The Monkees and Julie didn't have long to discuss what they were going to do. Footsteps were heard and the guys went back to feigning their zombie-like state and Julie went to sit on a chair. The door opened and Brian and John walked into the room.
"Ah, it's now show time." Brian said, rubbing his hands together. "Come on Monkees, it'll be your turn very soon."
As one, the Monkees stood up and followed Brian out the door. Julie and John silently brought up the rear. They soon were standing in the wings. Near the curtain was a mirror on a brass stand sitting on a table. The Monkees and Julie stood there, while John continued behind the curtain. Dick Clark came over to them.
"We're all ready, Mr. Auger." He said.
"Very well, let's begin." Brian said. With a last check of his hair in the mirror, Brian stepped out from behind the curtains. Enthusiastic applause and cheers greeted him and he waved to the capacity crowd.
"Hello everyone! Welcome to the Brian Auger extravaganza!" He shouted, "Are you ready for a good time tonight?"
"Yeah!" The crowd shouted back.
"I can't hear you!" Brian replied.
"YEAH!" The crowd shouted louder.
"Well, you've come to the right place!" Brian smiled, "Tonight we have several first-class acts and a top-notch orchestra, led by yours truly and The Trinity!"
The audience roared its approval as Brian raised his hands.
"Well, let's get the show started!" Brian said, "The first performer is making her public singing debut tonight. Let's give a big hand to Miss Aretha Franklin!"
The audience cheered as the curtain parted to reveal a young black woman, only fourteen years old, wearing a black dress with a white bow on the collar. Behind her were several older black women, the Clara Ward singers, dressed in black gowns with silver collars. In the back of the stage was the house band along with John and Clive playing guitars and Gary the drums. Brian went to sit behind an organ next to John and Clive. Aretha gave the audience a shy smile and then the orchestra, led by Brian and The Trinity, began to play a fast number.
Snapping her fingers Aretha began to sing:
"Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones,
Now there's the working of the Lord!
The ankle bone's connected to the leg bone,
The leg bone's connected to the thigh bone,
The thigh bone's connected to the hip bone,
Now there's the working of the Lord!
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones,
Now there's the working of the Lord!
The hip bone's connected to the back bone,
The back bone's connected to the shoulder bone,
The shoulder bone's connected to the collar bone,
Now there's the working of the Lord!
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones,
Now there's the working of the Lord!
The collars bone's connected to the neck bone,
The neck bone's connected to the head bone!
Now there's the working of the Lord!
Dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones,
Now there's the working of the Lord!"
The audience cheered as Aretha and the Clara Ward singers brought the song to an end. They bowed and walked off to the back of the stage as Brian got up from his organ and addressed the crowd.
"Wasn't that lovely, folks?" Brian asked, "What a talent! Next is a trio of gentlemen who need no introduction! Here to play a medley of their hits are none other than Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard!"
As the crowd cheered, the stage lit up to reveal a trio of pianos stacked on top of each other. Fats Domino, on the top piano, began to play and sing:
"I'm ready, I'm willing, and I'm able to rock and roll all night!
I'm ready, I'm willing, and I'm able to rock and roll all night!
C'mon, pretty baby, we're rockin', gonna roll it `till broad daylight!"
As he was singing, a group of dancers, dressed in black and white, rushed onto the stage and danced around the pianos.
When Fats Domino was done, Jerry Lee Lewis, on the piano below him, began to play and sing:
"Shake, baby, shake, shake, baby, shake,
Shake me baby, there's a whole lotta shakin' goin' on!
C'mon over, there's a whole lotta shakin' goin' on!"
"Let's go!" He yelled to the man below him.
Little Richard, on the bottom piano, began to play once Jerry Lee Lewis was done;
"Tutti Frutti, oh Rudy, ooohhh Tutti Frutti oh Rudy
A wop bomp a lu bop a wamp bam bump!
I got a girl named Daisy, she almost drives me crazy,
Got a girl named Daisy, she almost drives me crazy,
Got a girl named Daisy, woooo!
A wop bomp a lu bop a wamp bam bump!"
The crowd was on their feet, screaming, dancing and having a great time. Brian reached off to the side of his organ, out of sight of the audience, and pulled the large switch to `on'. His `organ' was really another electro-thought machine. Then he stepped away from the organ and smiled at the audience.
"Now here is the group you've all been waiting for! They are next big thing in rock and roll!" Brian shouted above the din, "Newly discovered, they will be the greatest rock and roll stars yet! And here they come, idolized, plasticized, psychoanalyzed, sterilized, THE MONKEES!"
The audience was screaming as the Monkees jogged out from the wings and to the front of the stage. Mike, Peter and Davy formed a half-circle behind Micky and started to sing:
"Ah-Ah-AH-AHH! AH-AHH-AHH-AHH!" They sang, voices rising.
Micky took the mike from its stand and began to sing:
"You can rock it, you can roll it, you can stroll it at the hop hop hop!"
"Hop, hop, hop!" Mike, Peter and Davy chorused.
"When the band stops playin' you can't stop hoppin like a chicken at the hop hop hop!" Micky sang.
"You can dance, dance, you can dance dance at the hop hop hop!
"Let's go to the hop!" Micky continued.
"Oh baby!" Mike, Peter and Davy chorused.
"Let's go to the hop!" Micky sang
"Oh baby!" Came the reply
"Let's go to the hop!" All the Monkees sang.
Meanwhile, as this was going on, Julie had snuck away from the wings and began to explore the area behind the back drop. In the dim light, she nearly tripped on a thick cable of wires coming from what she guessed was Brian's organ. Bending down, Julie followed the cable over to a circuit box laying on the floor. The cabinet was wood and was about three foot square. It was also wired to the speakers nearby and, Julie guessed, to the speakers around the theater.
Julie realized she had to disable the box before Brian's brainwashing took hold on the unsuspecting crowd. There didn't seem to be a way to open the box at all. She looked around frantically, knowing that Brian would soon discover the Monkees were no longer under his control. Finally, she noticed sandbags hanging by ropes in the air, holding up the various backdrops used in the theater's productions. Getting an idea, she walked over to the ropes holding the sandbags, which were tied to a bar running down the length of the stage.
On the stage, Davy now took the mike while Micky, Mike and Peter formed behind him. Davy hunched his shoulders, smiled at the audience and began to sing:
"Little darlin', oh little darlin', Where are you?
Oh well that my lover, I was wrong to try to love two.
Well my love was just for you."
Davy reached behind him and handed the mike to Peter, who then switched places with Davy. Peter stood there and crooned slowly to the audience:
"Darlin'...I need you...to call my own,
And never leave...
To hold your little hand..."
At this point, Peter took out a handkerchief, wiped his forehead and then tossed it out to the audience. Several girls rushed forward and made a grab for it. One girl managed to grab it before the others and clutched it tightly, screaming.
As the Monkees continued to sing, they looked at each other. They were free of Brian's brainwashing, but his machine needed to be put out of commission before it could brainwash the crowd. They wouldn't be able to stall for much longer.
Behind the stage backdrop Julie was looking at a rope holding up a sandbag, when a stagehand came over to her.
"May I help you, miss?" He asked politely, half-shouting to be heard over the music.
Julie quickly turned to the man. "Oh, sorry, I was looking for the ladies' room and I'm afraid I got lost."
"Follow me, Ma'am." The man smiled, "I'll lead you there."
"Thank you." Julie smiled.
Mentally crossing her fingers, Julie waited until the man was walking away, and then pulled loose a rope holding a sandbag. The sandbag came down-and scored a direct hit on Brian's circuit box! The wooden cabinet was smashed open and the electronic circuits inside were crushed. With the noise of the music on the other side of the curtain, the stagehand didn't hear the crash. With a triumphant smile on her face, Julie followed the stagehand.
Just then, the song ended and Brian once again stepped away from his organ, ready to put his brainwashing plan in full gear.