The Monkees are one of the most unique stories in pop culture history. They were a band of actors and musicians put together for a TV show. The band had massive hits written by other artists and performed by session musicians. But eventually, like Pinocchio becoming a real boy, they fought to write and record their own music, resulting in a number-one album, 1967’s Headquarters.
Before joining The Monkees, Michael Nesmith (best known for his wool cap) was a country singer-songwriter from Dallas, Texas, who released a few singles as Michael Blessing. As a Monkee, Nesmith pushed to have the band record his songs and play them on the show. Producers rejected one of his early pitches, a mountain-folk song called “Different Drum,” which he wrote in 1964.
‘Different Drum’ makes its TV debut
Nesmith briefly got his song on the show in the 1966 episode “Too Many Girls,” but not the way he wanted. He performed it as a nervous country singer, Billy Roy Hostettler, who fumbled through it at a talent show.
After the Monkees’ producers rejected the song, Nesmith gave it to the Greenbrier Boys, who recorded a bluegrass version in 1966 for their album Better Late than Never.
Linda Ronstadt, who was a backup singer in the Stone Poneys trio, wanted a song where she could sing lead. After hearing the Greenbrier Boys’ version, she recorded it with L.A.’s Wrecking Crew studio band, who had coincidentally played on more than a few Monkees hits.
“Different Drum” took on a new meaning with a female vocalist. Instead of a man tired of being tied down, it’s about a woman who leaves a man to live her own life, reflecting the growing feminist spirit of the ‘60s.
Here’s the Stone Poneys playing it live.
The Stone Poneys’ version of “Different Drum” became a hit, peaking at number 13 on the Billboard charts in January 1968. However, it soon spelled the band’s end, as they were miffed that session musicians played their big hit. The success of “Different Drum” catapulted Rondstadt to stardom as one of the biggest recording artists of the ‘70s and ‘80s.
Nesmith would eventually get his due as a songwriter, penning notable Monkees songs such as “Papa Gene’s Blues,” “Mary, Mary,” “Listen to the Band,” and “You Just May Be The One.” After Nesmith left The Monkees in 1970, he launched a solo career and helped pioneer the alt-country movement. Although The Monkees’ shadow burdened him as a solo artist, Nesmith’s work has been reappraised in recent years, and many now see him as a gifted songwriter who anticipated alt-country’s rise.
Newsmith recorded “Different Drum” on two of his solo albums, first on the 1970s album Loose Salute and in ‘72 on And the Hits Just Keep On Comin’.
