From my Ann Moses In Hollywood column in the New Musical Express, August 1968
With the Monkees so out of touch with anything to do with Monkees, I decided to see why and took a drive over the hill to Peter Tork’s brand new pad in North Hollywood.
What I found after being greeted by peter from the top of his circular, marble staircase and being taken on a complete tour of the house, was that Peter and the rest of the Monkees have been up to very little Monkee business lately.
Were they going on tour soon? I asked. “I think one is being set up.” Peter told me vaguely and without interest. He did say the movie was finished. But I was to find out later that he was not completely accurate.
The Monkees have finished filming their parts in the flick. But what’s happening is that Screen Gems, after several screenings of the film and getting a mixed audience reaction of total confusion, are busy, re-editing it. Neither the teenyboppers nor the adults could figure out what’s going on! As a result, release date for the movie is likely to be set back somewhat.
Peter Tork, on his own, is a happy, productive person. Almost every free moment (which means virtually all his time now) is spent in his music room creating songs with his friends. While I was there, David Crosby and Micky Dolenz dropped by and we listened to some fantastic tunes written and sung by Peter’s friend Judy, who he hopes to produce on discs soon.
His new house, which he’s buying, is a grand place. Outside a modern kitchen lies a spacious sunken living room covered in deep pile orange-fleck carpeting and that’s all1 there is no furniture in the living room save a window seat. There is also a fireplace with a beautiful fire that burns night and day all year round.
Off the living room, as the house curves, is an almost sound-proof music room. Out the side door of the music room you find a large swimming pool, banked on two sides by soft, green dichondra, and bed upon bed of flowers and greenery. Off behind the pool is a luscious fresh vegetable garden. Peter’s diet, he says, is nearly all vegetarian now.
Right next to the pool is a cabana-bathhouse, which has an upstairs bedroom. This room is connected to the main house by a walk-way on the second story that bridges it with the upstairs projection room. There are three upstairs bedrooms, all simply decorated.
Peter’s room is next to the bathroom and is empty except for one throw rug, a painting that fills an entire wall and a king-sized bed which sits on a high wooden frame—that Peter never sleeps on! It seems bed make his back sore, so he sleeps on the living room floor each night!
A turn left and you are in the bathroom compete with a sauna bath. The most striking feature of this room is the bathtub which peter had especially made for the house. It’s a huge tub done completely in antique Spanish tiles. It’s a great house that is really HIM.
Comments on this entry are closed.