Because I am procrastinating...

CONFESSIONS OF A POP CULTURE ADDICT PROUDLY PRESENTS

HEY! HEY! IT'S THE MONKEES TRIVIA!!!

1. Peter Tork went to his Monkee audition with best friend Steven Stills. Stills was passed over. Peter Tork was in.

2. Disc Jockey Rodney Bingenheimer, who was the subject of the award winning documentary "The Mayor of Sunset Strip", was among the finalists for potential Monkees. He was passed over because it was felt he looked to much like Davy Jones, who was the sole Monkee who did not have to audition, but would later play Davy's double in the episode where Davy changes places with a Prince (a la the Prince and the Pauper).

3. Another famous Monkee auditionee was none other than musician turned serial killer Charles Manson. Perhaps if he'd made the cut Sharon Tate would still be alive today. (POP CULTURE ADDICT UPDATE 2006:  According to our June 2006 visit with Davy Jones, this is nothing more than an urban legend and, is in fact, not true.)

4. Michael Nesmith once put his fist through a door during an argument over the creative control of the music with The Monkees' television and record executives.

5. It was Michael Nesmith who talked Frank Zappa into guest starring in an episode of The Monkees. Zappa would later appear in the failed Monkees movie "Head".

6. Although a disaster, the money made from "Head" would go on to be used to make "Easy Rider". The Monkees would never receive any money from that project.

7. The theme song for "Head", The Porpoise Song, was written by Carol King. It would be later used in the Vanilla Sky soundtrack.

8. Neil Diamond got his start in music writing for The Monkees. His biggest contribution - "I'm a Believer".

9. Although it is Michael Nesmith who was most famous for his discontent over The Monkees, it was Peter Tork who quit the band first.

10. The Monkees were offered the song "Sugar Sugar" to record before it was given to The Archies. However, all four of them thought the song sucked ass and refused to record it.

11. Jimi Hendrix's first American gig was opening for The Monkees on their first tour. Mickey Dolenz saw Hendrix in a club in London and got him and "The Experience" to commit to the tour. The pre-teen fans of The Monkees and their parents didn't jive with Hendrix's psychedelic sound and booed Hendrix off of the stage. After three disastrous performances Hendrix told The Monkees to, "Stick it up their asses."

12. Davy Jones appeared in animated form on an episode of Scooby Doo in the early seventies and performed a song called "I Can Make You Happy". He is also famous for making an appearance on the Brady Bunch as well as the first Brady Bunch movie where he sang a new version of "Girl". Mickey and Peter also appeared in cameos.

13. Michael Nesmith's mother invented liquid paper and left him a fortune with the patent as well as the liquid paper company. The acquisition made him a very rich man. Making him richer was the fact that Nesmith invested in a neat little idea called MTV in the early eighties. As a result, Nesmith rarely does public appearances with The Monkees because he doesn't need the money.

14. Peter, Davy and Mickey appeared in a Pizza Hut commercial with Ringo Starr in the early nineties.

15. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame refuses to put The Monkees in the hall claiming that they are not a real band. However, every year REM frontman Michael Stipe lobbies for their inclusion.

THIS HAS BEEN MONKEES TRIVIA. NOW YOU TOO CAN IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS!