In 1965, Mike Nesmith wrote a song that showcased his distinct country-rock vision long before the genre had a name.
However, when he presented “Propinquity (I’ve Just Begun to Care)” to the producers of The Monkees television series, record producers flatly rejected the tune. That rejection sidelined the song for five years, until another band stepped in to give it new life.
The tune, which never reveals its title in the lyrics, was first penned by Nesmith ahead of being cast as the wool-hat-wearing member of the television band turned music icons. He first recorded a demo of the song in 1966, and later recorded it in Nashville in 1968 reported Glorious Noise.
Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider assembled The Monkees to cash in on a Beatles-style sitcom. However, Nesmith (an accomplished musician, along with Peter Tork) pushed back for real artistic control. He pushed relentlessly for himself and bandmates Micky Dolenz, Tork, and Davy Jones to play their own instruments and perform their own original material on their albums instead of relying on outside studio professionals.
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Network executives finally gave in by the release of the band’s 1967 album, Headquarters. For the first time, the four members played most of the instruments themselves and took control of their own musical direction.
Nesmith placed his own compositions on the Monkees’ albums from their first release. But songs like “Propinquity” were routinely pushed aside in favor of polished, radio-ready pop from outside songwriters.
The song eventually got its due when the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band recorded it for their 1970 album Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy. The song wasn’t released as a single, but was included on the hit LP, which featured the track “Mr. Bojangles,” according to Billboard. The song was listed on a compilation of Nesmith’s best songwriting credits.
Nesmith released his own version a year later with the First National Band on their third album, Nevada Fighter. That solo recording allowed him to arrange the song exactly as he had envisioned it six years earlier.
Howver, Nesmith’s version remained unreleased until The Monkees Missing Links, Volume 3 came out in 1996. While fans had to wait three decades to hear his early studio attempt, the archival release proved just how complete Nesmith’s original 1960s country-rock vision really was.
Though it took half a decade to find its audience, “Propinquity” remains a pivotal chapter in Nesmith’s early songwriting career. From its 1965 rejection to its 1970 revival, the song showed that while pop TV executives looked for immediate hits, Nesmith wrote music built to last.
Related: 1966 Mike Nesmith Monkees Track, Co-Written by Carole King, Was an Underrated Country-Rock Gem
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