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Donald's Encyclopedia of Popular MusicA B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y ZBOYCE, Tommy, and Bobby HartSongwriting team. Boyce (b 1944, Charlottesville VA; shot himself 23 November 1994, Nashville; wire services said he was 55) and Hart (b 1944, Phoenix AZ). They wrote for Curtis Lee (b 28 October 1941, Yuma AZ), spotted in a Tucson nightclub by Ray Peterson, owner of the Dunes label: their 'Pretty Little Angel Eyes' and 'Under The Moon Of Love' '61 were Lee's only hits, both revived by Showaddywaddy in the late 1970s. Boyce and Hart had a no. 3 USA hit with Jay and the Americans ('Come A Little Bit Closer', '64); they wrote for Don Kirshner's Screen Gems and linked with the Monkees: 'Last Train To Clarksville' was a no. 1 '66 (hyped by TV show and ad campaign). Other hits followed, but the Monkees threatened to write and produce themselves, so Boyce and Hart stepped out and became a recording duo. Their album Test Patterns and top 40 singles were on A&M: 'Out And About', 'I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight', 'Alice Long (You're Still My Favorite Girlfriend)' '67-8. But their prolific work outstripped customers: albums I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight, Which One's Boyce And Which One's Hart?, It's All Happening On The Inside (all '68) were released while progressive rock was overtaking street-smart pop; they retired to clubs for a while. Monkee Mike Nesmith called 'Valleri' (no. 3 '68) 'the worst record I've ever heard in my life'; Mickey Dolenz and Davy Jones disagreed and went on the road with Boyce and Hart to present a Golden Greats of the Monkees show five years after the group split and made album Jones Dolenz Boyce And Hart '76 for Capitol. Boyce then relocated in the UK (as coincidentally did Dolenz), with Richard Hartley in a new team, producing albums for UK doo-wop revivalists the Darts and others, branching into heavier rock with Iggy Pop (Party '81) and Meat Loaf; Hart made a solo album and produced LaToya Jackson, Robbie Neville and others. Rolling Stone claimed Boyce and Hart's 300-plus songs sold over 42 million records; Hart and Boyce's widow were said to be working on a documentary in 1997. |