Beatland Books, which has previously published the extensive deluxe rewrite of Andrew Sandoval’s ‘The Monkees: The Day by DayStory’ book, has followed up with another outstanding release with ‘I’m Told I Had A Good Time: The Micky Dolenz Archives – Volume One’.
Sandoval has compiled from the personal archives of Micky Dolenz an incredible collection of photos that chronicles Dolenz’s life and career from his earliest childhood stardom in the 1950’s television series ‘Circus Boy’, into the 1960’s and Micky’s second burst of fame with The Monkees and on till 1977 as he began his career in England as a respected television director.
Photo Copyright Micky Dolenz/Beatland Books.
The nearly 500 pages are packed with astounding photos and memorabilia from Micky’s personal collection, the majority never before published. Micky takes the reader behind the scenes of Circus Boy, the early days of The Monkees on their television set, the movie ‘Head’ and the whirlwind of their wild concert tours, with fantastic photos of Jimi Hendrix as their opening act, hanging out with The Beatles, Stephen Stills, Eric Clapton, Keith Moon and Harry Nilsson among many famous faces and names.
Peter Tork and Jimi Hendix. Photo Copyright Micky Dolenz/Beatland Books.
Throughout the book Dolenz reflects on the many aspects of his life and career with warmth and humor and a fondness for the people he associated with and called his friends. Micky takes you back to those fun, crazy days when he and the other Monkees were briefly in the eye of the hurricane and beyond.
The book is available in three different formats: as a numbered Super Deluxe Hardcover Edition in a special clamshell case with an additional set of prints, a numbered Deluxe Hardcover Edition in a protective slipcase and a less expensive unnumbered Flexibound Open Edition minus extras. Both Deluxe Editions are hand signed by Micky Dolenz. The Deluxe Editions are limited and will be available for a very short time. The Flexibound is an unsigned open edition. The Flexibound edition of ‘The Monkees: The Day By Day Story’ by Andrew Sandoval is also still available in a limited supply.
Beatland Books has prided itself in presenting the book to its highest quality standards with glossy paper in a sturdy bound format. ‘I’m Told I Had A Good Time’ by Micky Dolenz is a book that belongs in the book shelves of any Monkees and 60’s Rock Fan. This is the ultimate Monkees scrapbook, and it’s only volume one!
Fred Velez is the author of the books ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’ and ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 2: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives’
Micky Dolenz has a lot piled up on his plate these days. While currently on tour, he has new releases coming up: his already announced Beatland Book, ‘I’m Told I Had A Good Time’, a surprise 7a Records EP ‘Dolenz Sings R.E.M.’, and a video of the first song off the EP of Micky singing ‘Shiny HappyPeople’ comprised of personal home movies produced by Dolenz and Andrew Sandoval who also put the book together.
Original R.E.M. ‘Shiny Happy People’ video with Kate Pierson of the B-52’s.
The 500 page book with tons of photos from Micky’s personal collection and history can now be preordered on the Beatland Books website in three different editions.
The Micky Dolenz version of the R.E.M. song ‘Shiny Happy People’ is now available on the streaming services and for download purchase.
On top of all that, Beatland Books is making available again the flexi bound edition of Andrew Sandoval’s 740 page book ‘The Monkees: The Day by Day Story’, also loaded with many never before seen photos and in-depth information. For those who missed out the first time, now’s the time to get it!
Fred Velez is the author of the books ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’ and ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 2: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives’.
The songwriting team of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart are pretty much recognized as the ‘Lennon & McCartney’ of The Monkees, having written several of the groups most popular songs and hits like ‘Last Train To Clarksville’, ‘I Wanna Be Free’, ‘She’, ‘(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone’, ‘Words’, ‘Valleri’, ‘Tear Drop City’ and more. Together and as individual songwriters, they’ve written hits for artists like Little Anthony & The Imperials (‘Hurt So Bad’), Freddie Cannon (‘Action’), Curtis Lee (‘Pretty Little Angel Eyes’), Jay & The Americans (‘Come A Little Bit Closer’) and Helen Reddy (‘Keep On Singing’) among others. It was Boyce & Hart that Screen Gems turned to help write, produce, and shape The Monkees’ sound on record. Seeing the success the Monkees were having inspired Tommy and Bobby to become recording and performing artists as well, getting a taste with their band the Candy Store Prophets backing the solo segments of the Monkees 1967 tour. (Less than a decade later, the duo would team up with Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones as Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart.)
Signing with A&M Records, the duo released their first album ‘Test Patterns’ in 1967. On the strength of the successful single ‘I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight?’, the team recorded and released their second album named after the single in 1968. Considered their best album, 7a Records has remastered ‘I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight?’ in a new reissue with incredible sound to celebrate its 55th anniversary.
The songs have a Beatlesque/Brian Wilson type of production that really benefits the songs with a Pop sheen sprinkled with a bit of 60’s psychedelia. ‘Pretty Flower’ could have fit on a later Beach Boys record with its Pop arrangement enhanced by strings. And the B & H version of ‘Tear Drop City’ is actually better than the Monkees one, which segues with sitar-like acoustics into the ethereal ‘Love Every Day’. ‘Two For The Price Of One’ is a soulful bit of fun with the duo name tagging each other.
‘Goodbye Baby (I Don’t Want To See You Cry)’ is a nice orchestral track with building vocals that evoke the harmonies of The Beatles and The Beach Boys. (Tommy & Bobby were paying attention to what Brian Wilson was doing in the studio.) ‘I’m Digging You Digging Me’ sounds like it could have fit onto the Beach Boys ‘Wild Honey’ album, the melody sort of references the ‘Monkees Theme’ with a wink! Bobby Hart enhances the song ‘Leaving Again’ with his soulful vocals. Tommy Boyce has fun with ‘The Countess’ which has a touch of the Beatles and the Monkees. ‘Population’ has a Bob Dylan improvisational stream of consciousness feel in the lyrics with a wild instrumentation buildup that softly segues into Tommy & Bobby’s version of ‘I Wanna Be Free’ that ends the album on a nice, quiet note.
7a Records has reissued the remastered album on cd in a gatefold sleeve accompanied by a 28-page booklet with informative liner notes written by Monkees historian Andrew Sandoval and many period photos by acclaimed photographer Henry Diltz. The vinyl edition is limited to 500 copies pressed on 180g Red vinyl. As per their past releases, 7a Records excels on the quality and production of this release.
Hopefully this release will lead to more reissues of the Boyce & Hart catalogue with rare bonus tracks included. If you’re a fan of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart and their work with The Monkees and other artists, then the 7a Records remaster of ‘I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight?’ is a definite keeper.
1. I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight?
2. Pretty Flower
3. Teardrop City
4. Love Every Day
5. Two For The Price Of One
6. Goodbye Baby (I Don’t Want To See You Cry)
7. I’m Digging, You Digging Me
8. Leaving Again
9. The Countess
10. Population
11. I Wanna Be Free
• Deluxe 55th Anniversary Edition
• Remastered
• Previously Unseen Photos
• 28 Page Colour CD Booklet
• Extensive Liner Notes
• Lyrics To All Songs
Fred Velez is the author of the books ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’ and ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 2: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives’.
Of the nine studio albums The Monkees recorded and released during their initial mid/late 1960’s period, their 1967 third album ‘Headquarters’ is universally recognized as The Monkees most famous and iconic record. After two albums released with studio musicians under the supervision of music coordinator Don Kirshner, ‘Headquarters’ was the group’s declaration of independence where their talents as a functioning band were on full display as they finally were allowed to perform the majority of the music themselves. While slightly rough in spots, the garage band feel of the album under the musical supervision of producer Chip Douglas and with Michael Nesmith taking on the helm of group leader, ‘Headquarters’ became the Monkees third number one charting album in a row. The band’s efforts have been previously examined in the 2000 Rhino Handmade ‘Headquarters Sessions’ box set and the 2007 two disc Deluxe Set. Now Rhino has finally released the highly anticipated 4 cd disc Super Deluxe Edition set produced by the Grammy Award winning producer, Monkees expert and chronicler Andrew Sandoval, and it was well worth the wait.
Under Sandoval’s meticulous supervision and attention to detail, the four discs are filled to capacity with tons of bonus tracks, session tapes, studio chatter, and accompanied by a booklet of informative liner notes by Sandoval that chronicle the entire genesis of the making of ‘Headquarters’, including the creative battle of wits between Don Kirshner and the Monkees. The essay is a condensed version of the more detailed account found in Sandoval’s extensive rewrite of his 2021 book ‘The Monkees: The Day To Day Story’. The booklet with the liner notes has great photos of the Monkees, Chip Douglas, Don Kirshner, Jeff Barry and the other major actors involved during the period of the sessions which would be almost worth the price of admission alone. But the main focus of the set is the amazing treasure trove of music spread out over the four cd discs with 67 previously unreleased tracks.
The discs are broken up into four thematic sections: a new 2022 remix of the original album with additional bonus material, the January 1967 Sessions, the February 1967 Sessions and the March 1967 Sessions and Beyond. The remix of the ‘Headquarters’ album found on Disc 1 is a major revelation on its own. Working with the original multitrack tapes, all of which still exist, Sandoval has created a new version that enhances the listening experience by centering the drums and bass on the mix without compromising the integrity of the record. The clarity is astounding, it’s like listening to ‘Headquarters’ for the first time, which with this mix you are. The stereo picture is very close to the mono mix of the album which brings out sound textures previously buried in the original mixes. There are longer fadeouts on some of the songs like ‘Forget That Girl’, ‘Shades Of Grey’ and clean endings to ‘Early Mornings Blues And Greens’ and ‘Randy Scouse Git’ which add to the fun of those songs. The bonus tracks on disc one include the first and second versions of ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’, amazing remixed versions of ‘All Of Your Toys’, ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’, the first version of ‘She Hangs Out’ with a longer fadeout, ’99 Pounds’ and ‘You Can’t Tie A Mustang Down’ that practically leap out of your speakers, headphones and ear buds. Even the weaker numbers ‘If I Learned To Play The Violin’ and ‘Sally’ (‘I Didn’t Know You Had It In You Sally’) have a bit of a kick to them in these remixes. Two songs on disc one, ‘Gotta Give It Time’ and ‘Love To Love’, originally produced by Jeff Barry and Brendan Cahill in 1967 and used by the late Adam Schlesinger for the 2016 ‘Good Times!’ album’, have also been remixed and enhanced with less reverb on the 2016 Micky Dolenz lead vocals and Michael Nesmith’s backing vocals brought up higher in the mix on the former track and on the latter track using Davy Jones’ 1969 vocals with the 2016 backing vocals of Dolenz and Peter Tork also brought up in the mix with much more clarity.
Disc 2 features the January 1967 sessions that begins with the previously unreleased instrumental demo sessions recorded at the legendary Gold Star Studios for ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’ and ‘All Of Your Toys’, with the Monkees playing the backing tracks and Chip Douglas in the producer’s seat, that were intended for Don Kirshner to listen to and prove that the group were adequately capable of accompanying themselves on their records. Another of the Monkees’ recorded backing tracks is ‘She’s So Far Out, She’s In’ which the group were performing on their early concerts. (A live version with Nez singing lead from the 1967 Arizona concert can be found on the ‘More Of The Monkees’ Super Deluxe Box Set.) The majority of Disc 2 are the various backing tracks for ‘Love To Love’, ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’, ‘Gotta Give It Time’, ’99 Pounds’ ‘She Hangs Out’ and ‘Mustang’. Many of these tracks were supervised by Kirshner with producer Jeff Barry at the helm at the New York RCA studios. The majority of these tracks were up for consideration for the proposed Kirshner supervised third Monkees album. Among the recorded backing track are those written and produced by the team of Denny Randell and Sandy Linzer which include ‘Love Is On The Way’, ‘Sally’, ‘I Wanna Be Your Puppy Dog’ and ‘Sugar Man’, the latter song notoriously confused with Jeff Barry and Andy Kim’s ‘Sugar, Sugar’ which became a hit for The Archies in 1969 with Ron Dante singing the lead. Andrew Sandoval definitively dispels the erroneous myth that ‘Sugar, Sugar’ was offered and rejected by the Monkees in 1967 when in actuallity it wasn’t composed until late 1968, a fact corroborated by the song’s writers Barry and Kim. Other backing tracks of songs for the proposed third Monkees album include ‘Poor Little Me’, ‘Eve Of My Sorrow’, ‘The Love You Got Inside’, ‘If I Learned To Play The Violin’ and ‘Black And Blue’ which was written by Neil Diamond. The remainder of the disc is rounded out by demo takes and mono mixes of ‘Seeger’s Theme’ with Peter Tork on acoustic guitar and whistling, ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’ and ‘All Of Your Toys’.
‘Sugar Man’ by Denny Randell & Sandy Linzer
‘I Wanna Be Your Puppy Dog’ and ‘Love Is On The Way’ by Denny Randell & Sandy Linzer
As chronicled in Sandoval’s liner notes, Don Kirshner was eventually ousted from his position as music supervisor when he breeched his contract by issuing through RCA Records in Canada an unauthorized single of ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’ backed with the early version of ‘She Hangs Out’ with vocals by Davy Jones instead of the group recorded ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’ with Micky Dolenz on lead vocals that was offered as a compromise which Kirshner refused and saw as an affront to his authority. With Don finally out of the picture, the Monkees along with Chip Douglas and engineer Hank Cicalo, Disc 3 of the February 1967 sessions presents the group as a musical working unit as they properly begin work on the album that would become ‘Headquarters’. Among the tracks are alternate versions of ’99 Pounds’, ‘She Hangs Out’, the Monkees’ recorded ‘Mr. Webster’, ‘Sunny Girlfriend’, the in-studio demos for ‘She’ll Be There’ and ‘Midnight Train’ with Micky and his sister Coco singing together, Peter Tork’s early rough mono mix of ‘Can You Dig It?’, Michael Nesmith’s mono mix demo of ‘Nine Times Blue’, individual demos of Davy and Nesmith singing ‘Until It’s Time For You To Go’ that Nez first recorded as Michael Blessing and with Michael accompanying Davy on acoustic guitar. The cd also includes the mono single mixes for ‘A Little Bit You, A Little Bit Me’, ‘She Hangs Out’ and ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’.
Disc 4 rounds out the set with the March 1967 sessions. Among the gathered gems are alternate vocal versions of ‘Randy Scouse Git’, ‘You Told Me’, ‘Forget That Girl’, ‘You Just May Be the One’, ‘No Time’, demo takes for Micky’s ‘Just A Game’ and ‘Pillow Time’ which was written by his mother Janelle Scott and Matt Willis, a version of ‘Early Morning Blues And Greens’ with alternating vocals between Davy and Peter, an informal recording of Tom Paxton’s ‘The Last Thing On My Mind’ with Peter on lead vocal and harmony vocals by Micky, an alternate vocal version of ‘Randy Scouse Git’ with a quick segue into the traditional song ‘East Virginia’, Micky and Peter fooling around on ‘Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho’, an unedited demo of Nesmith’s ‘Cantata & Fugue In C&W’ (which Nez later rerecorded on his own and appears as a bonus track on the 7a Records reissue of ‘And Hits Just Keep On Comin’), backing tracks for Harry Nilsson’s ‘The Story Of Rock And Roll’, a ‘Zilch’ concert tickets radio contest spot for KHJ Radio, the TV edit of ‘For Pete’s Sake’, the mono version of the ‘Tema Dei Monkees’ Italian 45 single with an additional stereo LP version that appeared on ‘I Monkees in TV’ Italian album and mono mixes for ‘Love To Love’ (originally issued on the 1979 ‘Monkeemania: 40 Timeless Hits From The Monkees’Australian LP), ‘You Can’t Tie A Mustang Down’ and ’99 Pounds’ which was originally issued on the Monkees final album ‘Changes’ in 1970.
But Wait, There’s More!!! A bonus 45 single with the 1967 mono mixes of ‘All Of Your Toys’ backed with ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’ with Michael Nesmith on lead vocals is the cherry on the cake.
The box set is beautifully put together with alternate front and back cover photos on the additional cds, the booklet filled with extensive and informative liner notes by Andrew Sandoval that gives you a basic primer on the history of the ‘Headquarters’ album with a fascinating peek behind the scenes of the backstage machinations and intrigues. There are many fantastic photos taken during the studio sessions that includes pictures of the master tapes boxes which are an extra treat. And, as a nod to those who purchased the 2000 Rhino Handmade ‘Headquarters Sessions’ box set, the inner casing of the box is made to resemble the cardboard OBI belt that secured that set, a nice little Easter egg for Monkees collectors.
Andrew Sandoval deserves extra kudos for compiling and producing this incredible collection. Monkees fans who purchase this set, which is limited to 4,000 units, will have hours of fun diving deep into the various contents of the box. The set can only be purchased at a reasonable price for such a jam packed collection on Rhino’s Monkees Shop Online Link and will NOT be available on any other online sale outlets like Amazon. Unless Rhino decides to run another batch of boxes, once it’s gone, it’s gone, and it will be expected to garner outrageously big bucks on sites like eBay down the road. The success of this set will also bode well for, hopefully, a super deluxe box set of the ‘Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd’ album, and perhaps, if all the master tape elements and materials can be located or miraculously turns up, fingers crossed, a deluxe edition of ‘Changes’.
The 2022 ‘Headquarters’ Super Deluxe Edition Box set is not only fantastic in its own right, it makes the perfect companion piece to the earlier 2000 ‘Headquarters Sessions’ and 2007 Deluxe Edition two cd set. An album this important deserves the deluxe treatment this set provides.
In 1967 The Monkees were looking for respect. With the 2022 ‘Headquarters’ Super Deluxe Edition Box Set, they more than earned it.
The 2022 ‘Headquarters’ Super Deluxe Edition Box Set can ONLY be ordered on the online Rhino Monkees Store:
The 2000 ‘Headquarters Sessions’ set is also available for Digital Streaming and Download Purchase on most Streaming Services like Apple/iTunes, Amazon Music and Spotify.
Fred Velez, 2022.
Fred Velez is the author of the books ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’, ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 2: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives’ and the Monkees themed Holiday CD ‘A Little Bit Christmas’.
The Monkees Blu-ray set is available again on Rhino Records Official Monkees website.
The set includes the entire Monkees TV series, the movie ’Head’, the 1969 ’33 & 1/3 Revolutions per Monkee’ television special, original Monkees screen tests, the original version of The Monkees TV pilot, outtakes from the movie ’Head’, Davy Jones performing ’Someday Man’, Saturday Morning reruns song segments, promos, commercials and outtakes, a bonus 45 single and booklet with liner notes written by Andrew Sandoval in a box featuring a lenticular cover. You can also purchase the set with a Monkees T-shirt to match.
We will be fully delving into The Monkees’ songbook, as well as Micky’s personal archive of films and photos to create a unique evening of memories. It will give Micky and the band an opportunity to share the music he made alongside Davy, Peter & Michael and reminisce on their journey as brothers for five decades. We have also been talking about Micky singing some songs he’s never done on stage before like “Valleri” and “Can You Dig It” (as well as pulling out older Monkees album tracks that have not been performed in many years).
It is unclear if we will be doing anything beyond these seven shows in this format, but we are truly looking forward to being together again to celebrate the Monkees in song. Tickets go onsale Friday, but presales will begin on Tuesday with the presale code CELEBRATE for all shows.
The latest March 2022 issue of the British Music Magazine Mojo has a cover story on The Monkees and Michael Nesmith.
Written by David Fricke, the ten page article is a well-researched piece covering Michael Nesmith’s career with the Monkees and as a visionary solo artist. Micky Dolenz, Andrew Sandoval and former First National Band drummer John Ware give their personal insights and recollections of Nesmith, with archival interviews added to give Nez a voice in the article. Side articles touch on the Monkees albums with Nesmith , Monkees episodes, the movie ‘Head’, the 1997 Monkees special and Portlandia, and Nesmith’s incredible solo career. Other artists covered in this issue are The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Al Green and more.
Mojo Subscription Issue
The issue can be purchased direct from Mojo in both print and digital versions. If you are a Mojo Magazine subscriber you’ll receive a copy of the issue minus print on the cover. The magazine is also available in the United States at most Barnes and Noble and other book stores and newsstands that carry import magazines.
Just in time for the 55th Anniversary of The Monkees first coming onto the Pop Culture scene, Andrew Sandoval’s original 2005 book, The Monkees: The Day To Day Story, has not only been updated, it has received a full 740 page re-write in beautiful deluxe editions filled to brim with photos and additional and in-depth information, making this the absolute definitive book on The Monkees as a media phenomenon.
Starting with the individual childhoods of the four who would become the Monkees, Sandoval’s book traces them in their early careers as entertainers, the beginnings of the Monkees television project by producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider, Don Kirshner‘s entry as the music supervisor for the project, the work of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart in writing the songs and shaping the Monkees’ sound, the selling and initial success of the television series and records, the first live appearances by the group, their place in the 60’s counter culture, the filming and release of the movie Head and the 33 & 1/3 television special, and much more.
Photos Property of Beatland Books
Following the template of Beatles author Mark Lewisohn, Sandoval follows the history of the Monkees through deeply detailed date entries that fully explore what took place between the years 1965 to 1970. If you want to find out what the Monkees were doing between the months of January to August of 1967, it’s all there with in-depth information and dates on filming and recording sessions, with tons of amazing black & white and color photos. Many of the photos are broken up in pull out pages that give you a panoramic view of the Monkees in the recording studio, in concert, filming the movie Head, etc.
Photos Property of Beatland Books.
Perhaps the most anticipated part of the book is the lawsuit between Don Kirshner and Screen Gems that got Kirshner booted from the Monkees project. Sandoval has included details of the lawsuit with the legal depositions of the Monkees that gives revealing and detailed information that puts into perspective of, as Micky Dolenz referred to it, “the palace revolution”, that ousted Kirshner from his position as music supervisor of the Monkees records, and leading to the freedom for the group to write and record the music on their own recordings.
Beatland Books is offering three different versions of the book at different prices: the Super Deluxe Hardcover Editionwhich comes inside a sturdy Red protective clamshell casing with an exclusive booklet of rare and fascinating photos that couldn’t be fit into the main book. The Deluxe Edition comes in a slipcase with the design of the famous Monkees ‘Rainbow’ room. The least expensive Open Flexibound Edition is a sturdy and firm Paperbound book that includes everything in the hardcover versions minus the extras. Both Deluxe Editions are personally signed and numbered by Andrew Sandoval. The Regular Edition is not signed or numbered.
The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story: Deluxe Clamshell Edition
Deluxe Clamshell Edition with Bonus Photo Booklet
Original 2005 Edition in Size Comparison with Deluxe Clamshell Edition
As of this writing, the Super Deluxe is completely sold out, and there are limited supplies of the Deluxe Edition and Open Flexibound Edition still available. Orders and payments for the books can be placed at the Beatland Books website.
Andrew Sandoval who has done yeoman’s work as a music archivist, Grammy Award winning producer, and producer and manager for The Monkees, has painstakingly put together an amazing book on the group that can only be described as a work of art in its own right. Pretty much everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the Monkees can be found in this book, with well-researched details and beautifully reproduced color and black & white photos that on their own will literally take hours to properly digest.
Whether you’re a serious student of Pop Music Culture, or a Monkees fan from any generation of the past 55 years, The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story is an essential addition for the library of collectors and fans alike.
Fred Velez is the author of the books ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’, ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 2: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives’, and the Monkees’ themed Holiday cd ‘A Little Bit Christmas’.
Thank you to all those who have already placed their orders.Books are on track to ship to you in August. If you haven’t seen the latest unboxing video, here is a rundown of the three distinct editions of the book.
On July 1, 2021 prices for preorders will increase by $25 per book (to reflect increased production costs). Only 2,000 books have been produced and all sales will be suspended in August (when Andrew shifts to producing the Monkees’ farewell tour).
This is it! There are no plans to keep the book in print and there will be no digital version. If you want a copy of The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story at the best price, preorder now for August delivery.
This is a lavish limited edition collector’s book that will be worth its weight and worth the wait. We are only weeks away now from getting these in your hands.
We here at Beatland will be counting down the days until your books arrive. Thank you for being a part of this epic project!
It has been a very busy week here, and I have much information for you in this update.
I was on a Zoom call with Michael Nesmith preparing for the upcoming Monkees farewell tour when there was a ring at the door. The FedEx man delivered samples of all three versions of the book! I had to immediately leave the call to review the contents (yes, I hung up on a Monkee to look at pictures and words about the Monkees) and instantly get back to the printers with any issues I found. Looking through 740 pages three times (plus the 40-page super deluxe supplement) took several hours. In the end, I spotted some minor things even at this late stage, and one photo flaw necessitated rerunning a 12 page “signature” (a huge grouping of pages printed at once, which are later cut and bound) to fix one image.
On a lighter note, I have made a fun video of the unboxing for you to see the three distinct versions and how they will look when they ship to you in August.
A Journey With Michael Blessing
I did get back to Michael the next day and spent the end of the last week visiting with him at his home. Nez was in fact the first person outside of my design and editorial team to see the finished book. It was an amazing moment handing it over to him to look through. Like many serendipitous events in the journey of creating this book, it was not planned, but presented itself in just the perfect way.
I stood over his shoulder laughing endlessly at his commentary on the photos and various events chronicled in the book. Michael was also fascinated by my research regarding the Kirshner court depositions and said he could remember being in an office giving his (which ran over 200 pages in its printed form).
I know most reading this will ask, “Where are the photos and videos of this wonderful time?” Although I might have whipped out my camera and tried to document it, I didn’t take any. After all, I was a guest in my friend’s home and part of our thirty-year relationship has been treating the Monkees with a certain formality and respect.
Furthermore, the reason for my visit was not to show off the book, but because Michael and his assistant Melodie Akers specifically requested my help with organizing his archive of “older stuff”: recordings and handwritten lyrics and notes from pre- and post-Monkees. The wonderful news is that we began this process a few days ago and made some incredible discoveries! Nez has a substantial archive which I hope he will be ready to share in various forms in the new year.
I am sure another question will be, “Why has it taken you thirty years to look at Michael’s personal tapes and documents?” Well, there is one obvious answer to me. They are his personal items and I have never felt it was my right to have access without his being completely comfortable with the concept. Simply put, in the very long gestation of this book, all four Monkees were extremely helpful, but I have always tried to observe their personal boundaries.
As fans, we want to see and hear everything. And in 2022, I think we are going to get some of our archival prayers answered with more Beatland Books and possibly some audio/video projects of note. I am hoping to announce the second Beatland Book (which is in pre-production) once all of the Day-By-Day books are in the post to you. There is a lot to look forward to, so hang in there and get ready for August!
The good news is The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story is in production after last minute additions and polishing. It is now 740 pages! For those who reserved the super deluxe edition, the supplement has swelled to 40 pages – it really looks great! You can see samples of the 3 different editions of the book at www.beatlandbooks.com– I will try and upload some further videos later in the weekend.
The increased size means that all of the costs of the book went up, but I will of course honor the original prices if you pre-order your book between now and June 30th. Now the not so great news: although production is on schedule to be completed in June as promised, the books will not arrive at the Port of Long Beach (where they filmed Head in April 1968) until July and the printer is estimating it may take a full 3 or 4 weeks for the container to make a short trek to the nearby shipping center. This is due to increased traffic in the port since the pandemic. That means late July or early August shipping for the preorders.
Many people have written and wondered why they would need to preorder if they already reserved a book. The fact of the matter is that no one has actually paid for their books yet (that is except for me)! So, if you are sincere about buying a book, the store is now open. We will keep track of all orders and anyone who doesn’t pre-order will lose their reservation on June 30th. You may chose to wait to order if any stock is left on the books, but the prices will go up $25 on each edition (to reflect my increased production costs). I am only making 2,000 books and will suspend all sales in September when I focus fully on producing the Monkees’ tour. This is it! I have no plans to keep the book in print – I will NOT be doing a digital version. It is a limited edition collector’s book that should retain its value.
My team and I actually took extra time with not only the contents of the book, but also how it would ship to you. This book will be shipped by a professional facility and not by me personally. Because of the physical size of the book, shipping outside of the United States is quite expensive. I was in shock when I first saw the rates and went the extra mile to get better prices wherever I could, but I do not set the rates of shipping or fuel or control the universe. I know!
740 page signed & numbered Deluxe Edition in a Slip Cover weighs 13 pounds – boxed 14.5x10x3.5 inches
740 page signed & numbered Super Deluxe Edition with extra 40 page booklet weighs 16 pounds – boxed 15.5x11x4.5 inches
You may now turn your reservation into a preorder at our shop: https://beatlandbooks.com/preorder-your-book/ This is the only way to guarantee you will get one of the 2,000 books being produced. Note: If you do not act on your reservation by June 30, 2021 it will be considered abandoned. If you wish to change your order or quantity at this time, you may do it in your pre-order. If you signed up for our waitlist, you may also preorder now and we will take you off of the waitlist.
Because so many people changed their reservations and made excessive multiple reservations, we are not sending out individual invoices. Pick what you want from the shop and we will consider your reservation fulfilled. If you do not preorder a book by June 30th we will know you do not wish to keep your reservation and we will release more books for preorder.
How much do the books cost? Preorder prices are $75 for the flexibound/$175 for the Deluxe in Slipcover/$225 for Super Deluxe in clamshell case with additional 40-page book. Shipping and tax are calculated once you place the book(s) in your cart.
We do not offer combined shipping; each book comes individually boxed and with Priority mail on the Flexibound and Deluxe, we found the Medium flat rate box was the best option, but it only allowed one book per box. There is no other flat rate box that fits this book and no flat rate box that fits the Super Deluxe. Media Mail is also an option in the United States.
I think you will love the book! I showed the samples to Michael & Micky and they were both shocked at the size and price (they each told me I didn’t charge enough – lol)!
REBIRTH OF A CLASSIC: OUT OF PRINT FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story RETURNS!
First published in 2005, Andrew Sandoval’s The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story is the definitive reference source for the history of Michael Nesmith, Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork. Now completely rewritten, redesigned and substantially expanded to more than double the original content, the new editions of the book (which cover the years 1942 to 1970) span over 700 pages. Lavishly illustrated in full color and printed at the highest quality in three unique configurations, copies of The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story are now available for reservation from Beatland Books.
The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story explores all of the band’s recording dates (with full session personnel) based on a first-hand, real time review of their unissued session tapes and internal recording documents, plus the American Federation of Musicians’ historic contracts. The Monkees series shooting dates and those for the feature film Head are also presented with reproductions of unpublished stills and unique call sheets. The book further captures every concert appearance made by the Monkees or its members, as well television and radio appearances.
The product of four decades of research, The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Storyfeatures exclusive and previously unpublished interviews with the group and their associates conducted over a 32-year period by author Andrew Sandoval. The diary format reveals thousands of pages of newly discovered legal documents, internal memos, contracts and contemporary news reporting. Hundreds of images (many previously unpublished) are gathered together for the first time to take you through the story visually.
Even if you own every Monkees reissue, have collected every book about the group and can access further information on the Internet, you still will not have the material contained in this edition.
The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story is singularly the largest and most extensive study of the group ever published.
Available in limited numbered and signed hardback editions, as well as an unnumbered soft cover edition, the book will be printed on archival matte paper and delivered in a custom Monkees box. The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story is available directly from Beatland Books ONLY and will not be offered in a digital download version.
Don’t miss this opportunity to own a true piece of history. Original editions of The Monkees: The Day–By–Day Story now resell for four times the 2005 cover price. This is the one-and-only printing of the extremely limited hardback edition, the ultimate collectible for every Monkees fan. Reserve your copy today!
Reserve Your Book
Reserve your copy or copies of The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story. No payment will be taken at this time, however, by submitting this form, you are committing to purchasing the specified copies as the number of books printed depends on the number reserved.
Please note: Reservations are extremely limited and will only be accepted until March 15, 2021. Because these books will be produced in a single, limited run, you must reserve your specific edition(s) before purchase and manufacturing. Any reserver who fails to pay for reserved item(s) will not be eligible to purchase in future without advance payment.
Select from the following versions:
Super Deluxe Edition ($225)
lowest numbered hardback book
individually hand signed by the author
boxed in an exclusive, cloth-covered clamshell case
clothbound cover with red & yellow decorative bookmarks
separate paper dust jacket
includes an extra collectible item not sold separately
Deluxe Edition ($175)
hand numbered and signed by author
hardback edition in an exclusive slipcover
clothbound cover with red & yellow decorative bookmarks
separate paper dust jacket.
Open Edition ($75)
flexibound with soft paper cover
contains entire text of deluxe book without extras
not limited, signed or numbered
All editions: printed on 157gsm matte paper stock in full color.
While there have been previously released Live recordings of The Monkees, this new album featuring Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz from their recent 2018/2019 tour is the best sounding one. Mike and Micky are in great voice throughout and the backing band are sterling.
Produced by Andrew Sandoval and mixed by Nesmith’s son Christian, the sound is incredible and beautifully arranged on this set. The band is nice and tight, aided by the backing vocals of Micky’s sister Coco Dolenz and Circe Link. When the voices blend you can almost hear the harmonies of the late Davy Jones and Peter Tork in there. While they are dearly missed, the two missing Monkees are well represented by respectful renditions of their songs ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’, ‘For Pete’s Sake’ and ‘Daydream Believer’. Davy and Peter would have been proud.
The performances of Monkees’ classics like ‘Last Train To Clarksville’, ‘I’m A Believer’, ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’, ‘Goin’ Down’ and more are kept to their original arrangements adding to the fun of the album. Special gems like the ‘Good Times!’ selections ‘Birth Of An Accidental Hipster’, ‘Me & Magdalena’ and the previous rarity ‘St. Matthew’ are welcomed additions to The Monkees song canon. The songs from the movie ‘Head’, the lovely ‘As We Go Along’ and a ferociously played ‘Circle Sky’ are especially delightful.
There are so many highlights to this album that it’s hard to single out just one. Some that stand out are ‘Auntie’s Municipal Court’, the ‘Good Times! songs, ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’, an acoustic ‘Randy Scouse Git’, ‘Sweet Young Thing’ and ‘Tapioca Tundra’. The performance of ‘Listen To The Band’ is particularly sublime. The affection between Nesmith and Dolenz is obvious in their stage chatter during their acoustic performance of ‘Papa Gene’s Blues’.
Because of the current health situation, the 2020 Monkees tour has been postponed for later this Summer. For those who attended the shows in 2018 before Nesmith’s health scare and the resumed 2019 tour, this album is a perfect souvenir for fans who attended these shows. For those waiting for the current tour to resume, this should tide them over till then.
Needles to say, ‘The Monkees Live – The Mike & Micky Show’ should be an essential part of every Monkees fans’ collection. Close your eyes while you’re listening and you’re there.
Fred Velez, 2020.
Fred Velez is the author of the book ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’.
The first official video for the upcoming ‘The Monkees Live – The Mike & Micky Show’ has dropped. The album is due for release on April 3rd, 2020 as the 2020 Monkees Tour begins.
The latest Zilch! Monkees podcast has Podfather Ken Mills with Monkees producer Andrew Sandoval talking about the new Monkees Live album.
Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz with New Monkees Marty Ross & Dino Kovas and photographer Henry Diltz.
The November 1st Hollywood event celebrating the 50th Anniversary of The Monkees movie ‘Head’ was a huge success.
Playing to a sold out crowd at the famous Egyptian Theatre, close by to the Vogue Theater where the movie premiered in 1968, attendees included Monkees photographer Henry Diltz, Gary Strobl, Davy Jones’ youngest daughter Annabel, Jodi Ritzen, New Monkees members Marty Ross and Dino Kovas, among others. Prior to the screening slides of rare photos taken by Henry Diltz at the Salt Lake City concert that the song ‘Circle Sky’ was recorded at with audio of the full concert played as accompaniment. Andrew Sandoval introduced Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith before ‘Head’ was screened.
Photos taken by Henry Diltz; slide show created by Andrew Sandoval. On May 16th, 1968… Photographer Henry Diltz…
Rhino Records continues their Monkees Deluxe series with the release of the highly anticipated ‘More Of The Monkees’ Deluxe Edition box set. As with the previous box sets, ‘MOTM’ is chockfull of outtakes, alternate mixes, live tracks and other gems that have made this series a treat for Monkees fans and collectors.
Among many highlights are the stereo and mono mixes of the original album, new 2017 mixes of songs like ‘Mary, Mary’, ‘Laugh’, early recorded versions of ‘Tear Drop City’ in the correct speed, ‘Valleri’, ‘Words’, the original backing track for ‘Whatever’s Right’, later redone for the 2016 ‘Good Times’ album. I found the backing track for ‘Whatever’s Right’ particularly interesting, the arrangement being a little slower and to my ears more country sounding, making me wonder if it was originally written with Nesmith in mind. Other rarities include TV only tracks of ‘I Really Love You’ from the ‘Monkees At The Movies’ episode and Nesmith’s hysterical version of ‘Different Drum’ and ‘Undecided’ from the ‘Too Many Girls’/Fern & Davy’ episode. A fun track on the box set are the background vocals sessions for ‘Mary, Mary’ with Michael Nesmith at the recording deck directing Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones and Peter Tork and the chaos that ensues with the three Monkees in the studio and Nesmith trying to keep things under control. It verifies the decision made by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart to have no more than one Monkee in the studio during recording sessions.
A big highlight of the set are the live tracks from the January 1967 concert recorded at the Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona are fun and, with the exception that some of the vocals were recorded low and as explained with the intention of being overdubbed, I feel the concert sounds much more exciting than the shows recorded for the Live 1967 and ‘67 Summer Tour set. My thinking on this is that this was still the early period of The Monkees as a live act and they were still feeling the excitement of the shows along with the fans before it all started to become a blur of shows with screaming fans for the group like it became for The Beatles towards the end of their touring career. Ten tracks from the concert are on Disc 3 of the set and includes the rare live version of ‘She’s So Far Out She’s In’ that the Monkees performed during their early concerts. The full concert can be heard on YouTube and it’s understandable why more tracks weren’t included with most of the vocals being inaudible.
The set was assembled by music historian, archivist and sometimes Monkees producer/manager Andrew Sandoval who also wrote the extensive liner notes in a booklet which includes a lots of great photos and fascinating information on the sessions and the intrigue going on behind the scenes between the Monkees and music supervisor Don Kirshner. The three disc set have reproductions of the original U.S. cover and foreign album cover variations. Also included is a vinyl single of a new 2017 mix of ‘I’m A Believer’ and a vocals only mix of ‘(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone’.
If you have the previous box sets, then it’s a no-brainer that the ‘More Of The Monkees’ Deluxe Edition is a must have for any Monkees collection.
Fred Velez, 2017
Fred Velez is the author of the book ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’
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