davy and bono and the edge, oh my!
02.27.03 @ 5:01 p.m.
The main Monkees/U2 connection (I said I'd get to it eventually!) is from an email I got from my friend Meg a while back:
"I'm in the middle of an awesome book about U2 that I picked up in a used book store and Fate told me I had to buy it. Fate moves in mysterious ways, for when I opened the book, the page I'd opened to described Bono's passion for the Monkees. Could I ask for a more perfect sign?!
Anyway, the book is by Bill Flanagan and it's called "U2 At the End of the World." Here is the passage...
"Walking home through a dark tunnel, Bono insists we throw our arms over each other's shoulders and sing the theme from "The Monkees." He's still upset because he was shot down in his bid to get U2 to adopt the names of the Monkees as hotel pseudonyms for this tour. Bono wanted to be Davy Jones, the short, maracas-shaking singer. Edge was to be Mike Nesmith, the serious, wool-hatted guitarist. He thought Adam might object to being the troublemaking blonde bimbo Peter Tork, but Adam said no problem. The whole idea sank when Larry refused to be Micky Dolenz.
Edge's version of the story is slightly different; he told me it wasn't Larry who shot down the plan, it was the fact that the Monkees' names are more famous than the names of the members of U2. 'We'd still have fans ringing the room,' Edge protested, 'but it'll be someone else's fans!'"
a little later, the story continues...
"Bono throws himself so completely into "The Monkees" theme while parading through the auto tunnel that he doesn't see the car headlights bearing down on him until I yank him out of the way.(Imagine if I had not. People would be asking me Bono's last words and I'd have to say, 'Hey, hey, we're the Monkees and people say we monkey around.')"
Later on in the book, there is a mix-up and U2 runs frantically to catch a plane. Because of the comic element and the silliness, they sing the Monkees theme song again. :) Isn't that awesome?"
There are a few other things, like U2 playing (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone at the London stop of the Elevation tour, and back in 1997, The Edge used to do a karaoke version of Daydream Believer while the rest of the band, I don't know, changed or prepared for solo numbers or something. Anyway, at the L.A. stop of that tour, Davy joined him onstage. Ah, here:
"U2 Joined By Singing Monkee [MTV News]
June 23 1997 [10:00 EDT] -- U2 was joined on stage by ex-Monkee Davy Jones Saturday in L.A.
U2 played the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles Saturday night, and the show featured a special guest, ex-Monkee Davy Jones. If you haven't seen the Pop Mart tour, U2 guitarist The Edge regularly performs a karaoke version of the Monkees' hit "Daydream Believer," singing to a tape with the lyrics on the screen while the rest of the band takes a break mid-set.
This time, The Edge sang the first few lines and was then joined by Jones, the tune's original vocalist. Jones finished off the song, much to the delight of the audience�and much to the delight of Jones.
The show was opened by Rage Against the Machine. U2 now travels to Madison, Wisconsin, for June 25 and then on to multiple shows in Chicago and Boston before heading to Europe."
Finally, I've heard rumor that U2 refuses to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame until the Monkees are, but I'm not sure U2 is even eligible yet. I think you have to have at least 25 years since your first release before they induct ya.
On a more "Ellen" note (that would be *me*), I'm going home this weekend. I'm very happy about it, too. The other cool thing is that Dad might buy a little camcorder to replace the giant relic we have, IF he sells Daydream Believer, one of the Monkees litter of pups. (I've mentioned his brother Billy AKA I'm A Believer of Hidden Forest a few times.) That would rock. I could tape dog shows, and what's more, I can tape other things, like a video letter to Petey in exchange for the one she sent me, or I don't know what.
I fixed my VCR (which went all wonky a couple of days ago) with a few good head cleanings, so all should be well. I'm still distressed that something I ordered off eBay has STILL not arrived. I also slept through Italian class today. I should probably write an email to the instructor saying I felt really sick or something. I did, however, go to history discussion and good thing, too, because we had a geography quiz. Thankfully, I managed to get an easy one as I did not have to conjure up the twisty border of the Holy Roman Empire and reproduce it on a blank map. I was just vague about the Ottoman Empire, blindly placed some major European cities in... well, probably within 200 miles of the right place... and I named some rivers. The easiest thing was to map the spread of the Anglican religon in 1648, because all you have to do is color in Britain south of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
I should go work out now, but what I should do even more is finish reading Mama Lola, a book about a vodou priestess in Brooklyn in the seventies and early eighties.
Previously
fuck it @ 08.01.05
fanciful imaginary sea voyages to come @ 07.20.05
*dies* @ 07.19.05
more ootp @ 07.17.05
harry potter: driving our children into devil worship @ 07.17.05
