In 1965, an Animal nearly became a Monkee

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.