The Monkees Monkees Controlled Music
 Beginning with their third album, Headquarters (produced by Chip Douglas), the four Monkees wrote and played on much of their own material. Nearly all vocals and instruments on Headquarters were performed by the four Monkees (the exceptions being only a few small parts usually filled by producer Chip Douglas). Following Headquarters, they began what they referred to as mix mode where they played their own instruments but also continued to employ session musicians. This was not unusual at the time in that many other pop/rock acts employed additional session musicians on their recordings. The core instrumentation of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was performed by the Beatles but also included a total of over 40 musicians. It was released within a week of Headquarters. Brian Wilson produced much of Pet Sounds and the aborted SMiLE album (including Good Vibrations) during that same era, using session musicians without the participation of the Beach Boys members until later in the project.
The Monkees continued using additional musicians (including The Wrecking Crew, Louie Shelton, members of The Byrds and The Association, drummer Fast Eddie Hoh, and Neil Young) throughout their recording career, especially when the group became temporarily estranged after Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. and recorded some of their songs separately. The use of additional musicians to augment the band members continued until the 1996 reunion album Justus was recorded. Justus was produced by the Monkees, all songs were written by one of the four Monkees, and it was recorded using only the four Monkees for all instruments and vocals, which was the inspiration for the album title and spelling (Justus=Just Us).
Kirshner was reported to have been incensed by the group's unexpected rebellion. In addition to the debate over the single A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You, an argument with Kirshner insued over the song Sugar Sugar. Kirshner wanted the Monkees to record the song. (It has been rumored, but argued, that the song was recorded with session musicians and Davy Jones providing all the vocals.) The Monkees themselves didn't like the song. Kirshner later recorded the song using studio musicians and released it under the name of The Archies. It became the #1 best seller of 1969.
This experience led directly to his later venture The Archies, which was an animated series — the stars existed only on an animation cel and obviously could not seize creative control over the records issued under their name.
When the Monkees toured Britain in 1967, there was a major controversy over the revelation that the group did not play all of their own instruments in the studio, although they did play them all while touring (except for the solo segments, which used backing band the Candy Store Prophets). The story made the front pages of several UK and international music papers, with the group derisively dubbed The Pre-Fab Seven. Nevertheless, they were generally welcomed by many top British stars, who realized the group included skilled musicians and sympathized with their wish to have more creative control over their music.
Many Monkees fans argued that the controversy unfairly targeted the band, while conveniently ignoring the fact that a number of leading British and American groups (including critical favorites such as The Byrds and The Beach Boys) habitually used session players on their recordings. This commonplace practice had previously passed without comment. However, the Beatles had led a wave of groups who played their own instruments and wrote their own songs. But both supporters and critics of the group agree that the producers and Kirshner had the good taste to use some of the best pop songwriters of the period. Neil Diamond, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Harry Nilsson, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, and many other highly regarded writers had songs recorded by the Monkees.
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