stop being funny.

Dolenz said many of the band’s improvised moments were used in the final cut of the show. He thinks that was part of The Monkees’ charm. He compared the band’s improvisational energy to nuclear fission. In Dolenz’s opinion, that power had to be contained.

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A songwriter explained how The Monkees’ supervisor lost his job

Bobby Hart co-wrote many Monkees songs, including “Last Train to Clarksville,” “Valleri,” and “I Wanna Be Free.” In his 2015 book Psychedelic Bubble Gum: Boyce & Hart, The Monkees, and Turning Mayhem into Miracles, he discussed The Monkees’ relationship with Kirshner. He recalled the Prefab Four wanted more control over their music, and the band’s co-creator, Bert Schneider, agreed. He said The Monkees should be allowed to write their own B-sides.

Subsequently, Kirshner put out “A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You” instead. The track was written by Neil Diamond, not any of the members of The Monkees. For this decision, Kirshner lost his job as the band’s supervisor.

Kirshner wasn’t with The Monkees forever but he certainly had a memorable moment with Dolenz.

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