While catching up with documenting the trip, Kurt and I came across an episode of Behind the Music on VH1 about the Monkeys. “Stop it here,” I told Kurt so we left it there. Afterwards was a VH1 movie about the Monkeys and we figured it was as good as anything and watched that as well.
After the segment were the Monkeys meet the Beatles in London, Kurt turned to me. “The Beatles invited the Monkeys in order to feel them out,” he said.
“What?”
“The Beatles biggest competition at the time were the Monkeys. So they invited them to feel them out, see what their strengths and weaknesses are. If they come across as unsure of themselves, then there is no competition.” Made sense, even if the Monkeys themselves didn't see that.
Later on when the segment about the Monkeys' movie Head [1] and how Jack Nicholson was involved, Kurt turned to me again. “They were an experiment.”
“In what way?”
“To see how far they could go in making a psychadelic movie. How far they can go, to see what the limites are. Later on, Easy Rider [2] comes out,” he said.
“Ah,” I said. “So that explains why Jack Nicholson was there.”
“Precisely.”
[1] http://www.imdb.com/Title?0063049