# In 1965, an Animal nearly became a Monkee

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1965-an-animal-nearly-became-a-monkee/
- Published: 2026-11-02T17:00:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-02T17:41:22+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/1965-animal-nearly-became-monkee/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Tappy Wright accidentally auditioned for The Monkees in 1965.
- He was in Los Angeles on business for The Animals.
- The mix-up came amid the British Invasion.

## Summary

In 1965, The Animals’ manager Tappy Wright accidentally found himself auditioning for The Monkees while visiting the Screen Gems offices in Los Angeles. The mix-up offers an amusing glimpse of how the American group was assembled during the British Invasion, when US music-makers were seeking their own answer to successful British bands.

Wright said he was ushered into a room and asked whether he could sing, dance or act before realising he had joined a pop-group audition by mistake. The Monkees’ name was inspired by animal-themed band names including The Beatles, The Animals, The Byrds and The Turtles, with its spelling deliberately altered. Wright returned to England without joining the group.

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