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I enjoyed their music. But, I hung out with a crowd of music snobs so I had to keep it a secret. Interestingly, Al Kooper and his Kooper Session album was on the "approved" list. I didn't learn until recently that Kooper was s sometimes part of the Royal Teens - dismissed by my friends as bubblegum-popping nobodies.
As far as not playing on their recordings, I don't care - now. Screw my music snob friends.
Last year I finished editing a book Tom Austin, drummer, writer, and singer for the Royal Teens (with Al Kooper) and The Four Seasons.
Now I'm working on a book about Charles Calello. After hearing him talk about how a popular song gets put together, I figure anyone who can write, arrange, record, and perform a song on tour is a genius. Until I talked to Charlie I had no idea what went into making a song. So the Monkees didn't do it all. They were entertaining, but not geniuses. Big deal.
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