Bobby Hart (born Robert Luke Harshman; February 18, 1939 – September 10, 2025) and Sidney Thomas Boyce (September 29, 1939 – November 23, 1994) were an American duo of singer-songwriters. In addition to three top-40 hits as artists, the duo is well known for its songwriting for the Monkees.
Hart’s father was a church minister and he himself served in the Army after leaving high school. Upon discharge, he travelled to Los Angeles seeking a career as a singer. Boyce was separately pursuing a career as a songwriter. . . .
Boyce met Hart in 1959, and the following year played guitar on Hart’s single “Girl in the Window”, which flopped, but marked the first time he used the name Bobby Hart, since his manager shortened his surname from Harshman to fit the label. Their partnership made a breakthrough with a song recorded by Chubby Checker, “Lazy Elsie Molly”, in 1964. They went on to write hits for Jay & the Americans (“Come a Little Bit Closer”), Paul Revere & the Raiders (“(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone”), and the Leaves (“Words”). The latter two songs provided the Monkees with hit B-sides in 1967. The duo also wrote the theme song of the daytime soap Days of Our Lives. At one point in this period, Hart also co-wrote “Hurt So Bad” for Little Anthony & the Imperials with Teddy Randazzo and his regular songwriting partner Bobby Weinstein. . . .
The Monkees
In late 1965, they wrote, produced and performed the soundtrack of the pilot for The Monkees, including singing lead vocals (which were later replaced, once the show was cast). In 1966, despite some conflicts with Don Kirshner, who was the show’s musical supervisor, they were retained in essentially the same role. It was Boyce and Hart who wrote, produced and recorded, accompanied by their backing band, the Candy Store Prophets, backing tracks for a large portion of the first season of The Monkees, and the band’s accompanying debut album.
The Monkees themselves re-recorded their vocals over Boyce and Hart’s when it came time to release the songs, including both “(Theme from) The Monkees” and “Last Train to Clarksville”, the latter being a huge hit. Kirshner suddenly relieved Boyce and Hart as producers, by claiming they were using studio time booked for Monkees songs to record tracks for their own solo project.
After their departure from the Monkees, and the negative publicity that erupted when word got out that the band had not played the instruments on their early records, Boyce and Hart were unsure how the Monkees felt about them personally. Attending one of their concerts, though, the duo was spotted in the audience, and singer Davy Jones invited them onstage to introduce them: “These are the fellows who wrote our great hits — Tommy and Bobby!” Every original Monkees album (except for the Head soundtrack and 1996’s Justus) included Boyce and Hart songs.
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Hart died on September 10, 2025, at the age of 86.
According to the Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll, Boyce and Hart wrote more than 300 songs, and sold more than 42 million records as a partnership.
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Go here to read more on Mr. Hart (and Mr. Boyce):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boyce_and_Hart
Photo of songwriters/musicians Bobby Hart (left) and Tommy Boyce with comedian Soupy Sales on his television program The Soupy Sales Show in 1970.
Bobby Hart, of Boyce & Hart, Songwriters for the Monkees and More, Dies at Age 86
