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Hey, Hey, It’s the Monkees — on Thompson Street!

This may be a little known fact even for the most dedicated of Monkees fans, but from 1967 to 1969, Monkees lead singer Davy Jones had a ‘mod’ clothing shop called Zilch I at 217 Thompson Street, a 1909 tenement in the South Village Historic District which Village Preservation got landmarked in 2013 (more info on South Village history and preservation efforts here). At the grand opening on October 20, 1967, fellow Monkee Peter Tork, Sally Field, David Pearl, Lynne Randell, and by one account, over 2,000 fans were all in attendance! As Davy said in the promo for the opening: “HELLO! How are you? Welcome to the wonderful world of Zilch I! Let’s start from the very beginning and proceed step by step — up to and through the opening of my new mod boutique in Greenwich Village in New York City!”

In front are Peter Tork, Sally Field and Davy Jones at the opening of Zilch I along with David Pearl and his friend Rachel at the rear.

Pictures showed Davy taking a hands-on approach before the opening including making “sure that all the achkans were neatly arranged and placed in order according to size.”

Pictures of Davy Jones preparing his store Zilch I for its grand opening. Note the gratuitous rear shot.

Gloria Stavers, then editor-in-chief for 16 magazine, was in attendance as well, and the publicity shots show her helping Davy pick out clothes.

16 ran a contest to promote the new store in February of 1968. Contestants could submit a ballot with the chance of winning clothes from Davy’s shop, a personal phone call from Davy, a hand-written letter from Davy authenticating the prize, and (be-still my beating heart) a lock of Davy’s hair for the winner to “wear in a locket around your neck or do with it whatever you please!” That truly is ‘so super stupendous no words can describe it!’

And why the name Zilch for the store? Again for you non-die-hard Monkees fans, Zilch was the name of a song from the group’s album “Headquarters” released in 1967. Although I didn’t find an acknowledgment of this link between the store and that song, it’s probably the case. It’s a pretty strange song (listen here), definitely deviating from some of their more well-known hits such as Pleasant Valley Sunday, I’m a Believer, Last Train to Clarksville, and (my favorite) Daydream Believer.

To take a step way back (on my steppin’ stone) and explain a bit about the Monkees for those who had never heard of them before (my daughter is disappointed that I am not writing about actual monkeys in Greenwich Village — she’s 22), the Monkees were intended to be kind of an American answer to the Beatles — right down to the misspelling of the animal kingdom-derived name. But though they first appeared in the late 1960s, they were meant as kind of a cleaned up version of the teen heartthrob Beatle-mania era Beatles of the early 1960s, while the Beatles themselves had moved on to considerably more substantive pursuits.

The Monkees were a rock/pop musical group active between 1966 and 1971, with tours in the decades that followed. They were a made-for-TV band created for a series that aired between 1966 and 1968. The actors/musicians included Davy Jones (of course), Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith (did his mother really invent Wite-out?), and Peter Tork.

There are a few interesting facts about the Monkees. First of all, record producer Don Kirshner initially supervised their music. He was the one who hired Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart to write the Monkees theme song, which helped get the series on the air. The success of the show made them one of the most popular bands of the 1960s in terms of record sales, having sold more than 75 million records worldwide. Four hundred thirty-seven people applied for the parts on the sitcom, and Peter Tork was the last hired. At that time, he was working in Greenwich Village as a musician and had shared the stage with Pete Seeger. While the Monkees recording career was brief, their television career and reunion tours lasted much longer. After the show went off the air in 1968 it continued on in heavy rotation in syndication through the 1970s, and then experienced a revival and introduction to a new generation when MTV began airing the series in 1986 as part of that decade’s fascination with the 1960s.

217-219 Thompson Street today

Today, 217 Thompson Street houses a tea shop and Chess Forum, one of Village Preservation’s Businesses of the Month and a 2020 Village Award winner. Still in evidence of its Monkees’ affiliation at No. 217 Thomspns Street are the ‘Z’ door handles from its Zilch I days!

I’m a believer!

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    5 responses to “Hey, Hey, It’s the Monkees — on Thompson Street!

    1. When I was 13, my 12-year-old brother and I took a bus from Tenafly NJ to Greenwich Village to see Zilch. I was crazy over Davy Jones, and in my silly teenage mind I thought I’d pop in and see him. We found Zilch but no Davy. Had to share a Coke to have money for the bus home. Did we ever get in trouble with Mom. Didn’t tell her we were going. We did see a lot of hippies.

    2. I was 8 years old and my mom took me and a friend to visit Zilch..Came in from Queens..Bought some beads similar that Peter and Davey wore..My friend bought tinted glasses..Not much kids clothes sixes…But we were thrilled just say we visited a Monkees store.

    3. Hi all. My family lived in the Paterson Houses in the S. Bronx. Like millions of other girls, I was mad about Davy Jones and read all about him in “16” Magazine. In 1968 (I was 12), I convinced my Dad to drive me down to the Village to see Zilch, but when we got there I was too scared to go in. I remember seeing a few people mulling about in the store. Now I wish I had bought something…anything. Just another of my multitude of Monkees memories of 55 years ago.

    4. I never made it to Zilch, but I did get one of their catalogs, it cost a whole dollar and I ordered an Indian inspired bracelet from it. Both are gone now but it was fun to get a package from Davy’s Zilch.

    5. I lived Suffolk County, Long Island and I convinced my parents to take my brothers and I to Zilch on the trains several times! I was about 15. We didn’t see Davy but we met his friend, Jeff Neal, who was my age and really cute. We also met Jeff’s parents, who managed the shop, and his Uncle. I still have my achkan, neckaces and photos from Zilch…great memories!! Btw…Can anybody tell me whatever happened to Jeff Neal?? I have been trying to find out for many years?

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