Their run on the Billboard album chart for '66-'67 is amazing. The Monkees hits #1 on Nov. 12/66, about two months after its release. It stays there for 13 weeks, until it's replaced by More of the Monkees for the next 18 weeks--31 straight weeks at #1. Herb Alpert takes over for a week, and then Headquarters becomes their third #1 album in seven months. It only stays there for a week, giving way to Sgt. Pepper's by a band many dub as "the new Monkees."
― clemenza, Saturday, 3 March 2012 14:21 (twelve years ago) link
is there a good thorough monkees anthology i should pick up that doesn't have, like, EVERYTHING but hits most of the high spots, incl. album tracks? or should i just put that together myself?
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Sunday, 4 March 2012 02:49 (twelve years ago) link
I was talking to a few baby boomers about The Monkees and I'm pretty surprised that "I hate them cos they're fakes" is still something people hold against them. Are you really upset that Glen Campbell or Neil Young is playing guitar rather than Michael Nesmith? That a member of The Wrecking Crew is playing drums rather than Micky Dolenz? That they're singing songs by Harry Nilsson and Carol King?
― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Sunday, 4 March 2012 03:15 (twelve years ago) link
which is why boomers are the fucking worst ppl in human history
― q: are we not women? a: we are divas! (m bison), Sunday, 4 March 2012 03:18 (twelve years ago) link
awww
― Steamtable Willie (WmC), Sunday, 4 March 2012 03:24 (twelve years ago) link
in the aggregateI mean just scientifically
― q: are we not women? a: we are divas! (m bison), Sunday, 4 March 2012 03:26 (twelve years ago) link
Didn't realize until recently that "Porpoise Song" was written by Carole King!
http://soundcloud.com/almostbetterthansilence/monkees-demos-porpoise-song
― buzza, Sunday, 4 March 2012 03:33 (twelve years ago) link
covers of the songs king wrote/co-wrote in the 66-69 period are my favorite thing ever
― buzza, Sunday, 4 March 2012 03:35 (twelve years ago) link
Wow that is awesome.
― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Sunday, 4 March 2012 03:45 (twelve years ago) link
Wow, real vintage first-world problems these. Even some critics are still towing the old party line. For the longest time, the AMG Monkees bio was by Richie Unterberger, who was mildly condescending towards the band up until the section on the the revival, where he gets nastier. I remember in particular his swipes at Rhino for reissuing the catalog with something along the lines of "the sensitivity one associates with Charlie Parker outtakes". The bio has been replaced, but they still have his Missing Links reviews, all of which reach a "some nice stuff, but really who cares?" conclusion.
I also recall a review in one of the old AMG books of a Box Tops comp by another writer that had several Monkee disses thrown in.
― Mike Love Costume Jewelry on Etsy (C. Grisso/McCain), Sunday, 4 March 2012 04:15 (twelve years ago) link
holy crap, that King demo! that's great!
re: compilations - I came in through the double-LP "Then & Now" best-of from the 80s. It has basically all you need if you only want one Monkees thing in your collection, although of course I can quibble over alarming omissions, especially since it does favor the singles or would-be singles and thus leaves out things like "Your Auntie Grizelda" which were in there to sustain their wacky-antics vibe from the show but are also totally awesome in their own right. There might be better comps now...
― Doctor Casino, Sunday, 4 March 2012 05:28 (twelve years ago) link
This is my favorite Davy lead on a Monkees song, a B-side between Instant Replay and Presents:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-lyW33lddU
Friend and ilxor J0seph McC0mbs noted this was Paul Williams' first major songwriting credit.
(Sorry the bad quality and flanging.)
― ma ck ro ma ck ro (mackro mackro), Sunday, 4 March 2012 09:05 (twelve years ago) link
Lol you weren't kidding about Unterberger:
Missing Links, Vol. 2
Nineteen rare and unreleased tracks that, like the rest of the Monkees' output, ranges from excellent to insufferable, with plenty of mediocre material between. The highlights are the sprightly pop-rocker "All the King's Horses" (a 1966 Mike Nesmith original) and alternate versions of two of the group's best singles, "Words" and "Valleri." These alternate takes aren't exactly better, but they are definitely different and less elaborately produced. Most of the rest is either lightweight 1966 pop/rock or weedy 1968 Mike Nesmith country-rock tunes that foreshadow his solo work; several cuts are alternate versions of songs that were hardly notable efforts in the first place. An exception is the live 1968 recording of the unusually forceful Nesmith original "Circle Sky," which was featured in their movie Head (although a studio version was substituted on the actual soundtrack album). Odds and ends like an instrumental banjo piece by Peter Tork and a Spanish Christmas carol are pleasant but inessential. A thoughtfully compiled CD, it nonetheless really gives this group more respect than they're due by treating these artifacts with such importance.
― glumdalclitch, Sunday, 4 March 2012 09:30 (twelve years ago) link
unterberger is such a narrow little shit
― buzza, Sunday, 4 March 2012 09:42 (twelve years ago) link
Amateurist I liked this comp when I bought it about 10 yeras ago:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Definitive-Monkees-Limited-Edition/dp/B000059QC0/ref=sr_1_9?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1330854443&sr=1-9
But, you know, the first five albums are available for eleven quid in the uk
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Original-Album-Series-The-Monkees/dp/B003097AAQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1330854443&sr=1-1
― glumdalclitch, Sunday, 4 March 2012 09:50 (twelve years ago) link
That King demo is so wonderfully spooky. Thanks for posting that.
― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Sunday, 4 March 2012 09:56 (twelve years ago) link
; )
― buzza, Sunday, 4 March 2012 10:04 (twelve years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxBM9IiIEDY&feature=related
Pretty sure I found out about this song from ILX. Davy's channeling of Grace Slick is super spooky (0:43).
― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Sunday, 4 March 2012 15:25 (twelve years ago) link
^^^ that's Mickey.
― Ham House showdown (Dan Peterson), Monday, 5 March 2012 17:52 (twelve years ago) link
holy shit re: the Carole King demo
― Vaseline MEN AMAZING JOURNEY (DJP), Monday, 5 March 2012 17:56 (twelve years ago) link
Changes is pretty good, too, if you like things like Kasenetz/Katz records or the Archies. It's Jeff Barry, Andy Kim, and Bobby Bloom - obviously, those guys bring a lot to the table. Davy didn't like it apparently. He seems to have gotten himself into an even more difficult situation with his contract with Bell afterwards, although I haven't heard those records (except for "Girl," obviously!).
― timellison, Wednesday, 7 March 2012 03:00 (twelve years ago) link
Peter Tork piece.
― timellison, Wednesday, 7 March 2012 03:01 (twelve years ago) link
that is excellent
― Vaseline MEN AMAZING JOURNEY (DJP), Wednesday, 7 March 2012 15:17 (twelve years ago) link
Avoid the comments section, as per usual..
― Mark G, Wednesday, 7 March 2012 15:34 (twelve years ago) link
I think this should be the case for ANY article online, unless you really want to stoke any feelings of misanthropy.
It was a really nice story.
― Respectfully, Tyrese Gibson (Nicole), Wednesday, 7 March 2012 15:38 (twelve years ago) link
David came bouncing over to me and yelled above the volume, "WE'RE GONNA FORM A GROUP!"
Love this.
― we can be gyros just for one day (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Wednesday, 7 March 2012 15:43 (twelve years ago) link
and this:
http://images.channeladvisor.com/Sell/SSProfiles/12000635/Images/113/081227982805.jpg
― Mark G, Wednesday, 7 March 2012 15:55 (twelve years ago) link
― Vaseline MEN AMAZING JOURNEY (DJP), Monday, March 5, 2012 11:56 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
i have two CDs of king demos, they are ace.
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Wednesday, 7 March 2012 19:19 (twelve years ago) link
I have not watched the sitcom in close to 40 years -- is it amusing? Less or more surreal than Green Acres?
― Literal Facepalms (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 7 March 2012 19:30 (twelve years ago) link
also can we talk about great tunes from king's psychedelic period?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yodok8wBv0g
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Wednesday, 7 March 2012 19:31 (twelve years ago) link
― Literal Facepalms (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, March 7, 2012 2:30 PM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
It's...okay. People can overstate how anarchic and zany it is; it's definitely more Help! than A Hard Day's Night, but if you did say "what do I imagine a network TV weekly episodic version of Help! would have been like," it's slightly better than that. And the songs are good. I'm going to a Davy tribute night next week where they're showing Head and some selected episodes; I'll report back afterwards!
― Doctor Casino, Wednesday, 7 March 2012 20:29 (twelve years ago) link
Nesmith talks to Rolling Stone
― Mike Love Costume Jewelry on Etsy (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 8 March 2012 23:46 (twelve years ago) link
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/surviving-monkees-to-launch-first-tour-in-15-years-20120808
― timellison, Wednesday, 8 August 2012 17:33 (eleven years ago) link
I had thought Tork was in bad health...? I'm glad he's well enough to do this. I thought the thread revive might be a Tork RIP or something about Nesmith's upcoming London shows.
― Your sweet bippy is going to hell (WmC), Wednesday, 8 August 2012 17:36 (eleven years ago) link
maybe a year late, Nesmith?
― Pangborn to be Wilde (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 8 August 2012 17:41 (eleven years ago) link
DAVY JONES HOLOGRAM.
― Jeremy Spencer Slid in Class Today (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 8 August 2012 18:39 (eleven years ago) link
"This seems like a good time to do this – the right time" (now that Davy, who I hated, is dead)
― Get wolves (DL), Wednesday, 8 August 2012 18:41 (eleven years ago) link
yeah hard to miss that subtext there
― keeping things contextual (DJP), Wednesday, 8 August 2012 18:42 (eleven years ago) link
Missed the quote marks on DL's post at first glance, and was thinking he said now is a good time to see a reunion, now that Davy's dead. He *was* my least favorite of the pre-fab four, though.
― Ermahgerd Thomas (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 8 August 2012 18:53 (eleven years ago) link
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151752834879170&set=a.10151752768629170.1073741826.19721149169&type=1&theater
― timellison, Friday, 26 July 2013 04:29 (ten years ago) link
seeing them in one week's time
― Uncle Cyril O'Boogie (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 26 July 2013 04:30 (ten years ago) link
Set List from one of the first dates:
"Last Train To Clarksville""Papa Gene's Blues""Your Auntie Grizelda""The Kind Of Girl I Could Love""She""Sweet Young Thing""I'm a Believer""(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone""You Told Me""Sunny Girlfriend""You Just May Be the One""Mary, Mary""The Girl I Knew Somewhere""Early Morning Blues And Greens""Randy Scouse Git""For Pete's Sake""No Time""Words""Daily Nightly""Tapioca Tundra""Goin' Down""Porpoise Song""Can You Dig It? ""Circle Sky""As We Go Along""Daddy's Song""Long Title: Do I Have to Do This All Over Again""Daydream Believer""What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?" Encore:"Listen To The Band""Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky""Pleasant Valley Sunday"
Encore:"Listen To The Band""Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky""Pleasant Valley Sunday"
― Uncle Cyril O'Boogie (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 26 July 2013 04:35 (ten years ago) link
my wife is going to the show in austin next week, she has never seen mike nesmith who is her favorite so she is stoked
― neil degrasse (m bison), Friday, 26 July 2013 14:29 (ten years ago) link
That's actually a really cool setlist. Love the big sequence of "Head" tracks near the end. Also:
Encore: "Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky"
HAHAHA classic!
― Byron E. Coli (Dan Peterson), Friday, 26 July 2013 14:45 (ten years ago) link
yeah, that one made me double-take! Pretty great set-list really.
― Doctor Casino, Friday, 26 July 2013 17:19 (ten years ago) link
well here's today's Spotify listening decided
― My Buddy® of sexting (DJP), Friday, 26 July 2013 17:43 (ten years ago) link
seeing them in one week's time― Uncle Cyril O'Boogie (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, July 25, 2013 11:30 PM (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Uncle Cyril O'Boogie (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, July 25, 2013 11:30 PM (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
And so I did. A nice night out. Sadly, they've dropped "Daily Nightly" & "Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky" (I'm rather ticked about the former actually). The venue was an 'in the round' place with an overstuffed stationary stage (the 13th Floor Elevators cut an unreleased at the time live album there), and even though I had kind of a shitty seat over on the side, I was still about 20' from Nesmith. Tork's probably the MVP, he was running wireless and frequently played and sang--in surprisingly fine voice--to all areas of the house.
If you're going to any of the remaining shows, be sure to get there early as they are playing a nicely curated program of clips (commercials, stuff from the show, promo films of tracks they don't do live--RIP Davy) before the show starts.
― Uncle Cyril O'Boogie (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 2 August 2013 04:05 (ten years ago) link
http://popdose.com/5-reasons-why-this-monkees-tour-matters/
― Damnit Janet Weiss & The Riot Grrriel (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 30 May 2014 18:56 (nine years ago) link
I don't think this has been posted previously? Diane Hildebrand's original "Early Morning Blues and Greens":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBIj9E38h2E
― wild-eyed, high-volume bursts of pious indignation (Dan Peterson), Friday, 30 May 2014 19:27 (nine years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMa1yJdcEyU
This song is so fun! Early Beatles mode but the background vocals are super trippy.
― AdamVania (Adam Bruneau), Friday, 26 June 2015 02:34 (eight years ago) link