Another Too Young

Davy Jones, 30 December 1945 – 29 February 2012

Sad to hear the news of Davy Jones' death of a suspected heart attack - too young at 66. The English member of The Monkees, he was the youthful face in the child's brain that was the band's collective persona, most notably on their lite-anarchic TV programme.

Even considering the historical hoo-hah about how much the band members actually performed on their songs - they didn't play the instruments, but certainly provided the vocals - you would have to be a harsh critic to not delight in the pop perfections of the following:

Last Train To Clarksville
I'm A Believer
(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone
A little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
Pleasant Valley Sunday
Words
Daydream Believer
Valleri

It's not ignoring the songwriting and the session players, but The Monkees, with the pretty English boy Davy Jones, are a significant part of the history of popular music, and it is always sad to see those key figures/members of the mid to late 60s departing from their families, other loved ones, and those of us who grew up in and were so influenced by those times and sounds.