The Monkees’ Songwriter Was ‘Crushed’ by Fans After the Group Played 1 of Their No. 1 Songs
A pair of songwriters was behind many of The Monkees‘ songs. One of the songwriters went to see the Prefab Four perform live. Subsequently, he said he witnessed hysteria from the group’s teenage fans.
A songwriter discussed the overwhelming experience of watching the Prefab Four play their songs
Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart worked on many of The Monkees’ songs. In his 2015 book Psychedelic Bubble Gum: Boyce & Hart, The Monkees, and Turning Mayhem Into Miracles, Hart recalled watching the Prefab Four play in front of a live audience and telling Boyce about the experience. “I tried to describe how the heat of the lights hit me full in the face as I heard the introduction, ‘Here they are, straight from Hollywood, The Monkees!’
“And then like a huge asteroid speeding from the sky, a crash of light, sound, and energy had exploded around them as they played the first notes of our song, ‘Last Train to Clarksville,’ and I explained how that was just about the last of their music that was audible over the screaming shrieks of these irrepressible teens.” Hart continued.
Bobby Hart was ‘crushed’ after The Monkees stopped playing their songs
Hart revealed what happened next. “Tommy listened politely, but I knew that hearing me tell it just wasn’t the same as being there, even when I described how after the show we had been forced to retreat time after time as we tried to find an exit,” he said.
“Finally, [drummer] Billy Lewis and I had been caught in a stairwell and crushed against the handrails by a sea of hyper teenage humanity,” Hart continued. Hart felt The Monkees’ fans were hysterical. He said time seemed to stand still during the frenzy.
How The Monkees’ ‘Last Train to Clarksville’ performed on the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom
“Last Train to Clarksville” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for one week, remaining on the chart for 15 weeks in total. It was the group’s first No. 1 song in the United States.
The Monkees released “Last Train to Clarksville” on their self-titled album. The album topped the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks, remaining on the chart for 102 weeks altogether.
“Last Train to Clarksville” was less prominent in the United Kingdom. The Official Charts Company says the tune peaked at No. 23 in the U.K., remaining on the chart for seven weeks. On the other hand, The Monkees was a huge hit in the U.K. It was No. 1 for seven of its 37 weeks on the chart.
“Last Train to Clarksville” seems to have connected to the public even if Hart couldn’t always hear it over the screaming fans.
