NOTE: Due to the
nature of their contract, the Monkees had almost unlimited resources
within the recording studio to call on. They were
constantly being pitched songs by top songwriters, and the only limits to
what they could do was their own imaginations and the time contraints that
being in a weekly TV series brought to bear. Needless to say,
The Monkees were extremely prolific, recording nearly as many songs in the
years 1966-1970 as the Beatles had in their entire career! Many
outtakes, alternates, remixes, and unreleased songs have been found, and
Rhino records has been tireless in bringing these "lost" songs to
us. But others have persevered as well, leading to a
rich treasure trove of songs for fans of the
Monkees.
Rarities, Outtakes, Demos and Lost Songs
(1966-1970) Missing Links (Oct. 25, 1988) Rhino CD
R2 70150
1. Apples, Peaches, Bananas and Pears (Boyce/Hart) - 2:16 2.
If You Have the Time (Chadwick/Jones) -
2:09 3. I
Don't Think You Know Me (Goffin/King) - 2:14 4. Party (Jones/Pitts) -
2:45 5.
Carlisle Wheeling (Nesmith) -
3:19 6.
Storybook of You (Boyce/Hart) -
2:52 7.
Rosemarie
(Dolenz) - 2:28 8. My Share of
the Sidewalk (Nesmith) - 3:06 9. All of Your
Toys (Martin) -
3:08 10. Nine Times Blue (Nesmith) -
2:09 11.
So Goes Love
(Goffin/King) - 3:07 12. Teeny Tiny
Gnome (Castleman/Erwin) - 2:27 13. Of
You (Chadwick) -
1:57 14. War Games
(Jones/Pitts) - 2:33 15 Lady's
Baby
(Tork) - 2:27 16. Time and Time Again (Chadwick/Jones) -
2:47
Volume One of this
interesting series begins with "Apples, Peaches, Bananas, and Pears" by
Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart, which is a fine number, sort of second-rate
"Last Train To Clarksville." Davy Jones' "If You Have the Time" is
an old fashioned music-hall softshoe number, followed by a very good early
take of the Goffin/King number "I Don't Think You Know Me" which was later
parlayed by Mike into "You Just May Be The One." Davy's "Party" has
an odd '50's doo-wop vibe with a striking chromatic melody line in the
chorus. An alternate, early take of "Carlisle Wheeling" is next by
Mike, and is gentle country pop. By listening to "Storybook Of You,"
I would have bet money that Davy had written it, since it's the kind of
gushy sentimentality he's known for, but Boyce & Hart's are
listed as composers. Fer shame! Mickey Dolenz writes
and sings the next number, "Rosemarie" which is adventurous blue-eyed
soul, and the next song "My Share of the Sidewalk" surprised me for a
couple of reasons: first, Davy's singing a Mike Nesmith song, and second,
it sounds like jazz fusion! A very odd addition to the
Monkees music collection. "All of Your Toys" is marvellous, with its
rolling, chiming guitar and walking bass line, and should have
been released as a single, but this is its first appearance on CD!
"Nine Times Blue" is classic Papa Nez country blues, with an
"I-done-her-wrong" lyric that shows up in several other of his
songs. "So Goes Love" is a great song that was covered by the
Turtles, but here in a smoky Vegas lounge arrangement, Davy sings the
entire song at least a half-step flat! Ouch. "Teeny Tiny
Gnome" sounds like a rip off of early 60's novelty songs (like
"Itsy-Bitsy Teeny-weeny Yellow Polka-dot Bikini"), "Of You" is forgettable
country-pop by Nez, and "War Games" is an earnest commentary on violence,
earnestly sung by Davy. The sole Peter Tork number is "Lady Baby,"
which is a dreary, Peter, Paul & Mary-like song. The album
finishes with the light and dreamy soundscape of "Time and Time Again" by
Davy, which I enjoy - it reminds of music by The Free Design. So,
overall a curious album - some hits, some misses, but worth hearing by
fans of the Monkees.
Missing
Links Volume Two (Oct. 26, 1989) Rhino CD
R2 70903
1. All the
King's Horses (Nesmith) -
2:18 2. Valleri (Boyce/Hart) -
2:34 3. St.
Matthew (Nesmith) - 2:44 4.
Words (Boyce/Hart) - 3:04 5. Some of Shelly's Blues (Nesmith) - 2:33 6. I
Wanna Be Free (Boyce/Hart) -
2:48 7. If I Ever Get to Saginaw Again (Keller/Russell) - 2:45 8. Come on In (Mapes) -
3:11 9. I'll Be Back up on My
Feet (Linzer/Randell) - 2:39 10.
Michigan
Blackhawk (Nesmith) - 2:16 11. Hold
on Girl (Carr/Keller/Raleigh) -
2:45 12. The Crippled
Lion (Nesmith) - 2:52 13.
Changes (Jones/Pitts) - 2:27 14. Mr. Webster (Boyce/Hart) - 2:55 15. You Just May Be the
One (Nesmith) - 2:00 16.
Do Not Ask for
Love (Murphey) - 2:58 17.
Circle Sky (Nesmith) - 2:27 18. Seeger's Theme (Seeger) - :45 19. Riu
Chiu (Traditional)
-
1:32
One of the first
Monkees collections I heard, and it blew the top right off my head!
Honestly, I consider Missing Links Volume Two to be one of the
best Monkees albums out there (certainly better than Instant
Replay or Presents). The first half of the album are
all quality songs, from the rip-roaring opener "All The King's Horses" to
Peter Tork's gentle entreaty to "Come On In." Interspersed between
them are highly melodic country-pop by Mike Nesmith ("St. Matthew," "Some
of Shelly's Blues," and my personal favorite "If I Ever Get To Saginaw
Again.) Powerhouse Boyce & Hart songs (a ripping "Valleri" in
its original take, the stunning slow-burn of "Words" and the popular "I
Wanna Be Free), followed by the terrific, jumpy "I'll Be Back Upon My
Feet." The second half of the album is less accomplished, but you
still have the wintry "Eleanor Rigby"-like "Mr. Webster," the Ennio
Morricone/spaghetti-western-style music of "Seeger's Theme," and the
stunning acappela studio version of "Riu Chiu" (with a guesting Chip
Douglas helping on vocals.) There is also confederate rock
("Michigan Blackhawk"), light renaissance ("Do Not Ask For Love") and
straightfoward rock ("You Just May Be The One"). All in all a great
album, and highly recommended.
Missing
LInks Volume Three (May 26, 1996) Rhino CD
R2 72153
1.
(Theme From) The Monkees (Boyce/Hart) 2. Kellogg's Jingle 3.
We'll Be Right Back in a
Minute (Dolenz) 4. Through the Looking Glass (Baldwin/Boyce/Hart) 5. Propinquity
(I've Just Begun to Care) (Nesmith) 6. Penny
Music (Leonard/Stroll/Weinstein) 7. Tear the Top Right off
My Head (Tork) 8. Little Red
Rider (Nesmith) 9. You're So
Good (Stone) 10. Look
Down (King/Stern) 11. Hollywood (Nesmith) 12. Midnight
Train [demo version] (Dolenz) 13. She Hangs
Out [Single Version] (Barry) 14. Shake 'Em
Up (Leiber/Stoller) 15.
Circle Sky [Alternate
Mix] (Nesmith) 16. Steam Engine (Douglas) 17. Love to
Love (Diamond)38 18. She'll Be There (Unknown) 19.
How Insensitive (DeMoraes/Gimbel/Jobim) 20. Merry Go
Round (Hildebrand/Tork) 21.
Angel Band (Nesmith) 22. Zor and
Zam [TV Version] (Chadwick/Chadwick) 23. We'll Be Right Back in a Minute, No.
2 (Dolenz) 24. Tema Dei Monkees (Boyce/Hart/Nistri)
By the time Rhino got
around to releasing Missing Links Volume Three, many fans and critics were
wondering if this barrel of Monkees was finally scraping bottom, but what
a surprise to find that there were still several worthwhile cuts to be
had. Opening with the original television theme (which had never
been released on CD), it's followed by two short jingles, one recorded for
Kellogg's cereal, and the next written by Mickey Dolenz! "We'll Be
Right Back In A Minute" is classic Micky: fast, frenetic and
wonderfully hummable. "Through the Looking Glass" is an alternate
take, the oddly-named "Propinquity" is a typical Nez country-pop weeper,
"Penny Music" is a large-scale broadway belter for Davy, a wee bit too
smug for my tastes, but the next number "Tear The Top Right Off My Head"
by Peter Tork is interesting in its use of popular idioms. "Little
Red Rider" is more competent confederate rock by Mike, and what sounds
like an unfinished song, "You're So Good" shows real promise with Mickey's
blue-eyed soul wailing over distorted guitars, but for some reason
it doesn't sound finished (needs some back-up vocals in my
opinion.) The driving pop of "Look Down" is sung with conviction by
Davy, puctuated by classy horn accompianment. Nesmith's "Hollywood"
is undistinguished country-pop with a cynical edge, the demo of "Midnight
Train" has Mickey duetting with his sister Coco is a low-key rendition,
the single version of "She Hangs Out" is punchier than the album track and
very welcome, and "Circle Sky" shows up in it's umpteenth variation.
The shotgun approach to chronicling the Monkees vaults continues with the
frantic, but fun "Steam Engine," an early take on Neil Diamond's fine
"Love To Love," a bizarre, countrified recasting of the latin lounge
standard "How Insensitive" by Mike, and Peter Tork's stupifying
anti-song "Merry Go Round" (which would have been better off left in the
can.) Mike's "Angel Band" is curious: sort of a Southern Christian
tent revival song, followed by the subtly different television version of
"Zor and Zam." The album comes full circle with an alternate version
of Micky's "Back In A Minute" and closes with an Italian version of the
Monkee theme song.
1. Overture -
Orchestra 2. Everything's Got 'Em - Company 3. Me and My Arrow
- Davy Jones 4. Poli High - Company 5. Remember - Veronica
Clifford 6. To Be A King - Noel Howlett & Company 7. He's
Leaving Here This Morning (Bath) Micky Dolenz/Colin Bennett/Clovissa
Newcombe 8. Think About Your Troubles - Davy Jones &
Company 9. Blanket For A Sail - Davy Jones 10. Life Line -
Davy Jones 11. Thursday (Here's Why I Did Not Go To Work Today) -
Felix Rice 12. It's A Jungle Out There - Micky Dolenz 13.
P.O.V. Waltz - Davy Jones & Company 14. Are You Sleeping? -
Davy Jones & Company 15. Gotta Get Up - Davy Jones &
Micky Dolenz 16. Reprise Overture -
Orchestra
As a listening experience, The Point is
about as fun as a hangover; Harry Nilsson's druggy, existential theater
work, adapted from the TV film and album of the same name,
confounds on record, and despite Nilsson's seeming suitability for writing
a theater score, this show was obviously a mess, both musically and
conceptually. The album begins with a gulping bass guitar signalling
the "Overture," a light psychedelia of electirc guitars, strings and
prominent flute. It segues directly into the first number,
"Everything's Got 'Em" which has the chorus intoning "This is the town,
and we are the people" over and over again; it's like listening to a
half-baked Godspell on a bender. Davy Jones then takes the
double-entendre "Me And My Arrow" and gets to pretend it's really about
his dog (played by David Claridge), with an accompanying dialogue of
barking. The company then sings "Poli High", an anthem for their
polytechnic high school, which drones on and on in the worst light-rock
tradition. Nilsson's arguably best song, "Remember" is given to
Veronica Clifford, but it loses it's poignancy here, becoming just a
luke-warm cover of a pop song. "To Be A King" has the aged Noel
Howlett intoning how grateful he is to be a monarch, and the chorus adding
their agreement. The album finally wakes up, thanks to Micky Dolenz
in the bluesy rock of "He's Leaving Here This Morning (Bath)", which has
the former Monkee tearing up the number with vocal whoops and jumps.
It's miles above Davy's later solo version on his Just For The
Record series. Side one closes with Davy singing the mild
ballad "Think About Your Troubles" which leans heavily on existential
thought; Side Two of the album opens with the unremarkable "Blanket For A
Sail" which manages to incorporate "Row Row Row Your Boat" into the
otherwise forgettable melody. "Life Line" is similar in sentiment to
"Remember" - a dreamy, hazy ballad; "Thursday" is a wreck of a song,
sounding so dull and sleepy that it surely bored the audience to
tears. Micky then picks things up again with the energized "It's A
Jungle Out There" with Micky going primal in a good way - but "P.O.V.
Waltz" is an off-kilter stumble which sounds like Nilsson explaining the
experience of being drunk. "Sleeping" is an interesting swing number
with the chorus taking over from Davy after a brief opening, and the final
number, and the first on which Davy and Micky reunite, is easily the best:
"Gotta Get Up" is a soulful bouncer which the two friends share a great
duet. Overall the album feels lethargic and useless, with not enough
melodies or emotion to connect to the listener, a couple of high points,
but otherwise a post-Hair failure.
The Monkees Christmas Album Black Night Music [CD]
1.
Riu Chiu - 1967 Studio Version (1:30), 2. Deck the Halls - 1967
TV version (0:28), 3. Greensleeves - 1967 TV Version (0:30),
4. Riu Chiu - 1967 TV Version (1:32), 5. Christmas Is My
Time Of Year - Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones & Peter Tork 1976
(3:09), 6. White Christmas - Davy Jones w/ Micky Dolenz &
Peter Tork 1976 (2:08), 7. Christmas Medley: We Wish You A Merry
Christmas, Winter Wonderland, Jingle Bell Rock, I Saw Mommy Kissing
Santa Claus, Happy Xmas (War Is Over) - Micky, Davy & Peter 1986
MTV Christmas Medley (4:13), 8. O Little Town Of Bethlehem -
Micky Dolenz 1993 (3:07), 9. My Favorite Things – Micky Dolenz
1994 (3:10), 10. I Remember Christmas (Live) – Peter Tork 1995
(3:37), 11. Winter Wonderland - Davy Jones 1997 (2:51), 12.
Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer - Davy Jones 1997 (2:23), 13.
Silver Bells - Davy Jones 1997 (3:29), 14. God Rest Ye Merry
Gentlemen - Davy Jones 1997 (2:06), 15. Hark The Herald Angels
Sing - Davy Jones 1997 (2:12), 16. White Christmas - Davy Jones
1997 (3:15), 17. Mele Kalikimaka - Davy Jones 1997 (2:27),
18. This Day In Bethlehem - Davy Jones 1997 (2:31), 19.
Silent Night - Davy Jones 1997 (3:40), 20. Rockin' Around The
Christmas Tree - Davy Jones 1997 (3:17), 21. When I Look Back At
Christmas - Davy Jones 1997 (3:12)
A fairly shameless bootleg that takes
Christmas tracks from the Monkees from any source it can get its hands on,
it manages to be a comprehensive collection of holiday tracks, including
several rarities. It begins with "Riu Chiu" (the same version found on
Missing Links Vol. 2) before taking all three sung segments off
the the 1967 Monkees Christmas show, retaining the tape hiss but in
otherwise good fidelity. The first real rarity comes on track five, with
the rare 1976 Christmas single from Micky, Davy and Peter - "Christmas Is
My Time Of Year" is a fun track, redolent with sleigh bells and in
excellent sound; Micky and Davy trade off on the verses, and Peter, if
he's present, is unheard. The b-side, "White Christmas" is a Davy Jones
solo, accompianied by guitar and violins, and is a murkier mix than the
previous track. Next comes a stitched together medley featuring all three
Monkees in a raucous sing-along of "We Wish You A Merry Christmas",
"Winter Wonderland" and "Jingle Bell Rock" - then Davy chimes in with the
pixie-ish "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" and Micky taking lead on John
Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" before reprising "We Wish You A Merry
Christmas" to close it out. The sound here is noticably shakey, with tape
flutter and sudden volume shifts. Next comes a rare Micky Dolenz Christmas
single: "O Little Town Of Bethlehem" in excellent fidelity, with Micky
showing his latter-day penchant for sliding into each note, and the
song unfortunately churning into a drum-laden power ballad. (?), the next
track, "My Favorite Things" is stolen straight off of his 1994 album
Broadway Micky. The one Peter Tork track to be found is a muffled
live song: "I Remember Christmas", which Peter plays on solo guitar, and
it's a lovely ballad, somewhat undercut by its heavy-handed message
for world peace. The final eleven tracks comprise Davy's 1997 solo album
in its entirety in CD-quality sound, and if you haven't heard it, it's a
fairly straighforward collection of Christmas songs, cut with a simple
band with saxophone, drums, sythesizer keyboards, electric guitar and
bass, and a trio of female backup singers who unfortunately sound icy and
uninterested in whatever they sing. Best tracks: the string quartet
arrangment on the insistant "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" which propels
the song along; "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" which is a neat banjo-fueled
bluegrass barn-burner, a joyful and surprisingly fun take; "This Day In
Bethlehem" which with accoustic guitar has a dinstinct Old English folk
song feel; and the stomping 50s vibe found on "Rockin' Around the
Christmas Tree", a high-energy track. The rest is sung well and
enthusiastically by Davy, but is pretty forgettable. A good collection,
with varying sound, but overall very enjoyable.
Hey Hey We're The Monkees CD-ROM (1996)
nu.millennia inc./Rhino Records CD-ROM
Features: 10-chapter
Monkees Story as related by Micky, Davy, Mike and Peter in original
1996 interviews, with extensive video footage
View rare and historic
photos
Tour the Monkees' gameboard,
spotlighting 10 music videos from the TV series - including Last
Train to Clarksville and Daydream Beleiver - and featuring over 50
trivia questions
Explore the navigable Virtual
Apartment replicated exactly from the Monkee Pad in the
show
Includes the rare, unreleased If I
Leaned To Play The Violin, sung by Davy Jones recorded in early 1967
and You And I from
Justus
This one-of-a-kind project put out by
nu.millennia inc. and Rhino Records, was part of the huge marketing
campaign surrounding the Monkees' 30th anniversary and subsequent
release of Justus. Now, of course, it's a problem using
this CD-ROM since it requires your computer to use an old version of
Quicktime and also is limited to 256 colors, but at the time, it was a fun
way to explore the Monkees phenomenon in what was then a revolutionary
way. The main menu screen is set up as a game board, and you could
point and click at the different colored "squares" on the path and get
interview clips (the same ones you can find on the similarly-titled
VHS/DVD and companion book), several clips of the TV show, and ten of the
shows "romps" which featured hit music from the Monkees. This way,
you could watch the ten-segment "Story Of The Monkees", plus have
background music played while pointing and clicking at one of the four
Monkees. Also included on this CD-ROM was a complete episode guide
listing guest stars and music featured for each show, a complete
discography, and in one of the best features, a clickable map of the
Monkees apartment, with hidden video segments scattered about the
room! Pretty fun stuff. Also included were several dozen
trivia questions (similar to the ones found on Rhino's trading cards) and
as a bonus, two high-quality stereo tracks which you could play on your
CD-player, including one not available elsewhere - the sugary-sweet "If I
Learned To Play The Violin" recorded in early 1967 and sung by the true
Peter Pan of Pop, Davy Jones. Rhino also plugs their own Monkees
merchandise with a web link (now defunct) which would take you to their
site for Monkee swag. A curiosity now, and sadly out of date for
most modern computers.
The Monkee
Archives Volume 1: The Birds, The Bees & The "33 1/3 Revolutions Per"
Monkees (1995) Splendor of Bohemia Presentations
CD MON-01
1. Wind Up Man (1:41) 2. I Go Ape (2:14)
3. I'm A Believer (2:25) 4. Prithee (2:24)
5. Naked
Persimmon (2:28) 6. Goldilocks Sometime (2:19) 7. At The Hop
(1:01) 8. Shake A Tail Feather (1:04) 9. Little Darlin'
(1:27) 10. String For My Kite (1:11) 11. Solfiegietto by
C.P.E. Bach (1:11) 12. Listen to the Band (7:33) 13.
California Here I Come (1:14) 14. Daily Nightly-MONO (2:31)
15. Star Collector-MONO (4:27) 16. Dream World (Jones/Pitts) - 3:16 17. Auntie's Municipal Court
(Allison/Nesmith) - 3:55 18. We Were Made
for Each Other (Fischoff/Sager) -
2:24 19. Tapioca Tundra (Nesmith) -
3:03 20. Daydream Believer (Stewart)
- 2:58 21. Writing Wrongs (Nesmith) -
5:06 22. I'll Be Back up on My Feet (Linzer/Randell) - 2:16 23. The Poster (Jones/Pitts) - 2:21 24. P.O. Box 9847 (Boyce/Hart) - 3:16 25. Magnolia Simms
(Nesmith) - 3:48 26. Valleri (Boyce/Hart) - 2:15 27. Zor and Zam (Chadwick/Chadwick) - 2:10 28. Birds and Bees
Radio Ad
Some enterprising
individual has put together a four-disc set of true
rarities from Monkees history, with decidedly mixed
results. The set, known as "The Monkees Archive" was put
out in 1995, went out of print in 1997, and outside of the Rhino CD's, is
the most comprehensive gathering of unreleased tidbits out there.
Volume One is essentially split into two parts, the first 13 tracks
documenting the music contained in the Monkees last television special
until 1996, the critically lambasted "33 1/3 Revolutions Per
Monkee." Colgems never released a soundtrack for the special, and
Rhino claims the tapes are not in the Monkees archives, so here's a chance
to hear the songs stripped of the visuals. Listening to just the
musical offerings from the program reveals just how sloppy the Monkees had
become by this time. With poor musical selections and careless
performances of most of the songs, it's one of their least appealing
showcases, but there are some good moments. The lead-off song
is the annoying and repetitive "Wind-Up Man" with the Monkees still
using music to make a point, rather than entertain, with predictable
results. The next song is just as bad - "I Go Ape" is
high-novelty with ridiculous ape-grunting serving as background
vocals. One of the Monkees most popular songs, "I'm a Believer"
is recast as a gospel rave-up, which is interesting, but will
probably leave listeners with a craving to hear the original
version. "Prithee" is the second version of this song to be
recorded (The first featuring Micky), and unfortunately, Peter doesn't
really invest much into his reading; his voice is shakey on the pitch
and the harmonies are off-key. Mike's schizophrenic "Naked
Persimmon" is next, which is an interesting song, a little bit
country, a little bit rock 'n' roll, but neither half is
memorable. The best track is the next, with Davy Jones
presenting the chirpy fairytale mish-mash "Goldilocks Sometimes" sung
with professialism and polish, which makes a huge difference,
especially compared to the other numbers. An embarrasing medley of
50's rock standards are next: Dolenz destroys "At The Hop" with a twitchy
performance full of vocal tics; "Shake A Tailfeather" is better due to the
sassy background singers, but then Davy slurs his way through "Little
Darlin'" - which is a prime example of how sloppy the Monkees had become
at this point. Davy also embarasses himself on his next number, the
inane "String For My Kite" and Peter performs an erratic take on J.S.
Bach's Tocatta In D (?) Finally the show closes with a depressing,
low-fi retread of "Listen To the Band" which devolves into an incoherent
mess, and a shoddy cover of "California, Here I Come" which sounds like it
would've fit perfectly in HEAD. The second half of the CD are a
couple of mono mixes of "Daily Nightly" and "Star Collector" and the
entire rare mono pressing of the album The Birds, The Bees & The
Monkees."
The Monkee
Archives Volume 2: Television Rarities (1995) Splendor of Bohemia Presentations CD
MON-02
1. Intro/Theme (1:14) 2. Gonna Buy Me A
Dog-rare Davy song from Farmer's Daughter tv show (1:24) 3.
Original Theme-Boyce & Hart demo for tv pilot (0:57) 4. I
Wanna Be Free-fast version-Boyce & Hart demo for tv pilot (2:33)
5. I Wanna Be Free-slow version-Boyce & Hart demo for tv
pilot (0:54) 6. Let's Dance On-Boyce & Hart demo's for tv
pilot (1:51) 7. Sweet 16/Patrick Henry (0:28) 8. Bumper
Music (0:08) 9. Saturdays Child-alternate version (2:26) 10.
All The King's Horses (2:01) 11. Take A Giant Step-alternate
version (2:27)
12.
Yardley Commercial (0:40) 13. (I'm Not Your) Steppin'
Stone-rehearsal (0:11) 14. Different Drum (0:39) 15. Laugh-alternate version
(2:33) 16.
Strolling Troubadours (0:27) 17. Rice Krispies Commercial (1:00)
18. I Wanna Be Free-live Phoenix, AZ 1/21/67 (2:54) 19.
Cripple Creek-live Phoenix, AZ 1/21/67 (2:11) 20. I Got A
Woman-live Phoenix, AZ 1/21/67 (6:18) 21. Group Interview (0:37)
22. (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone-live Phoenix, AZ 1/21/67
(1:40) 23. Love Is Only Sleeping-alternate version (2:25)
24. She Hangs Out-alternate version (2:47) 25. Star
Collector-alternate version (2:51) 26. Tear the Top Off My Head
(0:22) 27. Goin' Down-instrumental (0:40) 28. Goin'
Down-alternate version (3:56) 29. Alpha Bits Commercial (0:29)
30. Texas Prairie Chicken (0:27) 31. Deck The Halls (0:29)
32. Riu Chiu (1:32) 33. Here I Come (0:19) 34. Iranian
Tango (0:24) 35. Greensleeves (0:32) 36. So How's By You?
(0:22) 37. Her Name Is Love (1:22) 38. Gonna Buy Me A
Dog-instrumental (1:08) 39. Chant-Frodis Episode (0:37) 40.
Closing Interview (0:24) 41. For Pete's Sake
(0:49)
Archives Volume Two
is devoted to rare TV versions of songs that appeared in other versions on
the albums, plus snippets of dialogue from the series, brief commercial
bits, interviews, and the opening and closing theme songs. There are
also some ultra-rare bits such as Davy Jones' first recording of Boyce
& Hart's "Gonna Buy Me A Dog" - six months before he was hired for the
Monkees! Also included are early versions of Monkees hits as first
demoed by the aforementioned B&H ["Monkees Theme", "I Wanna Be Free",
and "Let's Dance On"] All in all it sounds like an intriguing
package for collectors, but there's one big hangup: the sound is (as
author Glen A. Baker would say) "diabolical." For the most part, it
sounds like thirtieth-generation cassette tape masters have been used,
some of which have been left in a hot car a little too long. Oh,
well - such is the nature of the beast when it comes to bootlegs.
This is stuff that has been passed around in the grand tape-trading
traditions of fans who meet at fan clubs, concerts, record shows and flea
markets, and to have it at all is a mark of a true fan.
Non-essential listening.
The Monkee
Archives Volume 3: Alternates & Out-takes (1995)
Splendor of Bohemia Presentations CD
MON-03
1. Monkees Theme (Instumental) 2. Last Train
To Clarksville (Alt Mix) 3. This Just Doesn't Seem To Be My
Day 4. I'm A Believer (Instrumental) 5. Hold On Girl
(Unreleased Backing Track) 6. Auntie Grizelda (Partial Backing
Track) 7. Forget That Girl (Alt Mix) 8. Early Morning Blues
& Greens (Unreleased Backing Track) 9. Pleasant Valley Sunday
(Stereo Backing Track)
10.
Star Collector (Alt Mix) 11. Merry Go Round (Accoustic) 12.
Merry Go Round (Keyboard) 13. Circle Sky (Alt Mix) 14. While I
Cried (Alt Mix) 15. Seegers Theme (Handclaps Version) 16.
Seegers Theme (Banjo/Drums Version) 17. Do I Have To Do This All
Over Again (Accoustic) 18. Do I Have To Do This All Over Again
(Alt Version) 19. Do I Have To Do This All Over Again (Alt
Version) 20. Tear The Top Right Off My Head (Peter & Mickey
Vocal Version) 21. Come On In (Alternate Mix) 22. Can You Dig
It (Alternate Mix) 23. I Go Ape (Backing Track) 24. Prithee
(Alternate Mix) 25. Naked Permission (Alternate Version) 26.
33 1/3 Promo 27. If I Knew (Unreleased Accoustic Version) 28.
If I Knew (Alternate Version) 29. How Can I Tell You (Unreleased
Accoustic Demo) 30. Opening Night (Unreleased Accoustic
Demo) 31. Steam Engine (Fan Club
Single)
On the third
installment of the Archives series, alternate takes, demos, and
instrumental backing tracks take focus, with each track of differing sound
quality and interest. Most of the alternate takes are not all that
different from what was originally released, and sometimes it's hard to
tell if the version really is a different mix, or if it's just the sound
quality that's affecting your listening experience. But overall this
is a much better quality release than volume two, and the backing tracks,
although not revelatory in any significant way, are a fun way to do
Monkees karioke (if you're into that sort of thing.) Some tracks are
revealing: the slower, doo-wop backing track of "Hold On Girl"
reveals a different path that song could have taken, and some studio
chatter livens up some familiar songs like "Forget That Girl." Other
nice moments: the stereo backing track to "Pleasant Valley Sunday" which
jumps out of the speakers, the sirens-like wail that is on an alternate
take of "Star Collector," the softer, sweeter accoustic version of Peter
Tork's "Merry Go-Round" which is light years above the numbing released
version. Also interesting is the chunky chords found on the
accoustic version of "Do I Have To Do This All Over Again" (backing
track), and Micky's vocal found on "Tear The Top Right Off My Head."
Davy is granted only four tracks, but they're all good, from the two
versions of "If I Knew" to the guitar-driven demo of "How Can I Tell You,"
and Davy and solo piano on "Opening Night." The album closes with
the super-rare fan-club only single version of "Steam Engine" which
differs from the album version significantly with prominent guitars and a
different vocal from Micky.
The Monkee
Archives Volume 4: "Live" 1967 - 1969 (1995) Splendor of Bohemia Presentations CD
MON-04
1.
You Just May Be The One-Phoenix, AZ 1/21/67 (2:14) Live Japan
10/3/68: 2. Last Train To Clarksville (3:15) 3. I Wanna Be
Free (2:40) 4. D.W. Washburn (2:46) 5. Daydream Believer
(2:17) 6. Cuddly Toy (2:34) 7. Salesman (3:30) 8. It's
Nice To Be With You (2:51) 9. Mary, Mary (2:24) 10. Cindy,
Cindy (1:54) 11. Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky (0:45)
12. Johnny B. Goode (2:13) 13. Gonna Build A Mountain (3:41)
14. I Got A Woman (6:25) 15. I'm A Believer (2:09) 16.
(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone (4:57) Live on the Glen Campbell Show:
2/5/69: 17. Last Train to Clarksville, I'm A Believer &
Salesman (1:56) Live on the Johnny Cash Show: 7/19/69: 18. Last
Train to Clarksville, Nine Times Blue & Everybody Loves A Nut
(7:48) Live on the Joey Bishop Show: 6/6/69: 19. I'm A Believer,
Someday Man & Listen to the Band (9:07) 20. She's So Far Out
She's In-ULTRA RARE live Phoenix, AZ 1/21/67
(2:44).
The final installment in the
Monkee Archives series takes live performances captured on various
broadcasts: the fan favorite 1968 tour to Japan which is captured in a
radio broadcast; live stints on the Glen Campbell, Johnny Cash, and Joey
Bishop television shows, and a couple of live shows captured during
seperate concerts in Arizona. How much you enjoy this disc is pretty
much dependent on how much you enjoy the Monkees playing live in their
early years, since much of this is pulled from the 1967-68 years, with
just a few tracks from later on. The sound is generally very fine,
especially for the 1968 Japan show, marred only by occasional Japanese
commentary. The performances are even more professional and loose than the
Rhino 1967 shows, with with less intrusive audience noise (although the
teenage girls are still screaming their hearts out.) In fact, Peter
thought that these shows are when the Monkees really jelled as a band, and
listening to the tapes confirm that: the Monkees really cook here, with
loose, playful guitar playing by Mike and Peter, powerful drumming by
Micky, and clean tight vocals by everyone. So this disc receives higher
marks from me than the original because it really is that much more
electric as a live experience. Plus you get to hear otherwise unreleased
live songs like "D.W. Washburn," "Cuddly Toy," and "Cindy, Cindy." Highly
recommended and very enjoyable.
The Monkees Archives Volume 5: Demos, Alternates, Interviews &
More Splendor Of Bohemia Presentations
CD MON-05
1. "Guard Scene" 1968 Interview (Ed Baer) 2:06
INTERVIEW 2. Seeger's Theme (Seeger) 1:26 TWO VERSIONS:
ALTERNATE MIX AND TAKE 3. Steam Engine (Douglas) 2:26 ALTERNATE
MIX 4. The Girl I Left Behind Me (Sedaka/Bayer) 6:44 STUDIO
OUTTAKE 5. Ceiling In My Room (Jones/DeMieri/Dick) 3:14
UNPUBLISHED TRACK 6. If I Ever Get To Saginaw Again
(Keller/Russell) 3:02 UNPUBLISHED TRACK 7. Some of Shelley's Blues (Nesmith) 2:52 LIVE ON
"LATER WITH GREG KINNEAR"
8. If
You Have The Time (Jones/Chadwick) 2:26 ALTERNATE VERSION 9. You
Can't Tie A Mustang Down (Barry) 3:02 UNPUBLISHED TRACK 10.
Davy's 1968 Message to Japan 3:39 PROMOTIONAL FLEXI 11. Girl
(Fox/Gimbel) 2:28 SINGLE VERSION 12. Girl (Fox/Gimbel) 3:21
MOVIE VERSION 13. Alvin (Thorkelson) 0:26 STUDIO OUTTAKE, 1968
14. Long Title: Do I Have to Do This All Over Again? (Tork) 2:28
ALTERNATE VOCAL 15. I Truly Understand (Traditional, arranged by
Tork) 1:51 FROM 1982 PROMO LP 16. Higher & Higher
(Jacobson/Miner/Smith) 3:50 DEMONSTRATION TAPE: 1981 17. Shades
of Gray (Mann/Weil) 3:53 UNPUBLISHED STUDIO TRACK 18. Pleasant
Valley Sunday [electric] (Goffin/King) 3:01 DEMONSTRATION TAPE: 1981
19. Pleasant Valley Sunday [orchestra] (Goffin/King) 2:41
UNPUBLISHED STUDIO TRACK 20. Hi Hi Babe (Tork) 2:35
DEMONSTRATION TAPE 21. Since You Went Away (Levine) 2:52 STUDIO
OUTTAKE 22. Since You Went Away (Levine) 4:04 LIVE: SATURDAY
MORNING SIXTIES 23. Porpoise Song (Goffin/King) 3:07 PUBLISHER'S
DEMO: CAROLE KING 24. She (Boyce/Hart) 2:41 THE ROVIN' KIND:
1966 COVER 25. I Won't Be The Same Without Her (Goffin/King)
2:37 PUBLISHER'S DEMO: GERRY GOFFIN 26. Storybook of You
(Boyce/Hart) 2:39 PUBLISHER'S DEMO: TOMMY
BOYCE
The fifth and final volume of The Monkees
Archive series is typical of most of the other releases in the series,
with some interesting rarities mixed in with less vital ephemera, all with
less than stellar sound. The first track is an interview from
National Guard radio with Davy discussing the problems of going out in
public and Peter commenting how he'd like the next Monkee movie to be
about the Monkees starting a pirate radio station and taking over the
world! Following are two versions of "Seeger's Theme", from an
extrememly hissy source and sounding more than ever like one of Ennio
Morricone's lost compositions. "Steam Engine" shows up in an echoey
alternate mix which was used in the February 6, 1971 rebroadcast of "The
Monkees Get Out More Dirt". The next track is a second attempt at
recording "The Girl I Left Behind Me" - but don't get excited over the
nearly 7-minute plus playing time - the song is the normal length, and
then for some reason a four bar phrase is repeated ad nauseum for four
minutes before fading out. It's stupifying. Following is
Davy's own composition (written with members of the Sundowners) "Ceiling
In My Room" - but again the fidelity is terrible. Next is one of the
more interesting finds: a version of Mike's "If I Ever Get To Saginaw
Again" with Davy on lead, and a completely different arrangement! No
one seems to be quite sure when it was recorded. Next follows a
December 1, 1994 television appearance by Mike Nesmith on Later with
Greg Kinnear singing a nice laid-back version of "Some Of Shelly's
Blues". Next follows five Davy Jones performances: "If You have The
Time" and "You Can't Tie A Mustang Down" are from the Monkees years, with
the first a typically chirpy vehicle for Davy, and the latter an R&B
number, which was eventually given to Micky. Next comes a spacy
promotional "Message To Japan" flexi-disc with the record intoning "This
is David Jones here of the Monkees" over a light lounge track, and then
Davy spooning out the dirt: "The Japanese people are so warm..." and
talking about HEAD. Next are two versions of "Girl" - the
first being the rare single mix, and the second the rarer arrangement from
the 1971 Neil Simon film Star-Spangled Girl. Next comes 10
tracks devoted to Peter Tork outtakes, from the 30-second "Alvin" (written
by Peter's brother Nicholas), to alternate takes/mixes of "Long Title: Do
I Have To Do This All Over Again", to later demos from the early 80s: ("I
Truly Understand", "Higher & Higher" "Shades Of Gray", "Pleasant
Valley Sunday" in two versions, "Hi Hi Babe" (demo), and two versions
of "Since You Went Away". Finishing out the disc are several related
rarities - original demos of "Porpoise Song" by Carole King (which
includes the never-before-heard latin chant opening), "She" by Boyce &
Hart, "I Won't Be The Same Without Her" by Gerry Goffin, and finally a
rare Tommy Boyce demo of "Storybook Of You". So basically a
hodgepodge of tracks which would only be of interest to hard-core
collectors, with dodgy sound and OK notes in the two-page booklet.
Micky Dolenz &
Davy Jones Solo (1995) Splendar Of Bohemia
Productions Solo 70 [CD]
1. Daybreak 2. Hangin'
By A Thread 3. Beverly Hills 4. It's Now 5. Lovelight 6.
Can She Do It (Like She Dances) 7. Don't Go 8. To Be Or Not To
Be 9. Girl 10. Love War 11. Rainy Jane 12. Free 13.
Alicia 14. Dance Gypsy 15. Look At Me 16. He's Leaving Here
This Morning 17. Blanket For A Sail 18. Gotta Get Up 19.
Are You Sleeping 20. Me And My Arrow 21. It's A Jungle Out
There 22. Sometime In The Morning (Live) 23. Goin' Down
(Live)
This useful CD compiles several rare singles and other
projects which Davy and Micky released after their Monkees fame dried up
in the early 70s. Showing that these two never found a musical style
to equal that of the Monkees, Micky often reverts to odd novelty numbers
far from the folk-rock Boyce & Hart hits which made him famous, and
Davy scrambling all over the musical map, but never landing on a sound
that suited him. Ping-ponging between the two stars, the disc opens
with Micky singing the Carribean-flavored "Daybreak" which has a
steel-drum party vibe, followed by Davy's "Hangin' By A Thread" - a
desperate power ballad from the 80s. Micky comes back with the
Nilsson-like "Beverly Hills", a honky-tonk song not unlike "Pleasant
Valley Sunday" in its subject matter, only this time attacking the rich,
instead of the middle class. "It's Now" is Davy on the heavily-synthesized
80s track, which has a catchy hook and bouncy chorus; Micky's "Lovelight"
is a rhythmic, harmonica spiked southern rocker, while "Can She Do It" has
'Disco Davy' clubbing it up with a trio of
munchkin-like singers chiming in in the background. Davy
returns again with "Don't Go" - a great unreleased single - which has
showed up a few times on his Just For The Record releases.
Micky's "To Be Or Not To Be" is a strange hybrid of 50's doo-wop tied with
Shakespearean-referenced lyrics; "Girl" is the version taken off the Brady
Bunch Movie soundtrack with heavy metal guitars; "Love War" has Micky
singing along to this banjo-driven novelty, which again sounds like a
Harry Nilsson cast-off, and is a stunning mismatch of message and
music. "Rainy Jane" is the single version from his 1971 LP, but
"Free" is Davy again, this time from the early 90s, in a
self-aggrandizing, autobiographical song about his life and career,
accompanied by keyboards and synthesized strings. "Alicia" has Micky
painting a musical portrait of a immigrant maid, and has appropriate
Spanish flavors in the arrangement; "Dance Gypsy" is the return of Disco
Davy, in theis absurd floor-filler - a castinet-heavy mismatch of Davy's
Anthony Newley style and the dance-club genre. "Look At Me" is the
b-side of Lady Jane, again from Davy's 1971 LP. The next six songs
are all taken directly from The Point cast recording, and the final two
songs are live versions of Monkees' hits, with Micky doing a light lounge
version of "Sometime In The Morning" and Micky again tearing it up with a
bluesy, twang version of "Goin' Down." The sound here is generally
very good, and this CD is recommended for its curious look at these rare
attempts of Micky and Davy to break back into the spotlight.