On Monday, Davy Jones was sitting on his porch in Hollywood, Calif., watching surfers and spilling some fast-talkin' one-liners.
This weekend, he said, he will attach something resembling tennis rackets to his feet so he can navigate Minnesota's wintery topography.
Everyone's favorite Monkee will perform Saturday with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center Auditorium. The pops program starts at 8 p.m.
The News Tribune caught up with him via phone and he had plenty to say: Why he will never be on one of those celebrity reality shows where everyone is locked in the same house; how his former posse of Peter Tork, Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz are all old guys; and why he doesn't get tired of singing "Daydream Believer."
What started as a Q&A quickly turned into simply an A, with the entertainer swinging quickly from topic to topic. Kind of like, well, a Monkee.
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Here is Davy Jones, on:
How he is preparing for his trip to Duluth?
"I've been to Minnesota. I'm sure I have. About an hour a day I put on woolish clothes and practice. I bought these tennis racket-like things for getting from the airport to the car. We'll need those. I don't mind. I'm from England, which is kind of cool. I was in Salt Lake City [for Sundance]. I got used to the cold."
His recent taping for a cameo on Spongebob Squarepants
"I just did an episode of 'SpongeBob'. ... I thought he was a piece of Swiss cheese. Now I've watched a couple episodes and it's quite funny. SpongeBob is a bit risqué. Sometime when it's on, stop and look at it. This is not for kids."
Not being involved
in fans' attempts to
get the Monkees
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in the hall of fame
"This guy has a business. He's got this thing: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. People go to Cleveland, they go to the door and say 'Where are the Monkees?' I don't know what it all means. I've never given it a thought.
"I bought this old church in Pennsylvania. A place in Beavertown, Pa., It's got new windows, a new steeple and I've been collecting memorabilia. When I tell people, they say, 'Is it because you aren't in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?' It's more like Graceland or Dollywood."
Singing
"Daydream Believer"
"What am I going to do, "Bridge Over Troubled Water"?
"I'm A Believer," "Pleasant Valley Sunday," "A Little Bit Me" ... Are you kidding me? Most people don't even have one hit. I love to sing them. It's always a different song, a different day. [I recently played with] Clarence Clemons. He played sax on 'Daydream Believer' and when he wasn't blowing, he had a big smile on his face."
Why he won't be locked in a house with other celebrities for reality TV
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"Can you imagine me living in a house with Bobby Brown? I would knock his ass out if he got up at 2 in the morning to play music. ... I can't be doing that. I left home when I was 14. I had three sisters. ... I'm a bit of a recluse. When it comes to the stage, the curtains open and I'm on fire because I have all this energy from doing stuff that's not show business."
Aging
"I just came back from a cruise with Bill Medley, Paul Revere and the Lovin' Spoonful ... I was the headliner and I didn't know why. When I met them, I realized I had the best chance for survival.
"I'm 63 but I haven't grown up. I'm still wondering if I'm going to be let in at Disneyland. ... I get people stopping me and saying 'I used to kiss the television when you were on,' which was very dangerous in the '60s. I could have gotten third-degree burns watching 'I Dream of Jeannie.' "
The Beatles
"They put them on the Ed Sullivan show, threw out the audience and brought in 14-year-old girls. It's a staggering influ-ence they had on the world. We're still quoting John Lennon: 'Give peace a chance.' People listen. ... There's always a refer-ence to the Beatles, no matter what you do. John Lennon said "The Monkees are nothing like the Beatles. They're more like the Marx Brothers."
Barack Obama
"Obama reminds me of Prince Charles. They are the only two guys who can whisper in their own ears."
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What to expect at Saturday's show
"I'll do some 'Oliver,' some swing music, and all the Monkees' hits. ... A couple originals that fit in. I'm not going to be like: 'Here's six songs in a row off my new album!' Oh, dear me. Let's go with what we know. ... I talked to Mark [Markand Thakar] the director today. I assured him we'd be on our best behavior. We'll be sober when we get there."
