How The Monkees reacted to being covered by Run-DMC
The American pop-rock group The Monkees found fame in the 1960s when they were chosen to star in a comedy TV show as a band who took part in adventures together every week, while occasionally breaking into song. The quartet, however, produced catchy and lively songs, which immersed an avid audience and began their meteoric rise. Also known as ‘The Prefab Four’, due to their uncanny resemblance to The Beatles, they usually didn’t write their own songs, with a crack team of lyricists postulating their work.
Their most iconic hits include ‘I’m a Believer’, ‘Daydream Believer’, and ‘Last Train to Clarksville’, delivering exciting and melodic vocals and production, which continue to be sung to this day. However, one of the members, Mike Nesmith, was responsible for writing one of their earliest releases, ‘Mary, Mary’.
Nesmith was a talented musician in his own right, with firsthand recording experience under his belt before joining the band. For ‘Mary, Mary’, he was interested in finding a balance between blues and country music for a song which you can picture dancehalls full of youngsters bopping aimlessly away to. The track hypnotised and brainwashed people into moving with determination and poise. The song takes the form of a plea from the main character, aiming to win his lover back. However, the makeup of the track makes it seem the protagonist is in control of the situation.
Upbeat and energetic, 22 years later, it caught the attention of Run-DMC. They created a cover version of ‘Mary, Mary’, which was included on the album Tougher Than Leather and was co-produced by Rick Rubin.
Nesmith revealed what he thought of Run-DMC’s cover, saying, “I just loved their take on it. They changed around some of the lyrics, but I didn’t care. The song isn’t exactly deep”.
Run-DMC were the pioneers of the new-school hip-hop era and ushered in a new wave of talent. They became known for taking completely different genres of music and giving them a novel twist. For example, their cover of ‘Walk This Way’ featuring the rock group Aerosmith became immensely popular, such that it ended up charting higher than the original. It wasn’t wholly different from Aerosmith’s version, but it was a testament to Run-DMC’s ability to create a piece of art in which genres complemented each other without clashing.
The style on their cover of The Monkees ‘Mary, Mary’ kept the same model too. It was dosed with that late ’80s hip-hop zest of banging, rhythmic beats paired with vexed delivery, while still keeping close to the original within its creation. Mickey Dolenz, one of the members of The Monkees, can also be heard singing on the chorus of Run-DMC’s version.
At the time, it wasn’t a defining track in either group’s career. However, as the years have passed, Run-DMC’s cover has gained a reputation for being a genius piece of work. It tells a tale of the early use of sampling in hip-hop. It broke boundaries and opened waiting eyes to the possibilities of collaboration in all sectors. Who would dare sample The Monkees for a hip-hop track? Clearly, only someone with as much foresight as Run-DMC.