The Monkees are an American pop rock band originally active between 1965 and 1971, with subsequent reunion albums and tours in the decades that followed. They were formed in Los Angeles in 1965 by 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 and British actor and singer Davy Jones.
The massive success of the series—and its spin-off records—created intense pressure to mount a touring version of the group. The band went out on the road and made their debut live performance in December 1966 in Hawaii.
In 1967, The Monkees aired a Christmas episode of their TV series titled “The Monkees’ Christmas Show.” At the time, they were beginning to record songs that would show off their musical chops! In the clip from the show, they perform the ancient Christmas Carol “Riu, Riu Chiu.”
This Spanish villancico isn’t something you hear much these days, so it’s wonderful to experience it performed so beautifully. The basic theme of the song is the nativity of Christ and the Immaculate Conception.
A studio version was released on subsequent compilation albums. It is likely they learned the song from their producer, Chip Douglas who himself performed it with his former band The Modern Folk Quartet on their 1964 album Changes.
Fun fact – the title of the song is meant to convey the call of the nightingale, although some sources attribute it to the kingfisher.
What do you think of the performance of the Christmas Carol by The Monkees? Is it something that you would listen to again? Use the comments section below and share your thoughts. We’d love to hear from you!
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