Pleasant Valley Sunday
Encyclopedia
"Pleasant Valley Sunday" is a song
by Gerry Goffin
and Carole King
, most famous for the version recorded by The Monkees
in 1967
. Goffin's and King's inspiration for the name was a street named Pleasant Valley Way, in West Orange, New Jersey
where they were living at the time. The road follows a valley through several communities among the Watchung Mountains
. The lyrics were a social commentary
on status symbol
s, creature comforts, life in suburbia
, and "keeping up with the Joneses
".
, producer
of the Monkees' music during 1967, also played bass guitar
on some of their recordings. (This freed up Peter Tork
to play keyboards
.) He showed lead guitar
ist Michael Nesmith
an interlocking bass and lead riff that they used throughout the song. Nesmith doubletracked
the lead guitar riff, which was based on The Beatles
' "I Want to Tell You
". "Fast Eddie" Hoh, a session musician, played drums
, and Micky Dolenz
sang lead vocals.
For an ending, Douglas and engineer Hank Cicalo
decided to "keep pushing everything up", adding more and more reverberation
and echo
until the sound of the music became unrecognizable, before fading out the recording. Separate mono
and stereo versions were mixed for single and album records.
The single peaked at #3 on the Hot 100 and was featured in the second season of their television series. The song also appeared on the fourth Monkees album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., in November 1967. While the mono copies of the album had the same version as heard on the single, stereo copies had a version using a different take of the first verse and an additional backing vocal during the break.
In February 1986
, MTV
featured a marathon of episodes of the series titled Pleasant Valley Sunday, which sparked a second wave of Monkeemania. The reunited Dolenz, Tork, and Davy Jones
, already on tour, went from playing small venues to playing arenas and stadiums in the following weeks.
In 2002, Mark Mothersbaugh
covered the song for the TV show Hidden Hills
.
, the song is heard playing at the music store owned by Sophie Bloom (a character played by Carole King, who co-wrote the song).
The Wedding Present
covered the song on their 1992 RCA release Hit Parade 1
.
In the episode "McStroke
" from Family Guy
, this song plays in the background during a classic hallway chase scene.
The pop punk band The Mr. T Experience
covered it on their record Everybody's Entitled to Their Own Opinion
.
Neal Morse, lead singer of Transatlantic
, and former lead singer of Spock's Beard
, covered the song on his 2006 album Cover to Cover.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by Gerry Goffin
Gerry Goffin
Gerry Goffin is an American lyricist. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990 with former songwriting partner and first wife, Carole King. he has co-written six Billboard Hot 100 chart-toppers.-Career:Goffin enlisted with the Marine Corps Reserve after graduating from...
and Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
, most famous for the version recorded by The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
in 1967
1967 in music
The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The...
. Goffin's and King's inspiration for the name was a street named Pleasant Valley Way, in West Orange, New Jersey
West Orange, New Jersey
West Orange is a township in central Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 46,207...
where they were living at the time. The road follows a valley through several communities among the Watchung Mountains
Watchung Mountains
The Watchung Mountains are a group of three long low ridges of volcanic origin, between 400 ft. and 500 ft. high, lying parallel to each other in northern New Jersey in the United States...
. The lyrics were a social commentary
Social commentary
Social commentary is the act of rebelling against an individual, or a group of people by rhetorical means, or commentary on social issues or society...
on status symbol
Status symbol
A status symbol is a perceived visible, external denotation of one's social position and perceived indicator of economic or social status. Many luxury goods are often considered status symbols...
s, creature comforts, life in suburbia
SubUrbia
subUrbia is a play by Eric Bogosian chronicling the nighttime activities of a group of aimless 20-somethings still living in their suburban Boston hometown and their reunion with a former high school classmate who has become a successful musician...
, and "keeping up with the Joneses
Social status
In sociology or anthropology, social status is the honor or prestige attached to one's position in society . It may also refer to a rank or position that one holds in a group, for example son or daughter, playmate, pupil, etc....
".
Production
Chip DouglasChip Douglas
Douglas Farthing Walter Hatlelid, better known as Chip Douglas, is a songwriter, musician , and record producer, whose most famous work was during the 1960s...
, producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
of the Monkees' music during 1967, also played bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
on some of their recordings. (This freed up Peter Tork
Peter Tork
Peter Tork is an American musician and actor, best known as a member of The Monkees.-Early life:Tork was born Peter Halsten Thorkelson in Washington, D.C.. Although he was born in 1942, many news articles report him as born in 1944 in New York City as this was the date and place given on early...
to play keyboards
Musical keyboard
A musical keyboard is the set of adjacent depressible levers or keys on a musical instrument, particularly the piano. Keyboards typically contain keys for playing the twelve notes of the Western musical scale, with a combination of larger, longer keys and smaller, shorter keys that repeats at the...
.) He showed lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
ist Michael Nesmith
Michael Nesmith
Robert Michael Nesmith is an American musician, songwriter, actor, producer, novelist, businessman, and philanthropist, best known as a member of the musical group The Monkees and star of the TV series of the same name...
an interlocking bass and lead riff that they used throughout the song. Nesmith doubletracked
Doubletracking
Double tracking is an audio recording technique in which a performer sings or plays along with their own prerecorded performance, usually to produce a stronger or "bigger" sound than can be obtained with a single voice or instrument. It is a form of overdubbing; the distinction comes from the...
the lead guitar riff, which was based on The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' "I Want to Tell You
I Want to Tell You
"I Want to Tell You" is a song written by George Harrison and originally released by The Beatles on their 1966 album Revolver. Working titles, originating from Harrison's inability to name his songs, were "Laxton's Superb" and "I Don't Know."-Music:"I Want to Tell You" is in the key of A major...
". "Fast Eddie" Hoh, a session musician, played drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, and Micky Dolenz
Micky Dolenz
George Michael "Micky" Dolenz, Jr. is an American actor, musician, television director, radio personality and theater director, best known as a member of the 1960s made-for-television band The Monkees.-Biography:...
sang lead vocals.
For an ending, Douglas and engineer Hank Cicalo
Hank Cicalo
Hank Cicalo is an American recording engineer, most notable for his work in the 1960s and 1970s. Among the artists Cicalo recorded are The Monkees, Carole King and George Harrison.-The Monkees:...
decided to "keep pushing everything up", adding more and more reverberation
Reverberation
Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a particular space after the original sound is removed. A reverberation, or reverb, is created when a sound is produced in an enclosed space causing a large number of echoes to build up and then slowly decay as the sound is absorbed by the walls and air...
and echo
Echo (phenomenon)
In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound, arriving at the listener some time after the direct sound. Typical examples are the echo produced by the bottom of a well, by a building, or by the walls of an enclosed room and an empty room. A true echo is a single...
until the sound of the music became unrecognizable, before fading out the recording. Separate mono
Monaural
Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction is single-channel. Typically there is only one microphone, one loudspeaker, or channels are fed from a common signal path...
and stereo versions were mixed for single and album records.
The single peaked at #3 on the Hot 100 and was featured in the second season of their television series. The song also appeared on the fourth Monkees album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., in November 1967. While the mono copies of the album had the same version as heard on the single, stereo copies had a version using a different take of the first verse and an additional backing vocal during the break.
In February 1986
1986 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1986.-January-June:*January 23 – The first induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame takes place...
, MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
featured a marathon of episodes of the series titled Pleasant Valley Sunday, which sparked a second wave of Monkeemania. The reunited Dolenz, Tork, and Davy Jones
Davy Jones (actor)
David Thomas "Davy" Jones is an English rock singer-songwriter and actor best known as a member of the Monkees.-Early life:...
, already on tour, went from playing small venues to playing arenas and stadiums in the following weeks.
In 2002, Mark Mothersbaugh
Mark Mothersbaugh
Mark Allen Mothersbaugh is an American musician, composer, singer and painter. He is the co-founder of the new wave band Devo and has been its lead singer since 1972. His other musical projects include work for television series, films, and video games....
covered the song for the TV show Hidden Hills
Hidden Hills
Hidden Hills is an American sitcom that aired on NBC during the 2002-2003 TV season. Based on the book Surviving Suburbia, the series was created by Peter Segal and Ric Swartzlander. The theme song was Pleasant Valley Sunday by the Monkees.-Cast:...
.
Personnel
- Mickey Dolenz - lead vocal
- Michael Nesmith - electric guitar and harmony vocal
- Peter Tork - piano
- Davy Jones - backing vocal
- Bill Chadwick - acoustic guitar
- Chip Douglas - bass guitar
- "Fast" Eddie Hoh - drums
Chart positions
| Chart (1967) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 11 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 3 |
Popular culture
In the season 4 episode "To Live and Let Diorama" of Gilmore GirlsGilmore Girls
Gilmore Girls is an American family comedy-drama series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, starring Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel. On October 5, 2000, the series debuted on The WB and was cancelled in its seventh season, ending on May 15, 2007 on The CW...
, the song is heard playing at the music store owned by Sophie Bloom (a character played by Carole King, who co-wrote the song).
The Wedding Present
The Wedding Present
The Wedding Present are a British indie rock group based in Leeds, England, formed in 1985 from the ashes of the Lost Pandas. The band's music has evolved from fast-paced indie rock in the vein of their most obvious influences The Fall, Buzzcocks and Gang of Four to more varied forms...
covered the song on their 1992 RCA release Hit Parade 1
Hit Parade 1
In 1992, The Wedding Present decided to release a limited edition single every month, each featuring an original track on the A side and a cover on the B side...
.
In the episode "McStroke
McStroke
"McStroke" is the eighth episode of season six of the FOX animated series Family Guy, which originally aired on January 13, 2008. The title is a play on McDonald's terminology of putting "Mc" in front of common words...
" from Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, this song plays in the background during a classic hallway chase scene.
The pop punk band The Mr. T Experience
The Mr. T Experience
The Mr. T Experience is an American punk rock band formed in 1985 in Berkeley, California and currently recording for Lookout! Records. They have released ten full-length albums along with numerous EPs and singles and have toured internationally...
covered it on their record Everybody's Entitled to Their Own Opinion
Everybody's Entitled to Their Own Opinion
Everybody's Entitled to Their Own Opinion is the debut album by the Berkeley, California punk rock band The Mr. T Experience, released in 1986 by Disorder Records. It was the band's first full-length album and established their presence in the prolific San Francisco Bay Area music scene of the late...
.
Neal Morse, lead singer of Transatlantic
Transatlantic (band)
Transatlantic is a progressive rock supergroup consisting of Roine Stolt of The Flower Kings, Pete Trewavas of Marillion, Mike Portnoy formerly of Dream Theater and Neal Morse formerly of Spock's Beard. They formed in 1999 as a side project to their full time bands until 2002...
, and former lead singer of Spock's Beard
Spock's Beard
Spock's Beard is a progressive rock band formed in 1992 in Los Angeles by brothers Neal and Alan Morse. Neal played keyboards and was the lead vocalist, as well as being the primary songwriter before leaving the band in 2002 to pursue a solo career. Alan plays electric guitar...
, covered the song on his 2006 album Cover to Cover.