Mike Nesmith’s 1966 Monkees Track Was One of the Very First Country-Rock Songs

Mike Nesmith may have been introduced to TV viewers as the dry-witted, wool-hatted member of the pop band The Monkees, but off-camera, he was playing a very different musical game.

When The Monkees released their self-titled debut album in the fall of 1966, critics dismissed the quartet as a manufactured pop act. However, most fans of the series didn’t realize how musically proficient its members were.

Nesmith was a singer, songwriter, and musician, as was Peter Tork. Davy Jones was a musical theater veteran, and Micky Dolenz was a natural musician who got his start as an actor.

Although many of the songs on The Monkees’ multi-platinum 1966 debut album, were written by other songwriters, Nesmith contributed “Papa Gene’s Blues.” The song was a rock track that had an authentic Nashville twang.

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The song didn’t just highlight his songwriting chops. It captured one of the earliest examples of country-rock ever committed to tape.

As Nesmith later told Rolling Stone in 2013, the groundbreaking track was one of his earliest songwriting efforts—and one of his most effortless. “It was one of the first songs I ever wrote,” he explained, noting that the entire concept and chord structure “spontaneously assembled” in his mind fully formed.

He continued, “I also like the idea that it was acceptable to the producers of the Monkees show who were mainly interested in commercial hits. It was all a learning experience that taught me lessons I still use.”

Additionally, Nesmith discussed that fusing together rock and country came naturally. He said, “Those sounds were natural elements of music for me and did not belong to a genre. It never occurred to me that it was all that different.”

“Papa Gene’s Blues” was a standout track from an LP that included “Saturday’s Child,” the Carole King and Gerry Goffin tune “Take a Giant Step,” “Last Train to Clarksville,” and the only collaboration between Nesmith, King and Goffin, “Sweet Young Thing.”

The song was recorded in July 1966 at RCA Victor Studios in Hollywood. Power Pop Blog reported that mid-song, just before the song’s guitar solo, Nesmith shouts, “Aw, pick it, Luther!”

This was a nod to Luther Perkins, Johnny Cash‘s famous guitarist. He also shouted, “Play, Magic Fingers!” to encourage guitarist James Burton to step up his solo. Glen Campbell also appeared on the track as a session musician.

Ironically, there is no Papa Gene mentioned in the song “Papa Gene’s Blues.” Nesmith never clarified if the song was indeed written about someone or if the title was just a tongue-in-cheek nod to country music legends.

You’d never know, listening to “Papa Gene’s Blues,” that it was making history. But Mike Nesmith’s sudden flash of inspiration ended up laying the brickwork for generations of country-rock artists to come, including The Byrds, Gram Parsons, and the Eagles.

Related: 1968 Monkees B-Side, Written by Mike Nesmith, Found New Life on a Hit 2020s Series