Sidney Thomas "Tommy" Boyce (September 29, 1939 – November 23, 1994) and Bobby Hart (born Robert Luke Harshman; February 18, 1939) were a prolific American duo of singer-songwriters. In addition to three top-40 hits as artists, the duo is well known for its songwriting for
The Monkees
The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was con ...
.
Early years
Hart's father was a church
minister and he himself served in the
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
after leaving high school. Upon discharge, he travelled to Los Angeles seeking a career as a singer. Boyce was separately pursuing a career as a songwriter. After being rejected numerous times, Boyce took his father's suggestion to write a song called "
Be My Guest" for rock and roll star
Fats Domino
Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...
. He waited six hours at Domino's hotel room to present him with the demo, and got Domino to promise to listen to the song. The song hit No. 8 in the US and No. 11 in the UK, becoming Domino's biggest hit there in several years, and sold over a million copies. Boyce also found success as the co-writer, with
Curtis Lee
Curtis Edwin Lee (October 28, 1939 – January 8, 2015) was an American singer of the early 1960s, who was twice a beneficiary of Phil Spector's productions in 1961. These were " Pretty Little Angel Eyes" ( US #7) and " Under the Moon of Love" ...
, of Lee's 1961 hits "
Pretty Little Angel Eyes
"Pretty Little Angel Eyes" is a 1961 song by American singer Curtis Lee. It was released on Dunes Records, #45-2007. Phil Spector served as producer, and also produced Lee's follow-up hit " Under the Moon of Love".
Background
The track is in the ...
" and "
Under the Moon of Love
"Under the Moon of Love" is a song written by Tommy Boyce and Curtis Lee, and first recorded in 1961 by Curtis Lee. Produced by Phil Spector, Lee's recording was released on Dunes Records #45-2008, with the "B" side "Beverly Jean". It peaked ...
".
Boyce met Hart in 1959, and the following year played guitar on Hart's single "Girl in the Window", which flopped, but marked the first time he used the name Bobby Hart, since his manager shortened his surname from Harshman to fit the label. Their partnership made a breakthrough with a song recorded by
Chubby Checker
Chubby Checker (born Ernest Evans; October 3, 1941) is an American rock and roll singer and dancer. He is widely known for popularizing many dance styles, including The Twist dance style, with his 1960 hit cover of Hank Ballard & The Midnight ...
, "Lazy Elsie Molly", in 1964. They went on to write hits for
Jay & the Americans
Jay and the Americans are an American rock group who formed in the late 1950s. Their initial line-up consisted of John "Jay" Traynor, Howard Kane (born Howard Kirschenbaum), Kenny Vance (born Kenneth Rosenberg) and Sandy Deanne (born Sandy Ya ...
("
Come a Little Bit Closer
"Come a Little Bit Closer" is a song by the 1960s rock and roll band Jay and the Americans. It reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 on November 21, 1964, making it the band's highest-charting single. It also peaked at ...
"),
Paul Revere and the Raiders
Paul Revere & the Raiders (also known as Raiders) were an American rock band formed in Boise, Idaho, in 1958. They saw considerable U.S. mainstream success in the second half of the 1960s and early 1970s. The band was known for including Revol ...
("
(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone
"(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" is a rock song written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. It was first recorded by Paul Revere & the Raiders and appeared on their album '' Midnight Ride'', released in May 1966.
The song is simple musically, with ...
"), and
The Leaves
The Leaves were an United States, American garage rock band formed in San Fernando Valley, California, United States, in 1964. They are best known for their version of the song "Hey Joe", which was a hit in 1966. Theirs is the earliest release o ...
("Words"). The latter two songs provided the Monkees with hit B-sides in 1967. The duo also wrote the theme song of the daytime soap ''
Days of Our Lives''. At one point in this period, Hart also co-wrote "
Hurt So Bad
"Hurt So Bad" is a song written by Teddy Randazzo, Bobby Weinstein, and Bobby Hart. It is a classic 1965 Top 10 hit ballad originally recorded by Little Anthony & The Imperials. Linda Ronstadt also had a Top 10 hit with her cover version in 19 ...
" for
Little Anthony & the Imperials
Little Anthony and the Imperials is an American rhythm and blues/soul vocal group from New York City founded by Clarence Collins in the 1950s and named in part for its lead singer, Jerome Anthony "Little Anthony" Gourdine, who was noted for his h ...
with
Teddy Randazzo
Alessandro Carmelo "Teddy" Randazzo (May 13, 1935 – November 21, 2003) was an American pop songwriter, singer, arranger and producer, who composed hit songs such as " Goin' Out of My Head", "It's Gonna Take a Miracle", " Pretty Blue Eyes", ...
and his regular songwriting partner,
Bobby Weinstein
Robert Weinstein (July 16, 1939 – March 16, 2022) was an American songwriter, singer, and music industry executive, whose hit songs, mostly co-written with Teddy Randazzo, include "Goin' Out of My Head", "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" and " I ...
. Boyce co-wrote the song "
Hello Pretty Girl
"Hello Pretty Girl" is Ronnie Dove's fourth single for Diamond Records, and his third chart hit.
Written by Tommy Boyce and Wes Farrell, it peaked at number 54 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. In January 1965, Ronnie performed the song on ...
", which was a minor hit for singer
Ronnie Dove
Ronnie may refer to:
* Ronnie (name), a unisex pet name and given name
* "Ronnie" (Four Seasons song), a song by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe
*"Ronnie," a song from the Metallica album '' Load''
*Ronnie Brunswijkstadion, an association football stadiu ...
, with
Wes Farrell
Wes Farrell (December 21, 1939 – February 29, 1996) was an American musician, songwriter and record producer, who was most active in the 1960s and 1970s.
Career
Farrell was born in New York, United States. Farrell's catalogue includes close ...
. Boyce also co-wrote the hit "
Peaches 'N' Cream "Peaches 'N' Cream" is a song written by Steve Venet and Tommy Boyce, originally released by The Ikettes on Modern Records in 1965. It became the first ''Billboard'' Top 40 single for The Ikettes since their debut "I'm Blue (The Gong-Gong Song)" ...
" by
the Ikettes
The Ikettes, originally The Artettes, were a trio (sometimes quartet) of female backing vocalists for the Ike & Tina Turner Revue. Despite their origins, the Ikettes became successful artists in their own right. In the 1960s they had hits such as ...
.
The Monkees
In late 1965, they wrote, produced and performed the soundtrack of the pilot for ''The Monkees'', including singing lead vocals (which were later replaced, once the show was cast). In 1966, despite some conflicts with
Don Kirshner
Donald Kirshner (April 17, 1934 – January 17, 2011) was an American music publisher, music consultant, rock music producer, talent manager, and songwriter. Dubbed "the Man with the Golden Ear" by ''Time'' magazine, he was best known fo ...
, who was the show's musical supervisor, they were retained in essentially the same role. It was Boyce and Hart who wrote, produced and recorded, accompanied by their backing band, the Candy Store Prophets, backing tracks for a large portion of the first season of ''The Monkees'', and the band's accompanying debut album.
The Monkees themselves re-recorded their vocals over Boyce and Hart's when it came time to release the songs, including both "
(Theme from) The Monkees
"(Theme from) ''The Monkees''" is a 1966 pop rock song, written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart as the signature tune for the TV series ''The Monkees''. Two versions were recorded – one for their first album ''The Monkees'' and a second shorter r ...
" and "
Last Train to Clarksville
"Last Train to Clarksville" is a song by American pop rock band the Monkees. It was released as the band's debut single on August 16, 1966, and was later included on the group's self-titled album, which was released on October 10, 1966.''The Monk ...
", the latter being a huge hit. Kirshner suddenly relieved Boyce and Hart as producers, by claiming they were using studio time booked for Monkees songs to record tracks for their own solo project.
After their departure from the Monkees, and the negative publicity that erupted when word got out that the band hadn't played the instruments on their early records, Boyce and Hart were unsure how the Monkees felt about them personally. Attending one of their concerts, though, the duo were spotted in the audience, and singer
Davy Jones invited them onstage to introduce them: "These are the fellows who wrote our great hits — Tommy and Bobby!" Every original Monkees album (except for the ''
Head'' soundtrack and 1996's ''
Justus
Justus (died on 10 November between 627 and 631) was the fourth Archbishop of Canterbury. He was sent from Italy to England by Pope Gregory the Great, on a mission to Christianize the Anglo-Saxons from their native paganism, probably arrivin ...
'') included Boyce and Hart songs.
Other successes
![Tommy Boyce Bobby Hart Soupy Sales 1970](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Tommy_Boyce_Bobby_Hart_Soupy_Sales_1970.JPG)
While working with The Monkees, Boyce and Hart embarked on a successful career as recording artists in their own right, releasing three albums on
A&M Records
A&M Records was an American record label founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962. Due to the success of the discography A&M released, the label garnered interest and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989 and began distr ...
: ''Test Patterns'', ''I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight'', and ''It's All Happening on the Inside'' (released in Canada as ''Which One's Boyce and Which One's Hart?''). The duo also had five charting singles; the most well-known of these was "
I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight", which reached No. 8 in early 1968. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a
gold disc
Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...
.
"Out & About" (#39) and "Alice Long" (#27) were their other
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "cont ...
hits.
The duo also performed "I'll Blow You a Kiss in the Wind"
[aka "I'm Gonna Blow You a Kiss in the Wind".] on the television show ''
Bewitched'',
["Bewitched: Season 6, Episode 22 – Serena Stops the Show (19 Feb. 1970)"](_blank)
''imdb.com
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, p ...
''. Retrieved November 6, 2015.["Bewitched: Season 6, Episode 22 – Serena Stops the Show (19 Feb. 1970)", Soundtracks](_blank)
''imdb.com
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, p ...
''. Retrieved November 6, 2015. in one of several TV series appearances that included guest spots on ''
The Flying Nun
''The Flying Nun'' is an American sitcom about a community of nuns which included one who could fly when the wind caught her cornette. It was produced by Screen Gems for ABC based on the 1965 book '' The Fifteenth Pelican,'' written by Tere ...
'' and ''
I Dream of Jeannie'' ("Jeannie the Hip Hippie"). All of these shows were produced by
Screen Gems, the television subsidiary of
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
. Each of the three sitcom guest appearances featured their music, including two unreleased covers they performed on ''The Flying Nun''.
Boyce and Hart had filmed video promos for their songs "Out and About" and "Alice Long".
Boyce and Hart were involved in producing music for Columbia Pictures' motion pictures during the mid-late 1960s, including two
Matt Helm
Matt Helm is a fictional character created by American author Donald Hamilton (1916-2006). Helm is a U.S. government counter-agent, a man whose primary job is to kill or nullify enemy agents—not a spy or secret agent in the ordinary sense of t ...
movies (''
The Ambushers'' and ''
Murderers' Row''), ''Winter A-Go-Go'' and ''Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows''. They also provided the music score for a TV movie called ''Three's a Crowd'' starring
Larry Hagman and
Jessica Walter
Jessica Walter (January 31, 1941 – March 24, 2021) was an American actress who appeared in over 170 film, stage and television productions. In film, she was best known for her role as a psychotic and obsessed fan of a local disc jockey in t ...
.
Boyce and Hart did promos for the U.S. Army Reserve and Coca-Cola. This included the creation of two Coca-Cola commercial jingles, one being a powerful psychedelic song, "Wake Up Girl", while the other was their single "Smilin'" with totally different lyrics.
In 1971 a sitcom named ''
Getting Together
''Getting Together'' is an American musical sitcom that aired on ABC during the 1971–72 U.S. television season. It starred Bobby Sherman and Wes Stern as Bobby Conway and Lionel Poindexter, a songwriting duo. The pilot for the series had aired ...
'' appeared on
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
-TV, starring
Bobby Sherman
Robert Cabot Sherman Jr. (born July 22, 1943), known professionally as Bobby Sherman, is an American retired paramedic, police officer, singer, actor and occasional songwriter who became a teen idol in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He had a s ...
and
Wes Stern as two struggling songwriters, who were friends of
The Partridge Family
''The Partridge Family'' is an American musical sitcom starring Shirley Jones and featuring David Cassidy. Jones plays a widowed mother, and Cassidy plays the oldest of her five children, in a family who embarks on a music career. It ran from S ...
(and were introduced on their show in the last episode of the show's first season). The series was reportedly based loosely on Boyce and Hart's partnership. At this point, they decided to work on various solo projects. Hart co-wrote the 1974
Helen Reddy hit "
Keep On Singing
"Keep on Singing" is a 1973 song composed by Danny Janssen and Bobby Hart, and was originally recorded by Austin Roberts from the album ''Austin Roberts''. It was released as a single on Chelsea Records and reached No. 50 on the U.S. ''Billboa ...
" with Danny Janssen.
Dolenz, Jones, Boyce, and Hart
In the mid-1970s, Boyce and Hart reunited with
Davy Jones and
Micky Dolenz, performing the songs Boyce and Hart had written for The Monkees a decade before. Legally prohibited from using the Monkees name, they called themselves
Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart
Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart was a supergroup, consisting of songwriting/performing duo Boyce and Hart and two members of the Monkees, Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones. Boyce and Hart had written many of the Monkees' biggest hits, such as "Last Train ...
. The group toured amusement parks and other venues throughout
America, Japan and other locations from July 4, 1975, to early 1977, also becoming the first American band to play in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
. Signed to
Capitol Records by
Al Coury
Albert Eli Coury (October 21, 1934 – August 8, 2013) was an American music record executive and producer who was vice-president of Capitol Records, co-founder of RSO Records, founder of Network Records and general manager of Geffen Records.
Co ...
, the group released an album of new material in 1976. (A live album was also recorded in Japan, but was not released in the United States until the mid-1990s.) The tours coincided with the syndication of ''The Monkees'' TV series, and helped boost sales of Arista's ''
The Monkees Greatest Hits
''The Monkees Greatest Hits'' is a 1976 greatest hits compilation album of songs by the Monkees released by Arista Records and a reissue of an earlier Bell Records compilation, '' Re-Focus''.
While the Monkees were among the top-selling bands of ...
''.
Dolenz, Jones, Boyce and Hart also starred in their own TV special called ''The Great Golden Hits of the Monkees Show'', which appeared in syndication. It featured a medley of other Boyce and Hart songs, as well as the songs they had produced for the Monkees. It did not include any songs from their new album.
Later years
Boyce released an album under the pseudonym
Christopher Cloud
Christopher Cloud was a band assembled by Tommy Boyce of Boyce and Hart fame, in 1973. They released an album called ''Blown Away'' on Chelsea Records (BCL1-0234) that same year. The band featured members of the group AIM. Boyce used an alias on t ...
in 1973. He produced several hit records UK rock n roll revival group
Darts
Darts or dart-throwing is a competitive sport in which two or more players bare-handedly throw small sharp-pointed missiles known as darts at a round target known as a dartboard.
Points can be scored by hitting specific marked areas of the bo ...
including, "
Daddy Cool/
The Girl Can't Help It
''The Girl Can't Help It'' is a 1956 American musical comedy film starring Jayne Mansfield in the titular role, Tom Ewell, Edmond O'Brien, Henry Jones, and Julie London. The picture was produced and directed by Frank Tashlin, with a screenpl ...
", "
Come Back My Love
"Come Back My Love" is a song by American doo-wop group The Wrens, released in 1955 by Rama Records. The song is best known for the version by the British doo-wop revival band Darts in 1978, which peaked at number 2 on the UK Singles Chart.
T ...
" and "It's Raining". In 1979, he formed his own band, called The Tommy Band, and toured the UK as support for Andrew Matheson (ex-
Hollywood Brats
The Hollywood Brats were a British glam rock and protopunk band in the early 1970s. They found little commercial success at the time, and split up in 1974, but are regarded as influential on the later punk rock scene.
History
The band was or ...
). The tour was largely ignored by the public, especially in
Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area.
Until the early 1800s, the a ...
where reportedly just one person paid to watch the show. Boyce and Hart reunited during the 1980s resurgence of the Monkees, and performed live.
During that same year, ''The First Bobby Hart Solo Album'' was released in Europe on
WEA
The Wea were a Miami-Illinois-speaking Native American tribe originally located in western Indiana. Historically, they were described as either being closely related to the Miami Tribe or a sub-tribe of Miami.
Today, the descendants of the ...
. The group included: Bobby Hart on keyboard and vocals, Victor Vanacore on keyboards,
Larry Taylor
Samuel Lawrence Taylor (June 26, 1942 – August 19, 2019) was an American bass guitarist, best known for his work as a member of Canned Heat from 1967. Before joining Canned Heat he had been a session bassist for The Monkees and Jerry Lee L ...
on bass,
Vince Megna on guitar, John Hoke on drums, and "Blue Jay" Patton on saxophone. Five years later, in 1983, Hart was nominated for an
Oscar
Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to:
People
* Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms.
* Oscar (Irish mythology) ...
for his song "Over You", written for the film ''
Tender Mercies
''Tender Mercies'' is a 1983 American drama film directed by Bruce Beresford. The screenplay by Horton Foote focuses on Mac Sledge, a recovering alcoholic country music singer who seeks to turn his life around through his relationship with a young ...
''.
After a stint living in the UK, Boyce returned to live in
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
, where he taught songwriting on Beale Street, and
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
. But he struggled with depression, and later had a brain
aneurysm
An aneurysm is an outward bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also be a nidus ( ...
. On November 23, 1994, he committed suicide by gunshot.
According to the ''Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll'', Boyce and Hart wrote more than 300 songs, and sold more than 42 million records as a partnership.
Discography
Albums
* ''Test Patterns'' (A&M LP 126 (Mono)/SP 4126 (Stereo), 1967,
US 200)
* ''I Wonder What She's Doing Tonite?'' (A&M LP 143/SP 4143, 1968, US 109)
* ''It's All Happening On The Inside''* (A&M SP 4162, 1969)
* ''
Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart
Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart was a supergroup, consisting of songwriting/performing duo Boyce and Hart and two members of the Monkees, Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones. Boyce and Hart had written many of the Monkees' biggest hits, such as "Last Train ...
'' (Capitol ST-11513, 1976)
* ''Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart – Live in Japan'' (Capitol/Toshiba-EMI ECS-91018, 1981)
* ''16 Rarities'' (SG Records, 1981 – This is a bootleg of B-sides and oddities)
* ''The Anthology'' (A&M Records Australia/Polygram 525 193–2, 1995)
Album Notes
* ''It's All Happening on the Inside'' was released in Canada as ''Which One's Boyce & Which One's Hart?''
Singles
Singles notes:
* "L.U.V. (Let Us Vote)" was the official campaign song for the ''Let Us Vote'' movement to lower the voting age to 18.
* "P.O. Box 9847" and "I Wanna Be Free" were originally released by The Monkees.
* "You and I" (DJB&H) was later re-recorded and released in 1996 by The Monkees.
* "I'll Blow You A Kiss In The Wind"
[ was featured on the ''Bewitched'' episode "Serena Stops the Show", aired on February 19, 1970,] on which Boyce and Hart appeared as themselves.["Bewitched: Season 6, Episode 22 – Serena Stops The Show (19 Feb. 1970)", Cast](_blank)
''imdb.com
IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, p ...
''. Retrieved November 7, 2015. The episode also features Elizabeth Montgomery
Elizabeth Victoria Montgomery (April 15, 1932 – May 18, 1995) was an American actress whose career spanned five decades in film, stage, and television. She is best remembered for her leading role as the witch Samantha Stephens on the televisi ...
's performance (as Serena) of the song.
* "The Ambushers" and "Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows" are Columbia Pictures movie theme titles.
Tommy Boyce Singles:
* ''Along Came Linda'' (1962, US 118)
* ''I'll Remember Carol'' (1962, US 80)
* ''Have You Had A Change of Heart'' (1962, US MV 146)
* ''Sunday, the Day Before Monday'' (1966, US 132)
Bobby Hart Singles:
* ''Lovers for the Night'' (1980, US 110)
Notes
References
External links
Forgotten Hits feature on Boyce and Hart
* AMG
Interview with Bobby Hart discussing his career and partnership with Tommy Boyce
{{Commons category
American songwriting teams
The Monkees
A&M Records artists
RCA Victor artists
MGM Records artists
Era Records artists
Rock music duos
Musicians from Charlottesville, Virginia
Songwriters from Virginia