As I have already noted, Davy Jones died over the weekend. But rather than depressing , many of us have been paying tribute by listening to old songs by The Monkees.

This is The Last Train To Clarksville.

The thing about The Monkees is the way they overcame the fact they were a manufactured band to be great. More than great, in fact. Many of their songs were brilliant, and still stand up to scrutiny today.

Let’s compare The Monkees with the manufactured groups of today – the Spice Girls, the Pussycat Dolls, etc. I know which I prefer, and I know which will still be having their songs played on the radio 40 years after their heyday.

Mickey Dolenz is the lead singer for The Last Train To Clarksville, but the video shows the whole group on form, including Davy Jones.