Biography
Bobby Hart helped form one half of the hitmaking Boyce & Hart team that dominated much of the 1960s songwriting scene through its close creative ties to the Monkees’ earliest output. Born February 18, 1939, in Phoenix, Arizona, to a father who served as a minister, he completed a period of Army service immediately after finishing high school. Once discharged, he relocated to Los Angeles in hopes of launching a singing career, yet after failing to attract attention he shifted his focus to composing instead. During the early 1960s he encountered Tommy Boyce, already building momentum as a writer, and soon placed his own “Dr. Heartache” with teen idol Tommy Sands. Shortly afterward the pair survived a serious automobile accident while driving back from a Bobby Vee performance; Boyce then headed for New York, and Hart joined him once he had recovered.
Their initial breakthrough arrived when Chubby Checker recorded “Lazy Elsie Molly” in 1964, the same year Jay & the Americans carried “Come a Little Bit Closer” into the Top Five. Hart briefly stepped away to collaborate with Teddy Randazzo and Bobby Whiting on Little Anthony & the Imperials’ 1965 smash “Hurt So Bad,” yet he and Boyce soon secured an exclusive Screen Gems publishing contract and returned to Los Angeles. Early compositions such as “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone,” cut by Paul Revere & the Raiders, and “Words,” taken up by the Leaves, failed at first to repeat prior chart success, though the duo joined Charles Albertine to create the enduring theme for the daytime serial Days of Our Lives.
In 1966 the pair was enlisted to supply material for the Monkees television series; the sudden need for numerous songs allowed them to contribute multiple tracks, and they were even considered for band membership. Their “Last Train to Clarksville” became the group’s first number-one single later that year, while additional Boyce & Hart numbers on the Monkees’ records included the show’s theme, “I Wanna Be Free,” “She,” “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone,” “Words” (both of the latter revived as hits), and “Valleri.” The duo also produced most of the Monkees’ initial sessions and occasionally contributed instrumental or vocal support. When the Monkees sought greater artistic autonomy, Boyce & Hart launched their own recording career in a comparable style of catchy, melodic bubblegum pop. Their 1968 single “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonite” reached the Top Ten, yet the venture proved brief. They resumed production duties for the Monkees during 1969–1970 before parting company.
Hart scored the 1972 film Unholy Rollers, but with bubblegum’s popularity waning he largely withdrew from music. In 1975 he and Boyce rejoined Monkees members Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones for a worldwide tour billed as Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart and subtitled “The Guys Who Sang ’Em and the Guys Who Wrote ’Em.” The quartet issued a Capitol album in 1976 yet disbanded the following year. Boyce & Hart later reunited temporarily to compose for the animated series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? and Josie and the Pussycats, while the Sex Pistols transformed “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” into a punk staple. Working apart once more, Hart contributed to the soundtrack of the 1983 film Tender Mercies and earned a Best Song Oscar nomination for “Over You,” written with Austin Roberts. He went on to produce or write for New Edition, LaToya Jackson, Robbie Nevil, and additional artists.
Their initial breakthrough arrived when Chubby Checker recorded “Lazy Elsie Molly” in 1964, the same year Jay & the Americans carried “Come a Little Bit Closer” into the Top Five. Hart briefly stepped away to collaborate with Teddy Randazzo and Bobby Whiting on Little Anthony & the Imperials’ 1965 smash “Hurt So Bad,” yet he and Boyce soon secured an exclusive Screen Gems publishing contract and returned to Los Angeles. Early compositions such as “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone,” cut by Paul Revere & the Raiders, and “Words,” taken up by the Leaves, failed at first to repeat prior chart success, though the duo joined Charles Albertine to create the enduring theme for the daytime serial Days of Our Lives.
In 1966 the pair was enlisted to supply material for the Monkees television series; the sudden need for numerous songs allowed them to contribute multiple tracks, and they were even considered for band membership. Their “Last Train to Clarksville” became the group’s first number-one single later that year, while additional Boyce & Hart numbers on the Monkees’ records included the show’s theme, “I Wanna Be Free,” “She,” “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone,” “Words” (both of the latter revived as hits), and “Valleri.” The duo also produced most of the Monkees’ initial sessions and occasionally contributed instrumental or vocal support. When the Monkees sought greater artistic autonomy, Boyce & Hart launched their own recording career in a comparable style of catchy, melodic bubblegum pop. Their 1968 single “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonite” reached the Top Ten, yet the venture proved brief. They resumed production duties for the Monkees during 1969–1970 before parting company.
Hart scored the 1972 film Unholy Rollers, but with bubblegum’s popularity waning he largely withdrew from music. In 1975 he and Boyce rejoined Monkees members Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones for a worldwide tour billed as Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart and subtitled “The Guys Who Sang ’Em and the Guys Who Wrote ’Em.” The quartet issued a Capitol album in 1976 yet disbanded the following year. Boyce & Hart later reunited temporarily to compose for the animated series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? and Josie and the Pussycats, while the Sex Pistols transformed “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” into a punk staple. Working apart once more, Hart contributed to the soundtrack of the 1983 film Tender Mercies and earned a Best Song Oscar nomination for “Over You,” written with Austin Roberts. He went on to produce or write for New Edition, LaToya Jackson, Robbie Nevil, and additional artists.
Albums
