Why wasn't this here already? LONG LIVE DAVY, MICKY, MIKE, AND PETER!
The Pre-Fab Four, who have left a lasting impact on music. Their TV show (NBC, 1966-68) was a precursor to MTV and music videos. Best Song: "Daydream Believer."
Mike Nesmith is independently wealthy. If you aren't aware already, his mother invented liquid paper, aka white-out. It is unfortunate that he has so seldom reunited with the other three Monkees. Nesmith was a video pioneer, too, via his company, Pacific Arts (which I believe is now defunct.)
Let's see...What are my favorite Monkees songs?
(theme from) The Monkees (album version)
She
Sweet Young Thing
Regonal Girl
The Porpous Song
Words (missing links version)
Plesant Valley Sunday
Do I have To Do This All Over Again?
Circle Sky (live)
I Wanna Be Free (fast version)
Merry Go 'Round
You Told Me
Daily Nightly
For Pete's Sake
And plenty I forget at the moment.
I heard someone say recently that the Monkees were absolute cr*p. Knowing his tastes, I asked him what some of his favorite Beetles songs were. Included in his list of top 5 "Beetles" songs were Daydream Believer and Plesant Valley Sunday. When I pointed out to him, and later had to prove to him, that these were, in fact, Monkees songs, he was shocked. He is now a Monkees fan
"Regional Girl"? Blitz you've got the Justus album? You're as bad as I am!
Here's my favorites album by album
The Monkees
"Saturday's Child"
"Papa Gene's Blues"
"Sweet Young Thing"
More of the Monkees
"She"
"Mary, Mary"
"Your Auntie Grizelda" (Peter's signature song)
"(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" (The Sex Pistols have covered this)
"Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)"
"Sometime In the Morning"
"I'm A Believer"
The Monkees' Headquarters (Their best album)
"You Told Me"
"Band 6" (Listen carefully, it's Micky, Mike and Peter trying to play the Looney-Tunes theme)
"You Just May the One"
"Shades of Gray"
"For Pete's Sake"
"Mr. Webster"
"Sunny Girlfriend"
"Zilch"
"No Time"
"Early Morning Blues and Greens"
"Randy Scouse Git"
Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.
"She Hangs Out"
"The Door Into Summer"
"Words"
"What Am I Doin' Hangin' 'Round?"
"Pleasant Valley Sunday" (their best song)
"Daily Nightly"
"Star Collector"
The Birds, The Bees, The Monkees
"Auntie's Municipal Court"
"Tapioca Tundra"
"7A," aka "Daydream Believer" 
"Writing Wrongs"
"Valleri" (the version used on the TV show, not the album version)
Head (This was the first album I'd ever heard of theirs. One of my aunts had it when I was a kid.)
"The Porpoise Song"
"Circle Sky"
"As We Go Along"
"Long Title: Do I Have to Do This All Over Again?"
Instant Replay
"I Won't Be the Same Without Her"
"The Girl I Left Behind Me"
"Man Without a Dream"
"Shorty Blackwell"
The Monkees Present Micky, Michael, David
"Listen to the Band"
"Mommy and Daddy" (alternate lyrics)
Changes (the worst album)
"Oh My My"
Pool It!
"Heart and Soul"
"Gettin' In"
Justus
"Regional Girl"
"Admiral Mike"
"Dyin' of a Broken Heart"
Non-album tracks
"Girl I Knew Somewhere"
"Goin' Down"
"All Of your Toys"
"Someday Man"
"That Was Then, This Is Now" (technically, not the Monkees, but still credited as such)
"St. Matthew"
"Come On In"
"It is unfortunate that he has so seldom reunited with the other three
Monkees." - Adam Bomb
The sad fact is that overall, the Monkees don't like each other that well. Davy and Peter particular dislike each other. (I've seen Peter in a solo performance. Some of the subtle remarks he made help reinforce that idea. Then, there's Davy autobiography, They Made a Monkee Out of Me which also hints at their distaste for each other.) Mike and Peter ended up not getting along that well either.
Davy may have respected Mike, but they were not friends either. Only Micky and Davy were friends. But their last tour (before this year's anniversary tour) saw an end to that.
I think Mike's ended his relationship with the other three when he walked off the European tour in '96.
My Fave Monkees Songs
1. You Just May Be The One
2. Daydream Believer
3. I Wanna Be Free
4. I'm A Believer
5. Sometime in the Morning
6. Shades of Grey
7. The Girl That I Knew Somewhere
8. Look Out, Here Comes Tomorrow
9. Listen To The Band
10. As We Go Along
Keep in mind I haven't heard every single song they've ever done.
Me neither, but I'm working on it
I'm only missing two albums of theirs. One is The Monkees Jukebox, which is the new box set. I've the original (now deleted) one, Listen To the Band. Rhino's Hand Made label also has a limited edition set called the Summer of 1967. It's a four disc set, that presents four other shows from their '67 tour. There's already a Live '67 disc out. I've got another live disc from '89 maybe. It was on sale at their '97 show. It could pass for a bootleg, but I think Davy has it (had it?) on sale at his website.
Incidentally, I have met Micky and Peter (on separate occassions) and have their autographs. They're both they're very nice guys. Peter in particular.
A lot of bands in the late sixties modeled their sound after the Beatles, since they pretty much set the standard for the pop of that decade. The Monkees were obviously one of these. I never would have thought "Daydream Believer" or "Pleasant Valley Sunday" were Beatles songs, but "You Told Me" sounds exactly like the early Beatles.
Todd Rundgren once made an album called "Deface The Music" which was a total Beatles pastiche, an attempt to create music sounding exactly like the Beatles.
But a mid-sixties band The Gods is one band that has some songs from the two albums they made that sound uncannily like the Beatles. They even cover "Hey Bulldog". The Gods had several members who later went on to mega-fame with other bands in the seventies (Greg Lake, Mick Taylor, Ken Hensley, John Glasscock).
I always thought "Last Train to Clarskville" was a near rip-off of "Paperback Writer".
In the 70's there was a group called Klaatu. Because the band did not list who the band members were, and because they sounded so much like the Fab Four, the rumor went out they they were the Beatles. The rumor sold several of Klaatu's records. Then the idiots revealed their true identities and that ended that. The Carpenters covered Klaatu's "Calling Occupants od Interplanetary Craft", which was pretty good.
Klaatu.....Verata (or Berada) Nicto!
My three favorite Monkees songs are:
1. {I'm not your} Steppin' Stone
2. A song I can't remember right now, because I'm half-asleep, but Mike Nesmith sang it. I think it has "Before" in the title.
3. I Wanna Be Free
If I never, EVER hear Last Train To Clarksville, it wouldn't bother me any!
One question for any of you Monkees fans:
Did Peter ever sing lead on anything? I haven't seen the series in a loooong time, and I don't have any of their albums.
Oh, and to add to the second post on this board, by Adam Bomb, Mike Nesmith is actually the person who came up with the idea for MTV! I don't think he actually had anything to do with actually creating it, though.
Peter is the lead vocalist on "Your Auntie Grizelda". He has a lead on "Shades of Gray" ("I remember when the answers seemed so clear...") and shares vocals with Micky on "Words". Micky sings the first line, Peter sings the next. While he was regarded as the best musician of the four, he was the worst vocalist. Oh, there's one more song he sings lead on: "Long Title: Do I Have Do This All Over Again?" That's just the 60's album. I'd have to look at Pool It! (87) and \i(Justus} (97) to see what he sings on those. There are some previously unreleased cuts he sings lead on, also.
The Knickerbockers' "Lies" is another song that sounds uncannily like it was done by the Beatles.
Peter sort of does lead on "Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky" (from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, & Jones Ltd.), but it reading, not singing (he also reads on "Special Announcement", featured on the same CD). Also, he sings lead on "I Believe You", off of Justus. If you ask me, however, his best outings are the "unreleased" ones. "Come On In" is great, and "Merry Go Round" is, in my oppinion, one of the best Monkees songs ever.
Oh, BF, is the song You're thinking of "The Girl I Knew Somewhere?" Micky sang it, but Mike wrote it (and sang the origional version included on Headquarters as a bonus). It's first line is:
"You tell me that you've never been this way before"
Oh, by the way, does anyone, anywhere, know anyplace where I could get my hands on some recordings of Mick, Mike, and Davy's 1969 tour with Sam & The Goodtimers? If you don't know what I'm talking about, they quit playing their own instruments for that tour (after all, there's not a lot of music you can make with only one guitar and precusion) and instead hired this R&B band to handle the backing. As far as I know, the closest thing to a tape of this tour is the studio recording "You're So Good", featured on Missing Links Vol. 3
Blitz, I don't even have that. There may be a bootleg somewhere, but I haven't heard of it. From the photos I've seen of that tour, Mike does play guitar.
On "Zilch" that's Peter who says, "Mr. Dabalina, Mr. Bob Dabalina". "Lady's Baby" is also a good track. A bonus track on The Birds, The Bees, & The Monkees has Peter singing a short track called, "Alvin". On Justus he also sings "Run Away From Life". On Pool It! he sings "Gettin' In" and I think, "Since You Went Away". The b-side to "Heart and Soul" has Tork singing "MGB-GT".
No, Blitz, I don't think that's it. If you know the order of the episodes, the song was performed in the episode where they did the Fairy Tales bit, or a an episode or two after it. And it was Mike who sang it on the show. If it helps, I believe the word "brain" is mentioned in the song.
"I do believe...blah, blah, blah....brain."
Haven't heard it in a LONG time. I'm working from memory here.
You're not thinking of "Sweet Young Thing" are you? "A moment ago/Some various things just happened to my brain/I'm either feeling very good/Or else I am insane/The seeds of doubt you planted have started to grow wild/I feel I must yield/Before the wisdom of a child" (smile? I'm not sure of the word there.)
Yep. That's the one I was thinking of. Like I said, its been a loooong time since I've seen the show or heard any of their music (Other than "Last Train To Clarksville", which I'm sick of, and "Daydream Believer).
How many Monkees albums was Mike on before he quit?
Of the original Sixties ones? All but Changes.
That would be The Monkees, More of the Monkees, The Monkees' Headquarters, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd., The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees, Head, Instant Replay and The Monkees Present.... Justus is the only other album Papa Nez is on. Peter quit shortly after Head. Micky is only one to be in every incarnation of The Monkees. Arista Records put out an Eighties greatest hits package, Then and Now (now deleted) that has three new cuts on it. Only Micky and Peter are on them though. (Davy thought it was a bad deal. He used to leave the stage when they did "That Was Then, This Is Now".) The tracks ("That Was Then, This Is Now", "Kicks", "Anytime, Anywhere, Anyplace") aren't really the Monkees. The true credit is "Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork of The Monkees" (That's what the 45 said.), but they're still generally considered to be The Monkees.
Phil Keagy recorded a Beatle-esque album called "Sunday Child." Try to download the title track or "Tell me How you Feel," which are pretty good. It's Christian rock (which is not usually my cup of tea), so go into it with that understanding. But frankly, they're pretty good songs.
"Shades of Grey" - very good Monkees song, very bad TNG episode!
Phil Keagy. Why do I know that name? Wasn't he in Kansas, or some other rock band before becoming a Gospel act?
Wait a minute...That's DAVY singing "Run Away From Life". Peter WROTE it, but unless he's actually from Manchester, he's not singing it.
Uhhh. Maybe. Probably. Davy doesn't normally sing that flat and in that deep a voice. But, yeah, there is an accent there. I guess it is, it's just not really Davy's normal vocal style.
Bob Pittman (a former program director at the late WNBC radio, now, I believe a big exec at AOL Time Warner) is the guy who is credited with coming up with the idea for MTV.
I think it's more accurate to say that Mike Nesmith's "Pop Clips" influenced or inspired MTV. He didn't actually create it.
Smash Mouth and Eddie Murphy have done a cover of "I'm a Believer" for the movie Shrek (Or is that Drek?). The less said about it, the better.
Actually, I kind of enjoyed Shrek... It was the only movie out that I could see with my little sister.
*shakes head*
Smash Mouth and Eddie Murphy...
Actually, I didn't think it was that bad. Not the original, no, but it wasn't intended to be. I enjoy both versions.
Merat - Beetles? Who are they?
Right now, I'm listening to disc two of Summer 1967 The Complete U.S. Concert Recordings. This is a limited edition 4-disc available only through Rhino Handmade Records (www.rhinohandmade.com). I got the set yesterday and it's #539 out of a total of 3500, so there's probably plenty left. Of course, I would say that's mostly of interest to someone who's a die-hard fan like me.
In case no one else has noticed, this year is the 35th Anniversary of the Pre-Fab Four. They've been on tour this year. Well, Micky, Davy and Peter are. Mike's holed up in New Mexico I'd imagine. If anyone's interested in tour dates, then check out www.monkees2001.com for details.
One date not listed is September 8th. That's when The Monkees play Grand Prairie (a city between Dallas and Fort Worth). And. I've. Already. Got. My. Ticket. Yaaay!!! This'll be my fourth time to see The Monkees. I can't effin' wait! Opening for The Pre-Fab Three will be Crawfish (who?), B.J. Thomas and Mary Wilson of The Supremes.
My one regret is that September 8th is four days short of the date The Monkees' TV show debuted. Now that would've been sweet to've seen them on the exact anniversary day.
The Monkees are on The Tonight Show, starring Jay Leno. Wanna bet they play "I'm A Believer"?
Two more weeks before the concert! YaaaY!
Three of the Monkees (all but Mike) made their appearance on The Tonight Show and played "Steppin' Stone" (the first Monkees song I ever heard).
Anyone wanting to watch a rerun can probably catch it next Thursday night on NBC Up All Night (after Conan and SCTV).
GOD-DAM-IT! Excuse the language folks, but I have to vent! I just found out that Micky and Davy have kicked Peter off the current Monkees tour! I knew these guys didn't get along too well, but my god, people, it's you're 35th anniversary show and y'all are gonna pull this stunt? So much for "Auntie Grizelda" one last time. Beautiful, kick out the only real musician in your band, boys. Great, now I'll be watching the actors of the show. If I go. I am very, very p.o. 
Here's an irony: I'm listening to The Monkees Greatest Hits even as I post this. It's not making me feel any better, either.
This is the news report from www.monkees.net if anyone wants to know the details of Peter's firing (such as they are):
"** SPECIAL ALERT **From: "maggie mcmanus"
Announcement: Peter Tork will NOT be appearing at the Monkees' September 7 & 8 shows in Bensenville & Grand Prairie.Here's why:
It's 10 pm Sunday night, September 2, and I just got off the phone with Peter Tork. He phoned me, sounding very very very upset. He'd just received a call from David Fishof saying that Micky and Davy did not want him showing up at the two September dates, in Bensenville and Grand Prairie. In fact, they were insistent on it, saying that if Peter showed up for those
two gigs,THEY WOULD NOT!!!! "I guess I'd be on stage by myself, playing 'Last Train To Clarksville' in another key and saying, 'Now this is where Micky usually sings 'I'm A Believer'," Peter said.
Lots of fans had asked over the last week if Peter would be at the September 7 & 8 shows, and Peter had told me to reassure everyone that he would be, but this is a dramatic new turn of events.
Peter wanted everyone who expected to see him at those shows to be warned in advance that he would not be there---AT THE INSISTENCE OF THE OTHER GUYS. The worst most horrible part of all this is that it's obvious that Micky, Davy, and Fishof had it all planned out in advance, Peter said. After the most recent show in Anaheim, Davy shook hands with him and said, "See you around," and Peter said, "Wait a minute, I'm not done, I'll see you guys in Bensenville and Dallas." But THEY knew already. Fishof told him that he
hurt Micky and Davy so badly that they don't want him at the other dates.
But they sure kept him around long enough to do the taping (at the Anaheim show) for the upcoming live audio/video releases and made sure he signed all the contracts for those releases ahead of time.
Asked how the West Coast shows went, Peter said that he'd thought everything was just great, couldn't have been better. In fact, he said "7th Heaven" star Stephen Collins was at Anaheim and was "effusive" in his praise of the guys' concert. Collins' wife, actress Faye Grant, was so thrilled with the show that she asked to have her picture taken with the guys backstage----Stephen told Peter that she's NEVER asked anyone that in the 18 years they'd been together, so from her that was very high praise.
Welllllll, for all the people who theorized in the last week that the guys were pulling our leg about an internal conflict.......guess not!
This time, the fans---who'd hoped to see Peter one last time---are suffering because of it.
maggieMaggie McManus
MONKEE BUSINESS FANZINE
http://pages.prodigy.net/monkeebizmonkeebiz@prodigy.net"
Man, am I bummed out.
Well, I am going to attend The Monkees concert. I'll posts comments on the show after the concert tonight. May even include the setlist. (I usually write down the names of the songs as the bands perform them.)
Blitz, it turns out that one of the Sam & The Goodtimers shows was recorded for possible album release. Why it hasn't been released officially, I dunno. That's something for Rhino Records to determine.
I also found out that a bootleg of one of the shows exist. However, it is said to be of very, very poor quality and of "historical interest only." Rhino remains your best bet for an official release for any recordings from that tour.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the stars of The Monkees: Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones!"
And with that, their backup played a medley of "Listen to the Band" and "Theme From The Monkees. It leaves open the question "Are they calling themselves 'The Monkees' or not?" They certainly played most of The Monkees' hits. I suppose that given that there was a Monkees line-up that was just Micky and Davy, it would be quite legitimate for them to call themselves The Monkees.
Saturday night's show marks the fourth time I've seen The Monkees. (Never with Nesmith. But by now, that's a given. I don't think you'll ever catch him on stage as a Monkee again. I think that while he knows he will forever be associated with The Monkees, he does not wish to associate himself with the band.) Micky and Davy (and the band) played and sang very well. Yeah, their voices are a deeper register now, but they still sounded very strong. Vocally, they gave excellent performances. And musically, they did quite well, too. However, maybe I'm being prejudiced. Because, little though he did in The Monkees, I like Peter Tork. What I saw Saturday, felt incomplete. I think Micky and Davy need Tork (or Nesmith, even) for balance. There were times where I could tell where there was a guitar or keyboard solo would normally be handled by Peter, but now someone else is doing it.
I didn't think of this 'til now, but the show's comedy was not as cheesy or Broadway (vaudeville is more like it) as it was on the first three shows I saw. It's almost like they were trying to be a more serious band.
Overall, there seems to have a forced quality to the concert. It was a bit hurried. But that was because there was the threat of a really bad thunderstorm hitting. (The show was outside, and The Lone Star Park race track in Grand Prairie, TX.) (Y'know, given that Davy was a horse jockey apprentice, that's appropriate.) Just as they finished, the rain started falling.
They were scheduled to play for an hour and a half. They wound up playing for slightly less than an hour, according a friend of mine who went with me. Again, that's probably due to the weather.
Despite anything misgivings I have expressed about the concert, I enjoyed it. I don't know if I'll go see the Micky/Davy version of The Monkees again. (Assuming there's another opportunity.) But I had fun. They rocked, the performances were tight and well played.
So, anyway, here's the set list, with selected comments:
1. "Listen to the Band/Theme From The Monkees"
2. "Last Train to Clarksville"
3. "Valleri"
4. "The Girl I Knew Somewhere" (introduced as a Nesmith composition)
5. "Randy Scouse Git" (with Micky playing tympani drugs)
6. "Mary, Mary" (with Micky playing the drums)
7. "I'll Love You Forever" (with Davy giving an introduction that seemed to go on forever. It included a dedication to some twins in the audience. I know who they were. Not personally, but I did see them in the audience. Stared at them to be more honest about it. The girls complimented me on my t-shirt. I almost complimented them on their... never mind.)
8. "A Little Bit Me, A Little You" (they tried working in a little Tex Mex into it. It didn't mesh well with it.)
9. "Goin' Down" (a definite highlight)
10."Girl" ("Marcia, Marcia, Marcia!" Yes, it's The Brady Bunch song)
11. "No Time" (with a bit of "Secret Agent Man" thrown into the guitar solo. I think a verse was omitted.)
12. "She Hangs Out" (with a bit of "Day Tripper" thrown in.)
13. "That Was Then, This Is Now"
14. "The Purpoise Song" (a major surprise, and another highlight)
15. "Listen to the Band"
16. "7-A" ("Daydream Believer")
Encore
17. "I'm a Believer"
18. "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone".
Among the omitted songs were "I Wanna Be Free", "She", "For Pete's Sake" (wonder why). But what really disappointed me was that they didn't do "Pleasant Valley Sunday"! Of all the songs to leave out! Arrgh!
Incidentally, both Micky and Davy played guitars throughout the show. I guess trying to prove that Peter and Mike aren't the only musicians in the band.
Along with a t-shirt and tour program, I bought a CD; Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Peter Tork 2001: Live In Las Vegas. It's an item sold only at the concerts.
I like the song #5 with Micky playing the tympani drugs ... (nyuk-nyuk-nyuk!)
Ugh! Actually, that's not too bad of a slip, considering that at the end of the song, Micky pretended he was having an acid flashback ("The colors! The colors! Where am I? Who are you people and what are doing in my living room?") with Davy having to talk him down. ("It's alright Micky, it's alright. You're safe. Can I get you anything?" "Yeah, some prozac and gin.")
Perhaps it WASN'T a slip-up then ... since the letter "G" and "M" are on different rows of the Querty keyboard ...
And about two letters removed.
Oh by the way, Derf, it's "the Qwerty keyboard". Y'know, the first six characters of the top row of letters starting from the left. If you want to use the letter "u", it would have to be the "Qwertyu" board. (Hey! I'm tired of being the only one corrected around here? )
I forgot to mention The Monkees' opening acts. First up was a local cover band, Crawfish. The audience liked them. The crowd treated their versions of "Shamballah", "Joy to the World", "Knockin' On Heaven's Door", "Takin' It to the Streets", "American Pie", "Rock Around the Clock" (their opening number) and "Old Time Rock and Roll" with the same enthusiasm they would have given Three Dog Night, Bob Dylan, The Doobies, Don McLean, Bill Haley and Bob Seger. Personally, I thought they were okay musically. But vocally, they were annoying. I couldn't wait for them to get off the stage.
BJ Thomas. Didn't know he lives in Arlington, TX. Or maybe I did and had forgotten. Vocally he's impressive. But he has no stage presence whatsoever. Very boring. KLUV DJ, Ron Chapman (who I most thoroughly despise) said he bet that it would be Thomas' songs we'd be singing after the show. I'd've happily taken him up on the bet. And walked away with more money than I came in with, too.
Before doing "This Time the Girl Is Going to Stay", BJ spoke of how Elvis had also recorded that song. BJ said E hated Thomas' version of the song. "But," said BJ Thomas. "I'm the one with the gold record."
Mary Wilson of the Supremes. I'm not a Supremes fan, but despite being a little too much like Tina Turner (even doing a version of "Proud Mary" pattern after Ike and Tina Turner's ["nice and easy"]), she was great! Of course, you can't help but notice that she wants to be Diana Ross. Now, it seems, she is. She did a killer medley of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction/Brown Sugar" and took the disco out of Donna Summer's "Last Dance", turning it into pure R&B.
I've just remember one thing Davy said I thought was hilarious. He was talking about that dance he does in the "Daydream Believer" clip in the old show. He said he was watching it with one of his daughters. She asked, "Daddy, why do you dance like Axl Rose?"
Bravo! Benn ... for the "keyboard correction" you so surreptituiously noticed to negate MY "to-date" flawless rendetion of "perfect" typing ...
Somebody had to do it.
Oh. Thanks for The Refreshment disc. I'm about to give it another run through. It is good.
Blitz, I have more information on the `69 Sam and the Goodtimers show. I know who owns the recordings. Probably.
It turns out that Colgems was not the one behind the one good quality recording of the show (San Diego, I think it was). That recording was financed by Mike, Davy and Micky. They gave copies to friends and family it appears. It also looks like that there may only be two copies in existence - Mike's and Davy's.
If this ever gets released to the public, Mike, Davy and Micky have to give consent. Any one of the three could kill the deal for any number of reasons, including lack of interest or they might feel it was not a good enough performance to present to the public.
Then comes the question of who distributes the record? If they do not use Rhino or Rhino Handmade (for whatever reason), the record will not be a "Monkees" album. Rhino owns the name "The Monkees" and all trademarks thereof. If it is released through Rhino, the next question is it a Rhino Record? Or Rhino Handmade? If the latter, there probably won't be more than a few thousand copies in existence.
Of course, any release of such a live album will almost certainly depend on getting consent from the members of Sam & The Goodtimers, too, I would imagine.
Bottom line is that it's possible for it to happen. But will it happen? I don't know.
Benn ... I TOLD you these guys were good!
(It really IS a tragedy they've broken-up!)
European Swallow
Well, I could see by the way that she danced with me
She wanna break my heart, wanna tear it apart
I could tell by the way that she danced with me
If I give her ten dollars I could get anything that I want
So, what's a girl like you doin' in a place like this?
Forget that I asked, Baby gimme a kiss
I'll stop biting my fingernails, they're starting to bleed
Well, why don't we just skip the formalities and get down to what we're here for?
I'll do anything for you ...
Anything that you want me to
It's just gonna take a little more money
So this big 'ole guy, he comes up to me
Says, "Hey, skinny white boy, I don't like the way you look at my girlfriend"
"What an ugly thing to say", I said, "But don't you flatter yourself
You know, I don't think that much of your girlfriend"
So this big 'ole guy, he socks me in the nose
And I falls on my back and I get blood on my clothes
He says, "Hey, skinny white boy, what'ya think about that?"
I say, "Well, doesn't change anything ya'know, I still don't think that much of your girlfriend"
I'll do anything for you ...
Anything that you want me to
It's just gonna take a little more money
So, what's a girl like you doin' in a place like this?
Forget that I asked, Baby gimme a kiss
I'll stop biting my fingernails, they're starting to bleed
Well, why don't we just skip the formalities and get down to what we're here for?
I'll do anything for you ...
Anything that you want me to
It's just gonna take a little more money
Listening to Fizzy Fuzzy Big & Buzzy right now as a matter of fact. I'm up to the song "Suckerpunch". I really do like it.
The Official Refreshments Home Page lists Roger Meade Clyne (lead singer) and P.H. Naffah (drums) have formed a new band named "The Peacemakers". It will be interesting to see how the new band's sound compares to their original greatness.
One of the best out takes from the Monkees is Peter's lovely performance of "Come On In", which can be found on the second Missing Links compilation. However, that collection seemingly attributes the wrong authorship to the song. It gives a songwriting credit to a "Levinson/Duboff". Actually, the song was written by Jo Mapes. It was made famous by The Association, whose version came out about the same time Peter recorded his.
"Magnolia Simms", a track from The Birds, The Bees and the Monkees album is very similar in both conception and performance to a Moby Grape song called "Just Like Gene Autry, a Foxtrot". Both songs are tributes to the old 78 RPM discs of the twenties and thirties and the big band sound of that era. Both bands use gimmicks to re-create that sound, the Monkees create fake record scratches and a skip near the end, while the Grape song actually could only be played at 78 RPM! (which caused it to take up most of its original vinyl side and to be unplayable on most modern turntables). Both songs also had nearly identical vocal introductions to the songs, in which the phrase ". . . who ask the age-old musical question . . ." was included in both. The Monkees track was recorded in December '67 and the Moby Grape track in January '68. It makes me wonder if one of these bands didn't influence the other, or if it was just coincidence.
Both songs also had nearly identical vocal introductions to the songs, in which the phrase ". . . who ask the age-old musical question . . ." was included in both. - Todd Pence
Uh, that phrase does not appear in the lyrics of "Magnolia Simms", nor before it. On the other hand, the album before it, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd., has a song - "Don't Call On Me" - in which during the intro is the "That magnificent powerhouse high over Chicago asking that musical question..."
Just for the record, here are the lyrics to "Magnolia Simms":
"Magnolia Simms
By Michael Nesmith
"Love to me is blue-eyed and blonde.
Oh, that's sweet Magnolia.
Apple pie on the window still warm.
That's my sweet Magnolia
"Walking under a sky that's so blue
After rain has fallen.
When she's walking so close by my side
My troubles seem to just run and hide.
"[la-dee, da-dum, etc.]
"Well, walking under a sky that's so blue
After rain has fallen.
When she's walking so close by my side
My troubles seem to just run and hide.
"Magnolia Simms is my little doll.
I can't live without her.
For if she goes my world will just fall.
Stay with me, Magnolia.
[Sound of record skipping]
Stay with me, Magnolia."
The lyrics are taken from here: Magnolia Simms
IIRC, the song opens with a false start or two.
"This is my opinion that the people are intending."
For other Monkees lyrics I refer you to this site: The Monkees Song Lyrics
"But today there is no day or night/Today there is no dark or light/Today there is no black or white/Only shades of gray."
Yes, Benn, you're right, I got the two Monkees songs mixed up in my head somewhow. "Don't Call On Me" was recorded a few months before "Magnolia". Sorry for the confusion. The introductions to the two songs are still very similar.
The Monkees' "Don't Call On Me":
And now, from the elegant pomp room from the magnificent powerhouse high over Chicago, asking that musical question . . .
Moby Grape's "Just Like Gene Autry":
And now, emanating from the Seacaucus Lounge in the fabuluos Fandango Hotel in Wehauken, New Jersey, we proudly present the celestial melodies of Lou Waxman and his orchestra, who ask the age old musical question . . .
Both intros have similar background noises of dinner conversation and applause. The song "Don't Call On Me" itself incongrously does not sound like a period piece at all, but like a contemporary adult pop single of the time in which it was recorded.
A couple of things I've learned in re-reading the liner notes to Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. about "Don't Call On Me". Like you, Todd, I thought it was "...the elegant pomp room..." It's actually "...the elegant Pump Room...", a fictitious ballroom. The music is meant to recall the lounge music trend of the early '60s. So, in a way it is a throwback musically. Just not like "Magnolia Simms" was.
"And he thought he heard the echoes of a penny whistle band/And the laughter from a distant caravan."
The other day I got Rhino Handmade's reissue of The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees, a triple disc set. Disc one is the stereo version of the album, plus rare cuts. Disc two, obviously, is the mono mix with outtakes. Disc three is called, The Birds, the Bees & the Rarities, nothing but outtakes from the BB&M sessions. Some interesting stuff to be sure, but is The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees really that important an album to devote this kind of packaging to? I know they already gave Headquarters the Rhino Handmade treatment, but perhaps The Monkees, More of the Monkees or Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd. would have been better choices? Or do they lack the riches in outtakes that BB&M has?
I do still need to get the Deluxe editions of The Monkees' Headquarters and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd. I do have the Deluxe editions of The Monkees and More of the Monkees. Man, I am such a completist.
np - "(I Prithee) Do Not Ask For Love (Second Version)" - the Monkees (Peter sings this one. Not too bad.)
The reason that BBM has a whole extra disc of outtakes is probably simply that more material was produced during the sessions for this album than any of the previous ones. The Monkees recorded enough stuff for BBM to easily be a double album. In addition, they were also working on the songs for Head and recording songs that would eventually show up on Instant Replay, so late 67-early 68 was an incredibly prolific time for the Prefab Four.
Yeah, that is mentioned in the booklet that comes with the set. But I guess I was thinking in terms of commercial appeal as well as how the album stacks up compared to, say, Headquarters. But then, Headquarters did get its own triple disc Handmade set, too. I guess ignoring the creativity the Monkees had in that time period, BB&M just seems an odd choice to give the Rhino Handmade treatment. I'm not knocking it mind you. I mean, I did pay good money to add it to my collection.
It was Rhino Handmade, not Rhino proper, so I'm assuming you ordered it and not bought it in a store. Plus it's a limited edition. You're right in questioning its commercial appear, but Handmade (I own a few) targets nitch markets. You bought it, as did several others I know, so I guess it works.
True, Kevin. (BTW, Amazon.com is selling it, or at least a seller or two are - for well over what Rhino is asking for it.) It comes in a box about eight inches across, inch and a half thick. Three dee cover art. 24 page booklet. The three discs come in a cardboard sleeve, no inner lining, meant to duplicate the look of a vinyl record. It also came with a button. ("Tell someone you love about the Birds, the Bees & the Monkees.") Unlike the other three Rhino Handmades I have, this one isn't numbered. 
(For the record, I have the other two Monkees Handmade sets and the Blue Oyster Cult/Stalk Forrest Group disc. Wish I'd've gotten the Josie and the Pussycats one.)
The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees was the last of the original Colgems records to have a mono release, so I kinda wonder if the remaining albums will get any kind of deluxe editions/re-realeases.
Any tracks that those of us who alreaday have the Rhino remaster of BBM and all three volumes of "Missing Links" don't already have?
Yeah, there are a few that have not been previously available. For one thing, there's the monaural version of the entire album. I don't believe it's been released on disc previously. Then there's the following tracks:
Disc 1
According to Snopes, the Monkees helped give Jimi Hendrix a break.
Yup, that's well known amongst us Monkees fans, Scott. In concert, Micky Dolenz would recount how Jimi would perform as the Monkees' opening act while the teeny boppers would scream, "We want Davy!" Eventually, Hendrix got tired of it, flipped off the audience and walked off stage, abandoning the rest of the tour. If it was ever possible to travel back in time, I'd love to be able to attend one of those shows.
Some good news for me - The Monkees are reforming for a 45th Anniversary Summer Tour. "Cheer up, Sleeping Jean!" Can't wait to see them again. Even if it is only Mickey, Davy and Peter.
That's because you're a believer!
D4mn straight I am, Scott. 
Let me guess... you're walking down the street, getting funniest looks from everyone you meet.
Of course.
These are two Monkees jokes I don't get:
"That song's by the Monkees. They were a major influence on the Beatles!" - Lloyd to Harry, "Dumb & Dumber"
Episode of The Simpsons. Marge as a girl gets on the bus with her Monkees lunchbox, causing another girl to say:
"Eww, you like the Monkees?!"
"Yes."
"You know they don't write their own songs!"
"What?"
"They don't even play their own instruments!"
(gasps)
Um, I have to admit, the jokes in these two segments go right over my head. Could someone please explain them to me? Perhaps Benn could, as Davy Jones recently passed, Benn has been posting a lot about him and ther band on Facebook. However, he has not posted here since last year.
So, are the Monkees a real band or aren't they? Please enlighten me!
The Monkees were a television response to the Beatles, so the humour of saying they were an influence on the Beatles comes from it being so obviously backwards.
Generally speaking, they were a fabricated band, put together by the television producers. However, they did have some real talent (I'm not a major fan, by the way. I have a single-disc compilation and that's enough for me.) They did play their own instruments live but not necessarily in the studio, and had to fight for their right to play their own instruments and be a real band, with Nesmith famously smashing his fist through Kirshner's wall to make this point and writing and singing the song 'Listen to the Band.' They did write some of their own material, including one that I think is absolutely brilliant: 'Goin' Down.'
Should also add that the concept of bands writing their own music came about with the Beatles and the Stones, neither of whom wrote all the songs on their first few albums. So when the Monkees came out, bands were not expected to write their own music as they generally are today; that was just beginning to change at the time.
Interesting fact. The night that the Beatles played the Ed Sullivan Show, Davy Jones watched from the stage wings, having been on earlier that night with the Broadway cast of Oliver!
I see. Thanks for the info.
I actually have heard a few of their songs. I just didnt know what the nature of the jokes were, if they were just being sarcastic or saying the truth.
I also remember "The New Monkees" on Saturday mornings back in 1987. It didn't last, and one critic said of it "Hey Hey, we're redundant!"
I wonder if Benn will comment on this now.
The three surviving Monkees didn't attend Davy Jones' funeral, saying that it would detract from the family's wishes for a private ceremony. More here.
The Monkees made one movie together - Head, from 1968. It was written and produced by Bob Rafelson and Jack Nicholson, and directed by Rafelson. It's currently available on DVD.