Love Is Understanding: A Review of Sergio Farias’s Peter Tork Biography

Sep 29

Peter onstage with his ODE banjo, 1967

Much has been said about Peter Halsten Thorkelson and author Sergio Farias is here to fill in all the blanks. Equipped with a longtime career in the writing industry, Farias is adding to his list of published biographies with Love Is Understanding: The Life and Times of Peter Tork and The Monkees, centered on one of his biggest idols. The Rio de Janeiro-native takes readers on a journey through Tork’s life from Greenwich Village folk singer and party king of Laurel Canyon to a product of relative obscurity and finally regaining the hearts of many as an eternally beloved musician — a title that Farias works to prove never really faded after Tork’s departure from the limelight.

Ultimately, Farias writes to celebrate the lives of all four Monkees with a focus on Peter, each chapter rooted in sincerity and warmth: “This book pays tribute to all the creative unity that comes with the name The Monkees, and proves that they were one of the most influential bands of their time, and that Peter Tork was a brilliant artist.”

Quick to grab the readers’ attention, Farias opens the book by painting a scene of the moment a heavily bearded Peter Tork found himself in prison, foreshadowing the bouts of chaos that eventually ensues. The year is 1972 and after putting his Monkee persona on the shelf, Tork is caught by the law in the midst of a winter vacation to Mexico. Of course, it doesn’t help that Peter epitomizes the stereotypical appearance of a freewheeling hippie — the exact outward appearance that the police were told to interrogate with the consideration of the ongoing drug trade across border lines. Farias glazes over the treatment Tork received in prison, saving the ordeal for a later chapter that delves into specifics, and instead ends the three-page first chapter by explaining just how directionless, exasperated, and unheard of the former Monkee had become during this time. “His frustrations, both with flower power and his obscurity, found a conscious and unconscious outlet in increased use of alcohol and narcotics,” Farias explains in regard to the faded society of flowers, peace, and love. “Here he was wandering around a foreign city during one of the most profitable times in American show business – an act that epitomized this bizarre stage of his life.”

Visualizing Love is Understanding is to visualize a timeline of Tork’s life with many ups, downs, twists, and unexpected turns. A spiky electrocardiogram of sorts. Farias chronologically divides the different eras of Tork’s life with each chapter, neatly unifying the years of his life together in a way that flows seamlessly. At the beginning of all twelve chapters is an included quote, either from Tork, another member of the group, or an important figure, that cleverly sets up what readers can expect in the coming pages. For instance, in Chapter 2, titled “Run Away From Life,” Farias includes a quote from Peter where he states, “I knew I had something inside me want to get out.” This sentiment applies to the contents of the chapter. From the time Peter came into the world during the height of WWII to the Thorkelsons’ many family moves across the face of the globe, Farias gives a solid background into the early life of our beloved Monkee.

He describes Tork’s first encounter with music when he studied classical music at the tender age of nine. It is from here when Farias begins to interject significant historical events in popular media, music, and films from the time — a facet that he continues to include throughout the book. This weaving in of cultural events not only provides insight into the world that Tork was living through but also sets the overall tone of the work. Through these interweavings, we learn about the impactful sights and sounds that made up the scene Tork was a part of, and all that he took in and witnessed. This adds a natural fullness to the work; it feels cohesive and more whole due to these inclusions. It’s almost as if we are right there beside Peter, inhabiting the same orbit as he once did.

“Something inside me knew I wanted to make music.”

— Peter Tork

Fast forward to the year 1963 and a 21-year-old Peter is on the verge of becoming kicked out of university for a third time due to his pursuit of a bohemian lifestyle. However, just before the institution can fail him again, he left for Manhattan. “Something inside me knew I wanted to make music,” Tork says in his own words. “I didn’t want anything more to do with the university.” He lived with his grandmother for a short time in Greenwich Village, only to then move in with close friends in a shared apartment. “The beautiful thing about the Village was that it didn’t take much money to live comfortably there,” Peter says. “There was a strong community sense among the Beatniks. I was always being offered a new shirt, or a pair of boots or a meal.”

Peter heavily immersed himself in the folk music scene, playing bars and networking within the circle of popular musicians. It’s important to note his particular fondness for the Village, here, as he eventually retreats back to its musically ambitious community in a much later period of his life, only the next time around in a much different circumstance. At this point in the book, however, Peter marries and divorces, the Beatles release A Hard Day’s Night in the summer of 1964, and by the time the year 1965 had rolled around, he was growing burnt out of the Village lifestyle. Then, as if guided by some divine force, he left for California. With the knowledge that several of his close friends had set out for the west coast, which included Stephen Stills and David Crosby, 23-year-old Peter bought a 1937 Chevy and embarked on the cross-country trip to sunny, bright Los Angeles. As fate would have it, his car ended up breaking down in Las Vegas, and upon hitching a ride to the golden state, it was then that he was introduced to LSD. A glistening welcome sign of sorts to his new home, perhaps?

Peter getting ready for a “basket house” performance in the Village, circa 1963

Chapters 3 and 4 cover much of the same terrain, setting up Tork’s arrival to California. With a job secured washing dishes at the Golden Bear, he was also able to play music as the bass player for Motown vocal group the Apollas. “Although he got a job quickly, he found himself in a completely different environment from the supportive Greenwich Village community,” Farias writes. “The land of stardom was extremely competitive.” Thereafter, Stephen Stills would recommend Peter to audition for an upcoming television series that would change the trajectory of his life forevermore. Proving to be a natural on camera, Peter, along with the other three Monkees, proceeded to film a pilot episode and were on the path to winning over the nation’s hearts. While still trying to find his footing in Hollywood, Peter took Mike up on his invitation to live with him in his apartment behind the iconic Hollywood Bowl. “It was wonderful,” Peter reflected. “Mike and I laughed a lot and played. I have fond memories of this time.”

While the year 1966 gave rise to the counterculture and the New Hollywood movement, it would also be the year the future Monkees learned that their new show had been secured, with a thirty-two-episode season running from September 1966 to March 1967. They signed a twenty-four-page contract for five years (1966-1971), received a healthy salary, and thus began their glamorous lifestyles. Farias goes into detail describing the inner workings of the series production and the first musical disagreement between the group and the higher-ups. Enter the infamous Wrecking Crew, Don Kirshner, and mass Monkee marketing.

It seems that the real meat of the book lies within Chapters 5 through 8. Farias spends this time carefully dissecting the evolving culture of America and its alignment with the rise of the Prefab Four, with a focus on Peter’s way of life. In the four chapters, we see the rise and fall of his Monkee career over the span of three years from ’66 to ’69. By the end of 1966, the group had become the biggest artists of the year with their top-selling self-titled album, a top-selling single, and merchandise that grossed around $20 million in just a few months. The group entered 1967 with a plethora of hope. We see our beloved flower child enjoying his new life of fame through popular daytime parties in his new Laurel Canyon home, wherein the likes of Judy Collins, the Byrds, the Mamas & the Papas, and the Dave Clark Five frequently attended. “The presence of [Peter and Micky], Cass Elliot, and the Mamas and the Papas in Laurel Canyon may have marked the beginning of a shift, a shift of the epicenter of pop music from Swinging London to Los Angeles, or more specifically, to what would become the Canyon of Dreams,” Farias explains. “This oasis under the golden California sun, where red-tailed hawks flew between the oak trees, was only fifteen minutes from the glamour of the Hollywood studios. It would become a haven for the rock community.”

Peter at his Laurel Canyon home by Henry Diltz, 1967

In the spring of that year, the band worked tirelessly on their third album Headquarters, striving to prove to the critics that they did, in fact, play all their own instruments. Peter brought his ODE banjo to the studio as well as the first of his compositions entitled “For Pete’s Sake,” of which he had already penned in 1962. As time would prove, the lyrics nonetheless coincided perfectly with the counterculture of the time. During this period, Peter reflected: “Taking into account that we rehearsed and created the arrangements in the studio, I say ‘Wow! How intense!’ Bands like Jefferson Airplane and Question Mark & the Mysterians were recording in the same place, and, during breaks, we had water gun fights and sprayed graffiti on the walls of RCA. These were my happiest days in the band.”

When the summer of 1967 rolled around, Headquarters stayed at number one on the charts for one week, only to be bumped down to the number two spot by the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club. It would stay this way for the entire summer of love. Monkeemania was now at its peak and Peter was continuing to reap the benefits of stardom. Farias notes that “from the end of 1966 to mid-1967, the Monkees sold more records than the Beatles and the Rolling Stones — combined.” Before embarking on a highly-anticipated tour of the States and the UK, Micky and Peter also attend the Monterey Pop Festival. Their tour would hit thirty-one cities in fifty-two days, with filming for Season Two episodes squeezed in between the dates.

Paying tribute to the duo Boyce and Hart, the Monkees invited the composers on stage during their summer tour. Bobby Hart recalled, “Peter seemed to me to be a little overwhelmed with all the wild energy focused on the stage. I glanced in his direction to see him carefully and deliberately plugging in his bass and checking his marks. I had a passing feeling of empathy for him because I knew this electric life was not his preferred world of music, but his desire to please his fans was exhibited by the smile that rarely left his face.”

And as the summer of love transitioned to fall, the Monkees unveiled their fourth effort Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd along with their new single “Daydream Believer,” both of which were awarded a gold record on the day they were released. The album remained at the top spot for five straight weeks. But despite all the accolades, the band was beginning to fall apart. Big disagreements in the recording studio resulted in deep-rooted tension between members and after this album, they would record separately. Before the year came to an end, the group met with Bert Schneider, Bob Rafelson, and Jack Nicholson in Ojai to talk about a future film. “We spent three or four days saying what we wanted and what we didn’t want for the film. We just wanted to do something special and unconventional. None of us wanted a continuation of the TV series. We were really happy.” It was also around this same time when Peter began looking for a roomier home to accommodate his many resident friends. “Replete with flowers, groupies, criticisms, and protests, the year 1967 had been fantastic for the Monkees,” Farias writes. “It was the year of the Monkees, even if, according to the Chinese calendar, the Year of the Monkey was the one that would follow.”

The Monkees entered the new year at the peak of their professional career. During the breaks in filming, distancing himself from the behind the scene chaos of the Monkee machine, Peter focused more on his own life. He had continued throwing extravagant parties at his Laurel Canyon home as the group continued to crumble. After a no-show from the Monkees at the Emmy Awards, NBC announced that they would not be a renewal of the series. While the series aired reruns, Peter moved into his lavish new home in Studio City. Farias thoroughly describes the atmosphere of this expansive two-story hippie paradise, including many illustrative quotes from those who paid Peter a visit. Peter wistfully reflected, “It was a great time, one of the best in my life. It was beautiful! When Pete Townshend appeared, the Who came along, and suddenly another group was knocking on the door. It was as if everything had been scripted.”

Having released The Birds, The Bees and The Monkees in the spring of 1968, the group failed to capture a more mature audience as they had hoped to. Their fifth album had sold less than their previous works and with a movie on the horizon, the band was beginning to shift their focus and lose their collective ambition. “With the end of the TV series, and with less success from recent records, sales of Monkee Spectacular fell, and soon the fanzine would stop running altogether. The concert proposals grew fewer and further between. The only potential for a new stream of profit was a tour of twenty shows in Australia and Japan, which had been promised long ago.”

The Monkees in Sydney, Australia, 1968

After a successful tour and being met with warmth by both countries, the band released the psychedelic Head which received mixed reviews from critics. The accompanying album was also the first to not have reached the Top 10. This was also around the time when the group began work on their final project together, 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee. It wouldn’t be until after recording for the special was complete, on December 30 of 1968, that Peter announced his official departure from the Monkees, citing exhaustion. “I am both really relieved and really, really apprehensive,” he stated. “I’m terribly glad and also terribly sad.”

To give an example of the group’s dwindling popularity in America at the time, the summer of 1969 saw Colgems release The Monkees Greatest Hits, which only ever reached the 89th spot on the charts. The days of Monkeemania had died. New heartthrobs replaced the group on teen magazine covers and the now three-piece were playing to half-empty stadiums. Meanwhile, Peter was performing a one-man show since his previous band Release had never taken off as he’d hoped it would. Still, his mansion remained the epicenter of endless parties despite him having to rent it out to Atlantic Records in order to make ends meet.

When the sixties drew to a close, Mike had announced his departure from the group, and the days of flowers, peace, and love were fading out. Farias eloquently sums up: “Although the Monkees had been one of the main bands of the decade, and both their artistic and commercial legacies were clear, by the last days of the 1960s, they seemed to be out of the picture.” However, Peter entered the new decade with perseverance. He headlined at Hollywood’s Troubadour, McCabe’s, and performed with other artists in the New York and LA circut. It wouldn’t be until the end of 1970 that things began to fall apart in his life. Divorce, hefty income tax debt, and the eventual loss of his mansion had caught up to him and now he was suffering the consequences of his lavish lifestyle. Farias puts it simply: “The ex-superstars Peter, Davy, Micky, and Michael would, to different degrees, suffer a kind of ostracism, which often results in isolation, depression, and artistic invisibility.”

“Like a real musician, to Peter, it didn’t matter if we played for 20,000 people or 20. He always gave everything he had to his audience.”

— Jim Gibson

At just 29 years old, Peter was considered washed up, so to speak, far from the Hollywood heartthrob status that once graced the covers of every teenybopper magazine. He lived in a boarding house and waited tables and performed at The Sleeping Lady Café. “In some ways I was a cold, lonely hitchhiker being picked up by a warm school bus,” Peter reflected. On the last day of January 1972, Peter was returning from Mexico when he was detained for the twelve forgotten grams of hash found in his coat. And so he spent his 30th birthday in prison and was not released until May on parole. He busked on the side of streets and in public squares. “Nobody on the square cared,” said Journalist Chuck Stepner. “It was like seeing Paul McCartney playing on a subway, nobody believes it’s him.” Playing one final show at the Troubadour alongside the likes of Phil Ochs, Peter thereafter left the entertainment industry in 1975. He took up teaching and unfortunately suffered from alcoholism during this period.

It wouldn’t be until 1977 when he rejoined Davy and Micky again on stage for a performance at the Starwood Club. After this, he formed a trio with guitarists Dennis Witcher and Jim Gibson, touring California, auditoriums, cafes, etc. “Like a real musician, to Peter, it didn’t matter if we played for 20,000 people or 20,” Gibson recalls. “He always gave everything he had to his audience. He astonished listeners with his musicality, compositions, charm, and intellect.” While disco was reaching its height in 1978, Peter remained on the other end of the musical extreme. With his trusty ODE banjo in tow, he knew he needed to continue performing if he wanted a source of income. He finally came to terms with his Monkee past and embarked on a tour dubbed The Monkees Show featuring Peter Tork. “Nearing forty, it was time for Peter to soberly face his loneliness, his hang-up of having grown up in a home with an extremely rational father, and his frustrations with his career.”

Farias spends Chapter 11 breaking down the Monkee renaissance of the 1980s, beginning with a month-long tour of Australia with Davy and Peter. “It’s like being in the 1960s again,” Peter exclaimed. “I took a step back, and I saw that this is my life. For years I tried to disassociate myself from the group because of a crooked ideology. I bought into the idea that the Monkees were neither musicians nor human beings. Back then I was very malleable. Lately, I have been striving to become a true businessman and take control of my career. The final responsibility rests with me and I count on God to do it.” Following a Monkees revival marathon on MTV, the foursome had yet again won over the hearts of the nation. Peter had even put in appearances on the network as a video jockey, introducing the next episodes, music videos, and imparting fun facts on the entirely new generation of Monkees fans. “He seemed born for the job, totally at ease in the MTV studios just being…Monkee Peter Tork,” Farias explains. “No one would’ve suspected that Peter had been away from TV studios for years since, as a VJ, he kept the atmosphere relaxed and the script fluid. He even made quips about the fact that he was considered the ‘dummy,’ taking it all in good humor.”

The U.S. tour, Happy Together The Monkees 20th Anniversary Tour, proved to be a massive triumph for Davy, Peter, and Micky. The group lit up the stage with the same infectious charisma as if all these years hadn’t passed, eliciting a mob of hysterical mothers and daughters. “And Peter was right there with his ODE banjo, which had weathered the turmoil that had been the past twenty-five years of his life.” It’s also important to note that in the summer of ’86, the group’s latest release Then & Now…The Best of the Monkees was skyrocketing and “the group’s six other original albums, which had been out of print for years, held rank and sold more than 2 million copies. All in all, the Monkees had ten records on the 1986 US charts — more than at any other point in the 1960s.” And on that iconic date in Monkee history, September 7, 1986, Michael finally joined the group onstage at the Greek Theater, the future once again looked bright for the four-piece who had gained their new cult status.

To wrap up the biography, Farias revisits some of the important people in Peter’s life and provides an update as to where they are now, from Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart to Stephan Stills and Jim Gibson. He details the events following the reunion tour, as well as their efforts to once again tour as a group that were dashed due to internal disputes. Amidst more concerts, new releases, ongoing reruns, and documentaries, the Monkees phenomenally proved to live and breathe music for their entire careers until their last days. Farias ends the biography by noting how a video of Peter completely in his natural element, singing and strumming along to a Mills Brothers’ song, was shown on the screen during Mike and Micky’s Monkees Present tour in 2019 — an expression of love for their beaming bassist and banjo player. In his final farewell on social media, Peter signed off forever, closing his last message with: “Everyone take care of themselves and their loved ones, and even the occasional passerby, ok? Kisses and hugs, Peter.”

Above all else, the one aspect I greatly admired about Farias’s work is his heartfelt tone. Through his articulate diction, we get to see Peter’s life through a more vulnerable lens. We learn about just how strong Peter’s tenacity was during the darker periods of his life and how insurmountable his love for music truly was. The manner in which Farias sets up the scene for readers to visualize is another marvelous attribute of Love Is Understanding. As mentioned before, his tendency to go in-depth with descriptors, leaning so far into depictions that it feels as though we are getting a firsthand look at the way Peter lived, is a real treat. Farias submerges in vivid commentary in places where it matters the most — during Peter’s heyday in Laurel Canyon, his typical home environment, his later lifestyle as a drifting musician, etc. While it’s more than evident that the Monkees played a vast role in propelling his career, it was ultimately Peter’s all-consuming passion for his craft that led him to the path of achieving stardom, therefore solidifying his legacy in music history forever. Love Is Understanding, as a whole, feels like both the perfect introduction to Peter Tork’s life for those unfamiliar with his work, as well as an insightful chronology for those of us who continue to keep him alive in our hearts with each passing day.