Guitarist Peter Tork was the first of The Monkees members to leave the group in 1968 officially. However, he considered exiting the band even earlier than fans realized. After season one of The Monkees television series, Peter was ready to depart. He cited two main reasons for wanting to leave the world of television behind.
Peter Tork made music a priority over acting
Peter spent several years playing banjo as a part of the musicians who worked in New York’s Greenwich Village club scene. There, he befriended other struggling musicians, José Feliciano and Stephen Stills. It was the music industry where Peter felt most at home and where he planned to continue his career.
Stephen informed Peter about a 1965 Variety ad looking for actors to portray the lead characters in a series that would morph into The Monkees. The soon-to-be member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young auditioned for the series alongside his friend. However, per Northfield News, producers told Stephen that his hair was too thin and his teeth too crooked to move forward in the audition process.
After auditioning against a group of young actors, which numbered 437, Peter was hired alongside Mike Nesmith, Davy Jones, and Micky Dolenz. Together they became The Monkees on-set and in the recording studio.
Peter Tork wanted to leave ‘The Monkees’ after season one
That feeling when your HEADQUARTERS Super Deluxe Edition arrives and you get ready to listen to each of the 69 previously unreleased recordings with undivided attention.
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The Monkees premiered on NBC in September 1966 and was an instant hit. The series copied The Beatles’ overall look and sound. However, as The Monkees grew in popularity, the demands on its four lead actors grew.
The Monkees’ first single, “Last Train to Clarksville,” had already been climbing the charts before the show debuted. October brought the release of their eponymous debut album, and by November, the group’s first single and album were sitting at number one on the Billboard charts. The demand for live performances by The Monkees grew, so the band embarked on a promotional tour with dates scheduled from Dec. 1966 through May 1967 (per The Monkees Live Almanac).
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However, Peter was unhappy. In a 1969 interview with Tiger Beat Magazine, republished by Cool Cherry Cream, he revealed the depths of his despair.
“I wanted to leave the group way back when the first season ended, but they convinced me not to. I didn’t care about all the things happening and the acclaim, and I hated the work. It was tough work, and I didn’t like it. I wanted to record all my life,” Peter admitted.
He continued, “The pressure was awful. We were working in an incredibly new environment. Half of the crew on the show was young and had very little experience at that level of work. Many of them were getting their first big break.”
The Monkees guitarist was happy when NBC canceled the TV show
Peter said he didn’t mind canceling The Monkees television series in 1969 after two seasons. He was relieved to no longer partake in that part of the band’s legacy.
“Actually, it was easier for me after the TV show was canceled. Doing the TV show was the worst,” Peter told Tiger Beat.
“Then came the movie [Head], and I couldn’t forego the movie, so I did the movie. You know, there were moments here and there—lots of good, funny stuff happening throughout—but the only time I was really happy was when we were recording the ‘Headquarters’ album,” he concluded of his time as a Monkees member in their early years.
