Michael Nesmith introduced the world to the voice of Linda Ronstadt when he wrote the Stone Ponys' hit "Different Drum" which is a perfect song for people who don't feel like they fit in.
Nesmith became part of our lives with an ever-present knit cap generations before hipsters adopted the knit noggin-warmer.
Monday nights we pre -teens settled in for that unforgettable theme song.
"Here we come.." followed by a half hour of madcap hilarity and ridiculous plots. But the Monkees TV show was really a delivery system for chart topping numbers that dominated the charts in 1967. I remember the Monkees backlash by the same pre-teens who were a little older and a little less likely to admit they were smitten with a teenybopper ensemble whose songs were constructed in the studio by the best session musicians money could buy.
Little did we know that everyone from The Beach Boys to The Byrds employed the same session musicians.
Michael Nesmith went on to be a video visionary and a solo artist whose sly and clever solo albums were largely overlooked. He is remembered as a savvy and prescient businessman and as the Monkee, who was the wry voice of reason.
He was the guy who wrote this classic.
