From the Encarta Dictionary: "Relevant (adjective) 1. Connected: having some sensible or logical connection with something else such as a matter being discussed or investigated. 2.Having social significance; having some bearing on or importance for real-world issues, present-day events, or the current state of society."
It's difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact that there are quite a few people in the United States that do not know of Paul McCartney or Bruce Springsteen. This portion of the populace knows neither the names nor the accomplishments of either of these iconic musicians, and in most instances – for all intents and purposes – they could care less.
These same people would probably be baffled by my lack of knowledge and indifference regarding many of the current stars and celebrities. And while I'm still humming 40-year-old songs that might be unrecognizable to the younger crowd, artists such as Rihanna, Foster the People, Usher and Adele are currently making a run to be the present-day and future icons. Pop culture is like that: Current is relevant; nostalgia is not.
Pop Relevance
Recently, I was catching up with an old friend of mine by the name of Eric Bazilian, and in the course of the conversation regarding the state of the music business, Eric made the comment that "Things were different back when I was in a relevant band, but that was 25 years ago." The relevant band in question is most likely "The Hooters." The group formed in 1980, and Eric and band co-founder Robbie Hyman achieved worldwide recognition. (If anyone is interested, they can Google Eric, Robbie and the Hooters to check on their relevance.) But regardless of the outcome, Eric's comment stuck with me, and I started to ponder "Relevant."
In 1968, Andy Warhol, founder of the Pop Art movement, said "In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." An iconic phrase that, after nearly 45 years, is becoming more relevant with each passing year and, if we exchange "relevant" for "world-famous," then we gain insight into the second definition of the word; at least in regard to a person's relevance in the world of popular culture. Interestingly, while I was ruminating about relevance, I received a call from the well-known publicist David Salidor who approached me in regard to interviewing Micky Dolenz, the voice of "The Monkees." For those who are too young to remember "The Monkees," or are so jaded as to question the relevance of said band, let me assure you that I, too, had my reservations in regard to interviewing Mr. Dolenz.
Made for TV
When the television series, The Monkees, was on the air (1966-1968), I was a teenager enraptured by the sound and cultural change manifesting through the music of such luminaries as Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. As I saw it back then, The Monkees were a group of actors put together for commercial television to capitalize on and deliver the sanitized version of the musical and Cultural Revolution to the masses. I was right in my assessment of the television show, but while my attention was focused on changing the world, The Monkees changed from being four actors playing the part of musicians to four musicians who actually became an extremely popular touring and recording band, with such hits as "I'm a Believer," "Daydream Believer," "Last Train to Clarksville," "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" and "Pleasant Valley Sunday." All told, their recordings have sold about 65 million copies worldwide which, in itself, is not an irrelevant number.
When sitting with Mickey, it's easy to get caught up in a conversation regarding "The Monkees," but Micky is quick to assert that, while the band and show were both great career launching pads, there is more to his creative life than being a Monkee, and unlike another teen sensation who had a career launched by a television show, Micky is not bitter, nor is he striving to validate his artistic endeavors. As he tells it, "If I could do nothing else but go out and sing Monkees tunes, I'd probably be bitter, too." Fortunately for him, he has been able to direct and produce for television and stage as well as act and sing in major productions such as Hairspray and Elton John's Aida. Micky also did a stint as the morning radio deejay on New York City's "oldies" station, WCBS FM, and recently he recorded a CD of Carole King songs.
I asked him what it was like to tour as a Monkee in 1966 in regard to audio, and if he had any kind of monitoring system to help him while he was on stage. He laughed when he explained that he had to sing lead and play drums at the same time, and since he was behind the band and the amplifiers, he could barely hear a thing. Compounded with the hysterical screaming of thousands of fans and his position on stage, he had to work out a system with Mike Nesmith in which the song would be counted off with Mike tapping his heel in time for Micky to use as a visual click track. Once he felt locked in, he would then just close his eyes and go with it.
Top 10
These days, Micky stays relevant by using in-ear monitors while on stage, and often comes out from behind the drums because, as he says, "people want entertainment, and it's not easy for a singer to entertain while sitting behind a kit. By the way," he adds, "I'm number seven on a list of singing drummers," although, other than Don Henley, Ringo and Phil Collins, he could not remember the full list. So in the vein of true investigative reporting, I went online and looked up a list of singing drummers. I found a list that was published in 2007, which stated: "For a few brave and talented souls, drumming by itself isn't enough. So for this week's B List, we celebrate the 10 best drummers who can also carry a tune:
1. Levon Helm…The Band, 2. Phil Collins…Genesis, 3. Don Henley…The Eagles, 4. Ringo Starr…The Beatles, 5.Roger Taylor…Queen, 6. Karen Carpenter…The Carpenters, 7. Dave Grohl…Nirvana, 8. Micky Dolenz…The Monkees, 9. Kris Meyers…Umphrey's McGee, 10. Peter Criss…Kiss.
So, Micky was number 8 instead of number 7, but then Davy Jones probably listed his height as 5'9," or maybe Dave Grohl, more recently with Foo Fighters and Them Crooked Vultures, just moved into the number 7 slot by being a bit more relevant.
In any case, it seems as though Micky's keeping good company in the top 10 list of singing drummers and, as part of the blurb next to Micky's name stated, "Throughout the Monkees reunion tours, Dolenz would often play drums, and he showed that, contrary to popular belief, he was actually talented behind the kit."
It's All Relative
If we use the definition of relevance as a reference point, then we can say that one thing is only relevant in relation to another, and not as an isolated instance. For example, when having a conversation regarding the benefits of in-ear monitoring systems or the use of on-stage wedges, an interjection – "Micky Dolenz is a good drummer" – would be irrelevant to the issue being discussed. If one were to say, though, "Micky Dolenz is a good drummer who also needs to hear his lead vocal while he drums," then that might be relevant to a discussion regarding the benefits of ears over wedges, or vice-versa.
One thing is sure though. Television itself is still relevant (at least for the time being) in launching a multitude of careers, of which some have sustained over time and others have not. Whether or not the longevity is based upon talent or good business acumen is not really relevant to this conversation, but in my humble opinion, I would assume that it takes a bit of both to sustain a career over a period of 40 years. Since Micky owes his beginnings to the power of television, I asked him what he thought about the new crop of reality TV stars and singers, to which he replied, "Maybe we should change Warhol's phrase from 15 minutes of fame to five minutes of fame." Hey, for that matter we could substitute "relevant" for "famous." In the meantime, as well directing, producing and having a penchant for musical theater, Micky still tours and performs with his own band and – after chatting with him for a whole 20 minutes or so – if I were to be asked if Micky Dolenz is relevant, then, based upon the previous dictionary definition, I would have to respond, "Relevant compared to what?"
