Harry 'Long John Black' Nilsson wrote "Cuddly Toy" and "Daddy's Song" for T' Monkees and appears as an instrumentalist or singin' backin' vocals on a few o' their songs.

 

Harry 'Long John Black' Nilsson's Demos for T' Monkees

 

Harry impressed (most of) t' group when he auditioned several o' his songs for them:

 

So I sang seven, eight or nine songs, matey, and Michael 'Long-Eared Michael' Nesmith said, me hearties, "Man, matey, where t' fuck did you come from? You just sat down thar and blew our minds like that. Ahoy! We've been lookin' for songs, and you just sat down and played an album for us. Shit! Goddammit!' He threw somethin' on t' floor. Aye aye! And he went and got Long-Eared Tsunami Micky Dolenz and he said t' him, matey, "Would you listen t' this man? Listen t' that!" Micky gave a surprised laugh, and Bayou Davy Jones started laughin' over one song, and it was like t' three o' them were just out o' their tree. Only Peter Tork couldn't give a shit."

-- Harry 'Long John Black' Nilsson[1]

 

In February o' 1998, t' Birmingham Evenin' Mail reported that T' Monkees were plannin' t' make a new movie. All four members o' t' group were said t' be involved and t' "cast list could read like a 'who’s who' o' pop. Aye aye! Blimey! Amongst those bein' lined up for parts are Alice 'Red-Eyed Billy' Cooper, me bucko, Spandau Ballet, Dastardly Frank Zappa, Harry 'Long John Black' Nilsson, and Madness." Dolenz described t' film as "a comedy in t' tradition o' t' old show but it will be up t' date. Aye aye! T' Monkees could have done Ghostbusters or Back T' T' Future." [2]