Stupid question concerning false trivia about the Monkees and the Velvet Underground

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At least, I guess it to be false, because it has absolutely no supporting documentation ..

But maybe someone can fill in the details -

Years ago, before everyone & his brother started claiming that they were Velvet Underground fans, and while the Monkees were still touring on their first lame reunion tour without Mike Nesmith, and the shows hadn't been released on video and there was no internet to speak of : I read somewhere that the Velvet Underground had appeared on the Monkees TV show as a motorcycle gang called The Spiders. This would have been in the Ghost Town episode.

This has bugged me for years because I have not been able to find episode credits to find out who the actors were that played the gang, assuming that there even was a gang in that episode. And why would someone have printed that it was the VU? I could have read it wrong or remembered it wrong .. and maybe it said something like the gang made references to the VU or was supposed to be based on the VU as an inside joke .. which makes only a tiny amount of sense, as the VU were as far from LA as a band could get, but then Frank Zappa + whatever~= whothefuckknows.

So - can anyone - maybe someone who has videos or every trivia book ever written - look at credits, listen to dialog, etc ..? How far from the truth is it?

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 19:04 (twenty years ago)

"The Wild Monkees"

― Oops I'm not signed in my name is Mike DXN, Wednesday, 1 December 2004 19:32 (twenty years ago)

(That page doesn't mention the Velvet Underground as being in the episode.)

― King Kobra (King Kobra), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 19:47 (twenty years ago)

Other than “The Black Angels” there doesn't seem to be anything remotely related to the VU. I wish I knew who wrote that original article, sos I can strangle him.

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 19:52 (twenty years ago)

Close, but pretty much wrong [sounds like you got duped]:

http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/GuidePageServlet/showid-1678/epid-74642/

― I'm serious ... Ti-i-i-i-im (deangulberry), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 20:07 (twenty years ago)

I stopped believing it years ago - but still wondered where it would have come from in the first place.

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 20:09 (twenty years ago)

My google search showed your previous ilx request from 2002.

― I'm serious ... Ti-i-i-i-im (deangulberry), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 20:20 (twenty years ago)

I asked this before? lawd.

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 20:28 (twenty years ago)

Someone should make this a reality through the miracle of CGI technology.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 20:30 (twenty years ago)

But instead of the original Velvet Underground, they can use this group:

http://candysroom.freeservers.com/122.jpg

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 20:51 (twenty years ago)

Is that the bizarro-world Travelling Wilburys?

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 20:55 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, but instead of Jeff Lynne, they use Don Was (not pictured).

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 21:26 (twenty years ago)

"(That page doesn't mention the Velvet Underground as being in the episode.) "
Yes, that's because they weren't in it. But wouldn't it be weird if the episode synopsis contained statements to the effect that The Velvet Underground did NOT appear?

― Mike Dxon, Wednesday, 1 December 2004 21:37 (twenty years ago)

I mean, unless the rumor were so widespread that there was reason to state that they weren't.
"Also NOT playing the part of the motorcycle gang were Steppenwolf, the Flying Burrito Brothers, the Iguanas..."

― Mikd Dxon, Wednesday, 1 December 2004 21:40 (twenty years ago)

the ohio players were notable non-appearers in this episode...

― peter smith (plsmith), Wednesday, 1 December 2004 21:42 (twenty years ago)

Nobody had heard of the Velvet Underground in 1967/68 so why would they be in an episode of the Monkees? Zappa was a well-known figure on the LA music scene, even if he was hardly a pop star, plus he had a good hustling manager in Herb Cohen, who was also Tim Buckley's manager, who also appeared with the Monkees, if you see what I'm driving at...

― We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 2 December 2004 14:21 (twenty years ago)

Surely that bizarro-Wilbury photo is at a tribute to their shared musical forefather, Dion DiMucci, during a rendition of "Abraham, Martin and John," with Billy, Paul and Lou assigned one fallen hero each to sing about.

― Ken L (Ken L), Thursday, 2 December 2004 15:06 (twenty years ago)

Lou's still doing new verses...

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 2 December 2004 15:08 (twenty years ago)

"Abraham, Martin, John and Delmore"

― We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 2 December 2004 15:09 (twenty years ago)

Good one. Off topic, but there is some great stuff about Delmore Schwartz, in particular his gift of fabulation, in Anatole Broyard's When Kafka Was The Rage.

― Ken L (Ken L), Thursday, 2 December 2004 15:28 (twenty years ago)

BTW, I feel your pain, Dave. See here for another case of Longing After A Strange
Juxtaposition That Never Was.

― Ken L (Ken L), Thursday, 2 December 2004 15:37 (twenty years ago)

four years pass...

This rumor needs to be successful enough to make it onto Snopes' false-authority page along with the California Pear/Bear Flag.

― Chris Barrus (Elvis Telecom), Thursday, 2 April 2009 06:18 (sixteen years ago)

"I've been told that you've been bold with Abraham, Martin and John..."

― Maltodextrin, Thursday, 2 April 2009 06:55 (sixteen years ago)

twelve years pass...

Supernatural, perhaps…baloney, perhaps not.

― Santa’s Got a Brand New Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 13 December 2021 14:54 (three years ago)

Also, I had to blink to make sure Maltodextrin was not me.

― Santa’s Got a Brand New Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 13 December 2021 15:08 (three years ago)

Your Sister Rayzelda

― Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 13 December 2021 15:16 (three years ago)

A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit Lou

― When Smeato Met Moaty (Tom D.), Monday, 13 December 2021 15:22 (three years ago)

I am far from the biggest Monkees Head around here, but I did learned a few things over the weekend that were interesting. Such as, after (mostly) playing their own instruments on Headquarters, eventually they drifted to back to using the Wrecking Crew, with each guy supervising his own sessions. I also learned that after Don Kirshner taken off the Monkees project, his replacement was none other than Phil Spector's - and Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller's- old partner Lester Sill, who had been music coordinator under Kirshner.

― Santa’s Got a Brand New Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 13 December 2021 16:58 (three years ago)

https://www.monkeeslivealmanac.com/blog/category/lester-sill

― Santa’s Got a Brand New Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 13 December 2021 16:59 (three years ago)

Lady Godiva's Pet Pig Porky

― Hideous Lump, Monday, 13 December 2021 17:54 (three years ago)

White Light/Woolen Hat

― Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Monday, 13 December 2021 21:56 (three years ago)

Listen to the Man

― Santa’s Got a Brand New Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 13 December 2021 22:15 (three years ago)

Valerie Says

― Hideous Lump, Monday, 13 December 2021 22:26 (three years ago)

Valleri (fuck you autocorrect)

― Hideous Lump, Monday, 13 December 2021 22:27 (three years ago)

Sister Dubbalina

― Mark G, Monday, 13 December 2021 22:27 (three years ago)

We're Gonna Buy a Real Good Dog Together

― Hideous Lump, Monday, 13 December 2021 22:30 (three years ago)

Lol

― Santa’s Got a Brand New Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 13 December 2021 22:34 (three years ago)

(Also, might I point out the similar "goofing around in the vocal booth" of Gonna Buy Me a Dog and Temptation Inside Your Heart)

― Hideous Lump, Monday, 13 December 2021 22:35 (three years ago)

Randy Welsh Git

― When Smeato Met Moaty (Tom D.), Tuesday, 14 December 2021 00:20 (three years ago)

"Abraham, Martin, John and Delmore"
― We Buy a Hammer For Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, December 2, 2004 10:09 AM (seventeen years ago) bookmarkflaglink

Ok, lol

― ma dmac's fury road (PBKR), Tuesday, 14 December 2021 00:47 (three years ago)

Hey, Hey, We're the Junkies.

― Leftee, Tuesday, 14 December 2021 04:31 (three years ago)

We're Gonna Buy a Real Good Dog Together
― Hideous Lump, Monday, December 13, 2021 10:30 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

Awes

― Mark G, Tuesday, 14 December 2021 10:15 (three years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RA7itS5dODo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sulNOx8uRGw

― Santa’s Got a Brand New Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 19 December 2021 06:10 (three years ago)

Although I can't find positive confimation of the first one.

― Santa’s Got a Brand New Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 19 December 2021 06:12 (three years ago)

The second one is well known to be William Roscoe "Rosko" Mercer, just heard the first one and it sure sounds a lot like him

― Santa’s Got a Brand New Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 19 December 2021 06:13 (three years ago)

Edie Sedgwick
“Fast” Eddie Hoh

― Circle Sky Pilot (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 24 December 2021 13:08 (three years ago)

“Some of Shelley Albin’s Blues”

― Heatmiserlou (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 31 December 2021 00:40 (three years ago)

D.W. Warhol

― I Can't See Gervais In My Mind (Tom D.), Friday, 31 December 2021 00:43 (three years ago)

^nice!

― Heatmiserlou (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 31 December 2021 00:54 (three years ago)

Andy’s Song

― Heatmiserlou (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 31 December 2021 00:59 (three years ago)

Don’t think anyone is ever going to get as excited about those two Rosko voiceovers as me but so be it.

― Heatmiserlou (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 31 December 2021 01:08 (three years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63nhSFFFfJ4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfdkPBkUodY

― A Little Bit Meme, a Little Bit URL (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 2 January 2022 17:26 (three years ago)

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