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’
R.E.M. were one of the great alternate Rock bands of the 1990’s. With an innovative style and presentation, augmented by the distinctive vocals of Michael Stipe, the band from Athens, Georgia left an indelible mark in the history of Rock & Roll.
One of the band’s major influences were The Monkees, their big hit ‘Shiny Happy People’ is an homage to the infectious Pop of the 60’s group. So it’s only fitting that Micky Dolenz, a great admirer of R.E.M., should release the new 7a Records EP ‘Dolenz Sings R.E.M’. Produced by Christian Nesmith, the son of the late Michael Nesmith, Micky covers four of the 90’s band songs, avoiding a karaoke approach and giving the songs a new twist while retaining their unique identities. Assisting Dolenz on background vocals are his sister Coco and Christian’s wife and musical partner Circe Link. Christian preformed the majority of the music with Christopher Allis on drums.
The approach to the music Dolenz and Christian take breathes a 60’s feel into the songs. ‘Shiny Happy People’ is a fun listen with Coco complimenting Micky’s vocals similar to the way Kate Pierson did for Michael Stipe on the original song. R.E.M.’s first single ‘Radio Free Europe’ starts with chugging guitars that pushes the song at a quick pace with a bit of jangling guitars and psychedelia thrown into the mix.
The jangling guitars return in R.E.M.’s tribute to Andy Kaufman ‘Man On The Moon’, Circe Link’s backing vocals adding to the tunes’ quirkiness. The final song ‘Leaving New York’ has a Brian Wilson musical quality with Micky’s emotive vocals giving the song an added poignancy, making it a fine closing track.
7a Records has issued the EP as a digipack CD and in 180g yellow vinyl. The EP cover was designed by Tom Johnson with a 90’s era Micky Dolenz in a yellow car in front of Wuxtry Records in Athen, Georgia with R.E.M. posters displayed in its windows. The quality 7a Records put into this EP is outstanding.
Being major fans of The Monkees, the members of R.E.M. are thrilled with this release. Micky Dolenz is scheduled to do a signing at Wuxtry Records on November 3rd in support of the EP and will be presented with the key to the city.
Micky Dolenz with R.E.M. (Bill Berry, Peter Buck and Michael Stipe) Photo by Jodi Ritzen.
In any case it’s the best of both worlds, the combination of the incredible vocal talents of Micky Dolenz with the brilliant songs of R.E.M. ’Dolenz Sings R.E.M.’ is a treat that should hopefully serve two purposes: introducing Monkees fans to R.E.M., and R.E.M. fans to The Monkees, and perhaps for those on the fence, both bands!
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’.
Due to a recent illness, Micky Dolenz has had to cancel two concert dates for Park City, Utah June 10th 11th & on his current tour and a June 23rd, 2023 appearance at the Day of the Dead Convention in Indianapolis. Dolenz is currently resting and hopes to resume the tour soon.
Messages directly from the official Micky Dolenz Facebook page:
June 13th, 2023 To my dear friends and fans (both old and new),
Apologies for the global post, but in response to the many calls, texts, emails and social media enquiries, I want to assure everyone that I am fine.
It turns out that extreme exhaustion, from a hectic 10 week schedule, jetlag (of the international variety), and high altitude do not mix well, and I want to apologize to anyone that had tickets for the two cancelled Park City, UT shows this past weekend.
Thank you ALL for the care, love and support you’ve shown me! I now intend to rest up and remind myself, again, that I’m 78 not 28!
Love and thanks,
Micky
June 14th, 2023: Sadly, under the advice of my doctors, and the insistence of my family, I must cancel my appearance at the ‘Days of the Dead’ Convention in Indianapolis, the weekend of June 23.
The result of a hectic schedule, acute exhaustion, and altitude sickness has forced me to rest up and avoid all travel and engagements for two weeks as I remain under medical observation.
I apologize for any inconvenience this has caused the promoters of ‘Days of the Dead’ and my fans that were planning on attending.
MusicCon & Collectibles Extravaganza, Movie & TV Car Show, Live Music Concerts,June 30 – July 2, 2023, at Boxboro Regency Hotel in Boxborough, MA.
Vendors selling Records, Musical Instruments, Amps, Memorabilia, Autographs, Posters, Books and Pop Culture Collectibles.
Celebrity Guests signing autographs and offering selfie photo ops(both for a fee), including Micky Dolenz of The Monkees with The Monkeemobile; Butch Patrick “Eddie Munster” with the Munsters Koach and The Dragula, Richie Ramone and more will be announced on the website.
Many more Movie & TV Show vehicles on site for photo ops. Vintage cars too.
Daily and weekend passes available while supply lasts. Concert After-parties Friday and Saturday nights included in admission.
Concerts, photo ops, autograph sessions, panels and presentations all weekend.
Friday June 30th, vendors will be open from 4:00 until 8:00 pm with a preview for VIPs opening at 3:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday doors open from 10:00 am, with special early buyers access at 9:00 am. … Saturday open till 6:00 pm, Sunday open until 5:00 pm.
Celebrity guests and concert schedules will be posted online.
No matter how many times I’ve seen The Monkees in concert, group or solo, the show was always better than the one I saw previously. Sadly, Micky Dolenz is the last surviving member of the group since over the past ten years, between 2011 to 2021, we’ve lost Davy Jones, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith. As the last Monkee standing, Micky now shoulders the responsibility of carrying on the groups’ legacy. As he did on last years ‘Celebration of The Monkees” tour, Micky along with his excellent band, continues with a celebration of the groups’ seminal album ‘Headquarters’, performing the classic record in its entirety.
Micky Dolenz and Rich Dart
I caught up with the tour on April 16th at Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA. Micky’s band consisted of his sister Coco Dolenz on background vocals, Alex Jules on keyboards, Rich Dart on drums, John Billings playing bass, newest member Emeen Zarookian on guitar and long-time lead guitarist Wayne Avers who also served as the musical director. The production was put together by Monkees archivist, author and Grammy winning producer Andrew Sandoval.
With Andrew Sandoval. Photo taken by Scott Erickson
The concert not only focused on the ‘Headquarters’ album but was also a moving tribute to the memory of Micky’s dearly missed Monkees brothers. The usual Monkees hits like ‘Last Train To Clarksville’, ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’, ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’, ‘Porpoise Song’ from the movie ‘Head’ and other familiar songs were played. Micky sang lead on some of the songs associated with Davy Jones like ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little You’, ‘Valleri’ and an emotional version of ‘Daydream Believer’ that the entire audience were encouraged to join in on. One of the rarities performed was ‘All Of Your Toys’, the very first song the Monkees played all the instruments on. This led right into the main portion of the show highlighting the ‘Headquarters’ album with Micky singing lead on most of the songs. The exceptions were a couple of the Davy songs with Emeen Zarookian singing the lead on ‘Forget That Girl’ and Alex Jules on ‘I Can’t Get Her Off My Mind’, their vocals closely matching those of Jones.
Alex Jules, Micky Dolenz and Emeen Zarookian
Forget That Girl – Emeen Zarookian
The other exception were the actual audio clips of ‘Band 6’ and ‘Zilch’ supplemented by photos from the albums’ sessions. On these two brief segments, all four young Monkees from over 50 years ago were together again.
Through this portion of the show Micky offered his recollections on Davy, Peter and Michael with special video tributes dedicated to each member. One of the most emotional moments of the show was when Micky and his sister Coco performed ‘Shades of Gray’, the song now taking on a much sadder meaning. After the performance, Coco could be seen wiping her eyes, as were many members of the audience.
Micky Dolenz, Wayne Avers and Coco Dolenz
The ‘Headquarters’ part of the show ended with Micky playing timpani on ‘Randy Scouse Git’ and at the conclusion announcing the intermission. The entire show and intermission were supplemented with video clips from the Monkees TV show, their movie ‘Head’ and 1969 television special ’33 & 1/3 Revolutions per Monkee’ and rare film footage from Micky’s private archives that included footage of the famous 1967 Hollywood Bowl concert.
From the collection of Micky Dolenz
The second half of the show began with a performance of ‘Porpoise Song’ along with its coda, and several of the Monkees big hits: ‘Valleri’, ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’, ‘That Was Then, This Is Now’, ‘Goin’ Down’, an audience singalong of ‘Daydream Believer’ with Micky wistfully waving to Davy dancing on the video screen, ‘Steppin’ Stone’, and winding up the show with the group’s biggest hit ‘I’m A Believer’.
Micky Dolenz Celebrates ‘Headquarters’
The entire show was a fitting tribute to both the ‘Headquarters’ album and to the memory of Davy Jones, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith. Micky and the entire band were top notch and gave 100 percent-plus on their performances. It was evening filled with great memories and a few heartfelt tears. These Monkees celebration shows with Micky Dolenz are extra special, so try and catch this tour when it come to your town.
(Theme From) The Monkees Last Train to Clarksville Take a Giant Step Papa Gene’s Blues A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You The Girl I Knew Somewhere All of Your Toys You Told Me I’ll Spend My Life With You Forget That Girl Band 6 You Just May Be the One Shades of Gray Davy Jones Tribute Video (Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow) I Can’t Get Her Off My Mind Peter Tork Tribute Video (Your Auntie Grizelda, Long) For Pete’s Sake Mr. Webster Michael Nesmith Tribute Video (What Am I Doing Hangin’ ’ ) Sunny Girlfriend Zilch No Time Early Morning Blues and Greens Randy Scouse Git Porpoise Song (Theme From “Head”) Pleasant Valley Sunday I’ll Be Back Up on My Feet Valleri That Was Then, This Is Now Goin’ Down Daydream Believer I’m Not Your Stepping Stone
Encore I’m a Believer
Fred Velez, 2023.
Fred Velez is the author of the books ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan Perspective’ and ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 2: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives’ plus the Monkees themed Holiday CD ‘A Little Bit Christmas’.
Beatland Books is proud to announce the publication of I’m Told I Had A Good Time: The Micky Dolenz Archives, Volume One. Set for release on November 7, 2023, the book is the result of a multi-year excavation of Dolenz’s astonishing personal collection. Over 500 pages, I’m Told I Had A Good Timehighlights this treasure trove of photography, artwork, handwritten lyrics, scripts and assorted ephemera spanning the 1940s through the 1970s. I’m Told I Had A Good Time will be available for preorder in June 2023 and offered in three unique editions: hand-numbered Signed Super Deluxe Edition with bonus content; Numbered Deluxe Hardback Edition; and Unnumbered Flexibound.
The first volume chronicles Dolenz’s childhood in Los Angeles and growth as an actor and performer in Circus Boy, through to his early musical endeavors with such groups as The Spartans and Mickey & The 1-Knighters. In 1965, Micky was cast in The Monkees and he preserved every move they made: from unpublished color shots on the set of their pilot to rare telegrams and keepsakes from their early days. In particular, the group’s most successful period of touring in 1967 is chronicled in-depth with stunning, unpublished images direct from the original negatives. In all, the group’s spectacular impact on record and film and the aftermath is recorded in Volume One up until Micky’s move to the UK in 1977.
Dolenz was not only an avid chronicler of the Monkees’ activities, but also the intensely creative circle around him. Included are never-before-seen images of the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Otis Redding, The Rolling Stones’ Brian Jones & Ron Wood, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, Harry Nilsson, Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, Alice Cooper, Jack Nicholson, Stephen Stills, David Crosby and Peter Fonda (among others).
Perhaps the most poignant photographs are his images of the other Monkees; Davy Jones, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith are seen at their happiest, captured in the act of music or mischief making. The book also includes images from Micky’s film library, working drafts of the hit song “Randy Scouse Git” and a goldmine of personal mementos. For the text, Dolenz delivers a running commentary culled from new interviews recorded during the discovery process.
For decades, Micky Dolenz’s archives were all but a rumor in the world of pop culture holdings. Now they will be presented in a deluxe fashion: printed in the highest quality and delivered to your door.
Micky Dolenz is pleased to announce he will be celebrating The Monkees’ third album, Headquarters with a 20-date live concert tour in April 2023! Tickets go on sale Friday (Nov 4th) with an artist presale on Wednesday (Nov 2nd). PSST: The PW is Zilch! Rhino honors Headquarters 55th anniversary this month with a 101-song box set containing 4 CDs, a 7” vinyl single, exclusive booklet and lots of unissued material. Limited to 4,000 copies worldwide, the set will be released on November 18 for $69.98. Head to Monkees.com for the tracklist and to preorder!
Dolenz is right to celebrate. The album represents a peak moment for The Monkees in terms of both creativity and camaraderie. Released in May 1967, Headquarters was the first album the group recorded after winning a hard-fought battle for control over its music earlier that year. It sold three million copies and topped the charts, making it the band’s third consecutive #1 album in less than a year.
Rhino honors the landmark recording’s 55th anniversary this year with an expansive new set that shows the genesis of the Headquarters project in full. It boasts 69 previously unreleased recordings, including the entire album newly mixed from the original multitrack elements which were resynched to create the best fidelity version of the album ever available. It also boasts the debut of backing tracks made for an abandoned Don Kirshner-led version of the album, as well as the band’s earliest surviving demos, plus recordings that would be completed in 2016 for The Monkees’ final studio album, Good Times!.
HEADQUARTERS: SUPER DELUXE EDITION contains 4 CDs and a 7” vinyl single with “All Of Your Toys” b/w “The Girl I Knew Somewhere.” Limited to 4,000 copies worldwide, the set will be released on November 18 for $69.98, exclusively at Monkees.com. Pre-orders are available now. “After completing our first tour as a four-piece band in late 1966, Nez perceptively remarked that, ‘Pinocchio had become a real little boy.’ By the end of March 1967, Pinocchio had actually become quite a cool little dude (if I do say so myself) with the completion of Headquarters, the first studio album that we had been allowed to create entirely amongst ourselves,” says Dolenz. “Monkee music was great music. Terrific songs crafted by gifted writers and produced by skilled producers. But Headquarters will always hold a special place in my heart. I remember the camaraderie, the collaboration, the enthusiasm and the occasional creative angst. And I particularly remember lying on the floor behind my drumkit between takes eating sunflower seeds.”
The creative journey that led to Headquarters unfolds chronologically on the new Super Deluxe Edition. It documents The Monkees’ struggle for artistic control with Don Kirshner, the group’s music supervisor. The group wanted to write and perform its own music, while Kirshner preferred to continue using outside songwriters and studio musicians to record backing tracks, with the band adding vocals later. In January and February 1967, Kirshner oversaw sessions in New York where more than an album’s worth of backing tracks were recorded for the band’s planned third record.
At the same time, in Hollywood, the Monkees – Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork – began recording songs with producer Chip Douglas. The Super Deluxe Edition includes the debut of the band’s earliest demos for “The Girl I Knew Somewhere” and “All Of Your Toys.” The band recorded them in January 1967 at Gold Star Studios to convince Kirshner the group should have more creative input. Kirshner balked at the idea, and the showdown continued until late in February when he was dismissed from the Monkees’ project after unilaterally removing Nesmith’s “The Girl I Knew Somewhere” as the B-side on the band’s new single and replacing it with a different song.
With Kirshner gone, the band quickly took creative control and began recording the album at RCA Victor Studios in Hollywood with Douglas producing (credited as Douglas Farthing Hatlelid). While previous reissues like Headquarters Sessions (released by Rhino Handmade in 2000) have focused exclusively on The Monkees’ time in the studio, the new collection is the first to revisit the songs Kirshner planned to include on the album.
The Super Deluxe Edition introduces 23 previously unreleased backing tracks from those sessions. Many were recorded by producer Jeff Barry in New York early in 1967. They include several songs he wrote or co-wrote (“99 Pounds” and “Gotta Give It Time”), plus contributions from other songwriters, including two from Neil Diamond, who penned “Love To Love” and “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You.”
Along with selections from Headquarters Sessions, the new Super Deluxe Edition digs deep into the vault to uncover even more unheard outtakes from the band’s time in the studio in February and March 1967. The unreleased highlights from those sessions include “Detuned 12-Bar Jam,” an informal recording of Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing On My Mind,” and different versions of album tracks, like “You Just May Be The One,” “Forget That Girl,” “No Time,” and more.
Grammy®-nominated producer/engineer Andrew Sandoval compiled and remixed the audio and penned the detailed liner notes that accompany HEADQUARTERS: SUPER DELUXE EDITION. In them, he writes: “Rather than plunder the previous reissues…the entire three-month period surrounding the creation of Headquarters has been reexamined to offer a deeper view…The primary goal has not been modernizing or reinventing what is now a legendary work but rather presenting it in the best possible light.”
HEADQUARTERS: SUPER DELUXE EDITION 4-CD Track Listing
Disc One: Headquarters (& More) Remixed
1. “You Told Me” 2. “I’ll Spend My Life With You” 3. “Forget That Girl” 4. “Band 6” 5. “You Just May Be The One” 6. “Shades Of Gray” 7. “I Can’t Get Her Off My Mind” 8. “For Pete’s Sake” 9. “Mr. Webster” 10. “Sunny Girlfriend” 11. “Zilch” 12. “No Time” 13. “Early Morning Blues And Greens” 14. “Randy Scouse Git”
Bonus Material 15. “The Girl I Knew Somewhere” – Version One 16. “All Of Your Toys” * 17. “The Girl I Knew Somewhere” – Version Two * 18. “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You” * 19. “She Hangs Out” * 20. “Gotta Give It Time” * 21. “Love To Love” * 22. “99 Pounds” * 23. “You Can’t Tie A Mustang Down” * 24. “If I Learned To Play The Violin” * 25. “Sally” 1969 Version *
Disc Two: January 1967 Sessions
1. “The Girl I Knew Somewhere” (Gold Star Demo) * 2. “All Of Your Toys” (Gold Star Demo) * 3. “She’s So Far Out, She’s In” – Backing Track (Take 2) 4. “The Girl I Knew Somewhere” – Version One, Backing Track (Take 10) * 5. “All Of Your Toys” – Backing Track (Take 1) 6. “Love To Love” – Backing Track (Take 1) * 7. “Love To Love” – Backing Track (Take 14) * 8. “You Can’t Tie A Mustang Down” – Backing Track (Take 5) * 9. “Gotta Give It Time” (Rehearsal) * 10. “Gotta Give It Time” – Backing Track (Take 4) * 11. “99 Pounds” – Backing Track (Takes 3 & 4) * 12. “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You” – Backing Track (Take 2) * 13. “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You” – Backing Track (Takes 3 & 4) * 14. “She Hangs Out” – Backing Track (Take 2) * 15. “I Wanna Be Your Puppy Dog” – Backing Track (Take 10) * 16. “Love Is On The Way” – Backing Track (Take 7) * 17. “Sally” – Backing Track (Take 2) * 18. “Sugar Man” – Backing Track (Take 6) * 19. “Poor Little Me” – Backing Track (Take 14) * 20. “If I Learned To Play The Violin” – Backing Track (Take 4) * 21. “Black And Blue” – Backing Track (Take 6) * 22. “Eve Of My Sorrow” – Backing Track (Take 7) * 23. “The Love You Got Inside” – Backing Track (Take 9) * 24. “Seeger’s Theme” – Demo (Takes 1 & 2) * 25. “Seeger’s Theme” – Demo (Take 3) 1967 Mono Rough Mix * 26. “The Girl I Knew Somewhere” – 1967 Mono Mix 1 27. “All Of Your Toys” – 1967 Mono Mix 28. “The Girl I Knew Somewhere” – 1967 Mono Mix 2
Disc Three: February 1967 Sessions
1. “99 Pounds” – Alternate Vocal (Take 1) * 2. “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You” – Alternate Vocal (Take 1) * 3. “She Hangs Out” – Alternate Backing Vocals * 4. “If I Learned To Play The Violin” – CD-Rom Mix 5. “99 Pounds” – Alternate Vocal (Take 2 with Handclaps) * 6. “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You” – Mono Single Mix 7. “99 Pounds” – 1967 Mono Mix * 8. “She Hangs Out” – Mono Single Mix 9. “The Girl I Knew Somewhere” – Backing Track (Take 11) * 10. “Sunny Girlfriend” – Take 7 With Scratch Vocal * 11. “Mr. Webster” – Alternate Vocal Mix * 12. “She’ll Be There” – Demo, 1967 Mono Rough Mix * 13. “Midnight Train” – Demo, 1967 Mono Rough Mix * 14. “Can You Dig It” – Demo, 1967 Mono Rough Mix * 15. “Nine Times Blue” – Demo, 1967 Mono Rough Mix * 16. “Until It’s Time For You To Go” – Davy Demo, 1967 Mono Rough Mix * 17. “Until It’s Time For You To Go” – Mike Demo * 18. “Sunny Girlfriend” – Acoustic Remix 19. “The Girl I Knew Somewhere” – Mono Single Mix
Disc Four: March 1967 (& Beyond) Sessions
1. “Randy Scouse Git” – Alternate Version (Take 18) * 2. “You Told Me” – Take 15 With Alternate Vocal * 3. “Peter Gunn’s Gun” – Backing Track, 1967 Mono Rough Mix * 4. “Forget That Girl” – Take 15 With Alternate Overdubs * 5. “Where Has It All Gone” – Backing Track (Take 12) * 6. “The Last Thing On My Mind” – Informal Recording * 7. “Randy Scouse Git/East Virginia” * 8. “Forget That Girl” – With Alternate Backing Vocals * 9. “Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho” 10. “Fever” – Backing Track, 1967 Mono Rough Mix * 11. “Pillow Time” – Alternate Take Of Demo Version * 12. “Masking Tape” – Backing Track (Take 16, Called “13”) * 13. “Detuned 12-Bar Jam” * 14. “You Just May Be The One” – With Alternate Backing Vocals * 15. “No Time” – Version One, Backing Track (Take 2) * 16. “Cantata & Fugue In C&W” – Unedited Version * 17. “The Story Of Rock And Roll” – Version One, Backing Track (Take 18) * 18. “Untitled Jam” * 19. “The Story Of Rock And Roll” – Version Two, Backing Track (Take 28) * 20. “Early Morning Blues And Greens” – Alternate Vocals * 21. “No Time” – Backing Vocal Mix * 22. “Just A Game” – Demos (Takes 1-3) * 23. “Zilch” – KHJ Radio Spot 24. “For Pete’s Sake” – TV Edit 25. “Tema Dei Monkees” – Mono 45 Version 26. “Love To Love” – 1969 Mono Mix 27. “You Can’t Tie A Mustang Down” – 1969 Mono Mix * 28. “Tema Dei Monkees” – Stereo LP Version 29. “99 Pounds” – Mono Album Mix
Micky Dolenz in Hanover, PA. All Photos by Fred Velez
Micky Dolenz and his band played three concerts in two days in the Pennsylvania area the weekend of October 7th & 8th on his current Fall tour. He landed first in Hanover, PA at the beautiful Eichelberger PAC on October 7th. The band which included Micky’s sister Coco, guitarist and music director Wayne Avers, bassist John Billings, drummer Rich Dart, second guitarist Emeen Zarookian and Alex Jules on keyboard launched right into ‘(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone’. Micky came on stage to great applause and without missing a beat got right into the song. This was quickly followed by The Monkees 1986 Top 40 hit ‘That Was Then, This Is Now’. After the song Micky said hello to the audience and talked about the many song writers who wrote for The Monkees and introduced the song Peter Tork wrote, ‘For Pete’s Sake’, which became the closing theme for The Monkees series second season.
Sellersville, PA
Next up on the set list was the song Michael Nesmith submitted to The Monkees producers that was rejected as “not being a Monkees song’, and that Nez gave to Linda Ronstadt and the Stone Ponys, ‘Different Drum’ with Micky’s sister Coco singing the lead. This was followed by Micky’s pre-Monkees single ‘Don’t Do It’. Before introducing the next song written by Mike Nesmith ‘Mary, Mary’, Micky told the story that the guitarist who played the guitar part on the song also played the guitar on ‘Don’t Do It’, Glen Campbell.
Coco Dolenz – Hanover, PA
Hanover, PA
Sellersville, PA
Micky next told the story of meeting the other British “Royal Family” The Beatles, and about writing ‘Randy Scouse Git’ which was released as ‘Alternate Title’ in England because of inappropriateness of the original title. This was followed by the story of Micky being invited to a Beatles recording session at Abbey Road during the ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’ sessions and he and the band launched into the album’s title song.
Sellersville, PA
The next stories dealt with Micky’s auditions for The Monkees leading into ‘Last Train To Clarksville’ and the next song which Micky proudly exclaimed got him The Monkees gig, Chuck Berry’s ‘Johnny B. Goode’. Micky next recounted the story about when California experienced a violent earthquake and his concerns for his family in Los Angeles, with him calling Coco and to ease the tension singing the Carole King song ‘I Feel The Earth Move’, which Coco took the lead vocals on. The first half of the show closed with Micky singing ‘Valleri’ before the intermission.
Sellersville, PA
Sellersville, PA
The second half of the show began with Micky sitting on a stool and talking about attending the recent ceremony in Los Angeles where Mama Cass Elliot received a posthumous Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and at the ceremony became reacquainted with Steven Stills who had also auditioned for The Monkees and encouraged Peter Tork to try out for the project. Micky and the band then began the Stills song ‘For What It’s Worth’ with guitarist Wayne Avers faithfully recreating the distinctive guitar parts of the song. Micky acknowledged former partner Davy Jones with ‘Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)’.
Wayne Avers, Hanover, PA
Micky and the band then gave a two song salute to the Beatles with back to back renditions of ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ and ‘Get Back’, the latter with Coco on lead vocals.
Sellersville, PA
Micky then went to the lip of the stage and said, “I guess you know what’s next? If you know the words, please don’t sing along, it throws me off!” and he and the band went right into ‘Daydream Believer’, Coco even adding an alarm clock, then when they got to the final chorus Micky and the band invited the audience to sing along, Micky adding his traditional salute to Davy as the song ended. The set ended with a rollicking rendition of ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’ before the encores which consisted of the Spencer Davis Group classic ‘Gimme Some Lovin’ where Micky introduced the band members before ending the show with The Monkees biggest hit ‘I’m A Believer’, after which Micky, Coco and the band took their final bows as the entire theater audience gave them a standing ovation. Micky and Coco later stayed to sign autographs at the souvenir table.
Sellersville, PA
The next day, October 8th, Micky and the band played two shows at the Sellersville Theatre in Sellersville, PA at 3pm and 8pm. I attended the afternoon show. The set was pretty much the same as Hanover but with additional video segments that weren’t part of the Hanover show and with some song substitutions; ‘Randy Scouse Git’ and ‘Look Out’ wasn’t performed, ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’ was added and ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ replaced ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ during the Beatles set. Micky’s daughter Emily Dolenz attended this show with her family and for the encore Micky added the Beatles ‘Birthday’ in honor of Emily’s husband. The show closed with ‘I’m A Believer’ with the enthusiastic crowd giving Micky and the band another well deserved standing ovation. Afterwards Micky and Coco went to the lobby to meet fans and sign autographs at the merchandise table.
The shows I attended were full of energy, Micky looked amazing as he gave a killer performance. The entire band were top notch, Coco quite wonderful in her solo spots. These were among the best shows I’ve seen Micky do as both a solo performer and on the Monkees tours. This is a not to be missed show, so try and catch Micky Dolenz when he comes to your town!
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’.
Between the 1989 and 1996 Monkees reunions, Micky Dolenz busied himself with several projects. One was to be his first real Rock and Roll solo album. Collaborating with the late Jerry Corbetta of the band Sugarloaf, Micky recorded demos of the songs he wanted to use for the proposed solo album. Due to other pressing professional and personal matters, the album went through a series of starts and stops. Three of Micky’s songs ended up on the Monkees 1996 reunion album ‘Justus’. Not finding interest from the record companies, Micky privately released a signed limited edition cd of nine of the songs for the album that was eventually titled ‘Demoiselle’ on his own website in 1998.
The original 1998 ‘Demoiselle’
7a Records has reissued an expanded version of ‘Demoiselle’ with three additional songs in a rearranged set order with new cover art, many 1990’s circa photos of Micky and excellent and extensive liner notes by Monkees expert Mark Kleiner. Two of the songs, ‘My Heart Is Failing Me’ and ‘Piston Power’ were issued as a digital single prior to the album’s release. ‘My Heart’ is a nice Pop ballad with a distinct 90’s touch, and ‘Piston Power’ is a fun little Rocker.
Micky gives a wonderful performance on all of the songs. The early versions of songs that ended up on ‘Justus’ have a different feel before The Monkees put their stamp on them. ‘Never Enough’ has the Rock edge of the ‘Justus’ version minus Michael Nesmith’s guitar solo. ‘Dyin’ Of a Broken Heart’ is much more jaunty with a Rockabilly swing. ‘Regional Girl’ has a Techno rhythm with more synths in the mix. ‘We Were Not That Bad’ almost made it unto ‘Justus’, and I think that album would have benefited by its inclusion, a bittersweet song of regrets with a simple acoustic guitar backing that brings out the poignancy of the lyrics.
‘Lonely Weekends’ has a mariachi vibe running through it, you can tell Micky had a good time recording it from his lively performance. ‘Put A Hold On Your Heart’ has a great 90’s beat with a very soulful Dolenz vocal. ‘Torch For Hire’ has a very danceable Techno beat, ‘It’s The Season’ is very organ heavy and Micky does a good job singing it. A live version of ‘Since I Fell For You’ which Micky has done on Monkees and solo shows is a very soulful ballad with an emotional Micky vocal and a great saxophone solo by Aviva Maloney. The album ends with the Dolenz penned ‘Beverly Hills’, making its third appearance on a Dolenz/7a Records release, but still great to hear, and it makes a nice album closer.
As per it’s usual quality standards, 7a Records packaging of the album is excellent in both cd and red 180g vinyl. For those who missed out on the original 1998 limited release, the expanded ‘Demoiselle’ is a great addition to any Monkees and Micky Dolenz fan collection. Let’s hope that Micky will include some of these songs into his live setlist.
Are you listening, George Michael Dolenz? 😉
1. My Heart Is Failing Me 2. Lonely Weekends 3. Never Enough 4. Dyin’ Of A Broken Heart 5. We Were Not So Bad 6. Piston Power 7. Put A Hold On Your Heart 8. Regional Girl 9. Torch For Hire 10. It’s The Season 11. Since I Fell For You 12. Beverly Hills
RELEASED ON AUGUST 12: The deluxe edition of Micky Dolenz’s solo album “Demoiselle”. The album will be available on CD & Vinyl. The CD comes with a big 32 page colour booklet featuring extensive liner notes and previously unseen photos. The Vinyl edition comes in a gatefold sleeve and is pressed on 180g red vinyl. You can order a signed copy straight from Micky. See below for buying options:
US Customers:
Get a signed or unsigned copy straight from Micky Dolenz: www.mickydolenz.com
For all other territories, please check Amazon and local dealers. More websites will carry the album very soon.
The Album
Produced mainly by Jerry Corbetta (Sugarloaf – “Green-Eyed Lady”) and Dolenz, Demoiselle features solo recordings made between 1981-1992 and includes previously unreleased material. Originally planned for release in the early 1990s, the album never received a record deal for a number for reasons. Dolenz privately released nine of the recordings in 1998, but they were only available for a short period of time via mail order. This new and definitive version of Demoiselle has been remastered from the original master tapes. It includes 3 previously unreleased bonus tracks and presents the material in a different sequence.
Dolenz had started off on this solo album trail determined to forge an identity distinct from his Monkees past. Ironically, it would take a Monkees reunion for the fruits of Dolenz’s 1990’s solo music efforts to first see the light of day, as Dolenz recalls: “Nez and Peter and David came over to my house … I played them the [1992 demo] tracks, some of them, and some of those are the ones that ended up on [1996 Monkees reunion album] Justus.” (In the end, the Monkees recorded new versions of “Never Enough”, “Dyin’ Of A Broken Heart”, and “Regional Girl” for Justus; Dolenz recalls “We Were Not That Bad” also getting considered but does not remember why it did not make the final cut).
Glenn Gretlund from 7A Records: “This expanded reissue of Demoiselle has been more than two years in the making. We wanted to ensure that we could do the album justice and we have added everything to the package we possibly could, so that it now comes with three previously unreleased bonus tracks, a big 32 page booklet with extensive liner notes and previously unseen pictures. In addition, the recordings have been remastered from the original master tapes and I am really pleased with how everything has turned out. I remember buying this album when it first came out in the early 1990s. It must have been out of print for at least 20 years and I’m delighted to be able to make this new, superior version available to the public.”
Track listing:
1. My Heart Is Failing Me
2. Lonely Weekends
3. Never Enough
4. Dyin’ Of A Broken Heart
5. We Were Not That Bad
6. Piston Power
7. Put A Hold on Your Heart
8. Regional Girl
9. Torch For Hire
10. It’s the Season
11. Since I Fell For You (Live)
12. Beverly Hills
Digital Only Single:
A “digital only” single from Demoiselle was released on July 8 -“My Heart Is Failing Me”/”Piston Power.” The single is available to download and stream from all digital sites.
For more information and for our other Monkees related releases, please visit www.7arecords.com and sign up to our newsletter.
7A Records announces the release of Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart’s original studio and live albums. In the mid-1970s promoters were trying to reunite the Monkees, but with Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork unavailable, it was suggested that Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones team up with Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart to tour as ‘The Golden Great Hits Of The Monkees Show – ‘The Guys Who Wrote ‘Em & The Guys Who Sang ‘Em’. The group signed a deal with Capitol Records to record a self-titled studio album of new material. They later released a live album from their tour of Japan. Both albums have been unavailable and out of print for many years. 7A Records have tracked down the original master tapes, that were presumed missing for at least 27 years, and remastered both albums for this release. Available as deluxe 2CD and 2LP sets, the CD version will include a big 40 page colour booklet featuring extensive liner notes and previously unseen photos. The 2LP version comes in a gatefold sleeve and is pressed on special 180g Green, Black and Yellow Quad Vinyl.
Micky Dolenz is also making available on his website Signed vinyl copies of the D, J, B & H reissue. The release date for the signed album is July 8th, 2022.
1. Right Now
2. I Love You (And I’m Glad That I Said It)
3. You And I
4. Teenager In Love
5. Sail On Sailor
6. It Always Hurts The Most In The Morning
Side Two
1. Moonfire
2. You Didn’t Feel That Way Last Night (Don’t You Remember)
3. Along Came Jones
4. Savin’ My Love For You
5. I Remember The Feeling
6. Sweet Heart Attack
LP 2 (Concert in Japan)
Side One
1. Last Train To Clarksville
2. Medley:
Valleri/Daydream Believer/A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
3. I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight
4. (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
5. I Wanna Be Free
6. Savin’ My Love For You
7. Pleasant Valley Sunday
Side Two
1. I Remember The Feeling
2. A Teenager In Love
3 Cuddly Toy
4. Medley:
Come A Little Bit Closer/Pretty Little Angel Eyes/Hurt So Bad/
Peaches ‘N’ Cream/Something’s Wrong With Me/Keep On Singing
5. I Love You (And I’m Glad That I Said It)
6. Action
Following the success of the ‘Dolenz Sings Nesmith’ album, 7a Records has issued a new recording, ‘Dolenz Sings Nesmith: The E.P.’, featuring four songs that were recorded during the original sessions which were left off for space reasons.
Produced by Michael Nesmith’s son Christian, the E.P. continues the format of Micky Dolenz covering songs written by the late Michael Nesmith as a homage to his Monkees partner and friend. As with the previous album, rather than recreate mirror versions of the original arrangements in a “Karaoke” style, Christian and Dolenz approach the material with new arrangements that adds a new dimension to the familiar songs that honors the creativity Nez instilled in them.
The first of the four songs is ‘Soul-Writer’s Birthday’, which Nesmith wrote and copyrighted in 1967 but never recorded. The arrangement is reminiscent of songs like ‘Star Collector’ and ‘Salesman’, with Nez’s esoteric lyrics referencing “the 25th of June”, which after some research, turns out to be the period that Nesmith recorded his first official Monkees tunes in 1966. It’s a fun tune that could have fitted on The Monkees’ ‘Pisces’ album.
The next song is the Nesmith classic ‘Some of Shelly’s Blues’, previously recorded by Linda Ronstadt and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Micky’s version of the song is very close to the original arrangement with some very tasty pedal steel guitar work done by Pete Finney.
‘The Cripple Lion’ has the most radically different arrangement from the original, with a beautiful cello played by Cameron Stone. The slower pace emphasizes the poignant lyrics, which reinforces the loss of Michael Nesmith. Hearing this version makes me miss Nez even more.
The final song ‘Grand Ennui’ was the bonus track on the cd version of ‘Dolenz Sings Nesmith’. It’s a rollicking number with barrelhouse piano and great background vocals by Circe Link.
The E.P. is available on CD, download and streaming, and for a limited time on Blue Vinyl. The cover presents a night time variation of the original cover, with a nice big silver moon in the night sky.
As the first major release after his sad passing, ‘Dolenz sings Nesmith: The E.P.’ is an appropriate salute to the music of Michael Nesmith and makes a fine companion to the previously released album.
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.
Michael Nesmith has passed away on December 10th, 2021 at the age of 78, just a few weeks short of his birthday on December 30th which he shared with fellow Monkee, the late Davy Jones. I’ve been a fan of the Monkees for 55 years, and I’ve been rewarded by the incredible music and art I’ve been exposed to during those years by the four individuals, especially Papa Nez.
The Monkees: Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith
When I began watching the Monkees television show after I discovered it in 1967, I loved the series which was like watching The Beatles every week on a regular basis, except with a different foursome of comic musicians. Each member stood out: Micky Dolenz was the wild, crazy one. Peter Tork was the sweet and naive goofy one. Davy Jones was the cute, Paul McCartney type heartthrob. And Mike, the one in the green wool hat, well he was Mike, the group leader, the cool one with the laconic, sly sense of humor. As much as I liked the other three, there was something special about Nesmith. You couldn’t quite put your finger on it, but you just couldn’t take your eyes off him. When he entered a scene he captured your full attention. There was just a mystique about him.
This wasn’t just true about the television show. This carried over into the group’s recordings. As good as some of the other songs might have been, Nesmith’s tracks immediately stood out. They were well written and had an edge to them that demanded further attention. They weren’t frivolous Pop tunes, they were songs that carried a bit more weight and maturity than a typical 1960’s Pop song. And they sounded different than the other songs that shared the albums. The songs had a distinct Country flavor to them that made them sound much more unique. Even the songs he didn’t write benefited from his touch.
After the whole Monkee trip ended, Nesmith continued onward on a path of his own making. His solo recordings, starting with the First National Band albums, saw Papa Nez following his muse, branding his songs with the Country tinge first heard in his Monkees recordings, but with the help of musical partner Red Rhodes, the songs went into a whole other stratosphere. The imagery the songs evoked were much more cosmic and other worldly, it’s no wonder that he earned the nickname of the ‘Cosmic Cowboy’. His records may not have been as big sellers as artists like Gram Parsons, The Byrds or the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band who played in a similar style, but they were just as creative, if not more-so.
As a growing artist, Nesmith was not content to remain in one style for long. He continued to push himself forward with unusual concepts like ‘The Prison’, a book with a soundtrack, that saw his writing style become much more visual in execution. This naturally led to the next step in Nez’s artistic evolution, a new way to visually present musical ideas, the Music Video. Where there had been ‘promotional films’ issued by artists to help sell their records, Nesmith’s approach with his video ‘Rio’ was much more cinematic, presenting the music in a non-linear visual style, at times with a story that wasn’t a virtual representation of the song lyrics, but carried their own storyline apart from the actual song.
Continuing to move forward with these concepts, Nesmith produced the long form video ‘Elephant Parts’ which combined his music with his unique sense of humor, winning a Grammy Award in the brand new category of Music Video, becoming the first music artist to win in the field. Nesmith branched out and became a movie producer for films like ‘Time Rider’, and the acclaimed ‘Repo Man’ and ‘Tape Heads’. He later became a published author of fiction and most recently with his autobiography ‘Infinite Tuesday’.
Michael Nesmith with first Grammy Award for Music Video
I followed Michael Nesmith through all these phases of his career, and I was rewarded by the exposure of the art that he was creating. From the Monkees television series, the records, the movie ‘Head’, the ’33 & 1/3 Revolution per Monkee’ tv special, his solo music career and his entry into the field of Music Video, each was a stepping stone where he kept going forward and rarely if ever looked back.
Elephant Parts, 1981
While I had seen and met Davy, Micky and Peter at concerts from 1976 into the 1980’s, I didn’t meet Nesmith until 1981 when he launched ‘Elephant Parts’ at a special party event at Tavern on the Green in New York City. I was invited to the event through my friend, animation expert Jerry Beck. Finally meeting the man, we shook hands and I told him how much I admire his work and that I wished him great success with his new video venture. He smiled and humbly thanked me. I was immediately struck by the full attention he gave, paying total attention to me as I spoke, his eyes kind and friendly. Whatever nervousness I may have had before, Nesmith wiped it away with his gentle demeanor. To this day, the memory of that first meeting has stuck with me.
I fortunately had other occasions in meeting Nez. In 1986 when the incredible Monkees 20th anniversary tour had ended it’s successful run, I was able to attending the taping of MTV Christmas Video that would feature all four Monkees, Nez disguised as Santa Claus as the big surprise ending of the video. I had already made friends with Davy Jones and Peter Tork and they both said hello to me when I entered the studio. It was Peter who introduced me to Mike who was all decked out in the Santa suit and makeup. As on our first meeting, Nez was friendly and he gave me his full attention as we spoke. All four Monkees signed the latest copy of Maggie McManus’s Monkee Business Fanzine that I brought with me which had a cover illustration featuring all four of them. When the taping had finished to reveal the big surprise of Nesmith as Santa Claus, I was able to have pictures taken with Davy Jones and Michael Nesmith whose eyebrows were still white from the Santa makeup.
Fred Velez with Michael Nesmith at the taping the 1986 The Monkees MTV Christmas Video.
The next time our paths crossed was in 1989 when the Monkees were going to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which would be proceeded by a concert at the Universal Amphitheater with all four members, Nesmith’s first fully rehearsed Monkees concert since 1968. (He had made a surprise guest appearance when Micky, Davy and Peter played the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles in 1986).
A Monkees convention took place the weekend of the events. Having never seen any of the 1967 concerts, seeing all four Monkees sharing the same stage together allowed me to cross off this major event from my bucket list. When Mike came on stage the entire theatre broke out in major shrieks of excitement from the fans which raised the roof. There was not a dry eye in the house as tears of joy were shed by the time the show ended.
There was even more excitement the following day when the Monkees were to receive their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a special ceremony held in front of the Vogue Theatre where the movie ‘Head’ premiered in 1968. Helen Pantuso, who spearheaded the campaign for the Monkees to receive their star, called on me to help with fan security. Inside the Vogue Theatre the Monkees were finishing up a press conference prior to the ceremony when Helen brought me in. Peter saw me first and then Davy and they both said hi. Peter then introduced me to Nesmith, telling him that I was major booster of the group. As in our previous meetings Nez was friendly and attentive as we spoke. As we were speaking, our mutual friend photographer Michael G. Bush who was taking pictures of the group, politely told me that I was in the shot. I quickly apologized and started to move away when I felt someone tug at my elbow. It was Peter Tork who was pulling me back into the group and said “Fred, you’re IN the picture!!!” So I had a photo taken with myself and all four Monkees as well as musician Lawrence Haley who was part of the Monkees backup band. In the picture it looks like I’m thinking “I can’t believe that I’m in this picture!!!”. The photo is a treasured piece of my Monkees collection, and I’ll always thank the kindness of Peter Tork for helping to make it happen.
Fred Velez with the Monkees and Lawrence Haley, Vogue Theatre 1989.
I’ve had other occasions where I met Nesmith, including a solo concert he performed at the Lone Star Cafe in New York City during the promotional tour of his album ‘Tropical Campfires’. Seeing Nez in a solo show was another check off my bucket list, as he performed from his classic catalog as well as selections from his new album. After the show there was an informal meet & greet where Mike said hello to the fans. I had another opportunity to speak with him and he was just as friendly and attentive as he was at our previous meetings. As we talked I told him that my favorite Monkees song that he wrote was ‘While I Cry’ and I said that I hope he would one day consider performing it live in concert. He gave me a small smile and thanked me and said that he’d think about it.
Fred Velez and Linda Walsh with The Monkees, Beacon Theatre 2011.
The years passed. The Monkees with Davy Jones went on a major tour in 2011 which was one of the best tours they had done in years. I caught them at the Beacon Theatre in New York City and was able to attend the after show meet & greet and had a picture taken with Peter, Davy and Micky along with my future wife Linda. Sadly, it turned out to be the last picture of me and Davy together as he passed away from a heart attack on February 29th, 2012. The devastation of that loss was somewhat alleviated by the joy of finding out that Micky and Peter would be joined by Michael Nesmith for a tour to celebrate the Monkees ‘Headquarters’ album. The tour was in the planning stages with Davy before his untimely passing. Linda and I attended two of the shows on that tour, which became both a celebration of the Monkees and the life of Davy Jones.
In 2013 Michael Nesmith embarked on his first solo tour in years with his ‘Movies of the Mind’ shows. Me and Linda attended the tour stop at Town Hall in New York City, and I was also able to score tickets for the after show meet & greet with Nez. Nesmith and his band gave incredible renditions of his classic songs, which were accompanied by stories that gave a visual flair to the numbers. I was surprised to learn later that Elvis Costello was also in attendance at the show. After the performance, everyone who had meet and greet tickets lined up as we waited for Nez. He finally appeared and met each fan, autographing Monkees and solo items, giving each fan time to talk with him. Finally it was mine and Linda’s turn as we stepped up and Nesmith smiled and shook our hands and signed our items, which included a ‘Elephant Parts’ DVD, a cd box set of Nesmith’s Pacific Arts catalog, and for our friend musician Gary Owen, the cover of his ‘The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees’ album that had already been signed by Davy, Peter and Micky and just needed Mike’s signature. As on previous occasions, Nez gave his full attention to us as we spoke to him. I mentioned that the last time we saw each other that I had suggested if he would please consider performing ‘While I Cry’ live as it was my favorite Monkees song of his. He again smiled and seem to say “we’ll see”.
Fred Velez with Michael Nesmith, Town Hall in New York City 2013
In 2014, Linda and I attended the Monkees Convention being run by Jodi Ritzen and Phyliss Paganucci, a year after the successful Davy Jones Memorial Convention that was also co-produced by Charles Rosenay who had co-produced some of the 1980’s Monkees Conventions along with Maggie McManus and Ed Reilly. 2014 saw the publication of my first book ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’, and I brought along copies of my book which sold out by the end of the weekend. This years’ convention had as special guests Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith in his first full convention appearance since his brief appearance at the 1989 Hollywood Monkees Convention. Nesmith was not only appearing as a guest, he would also be performing one of his ‘Movies of the Mind’ shows at the convention. I saved three books to give signed copies to each member of the attending Monkees. At a special breakfast, I was in the company of fans and the families of the individual Monkees. I gave my inscribed copies to Micky and Peter who graciously accepted them. I was pleased to see the members of Micky’s family looking at the book and passing it amongst themselves.
Michael Nesmith was seated with his family at their table, saying hello to fans who dropped by, playing with a little baby one fan brought along. I waited till a more opportune moment when Nez was free and finally came up to say hello, saying what a pleasure it was to see him again. He thanked me and I offered him the copy of my book as my gift to him and asked him how I should address the inscription, as Mike, Michael or Nez? He smiled and said “Nez would be fine”, and I signed it that way. We had a couple of more minutes before he needed to leave and I again addressed our previous conversations about ‘While I Cry’ and that I hoped one day he would consider performing it. He smiled and thanked me for liking the song and gave me a “we’ll see” look. Later that night he performed his ‘Movies of the Mind’ show which knocked out everyone who attended. Nez was surprised and pleased by the incredible crowd response, grinning so wide you could see him glow from the other side of the room. Many in the audience who had never seen a solo Nesmith show before became instant converts. It was one of the best solo Michael Nesmith concerts that I ever had the pleasure of attending.
Over the years Nesmith did a few more Monkees tours with Micky and Peter as well as some solo shows. He sat out most of the 2016 50th Anniversary Monkees tour, making a special Skype appearance at the New York Town Hall concert performing ‘Papa Gene’s Blues’.
Nez did commit himself to perform live at the September Monkees Pantages Theatre concert in Hollywood. Linda and I quickly got tickets for this show and made hotel arrangements to stay in Hollywood for the weekend of the concert. Peter Tork, who had been diagnosed with throat cancer, was unable to do the two shows prior to the Pantages concert, and Nesmith stood in for him on those dates.
There was a buzz of excitement the night of the Pantages concert. Fans came from all around the world for this major event. As Linda and I entered the theatre we saw old friends like Monkees friend and actress Valerie Kairys Venet, and I was surprised and pleased to see Marty Ross of the New Monkees was there for the show too.
Fred Velez with Marty Ross of the New Monkees at the Pantages Theatre, 2016.
The concert was fantastic, with a mixture of the classic Monkees songs plus selections from the 2016 album ‘Good Times!’, the first album of new Monkees material since the 1996 ‘Justus’ album, the last album with Davy Jones. The songs from the new album that went over the best were the beautifully haunting ‘Me and Magdalena’ written by Ben Gibbard and ‘Birth Of An Accidental Hipster’ written by Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller.
Towards the end of the show, Michael Nesmith took the stage alone with his guitar as he spoke his introduction to the song ‘Tapioca Tundra’, explaining that the inspiration for it was the first concert the Monkees performed in Hawaii in 1966 when with the wild fan adulation, all four members strangely felt the presence of another person sharing the stage with them. After that concert Mike asked the others if they too had felt that presence and Peter said that he thought he knew what it was. Mike pressed him and Peter answered “that was The Monkees”. Nez agreed with the assessment, acknowledging that with the group and the audience together, that they were all collectively ‘The Monkees’, which were expressed in the lyrics, “it can not be a part of me, but now it’s part of you”.
The entire show was emotional for the group and the fans attending, especially later when it sadly became the final Monkees concert Michael, Micky and Peter would perform together before Peter Tork succumbed to his cancer on February 21st, 2019.
Nesmith and Dolenz would tour together in 2018 as ‘The Mike and Micky Show’ with Michael planning another solo tour with his First National Band Redux band, having already performed a special show at the Troubadour Club in Los Angeles earlier that year.
The ‘Mike & Micky’ tour was at the mid-way point when it was reported that Nesmith was ill and the rest of the tour was cancelled to be rescheduled as Mike had to go for a triple bypass. After an amazingly short recovery period, Nez was again on the road for his First National Band Redux tour. The man’s stamina was incredible as he was in good spirits and fine voice for the shows. We saw the show in New York and we were astounded by how strong Nez was.
Later in the year the new dates for the Mike and Micky Show were announced and Linda and I were able to obtain reasonably priced VIP tickets for the pre-show rehearsal at the Beacon Theatre in New York in March 2019. The informality was illuminating as the band went through several numbers, including a couple that they performed only at the rehearsal. The main concert itself had a sad bittersweetness to it as it took place just several weeks after the passing of Peter Tork. Peter was acknowledged in a special video of him performing the classic standard ‘Till Then’ on acoustic guitar. It was a moving tribute and received an emotional ovation.
The main show contain a great selection of classic Monkees tunes, many of them penned by Nesmith with rarities like ‘St. Matthew’ and ‘Auntie’s Municipal Court’ thrown into the mix. Further tributes to the missing Monkees Peter and Davy included ‘For Pete’s Sake’, ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’ and the emotionally charge ‘Daydream Believer’. The show concluded with Nesmith on stage alone starting an a cappella version of ‘Listen To The Band’ which segued into a full band rendition and ending with the group’s biggest hit ‘I’m A Believer’.
The ‘Mike and Micky Show’ was to continue with new dates into 2020. And then the Covid 19 pandemic happened with many events canceled throughout the remainder of the year. The concerts were rescheduled for late 2021 with additional dates added. These shows were going to be different as it was announced that this would be the Monkees Farewell tour. When the early dates of the tour began, while Micky was in good form, there were concerns for the health of Michael Nesmith. He appeared very fragile and unsteady during the early shows, not playing guitar and sitting on a stool for the majority of the show. His voice was a little shaky with him speak-singing for most of the show. Even with the strong support of Micky and the rest of the band, it was hard to ignore Nez’s condition. As the tour progressed, it appear the Mike was getting stronger and more engaged from the emotional energy being given off by the fans. He sang a little more strongly and seemed to feed off the love coming from the audience. As with the tour previous many Monkees classics were performed, several of them written by Nez.
Linda and I attended the October 22nd show in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. We saw many familiar faces like Jodi Ritzen, Scott Erickson and Micky’s wife Donna. By this time I had written my second book ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 2: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives’. I had brought along three signed copies for Micky, Mike and their manager and Monkees archivist and author Andrew Sandoval. Security were able to get my books backstage and Andrew contacted me afterwards to assure me that he, Mike and Micky had gotten the books.
The show soon began and everyone cheered as Micky and Mike entered from separate sides of the stage. Micky looked great and energized. Nesmith however looked a bit frail and walked steadily to his chair. He smiled and waved to the fans and thanked them for coming. As they performed the opening number of Nez’s ‘Good Clean Fun’, Mike spoke/sang the song as Micky sang to keep the tempo up. Despite early concerns, Nesmith’s spirit seemed to rise as he fed off the love generated by the fans. At times his vocals were a bit shaky, and other times his voice was as strong as it had been just a few years earlier. He waved and clowned with Micky on stage to the delight of the audience. When a song associated with Micky was being performed, Nez would duck into the wings on his side of the stage to rest before coming back.
After the intermission came the part of the show I was waiting for as I learned about the set list prior to the show. Nesmith haltingly explained the song he was about to sing and how it expressed sentiments felt by many. Then Mike began to sing ‘While I Cry’ from the 1969 Monkees ‘Instant Replay’ album, the song I had been waiting for years to hear him perform. While the vocals were shaky at times, Nez’s emotions reflected those in the lyrics, as the audience sat silently listening. The band played beautifully and with Micky’s sister Coco, sang lovely backup vocals. As the song came to its emotional conclusion with Mike tearfully singing the last lines, there was not a dry eye in the house. When the song ended I along with the rest of the audience gave Nesmith a well deserved standing ovation, which pleasantly surprised Mike who graciously thanked the fans as Micky came forward and gave Nez a big hug.
There were many highlights in the show, with Mike beaming at the enthusiastic response from the audience. The show came to an end with ‘I’m A Believer’ with Micky, Mike, Coco and the rest of the band bowing to a standing ovation from the fans. Micky and Mike soon exited to separate sides of the stage, with every eye on Nesmith as he disappeared into the wings.
Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith, Greek Theatre November 14, 2021
A few weeks later the tour would end at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on November 14th, the official last stop on the tour. It was fitting that the tour would conclude on the historic stage that all four Monkees reunited on in 1986. Mike and Micky were to perform on a couple of makeup shows that had to be rescheduled plus a cruise show co-headlining with The Beach Boys in 2022.
Sadly, barely three weeks after that final show at the Greek, Michael Nesmith passed away from natural causes.
Following the man’s career for nearly 55 years, we are blessed by the music and art Nez gave to the world. Words are inadequate for everything I feel about his passing. His loss is as devastating as those of Davy Jones, Peter Tork and earlier Elvis Presley, John Lennon and George Harrison. For many fans, they all had the impact of a death in the family.
It’s been a long journey, and we should feel privileged that in a small way, we were able to tag along on Michael Nesmith’s journey.
Thanx for the ride, Nez.
Fred Velez, 2021.
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 latest 7a Records release, Dolenz Sings Nesmith, is a dream project Micky Dolenz has been wanting to do for years. Inspired by his friend Harry Nilsson’s‘Nilsson Sings Newman’ (the songs of Randy Newman), Micky has been itching to record an album of the solo songs of his fellow Monkee Michael Nesmith. With Nez’s son Christian Nesmith helming the production, the dream project is now a reality of outstanding quality and creativity.
Rather than do a straight, karaoke-type album of covers sticking to the original arrangements, Christian and Micky decided to put a different twist to the songs from Nesmith’s catalog, giving each track a unique identity and creating a whole new listening experience. There are hints of the old arrangements within the numbers, with a sheen giving the songs a whole new interpretive flavor.
The moments of “psycho-jello” are amazing throughout this album. The opening track of Carlisle Wheeling (later issued as Conversations on the Loose Salute album) sprinkles appropriate Nez weirdness during the middle part of the song, with faint samples of Nesmith’s ‘Rio’ just under the surface, hinting at the kind of ride the listener is in for.
The Pop Country take on Different Drum is a shout out to the Linda Ronstadt/Stone Ponys hit version that also embraces the country roots of Nesmith’s version of his composition. The simple acoustic rendition of Don’t Wait For Me from the 1969 Monkees’ Instant Replay album is spot on perfect, Micky reflecting on the poignant lyrics with a sincere vocal performance. The subtle organ and drum intro with the other instruments joining in for Keep On provides a wonderful dynamic to the song. Marie’s Theme from The Prison separates the song from its original conceptual arrangement and turns it into a countrified Pop love tune. The use of pedal steel guitar on the song is a nice nod to Nez’s late cosmic partner Red Rhodes.
The pairing of Nine Times Blue, followed by Little Red Rider is particularly notable as these songs followed each other on Nesmith’s Magnetic South LP, his first post-Monkees release with the First National Band. ‘Blues’ is done in poignant piano arrangement with a solemn Dolenz vocal, when incredible background vocals come in and the song segues into a hard rocking version of ‘Rider’. The transition is wonderfully brilliant. You can tell that Micky was paying close attention to Nesmith during his solo period.
Micky Dolenz definitely deserves the accolades of being one of the great Pop voices of the 1960’s. His voice sounds amazing throughout the album, expressing exuberance and pathos in the numbers as needed. This is very true with his version of Tomorrow And Me, with a lovely acoustic/orchestral arrangement, Dolenz vocally expressing the tunes’ sweet sadness. The Eastern Music take of Circle Sky is a unique homage to the original number as well a nod to the late Ravi Shankar, George Harrison and Peter Tork. It turns this well known Nesmith penned Monkees tune into a whole new animal in its own right. The harder Country Rock edge given to Propinquity (I’ve Just Begun To Care), provides an element of fun to the song. And the jaunty new spin on Tapioca Tundra, with the layered vocals of Christian Nesmith and his wife and music partner Circe Link, is a subtle and loving tribute to Harry Nilsson, one of the inspirations for this album.
The album starts to wind down with an acoustically cosmic arrangement of Only Bound featuring a gentle vocal from Micky. The vocal phasing adds to the songs elements of ‘pycho-jello’, giving it a 1967 Monkees/Beatles vibe, which transitions into a shorter, freakier version of You Are My One which is reminiscent of a Beach Boys/Brian Wilson type arrangement.
While the turquoise vinyl and the digital version of the album end on this pyschedelic note, the cd version includes the bonus track of Grand Ennui with a cool, boogie woogie Dr. John like arrangement which gives off a joyful party atmosphere that ends the album.
The original Nilsson Sings Newman album
The album artwork and design by Tim Johnson is a nice homage to the original ‘Nilsson Sings Newman’album that inspired it, and the booklet is sprinkled with great archival photos of Dolenz and Nez from the Monkees period and more recent years, as well as introductory notes from Micky and Christian on the origins of the project. The Rev. Mark Stephen Kleiner provides informative liner notes on the early partnership of Dolenz and Nesmith during the Monkees era and Micky’s admiration for the brilliant creativity of Nez’s songs and his desire to cover them. Besides helming the production, Christian Nesmith also played most of the music on the album with additional musicianship that includes members of the First National Band Redux.
Glenn Gretlund and 7a Records deserve a lot of credit for helping to make Micky Dolenz’s dream project come true. Micky’s voice always finely complimented the songs Michael Nesmith wrote for The Monkees. And now, with this album covering Nez’s solo songs with three Monkees era songs thrown into the mix, fans can fully enjoy Dolenz Sings Nesmith and appreciate it for the loving tribute from one friend to another that it is.
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: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives.
Tour dates for The Monkees 2021 Tour have been announced on TicketMaster and Live Nation. The shows have been listed as a “Farewell Tour”. Besides the rescheduled shows that were postponed from the 2020 tour, additional dates have been added for 2021. Tickets will go on sale at some locations on May 6th and May 7th 2021, with pre-sales at some venues on May 5th, 2021.
Tour Press Release:
Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz of The Monkees will embark on their farewell tour in September 2021. Commemorating 55 years of Monkeemania, the tour will embrace major markets in North America through the fall, launching on September 11 in Seattle and ending back where it all began in Los Angeles at The Greek Theater on November 14. Their critically acclaimed concerts feature the voice of Dolenz (who sang The Monkees’ biggest hits: “I’m A Believer,” “Last Train To Clarksville,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday” and “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone”) and the group’s primary songwriter, Nesmith (who wrote such classics as “Mary, Mary,” “Papa Gene’s Blues,” “You Just May Be The One” and “Listen To The Band,” to name but a few).
Tickets and VIP packages for some dates of “The Monkees Farewell Tour” are on sale now, with more going on sale later this week. Check back here for Presale codes as we get them. Note: most shows will NOT have VIP Soundchecks.
“The Monkees Farewell Tour” will feature songs that span the band’s entire career – from their 1966 self-titled debut album to 2016’s Good Times! Their most recent release, The Monkees – The Mike & Micky Show Live, was issued in April 2020 and became their 17th Billboard charting album release. In addition to their hits, their farewell shows will spotlight songs featured on their Emmy-winning TV series (“The Girl I Knew Somewhere,” “You Told Me,” “Randy Scouse Git,” “Goin’ Down” and “For Pete’s Sake”) as well as music from their feature film Head (“Circle Sky” and “As We Go Along”). Plus some rarely performed deep cuts (such as “Auntie’s Municipal Court”) and tracks from their most-recent studio album, 2016’s Good Times! (“Me & Magdelena” and “Birth Of An Accidental Hipster”).
This farewell tour will mark the end of a unique project that began in 1965 when four young men were cast in a television show about a struggling rock band that was inspired by the Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night. Few could have predicted the impact The Monkees would have on music and pop culture at large, one that still reverberates more than 50 years later.
Check the individual venues, TicketMaster and Live Nation for additional ticket information. Keep visiting this site for updates.
Micky Dolenz: Dolenz Sings Nesmith [7a Records; May 21, 2021]
7A Records is pleased to announce the release of ‘Dolenz Sings Nesmith’ – Micky Dolenz’s first new solo studio album in nine years. The album is comprised of songs Michael Nesmith wrote throughout his career, all beautifully reimagined. Produced by Nesmith’s son, Christian Nesmith, this is the album Monkees fans have waited years to hear.
The Album
Dolenz got the idea for the album a long time ago. As Micky says “I think I first mentioned it to Nez years ago, I don’t know where the idea came from, maybe from my friend Harry Nilsson and his Nilsson Sings Newman album. I thought to myself, ‘Wow, Dolenz Sings Nesmith’”.
Original Nilsson Sings Newman Album
The new album, which was recorded between September 2020 and February 2021, features songs written throughout Nesmith’s long career, including many from the critically acclaimed Michael Nesmith & The First National Band albums, as well as a few Monkees deep cuts. And who better to produce the album than Nesmith’s son, Christian Nesmith, who has done an incredible job in coming up with fresh and completely new arrangements for all of the songs.
This is the album Monkees fans have waited years to hear. The LP version is on 180gm Turquoise Colored Vinyl. The CD version includes a CD Only Bonus track, as well as a big colour booklet with extensive liner notes, previously unseen photos and lyrics to all of the songs.
Tracklist 1. Carlisle Wheeling 2. Different Drum 3. Don’t Wait for Me 4. Keep On 5. Marie’s Theme 6. Nine Times Blue 7. Little Red Rider 8. Tomorrow and Me 9. Circle Sky 10. Propinquity (I’ve Just Begun to Care) 11. Tapioca Tundra 12. Only Bound 13. You are My One 14. Grand Ennui [CD bonus track]
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, The Monkees’ Tour originally scheduled for March/April 2021 is being moved and at two venues cancelled. We appreciate the love and support that you have shown Mike & Micky by holding on to your tickets, and we hope to see you in September.
Should these dates not work for you, please visit your point of purchase for direction on how to request a refund. Please remember that The Monkees Tour has never accepted any money for these dates, holds none of the ticket money nor does it control the regulations of the individual venues and their policies. We very honestly want to see you as soon as it is safe! We can’t wait to get back with our friends and fans, so let us all stay healthy.
PLEASE NOTE: not all ticket sites will reflect these changes immediately. We are providing the best information we have as of this post. We will update as more information becomes available.
3/18/21– Vancouver, BC Canada– Commodore Ballroom
Cancelled
3/21/21– Seattle, WA– Moore Theatre
Date Moving to 9/10/21
3/23/21– Sacramento, CA– The Crest Theatre
Date Moving to 9/14/21
3/24/21– San Jose, CA– San Jose Civic
Date Moving to 9/15/21
3/26/21– Riverside, CA– Fox Performing Arts Center
Date Moving to 9/17/21
3/27/21– El Cajon, CA– The Magnolia
Date Moving to 9/18/21
3/28/21– Phoenix, AZ– Celebrity Theatre
Date Moving to 9/19/21
4/1/21– San Antonio, TX– The Tobin Center for Performing Arts
Date Moving to 9/25/21
4/2/21– Austin, TX– ACL Live at the Moody Theatre
Cancelled – moving to new venue, more details to follow
4/3/21– Dallas, TX- The Majestic Theatre
Date Moving to 9/24/21
4/12/21– Nashville, TN– Schermerhorn Symphony Center
Not Too Late Records has re-released Davy Jones album ‘It’s Christmas Time Once More’ to digital music platforms Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, Amazon Music for streaming, purchase and downloads. Originally issued as ‘Christmas Jones’, the album was compiled by long time Monkees producer Chip Douglas with a new production remix of the songs featuring additional vocals from Micky Dolenz and Coco Dolenz and a new cover by longtime Monkees friend and photographer Henry Diltz. Among the album highlights is a duet between Davy and his youngest daughter Annabel Jones on ‘White Christmas’. According to the recent Zilch! Monkees podcast with Annabel, a physical version of the album should be following.
Davy Jones ‘It’s Christmas Time Once More’ can be streamed, purchased and downloaded at the following digital streaming platforms. Check other digital platforms for availability.
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’.
According to the Rolling Stone Magazine website, Micky Dolenz will be recording a new solo album covering songs by fellow Monkee Michael Nesmith. 7a Records, which has issued several excellent solo Monkees recordings, will be releasing the album.
George Bekich II/Las Vegas News Bureau/Getty Images
Micky Dolenz was in a whole different place in the late 1970’s, early 1980’s. Having parted ways with his performing partner Davy Jones after the run of Harry Nilsson’s ‘The Point’ in England, Micky started a new career as a television director. He achieved enough success to be able to credit himself as Michael Dolenz, his way of distancing himself from his past life as a Monkee. He felt comfortable enough in his new profession of working behind the cameras that he didn’t feel the need to perform in front of them again.
Fate intervened with the huge Japanese Monkees revival of the late 70’s/early 80’s. Thanks to a Kodak commercial in Japan that featured the song ‘Daydream Believer’, a whole new generation of Japanese fans discovered the group, with The Monkees television show in reruns and their records back in print and selling well enough that a demand emerged to see the members of The Monkees perform live in concert again.
Davy Jones was the first Monkee to return to Japan for a tour of concerts (see my review for ‘Davy Jones Live In Japan’). Peter Tork would follow touring with his band The New Monks. Dolenz would be next, the results of his tour can be enjoyed in the new 7a Records release ‘Micky Dolenz Live In Japan’.
Outside of some rare occasions, Micky had never toured as a solo performer before. The 7a Records set documents the shows on both CD and a rare live video performance on a all-region DVD. The Japanese band Marlboro nicely backs Dolenz on these shows which features female background singers. Micky was nervous performing on his first solo tour. He needn’t had been.
The performances capture Micky Dolenz as an energetic and exciting performer. On these shows, he proves himself to be as excellent a front man as Mick Jagger and Elton John at their peak. His set list is pretty diverse, including not only the well known Monkees hits, but also some Mike Nesmith written songs like ‘Sunny Girlfriend’, ‘You Just May Be The One’ and ‘Mary, Mary’ sprinkled in (a sort of preview of the future ‘Mike & Micky Show’). Some rarities at the time, ‘Zor and Zam’, ‘Pillow Time’, and the first time live appearance of ‘No Time’ are also included. Micky also takes a turn at songs he didn’t originally sing lead on; ‘Shades of Gray’, ‘Daydream Believer’ and a very charming version of ‘I Wanna Be Free’ that in the video he sings to and is joined by a sweet Japanese girl he pulls from the audience, providing a very charming moment in the show. His performance of ‘Randy Scouse Git’ on timpani is particularly energetic and fun.
Many US customers will soon receive their copies of our new Micky Dolenz Live In Japan CD + DVD set. Here's a little snippet from the DVD. It's a unique journey back to what was probably Micky's first real tour as a solo artist. US:CD + DVD : https://www.deepdiscount.com/live-in-japan/5060209950099Vinyl: 180g Splatter Vinyl : https://www.keymailrecords.com/live-in-japan-micky-dolenz-7a010lp?search=DolenzUK:CD + DVD : https://www.keymailrecords.com/live-in-japan-micky-dolenz-7a009?search=Dolenz180g Splatter Vinyl : https://www.keymailrecords.com/live-in-japan-micky-dolenz-7a010lp?search=Dolenzor from Amazon
At the time of the tour, Micky recorded a new single, ‘To Be Or Not To Be’ with the self written B-side ‘Beverly Hills’. Both songs are performed as part of the encore, and Micky puts as much energy into them as he did to the familiar Monkees tunes.
Micky Dolenz in Japan promoting the ‘To Be Or Not To Be’ single and Japanese Tour
The CD contains an excellent, high quality recording of one of the shows that includes Micky’s between show patter. The screams from the Japanese fans adds to the level of excitement of the concert. Bonus tracks include both sides of the ‘To Be Or Not To Be/Beverly Hills’ single, and the first time on CD appearances of three extremely rare songs. Two versions of ‘I’m Your Man’ which Micky had performed in finals competition at the 1978 World Popular Song Festival/Yamaha Music Festival. (This was actually Micky’s first live Japanese solo performance prior to the 1982 tour)
The British single ‘Tomorrow’ makes its digital CD debut here too. Featured in the musical stage version of ‘Bugsy Malone’ that Dolenz directed for the West End in England in 1983. It’s a fine, dramatic song with Micky ably assisted by a chorus of background singers.
The DVD featuring the live video of one of the concerts was taped by a single camera, unlike the video in the ‘Davy Jones Live In Japan’ set which was professionally taped. The audio is not as sharp and clear as the CD, but very listenable. Despite the technical limitations, Micky’s energetic performance is beautifully captured, the screaming fans tossing confetti ribbons at him, a couple of times beaning him on the head and Micky feigning unconsciousness, at one point while singing ‘Beverly Hills’, placing his maracas in front of his face to protect himself from the paper missiles. I’ve had a bootleg version of this video for years and it’s so nice to have a version in much better quality. (The limited edition vinyl version of the album is on yellow splattered colored vinyl).
Photo Courtesy of 7a Records
The packaging of the Japan set meets the high standards of quality set by previous 7a Records releases. The cover is designed in the style of Japanese record releases and features a beautiful photo of Micky taken by Henry Diltz. Wonderful photos of Micky in Japan are sprinkled inside the booklet with a very informative essay by Monkee Historian Mark Kleiner. (Thanks for the shout out, Guys!)
‘Micky Dolenz Live In Japan’ is a perfect companion piece to the ‘Davy Jones Live In Japan’ set. Both sets give an excellent overview of an important part of Monkees history that precedes the astounding 1986 20th anniversary reunion tour by several years.
Another quality release from 7a Records that deserves a space in any Monkees fans collection.
Fred Velez, 2020.
Fred Velez is the author of the book ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fans Perspective’.
Andrew Sandoval’s Message Posted on the Zilch Podcast Facebook Page:
May 26, 2020 –
As you might imagine, our tour plans for 2020 have been postponed till 2021.
The good news is, we hope to be back on the road in March and will be adding dates to be announced in the coming weeks for 2021. In other words, we may be coming to your town. Please see below for our rescheduled dates that are currently onsale.
All tickets purchased for shows in April 2020 will be valid at the rescheduled date in March 2021. If you have any issue with attending a specific show, please return to your original point of purchase to see what their policy is for resolution. Any issues with the fulfillment of live CDs must be handled directly through Ticketmaster.
Mike & Micky do not get paid anything from the ticket sales until after a show is performed. And since no shows have been performed on our tour, the power is purely with the ticket sellers now to clear the road for us to return as soon as it is safe for all of us.
Our live album – THE MONKEES LIVE: THE MIKE & MICKY SHOW – is streaming and available now on CD from Rhino. The vinyl version has been delayed a bit in the USA to July 10, 2020. Many of our fans overseas had to wait a little longer for the CD, but they got their vinyl release ahead of the States.
The tracklisting for the vinyl, CD and streaming versions of the album are the same globally: 25 fantastic songs recorded live in 2019, mixed beautifully by Christian Nesmith. We have two live videos from the record you can watch now: https://www.youtube.com/user/themonkees/videos
We hope to have another special video event for the U.S. vinyl release – stay tuned for all the Monkees news & updates.
Here are the newly rescheduled dates for The Monkees featuring Mike Nesmith & Micky Dolenz. Tickets are on sale for all shows!
We wanted to reach out & say that we hope you are staying safe and healthy. We are truly disappointed that we won’t be seeing you all sooner, but thankfully we have been able to move most of our April tour to July 2020.
We are sharing all of the dates that we have confirmed up to this moment. There are a few shows that are getting ironed out right now, so we will be back with another update ASAP. If your date is pending, do not worry! Every date previously scheduled will be played; no dates will be cancelled from our tour.
All previously purchased tickets and VIP soundcheck packages will be honored for the new dates. You should reach out to your specific venue for any additional questions. Refunds will be available at your point of purchase if necessary.
13 of the 15 dates (as noted below) include a copy of our new album, The Monkees Live: The Mike & Micky Show. We are really excited for you to hear it! These CD’s will be shipped out as originally planned on April the 3rd. If you have not redeemed your code for a CD or digital download, please do so now. Codes are available still if you bought your tickets from the original venue/seller (not from a third party reseller) and live inside of North America. If you are missing your code, which would have been emailed to you after your ticket purchase, please email: customer_support@ticketmaster.com and they will help you.
If we are not coming to your town soon, you can still grab our album via the normal retailers; it will be released as planned on 4/3/20. A 2-LP vinyl version will also be available on May 15th. And now, here are the dates and further information for our upcoming tour.
4/3/20– Vancouver, BC Canada– Commodore Ballroom Now July 12
4/4/20– Seattle, WA– Moore Theatre Now July 11
4/7/20– Sacramento, CA– The Crest Theatre Now July 14
4/8/20– San Jose, CA– San Jose Civic Now July 15
4/10/20– Riverside, CA– Fox Performing Arts Center Now July 17
4/11/20– El Cajon, CA– The Magnolia Now July 18
4/14/20– Phoenix, AZ– Celebrity Theatre Now July 21
4/16/20– Dallas, TX– Majestic Theatre July date pending confirmation
4/18/20– Bossier City, LA– Horseshoe Casino Hotel Moving to September 2020 [PLEASE NOTE: free live album not included in ticket]
4/19/20– San Antonio, TX– The Tobin Center for Performing Arts Now July 26
4/20/20– Austin, TX– ACL Live at the Moody Theatre Now July 27
4/22/20– Birmingham, AL– Iron City July date pending confirmation
4/24/20– Lake Charles, LA– Golden Nugget- Grand Event Center Moving to September 2020
4/25/20– Biloxi, MS– IP Casino Resort & Spa Moving to September 2020 [PLEASE NOTE: free live album not included in ticket]
4/26/20– Nashville, TN– Schermerhorn Symphony Center July date pending confirmation
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.
7A Records are proud to present Micky Dolenz “Live In Japan”. Released, on May 8th in UK and May 15th in the US, as a lavishly packaged CD + DVD digisleeve set, including a 24 page booklet, packed with informative liner notes and many previously unseen pictures. Also released as a special limited edition pressing on 180g splatter vinyl.
Micky Dolenz travelled to Japan in early 1982 to give his first ever tour as a solo performer, towards the end of a massive Monkees resurgence that had sparked there in the fall of 1980. Dolenz’s Japanese concerts marked the closest thing he had ever done (up to that point) to a solo concert tour. While he had toured extensively in 1975 and 1976 with Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart, he had seldom set foot on the concert stage post-Monkees ‘on his own’. Dolenz employed a Japanese group of musicians for his backup band, hiring an outfit called Marlboro. The tour provides a revealing look into what he himself, only fifteen years removed from the original Monkees phenomenon, may have considered the crème-de-la-crème of their catalogue. While the practice of playing deep cuts for diehard fans has become more common in recent years, at this early juncture Dolenz makes some captivating choices, including: 1969’s “Pillow Time”, written by his mother Janelle Scott and two killer Nesmith compositions from Headquarters, “Sunny Girlfriend” and “You Just May Be The One”. Also included are the Davy Jones staple “I Wanna Be Free”, “Shades Of Gray” and what might be the first ever concert performance of “Zor And Zam”. The CD + DVD version includes five bonus tracks, including the first ever release of “I’m Your Man” from 1978s World Popular Song Contest in Tokyo, and the first ever reissue of “Tomorrow” from the West End play Bugsy Malone, which Dolenz directed.
1. (Theme From) The Monkees 2. Sunny Girlfriend 3. Last Train To Clarksville 4. You Just May Be The One 5. I’m A Believer 6. Randy Scouse Git 7. Zor And Zam 8. Mary, Mary 9. I Wanna Be Free 10. Pillow Time 11. Shades Of Gray 12. No Time 13. Daydream Believer 14. (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone 15. Goin’ Down 16. Pleasant Valley Sunday 17. Beverly Hills 18. To Be Or Not To Be
CD Only Bonus Tracks: 19. I’m Your Man (Semi-final) 20. I’m Your Man (Final) 21. Tomorrow (from ‘Bugsy Malone’) 22. To Be Or Not To Be (Single Ver.) 23. Beverly Hills (Single Ver.)
180g Splatter Vinyl:
Side One
1. Sunny Girlfriend 2. Last Train To Clarksville 3. You Just May Be The One 4. I’m A Believer 5. Randy Scouse Git 6. Zor And Zam 7. I Wanna Be Free 8. Pillow Time 9. Shades Of Gray
Side Two
1. Mary, Mary 2. No Time 3. Daydream Believer 4. (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone 5. Goin’ Down 6. Pleasant Valley Sunday 7. Beverly Hills 8. To Be Or Not To Be
Micky Dolenz will be performing his Singalong Karaoke show for charity at the famous Iridium Club in New York City right in the heart of Broadway on March 20th & 21st. (Peter Tork has performed several shows at The Iridium Club). Marty Ross of the New Monkees will be co-hosting the show with Micky.
Micky Dolenz and Marty Ross
The Iridium has a limited space that holds 160 people. Tickets for both shows price ranged between $40 to $60 VIP can be purchased on the TicketWeb website. Special VIP and Meet & Greet packages are also available on the TicketWeb site: https://www.ticketweb.com/search?q=Micky+Dolenz+iridium
Micky donates a portion of All proceeds from the ‘Sing Along With Micky Dolenz’ on Broadway event raised at this event benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Micky’s favorite charity.
If you cannot attend but would like to make a donation here is the direct link to Make-A-Wish.
Just like many of the readers of this review, I have been lucky enough to see Micky Dolenz live many times. Although I’m a first-generation fan, the first time I saw him on stage was in 1986 rehearsing – and then performing – in the Monkees’ original reunion at the Happy Together tour’s opening night. Since then, I’ve seen him onstage countless times – with Davy & Peter, with just Davy, with just Peter, with Peter & Mike, with just Mike, and, of course, in many solo concerts. I’ve also experienced Micky live on stage in “Aida,” “Grease,” “Pippin” and “Comedy Is Hard.” I’ve even been lucky enough to have him as a special guest at some of the Monkees Conventions that I’ve helped produce, and it’s been my pleasure to interview him on stage a number of times. I love Micky and still contend that his is one of the greatest voices in pop/rock history.
I must admit that I was a bit apprehensive seeing him in what some refer to as a “karaoke” show. Admittedly, I would pay to see Micky even if he were onstage singing nursery rhymes, but could a whole night of him sharing the stage with amateurs who paid a premium to sing along with him be worthwhile? The answer is a resounding YES! On November 29, 2019, the Nelson Hall Theater at Elim Park in Cheshire, CT hosted this very type of show, billed as “An Evening With Micky Dolenz of The Monkees.” The venue itself is pretty special, and was ideal for this format. Credit to Rachelle Patrignelli at the theater for booking the event. With a capacity of about 400 it was a sell-out, and most of those in attendance were original fans. The event started with producer Jodi Ritzen explaining the proceedings, noting that funds were being raised for Micky’s favorite charity “Make-A-Wish,” and introducing the warm-up players (and, later, back-up singers), Marty Ross (interestingly enough, a member of 1987’s “NEW Monkees,” with a strong voice of his own) and CT native Rich Dart (current Monkees drummer, and quite a versatile talent in his own right). The evening got underway when they got everyone singing along to the 60’s classic “Doo Wah Diddy” before bringing out Micky to accompany audience members in their choice of songs.
The first number couldn’t have been a better choice, “Johnny B. Goode.” For anyone who knows Monkees’ history, this was the song that Micky auditioned with back in 1965. It was part of his screen test that appeared in the pilot episode, and it was a rockin’ way to kick things off with the first audience member sharing the lead. Next up was the first of two “Pleasant Valley Sunday” segments, and the crowd-member got a nice laugh asking Micky “are you nervous?” Everyone enjoyed the Mom who was accompanied by her three kids for “Sometime In The Morning,” and it was cool seeing all three youngsters wearing different Monkees shirts.
Whereas most of the words that appeared on the giant screen for the audience to sing along to were no more than a scroll of karaoke lyrics, special graphics appeared when the next singer chose “For Pete’s Sake.” It was nice seeing Peter’s face accompany the lines to the song he composed. This was followed by the second “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” but a repeat was justified – it was sung by Rachelle, not just the individual responsible for bringing Micky to the theater, but a true fan. Wearing a shimmering red outfit and white boots, she looked like a mid-sixties go-go girl, and sang her favorite song quite well.
At that point there was a brief intermission, with Marty Ross singing the Moody Blues’ “Nights In White Satin,” and Rich Dart joining him on the stage for “Gloria” (the version by Van Morrison’s Them, not the disco song). Micky’s return was not so much to the stage, but to the front row side so he could sing with an audience member who was not able to physically come up. They rocked out to “I’m a Believer” and that was followed by a real rarity – Micky doing a duet on “California Dreamin.'” The next two offerings were truly solid: “She” and “You Just May The One.” What was unique about the latter was that the audience member didn’t just get to sing it with Micky, he also played the drums! Not one to miss a comical opportunity, fellow drummer Rich Dart come on the stage like an Olympic judge to rate the act.
The hits just kept on coming, and after another “I’m a Believer,” the first of four Beatles songs may have been the highlight of the night, with a note-perfect “Rocky Raccoon.” On the next song, “(Look Out) Here Comes Tomorrow,” there was apparently no karaoke version to be had, so they sang along with the original Monkees’ recording. That was actually a plus for the singer, who got to do the lead with not only Micky but also Davy. Then it was the second of The Beatles’ tracks, as Micky helped a four-year get through “Blackbird” to the audience’s delight. The evening was coming to a close as Marty rejoined Micky for a rousing “Oh Darling!” which Micky has been belting out for several years now. Micky shared his memory about being at Abbey Road Studios when he first heard this “Abbey Road” classic. The final Beatles number served as the encore, as Marty, Rich, Rochelle and even Jodi joined Micky – with the capacity crowd up on their feet – for “Twist and Shout.” After the singing was all over, Micky took a seat in the lobby to sign autographs for fans, many of whom had brought albums and photographs. I was both surprised and pleased that some had vinyl copies of the Monkees Christmas album with them to be signed. To call the production a “karaoke” show would be short-changing its uniqueness. A better term would be an “interactive” evening with Micky. To give credit where credit is due, Jodi Ritzen was an excellent MC for this interactive event, making the audience feel very much that they were part of a special, intimate happening, but also professionally keeping the evening running smoothly and well-organized. Thanks to Ms. Ritzen and Ms. Patrignelli for bringing this unforgettable presentation to Connecticut. I don’t know if I’ll get to see Micky in a symphony show, as the February 8th concert he’s doing with a full orchestra in Arizona is on the same date at the Monkees Convention (Peter Tork Memorial) I’m presenting in Connecticut, but I look forward to many more magical Micky musical memories (how’s that for alliteration?) in the future. Thank you Mr. Dolenz. You are in our Hall of Fame.
The Rolling Stone Magazine website has announced tour dates for the 2020 An Evening with The Monkees with Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz. The tour begins April 3rd, 2020 in Vancouver and wraps on April 26 in Nashville. A Live album of ‘The Mike & Micky Show’ will also be released on April 3rd as the tour kicks off. Fans who purchase tickets for the upcoming tour will receive the album as a physical CD or digital download.
April 3rd – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom April 4th – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre April 7th – Sacramento, CA @ The Crest Theatre April 8th – San Jose, CA @ San Jose Civic April 10th – Riverside, CA @ Fox Performing Arts Center April 11th – El Cajon, CA @ The Magnolia April 14th – Phoenix, AZ @ Celebrity Theatre April 16th – Dallas, TX @ Majestic Theatre April 19th – San Antonio, TX @ The Tobin Center For Performing Arts April 20th – Austin, TX @ ACL Live At The Moody Theatre April 22nd – Birmingham, AL @ Iron City April 24th – Lake Charles, LA @ Golden Nugget – Grand Event Center April 25th – Biloxi, MS @ IP Casino Resort & Spa April 26th – Nashville, TN @ Schermerhorn Symphony Center
The Mike & Micky Show Live (Rhino, 2020) (Amazon U.S. (TBD) / Amazon U.K. (TBD) / Amazon Canada (TBD))
Hey, hey, The Monkees are making their first Nashville visit in five years! Be there as Micky Dolenz and Mike Nesmith play all of the hits that made The Monkees one of the most popular bands of the 1960s. Stroll down memory lane with favorites like:
Daydream Believer | Last Train to Clarksville | I’m a Believer | Pleasant Valley Sunday | A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You | Valleri | (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
Every ticket purchased online for The Monkees includes your choice of a CD or digital copy of the new album, The Monkees Present: The Mike & Micky Show LIVE, released on 4/3/2020. You’ll receive instructions via email on how to redeem your album after ticket purchase.
The March 9th, 2019 Beacon Theater performance of The Monkees Present The Mike Nesmith and Micky Dolenz Show was destined to be a special show. The concert was originally scheduled for June, 2018 when it was rescheduled due to Michael Nesmith’s health scare. Between that time to this show was Nesmith’s First National Band Redux Tour and the sad passing of Peter Tork. I was fortunate to attend the VIP sound check where Micky and Mike and their band performed six songs that were not going to be played during the regular show that night:
D. W. Washburn
Different Drum
Steam Engine
Some of Shelly’s Blues
As We Go Along
Grand Ennui
Sound Check
For ‘As We Go Along’ the video for the song from the movie ‘Head’ was shown on the screen backdrop, and the images of Peter Tork and Davy Jones made the song even more poignant. Micky and Mike set the tone of what the show was going to be like for that evening with Micky being focused and funny and Nesmith being a little giddy and silly, but still very serious as he played his acoustic guitar. Their band included Coco Dolenz on backing vocals, Christian Nesmith on guitars, Circe Link on backing vocals, guitarist and band leader Wayne Avers, drummer Rich Dart, John Billings on bass, Alex Jules on keyboards and backing vocals, Paul Kramer on fiddle, guitar and banjo, and Pete Finney, who accompanied Nez on his First National Band Redux and his solo January 2019 tour, on pedal steel and guitar. Probyn Gregory from the Brian Wilson Band was recently added to lineup also performed at the Beacon show.
After a dinner break we returned to the Beacon Theatre for the main event. The lights dimmed and the band took their positions. Then from the wings emerged Micky and Michael, who waved hello. As Micky started to strap on his guitar, Nez approached him and said he had something to say to him, and he turned to the crowd and admonished them to remain quiet until he finished. Then Mike looked at Micky and softly began singing “Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you,…”, and it was at that point the audience began to sing along, much to Mike’s chagrin. As the previous day, March 8th, was Micky’s birthday, it was only natural that Nez wanted to keep the celebration going.
With a light hearted scold to the audience, the concert promptly started with a rigorous version of ‘Good Clean Fun’ followed by the one two punch of ‘Last Train To Clarksville’. Micky was very energetic throughout the show and drove the band through Monkees classics and rare deep cuts. Michael Nesmith was more laid back in his performance which he augmented with his unique, dry humor. Among the highlights of the show was a lovely rendition of ‘Me & Magdalena’ from the ‘Good Times’ album. The presence of Davy Jones and Peter Tork were felt with the performances of two songs associated with them, ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’ and ‘For Pete’s Sake’. Before the intermission a video of Peter Tork singing ‘Til Then’ played on the backdrop screen, not leaving a dry eye in the house and was a proper tribute to Peter.
There were many surprises in the show, including ‘Auntie’s Municipal Court’ which fans have had in their wishlist for years, and ‘Birth Of An Accidental Hipster’ which segued into the Nez rarity ‘St. Matthew’. The acoustic set included an acoustic take on ‘Randy Scouse Git’ and ‘I’ll Spend My Life With You.
Acknowledging TV anchorman Brian Williams in the audience, Nesmith dedicated his solo song ‘Joanne’ to him, accompanied by Pete Finney on pedal steel guitar.
Coming towards the end of the show, the image of Davy Jones flickered on the backdrop and Micky and Mike led the audience in an emotional singalong of ‘Daydream Believer’, made all the more poignant with Peter Tork’s image on the screen too. After performing ‘What Am I Doing Hangin’ Round’, Micky and the band left Michael Nesmith alone on the stage as he strummed the first couple of notes of ‘Listen To The Band’ solo, then the band returned to the stage and they launched into a full version of the song. The evening ended with ‘I’m A Believer’, the entire theater on their feet giving Micky, Nez and the band a well deserved standing ovation.
No matter how many times I’ve seen The Monkees in concert in their many incarnations, I’ve never seen them give a bad performance. This evening at The Beacon Theatre definitely rates as one of their best shows, as well as one of the most poignant now that the lineup has been reduced sadly again.
Thank Heavens that we can still show Micky and Mike how much they are loved by the fans.
Fred Velez, 2019.
Fred Velez is the author of the book ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’
Rhino has dropped the third video from ‘The Monkees Christmas Party’ album, Michael Nesmith’s rendition of Mel Torme’s ‘The Christmas Song’. The song was produced in the style of the First National Band by Christian and Jonathan Nesmith, the video was produced by Jonathan Nesmith and Susan Holloway in a similar style to the ‘You Bring The Summer’ video done for ‘Good Times!’. Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz recorded dialogue for their animated selves in the video. The video has a nice, dreamy nostalgic quality to it that perfectly suits the song, with enough in jokes to satisfy Monkees fans this Christmas Season!
Fred Velez, 2018. Author of the book: A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You – The Monkees From A Fan’s Perpective
The Monkees Mike Nesmith and Micky Dolenz will tour Australia and New Zealand in June 2019, performing all their hits with The Monkees spanning more than 50 years! 👌
🎶“Last Train to Clarksville”, “Listen To The Band”, “Mary Mary”, “Different Drum”, “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone”, “The Girl I Knew Somewhere”, “I’m A Believer”, “Good Clean Fun”, “D.W. Washburn”, “Circle Sky”, “Randy Scouse Git”, “Papa Gene’s Blues, “Take a Giant Step”, “What Am I Doing Hangin’ Round”… and that’s less than half of what you’ll get to singalong to on the night! 🎶
⭐️MEET THE MONKEES ⭐️
⭐️VIP MEET AND GREET PACKAGES AVAILABLE⭐️
❗️Promoter Presale: Thursday 13th December 9am – 11:59pm AEDT
General On Sale: Friday 14th December 9am AEDT❗️
TICKETS
davidroywilliams.com/tours/themonkees/
Saturday June 8 Christchurch – Isaac Theatre Royal
Here are the presale codes for the upcoming shows on The Monkees Present: The Mike & Micky Show tour. Check the dates so you don’t miss out. If you do not see a presale code listed, we do not currently have a code for that show yet. Check back here: we will update daily!
3/1/19–Medford, MA–Chevalier Theatre (presale on 11/14 is WT14)
https://tinyurl.com/y99dlu36 PRESALE PW: CVR14
3/2/19– Atlantic City, NJ– Ocean Resort Casino (presale on 11/15 is MONKEE)
https://tinyurl.com/ycbmtdco
3/3/19–Lancaster, PA– American Music Theatre
https://tinyurl.com/yaxmob3l
3/5/19– Red Bank, NJ– Count Basie Theatre (already on sale)
https://tinyurl.com/y7laqnyj
3/6/19–Glenside, PA– The Keswick Theatre (already on sale)
https://tinyurl.com/y942eb4f
3/8/19–Huntington, NY–The Paramount (already on sale)
https://tinyurl.com/y8qlsc66
3/9/19–New York, NY–The Beacon Theatre (already on sale)
https://tinyurl.com/yahkl5ek
3/10/19–Albany, NY–Palace Theatre
https://tinyurl.com/ybcm9g4h NO PRESALE PW
3/12/19–Royal Oak, MI– Royal Oak Music Theatre (AEG presale on 11/14 is ROMTLIVE)
https://tinyurl.com/y8f5p7gv
3/14/19–Prior Lake. MN–Mystic Lake Casino Hotel (email presale on 11/15 is BELIEVER)
https://tinyurl.com/y9af4sdc
NO PW FOR VIP PRESALE – MEMBER PRESALE PW: HIPSUW
3/15/19–New Buffalo, MI–Four Winds Casino (venue presale on 11/15 is IMAB67)
https://tinyurl.com/ybut3ytk
3/16/19–St Charles, MO–The Family Arena (venue presale on 11/15 is CLARKSVILLE)
https://tinyurl.com/y7h9ugqz
Here are the brand new dates going on sale THIS FRIDAY (Nov 16) for The Monkees Present: The Mike & Micky Show! Included on this list are the four re-scheduled dates from earlier this year. Check back for presale information.
As the venues add their links, we will be adding them to this list.
We are pleased to announce that The Monkees in association with RHINO will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the motion picture, HEAD, with a special screening at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood on Thursday 11/1/18 – 7:30pm.
Michael Nesmith & Micky Dolenz will appear in person to answer questions following the screening, which will be from an original 35mm print. Andrew Sandoval will conduct the Q&A and you are welcome to contribute your questions in advance online. That way everyone can join in!
There will also be merchandise available inside the theatre – which is directly opposite the original venue that HEAD premiered in November 1968. You may also visit The Monkees star, which is on the walk of fame opposite the theatre. Please join us for this incredible event!
GREAT PERFORMANCES: “GRAMMY SALUTE TO MUSIC LEGENDS®” HONORS NEIL DIAMOND, EMMYLOU HARRIS, LOUIS JORDAN, THE METERS, QUEEN, TINA TURNER, JOHN WILLIAMS, AND MORE
SPECIAL TO AIR OCT. 5 ON PBS WILL INCLUDE PERFORMANCES BY YOLANDA ADAMS, HERB ALPERT, MICKY DOLENZ, SAMMY HAGAR, LEDISI, AND TRISHA YEARWOOD, JOINED BY PRESENTERS GUSTAVO DUDAMEL AND HENRY ROLLINS
SANTA MONICA, CALIF. (SEPT. 12, 2018) — In collaboration with PBS’ “Great Performances” series, the Recording Academy™ presents “GRAMMY Salute To Music Legends®” , the third annual all-star concert offering a primetime spotlight for the Academy’s 2018 Special Merit Awards recipients. The celebration and tribute concert feature rare performances by honorees and never-before-seen renditions of their classic songs by those they’ve inspired. Recorded in July at Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre, the event premieres nationwide Friday, October 5 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings) and will be available to stream the following day via pbs.org/gperf and PBS apps.
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award honorees are Hal Blaine, Neil Diamond, Emmylou Harris, Louis Jordan, the Meters, Queen, and Tina Turner. Additional Special Merit Awards honorees celebrated include concert promoter Bill Graham, Sire Records co-founder Seymour Stein, and five-time Academy Award-winning film score composer John Williams, who are this year’s Trustees Award honorees; Tony Agnello and Richard Factor are the Technical GRAMMY® Award recipients. Melissa Salguero is this year’s recipient of the Music Educator Award™.
Led by four-time GRAMMY-winning gospel great Yolanda Adams as master of ceremonies with GRAMMY-nominated industry icon Greg Phillinganes as musical director, the tribute concert features performances by past GRAMMY nominee Micky Dolenz alongside GRAMMY winner Diamond; eight-time GRAMMY winner Herb Alpert honoring legendary session drummer Blaine; GRAMMY winner Sammy Hagar paying tribute to Graham and Queen; past GRAMMY nominee Ledisi saluting Jordan; and three-time GRAMMY winner Trisha Yearwood performing with Harris. Presenters for the evening include GRAMMY winner and Los Angeles Philharmonic Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel and GRAMMY-winning Henry Rollins. Additional performers include R&B, soul, gospel, and jazz singer Sheléa, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Quartet, virtuoso violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, film score composer David Newman, and the American Youth Symphony.
Performance List
Neil Diamond
“Holly Holy” (performed by Yolanda Adams)
“I’m A Believer” (performed by Micky Dolenz and Neil Diamond)
“Sweet Caroline” (performed by Neil Diamond)
Rolling Stone Magazine reports that Rhino Records will be issuing a Monkees Christmas album titled ‘Christmas Party’ which will be released on October 12th, 2018. The album is produced by Adam Schlesinger of Fountains Of Wayne with new songs written by Rivers Cuomo, Andy Partridge, Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey following the formula of The Monkees successful 2016 album ‘Good Times’. Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork provide vocals on the songs with archival songs added from the late Davy Jones.
The latest Zilch podcast talks about the new Monkees Christmas album with Andrew Sandoval and John Hughes:
The Davy Jones Facebook page posted additional information:
Hey hey! (Or should that be “ho-ho-ho?”)
Just this very second, Rhino announced that it will be releasing The Monkees’ Christmas Album on October 12! It’ll be available in stores and for download and streaming on that date.
The first worldwide single from the album, “Unwrap,” will be released in October (hey, that’s next month!), along with a “lyric video” similar to “She Makes Me Laugh.” Here are some additional things to know:
*** Target stores will be offering a special edition CD with bonus tracks
*** You’ll also be able to purchase the CD at your favorite Walmart
*** The album won’t be released on vinyl until 2019 (it’s OK, we can survive this though, because CHRISTMAS ALBUM!)
And keep your eyes on rollingstone.com today for an exclusive article on The Monkees’ Christmas Album—it’s a great day to be a Monkees fan!
This will be a great Christmas gift for Monkees fans!
Christmas Party Track List
“Unwrap You At Christmas”
“What Would Santa Do”
“Mele Kalikimaka”
“House Of Broken Gingerbread”
“The Christmas Song”
“Christmas Party”
“Jesus Christ”
“I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day”
“Silver Bells”
“Wonderful Christmastime”
“Snowfall”
“Angels We Have Heard On High”
“Merry Christmas, Baby”
Target Bonus Tracks:
“Riu Chiu”
“Christmas Is My Time Of Year”
Target version will be available October 19, 2018.
The Mike Nesmith & Micky Dolenz Monkees shows that were postponed due to Nesmith’s illness have been rescheduled for dates in March, 2019.
March 5, 2019: Count Basie Theatre / Red Bank, New Jersey
March 6, 2019: Keswick Theatre / Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
March 8, 2019: The Paramount / Huntington, New York
March 9, 2019: Beacon Theatre / New York, New York
Michael Nesmith commented on his Facebook page:
Hello from Roysdale.
Latest update on the FNBR tour — my health is stabilizing and I have green-lit the rest of tour tour that I had to cancel with Micky. Not sure what might happen in the future but looking forward to the dates that will start (in just a few weeks — yikes!) in Houston. Then on to Austin, Dallas and places Northeast!
Great band, great players — music sounds better than ever. See you on stage.
Some concerts were recorded during the original June, 2018 leg of the tour and hopefully a live album will be issued in time for the 2019 tour.
On August 18th, 2018, Micky Dolenz performed with fans at a charity karaoke fundraiser event set up by Monkees promoter Jodi Ritzen at San Fernando Valley’s Winnetka Bowl in honor of the Los Angeles Police Department.
History was made during the event when Micky was joined onstage by Marty Ross and Dino Kovas of the New Monkees, the first time members from both Monkees groups have ever performed together in public. They were also joined by Micky’s sister Coco and ‘Dukes of Hazard’ star Catherine Bach (Daisy Dukes).
The fans who attended this historic Monkees moment had a great time and the money raised went to a good cause.
More in-depth details on the event can be read at the Yahoo! News link attached.
The latest Zilch Monkees podcast has news on Micky Dolenz at the Phillies game, the latest on the Michael Nesmith First National Band Redux Tour, Fred Velez narrating his review of the Nesmith/FNBR Live cd, and more!
“Heading to LA tomorrow for meeting and a hang with Mick. Have to cook up the M&M shows. Right now no clue what to do other than Monkees songs — which are of course a lock.
i didn’t expect to go out again singing Monkees songs — but here I am looking at dates with Mick for the month of June — the beginning of Summer, I think — dates are posted at most of the Monkees sites and here — but the set list doesn’t exist yet.
M and I will sit around and sing try to find out what makes sense with the two of us — maybe the occasional guest.
As I write this I put on Chris Smither’s “Live as I’ll Ever Be” and its lifting me up into the skies of songs — opening up settlements where we might perch and gaze out for miles and miles and sing and play the Music.
If all goes as planned I think we will put together a fine show.
I love singing with Mick — this will be the first time an M&M show will be realized — after all these years.
As I say I suppose we will play the deep cuts from the Monkees catalog — and songs M&I have written over the years — and as we are blessed we will find the space that the great live players find over the years — those deep and real places that are undeniable, that leave no question unanswered — and to me that is a definition of Smithers concert and his magic acoustic guitar. So I am listening closely to him– learning what I can.
Maybe M&M can “Kill the Blues” like Chris —
Anyway, I’m looking forward to the trip and to seeing Mick appear singing along beside me in the same room. One of my life’s gifts and blessings.”
Michael Nesmith And Micky Dolenz Will Tour As A Duo For The First Time
This Summer, Playing Monkees Music Spanning More Than 50 Years
Tickets And VIP Packages Go On Sale February 23
LOS ANGELES – Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz of The Monkees will hit the road in June for their first-ever national tour as a duo. Billed as “The Monkees Present: The Mike & Micky Show,” these 16 special performances will feature songs that span the group’s entire career – from its 1966 eponymous debut to 2016’s Good Times . The shows will highlight many of Nesmith’s compositions, including some that have never been performed live. The tour also includes two shows in Canada, which represent Nesmith’s first “Monkees” concerts since the band played there in 1969.
Tickets and VIP packages will go on sale February 23 at www.monkees.com . VIP Packages include access to soundcheck, a signed, hardbound copy of the tourbook, early entry to the show and a commemorative VIP laminate.
“I love being on stage with Micky,” says Nesmith. “We’ve been collaborating for over 50 years, so it’s hard to believe it’s never been just the two of us. I’m excited to dust off some tunes that I haven’t played for a long time too. These are going to be some fun shows.”
“Right from the get-go, I admired Mike’s songs. When we used to get together around the campfire to sing in the early days, we were always doing his songs,” says Dolenz. “We always had such a great a vocal blend; he was the one who encouraged me to write songs of my own. I’ve always been a big fan and now we finally get to do the Mike & Micky show that we riffed on back when we were shooting The Monkees.”
Original Monkee Peter Tork will not take part in the tour. Instead, he’s focusing on Relax Your Mind, a new album by Peter Tork and Shoe Suede Blues that honors the music of Lead Belly. The album is available now via CD Baby and Bandcamp.
“I have in general made no secret of the fact that all these recent years of Monkees-related projects, as fun as they’ve been, have taken up a lot of my time and energy. Moving forward, I have blues projects that I want to give my attention to, hence Relax Your Mind . So, I’m shifting gears for now, but I wish the boys well, and I’ve learned to never say never on things further down the line.”
“The Monkees Present: The Mike & Micky Show” is the latest chapter in Monkee-mania, a saga that began in 1965 when four young men were cast in a television show about a struggling rock band that was inspired by the Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night. Few could have predicted the impact the Monkees would have on music and pop culture at large, one that still reverberates more than 50 years later.
Micky Dolenz & Mike Nesmith Tour Dates
June 1 – Chandler, AZ @ Chandler Center For The Arts
June 2 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Orpheum
June 3 – San Diego, CA @ Humphrey’s
June 5 – Anaheim, CA @ The Grove
June 6 – Saratoga, CA @ The Mountain Winery
June 8 – Stockton, CA @ Bob Hope Theatre
June 9 – Stateline, NV @ Harrah’s Lake Tahoe
June 12 – Denver, CO @ Paramount
June 14 – Chicago, IL @ Copernicus Center
June 15 – Huber Heights, OH @ Rose Music Center
June 16 – Cleveland, OH @ Cain Park
June 18 – Toronto, ON @ Sony Center
June 19 – Kitchener, ON @ Centre In the Square
June 21 – Philadelphia, PA @ Keswick Theatre
June 22 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
June 25 – Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Theatre
New York – Monkee-Micky Dolenz taped Ray Stevens CabaRay Nashville last week; performing
“I’m A Believer,” “Pleasant Vallery Sunday” and “Last Train To Clarksville.” The show will air in April. Watch your local listings on PBS.
7A Records presents a brand new album from Micky Dolenz – Out Of Nowhere. Recorded in April this year with the sublime 30 piece American Metropole Orchestra, Dolenz sings all of the Monkees’ greatest hits along with some outstanding deep album cuts. The orchestral backing adds a real unique depth to the recordings and Dolenz’s voice is as good as ever. To quote Dolenz in his own words: “Words cannot express what a magical night it was. You really had to be there and thanks to this recording, you can be!” It was recorded April 15th, 2017 at the Rice Auditorium, Western Oregon University
Released on CD and limited 12” Picture Disc Vinyl.
According to reports from Michael Nesmith’s appearance at the Chiller Theater Convention the weekend of October 27-29, there are apparent plans for not only a reunion and tour of the First National Band, but also a joint tour of Nesmith with Micky Dolenz.
Convention promoter Jodi Ritzen addressed the rumors on her Facebook page:
It is so much easier to address this rumor here. Is it true Nez told pretty much everyone at Chiller about two exciting events scheduled for 2018? The answer is YES!
Nez made no secret that we will see two shows come together.
First expect The First National Band to reform with two additional Nesmiths. Second was the combination of Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith somewhere close to summer.
If Nez told you, give me a hell yeah and your reaction.
Now I personally cannot help you with dates or cities. No need to send me your requests. I have no information on meet and greets and won’t until details are released.
Your best bet is to subscribe to my website for updates.
New York – Micky Dolenz, lead singer of The Monkees, has announced a
special guest for his two L. A. shows next week … fellow-Monkee
Michael Nesmith. The two shows are at The Canyon Club (10-20) and The Saban Theatre (10-21).
Nesmith, who will be joined by his son Christian (and, musical partner Circe Link) will also appear.
This will be the first time the two have appeared together since a Monkees 50th Anniversary tour last year.
Dolenz quote: “It’s always special to play with Nez; let the Good Times continue!”
Dolenz, Nesmith (and, Peter Tork) released the album Good Times (Rhino
Records) last year, which was the group’s first album of new material in 25 years. It was a major success and listed on most reviewers Top Ten lists.
The October 21st Saban Theatre concert will also feature performances by Felix Calvaliere of The Rascals and Marty Ross formerly of the New Monkees. Davy Jones first wife Linda and his daughters Talia, Sarah and Annabel will be attending the October 20th Canyon Club show.
There will be Meet & Greets for both concerts. More details at the following link: Monkees Meet and Greets
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