The Monkees - Valleri
I heard this song a lot growing up, as the title is my mother's name. She bought the 45 as a teenager, and we used to listen to it when I was a kid. I went through a period where I rebelled against groups like The Monkees, thinking they were too manufactured. But the more I looked into it, the more I learned that as their career advanced, they were increasingly in command of the creative aspects of their music. They didn't start out as such, but they grew from a bubblegum pop group who didn't play the instruments on their songs, to a legit band of four guys writing, recording, and playing their own music.
This particular song doesn't really win ant points for innovation, but it's got a catchy hook, and some really interesting guitar work in it. Take a listen if you're not familiar.
