“Pleasant Valley Sunday” (The Monkees)

Your classic Sunday song of the day is “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” by the Monkees. It was the group’s fourth big hit (after “Last Train to Clarksville,” “I’m a Believer,” and “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You”), hitting #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967.

The Monkees were a big deal when their TV show debuted back in 1966. The show was funny and irreverent, as were the four lads themselves. Yes, they were a totally manufactured group, the Pre-Fab Four, if you will, put together by TV producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider, with the assistance of legendary record producer Don Kirshner, but they had a string of hits that any musician would envy.

One could argue that the group was successful because of who they were or what they represented, but I contend it’s all about the music they (or, rather, Mr. Kirshner) chose. The Monkees’ biggest hits came from the cream of the mid-60s songwriting crop, including Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart (“Last Train to Clarksville,” “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone,” “Valleri,” and the show’s hit theme song), Neil Diamond (“I’m a Believer,” “A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You”), and John Stewart (“Daydream Believer”). Legendary songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin even got into the act with their rare rebellious “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” which is one of my favorite Monkees tracks.

“Pleasant Valley Sunday” is about the mundanity of suburban life, with “charcoal burning everywhere” and “rows of houses that are all the same.” Goffin’s observations are on point, including the local garage band down the street “trying to learn their song,” the “weekend squire” who came out to mow his lawn, Mr. Green who’s “so serene” because he’s got a TV in every room, Mrs. Gray and her blooming roses, and “the kids just don’t understand.” I really think it’s one of Goffin’s best lyrics, and King’s musical accompaniment is a lot harder edged than most of her past or future work. (You want a real treat, check out Carole King’s pre-Monkees demo of this track; it’s a revelation.) The two of them wrote the song about their move from New York City out to the suburbs, specifically West Orange, New Jersey, and their tract home on Pleasant Valley Way. Life inspires art.

The Monkees’ version featured Mickey Dolenz on lead vocals. Michael Nesmith played the lead guitar line (taught to him by producer Chip Douglas, who also played bass), Peter Tork played piano, Davy Jones sang backup vocals, and studio veteran “Fast” Eddie Hoh played drums.

The Monkees broke up in 1970 but reunited multiple times over the years as subsequent generations rediscovered their music. Davy Jones passed away in 2012, Peter Tork in 2019, and Michael Nesmith in 2021. We’re down to just one Monkee now, Mickey Dolenz, which makes future reunion tours a lonely proposition.