Pisces Part Two: Andrew Sandoval Unboxing Video Of The Super Deluxe Set Plus High-Fidelity Vinyl!

If you remember in our last episode, anxious Monkees fans were awaiting with bated breath for the release of the Super Deluxe Edition of the ‘Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.’ album, and received the surprise of the set appearing on many digital music platforms for streaming and download purchase. Just as quick as they appeared, the digital music files started disappearing just as quickly. It was later explained that someone at Warners/Rhino goofed and dropped the set by mistake. Fortunately, some fans had the good sense to purchase and download the files and to store them separately before they were all gone to enjoy on their favorite listening devices. Shortly afterwards, Rhino put up a notice that the physical box set would go on sale on October 2^nd, 2025, with a video announcement by Andrew Sandoval scheduled for 12 noon EST. And so, the long wait began again.

October 2^nd arrived, and another big surprise awaited fans: the box set became immediately available for purchase at 9am EST! Orders for the set started flooding the Rhino/Monkees site. Then at 12 noon, Andrew Sandoval’s message on YouTube aired live with Sandoval unboxing the set and explaining the work put into it and revealing the set’s contents.

 

At the beginning of the video, Sandoval said that Pisces would be the final entry in the Monkees Super Deluxe Edition series, a disappointment for fans hoping for a SDE box of the 1970 Changes album, the final album released during the initial Monkees period. (It had been explained in earlier discussions that most of the master tapes for Changes have yet to be accounted for, though one of the outtakes, ‘Which Way Do You Want It’, had recently been discovered. There’s always hope that, if not an SDE, perhaps a deluxe edition of Changes might be a future possibility.)

Sandoval opened the seal on the box and revealed its contents: the Stereo and Mono CDs of the ‘Pisces’ album with bonus tracks of additional stereo and mono mixes, 2025 remixes of several of the songs, an alternate stereo version of ‘Riu Chiu’ with handclaps, an alternate mono mix of ‘Daily Nightly’ minus the Moog effects, the full TV mix and mono single mix of ‘Goin’ Down’, a mono mix of ‘Star Collector’ with different Moog effects.

CD three is packed to the Max with backing tracks and Jams including the songs ‘The Story Of Rock And Roll’, ‘Come On In’, ‘Yours Until Tomorrow’, an early version of ‘Can You Dig It’ under the title ‘Tentatively’ and an early acoustic version of ‘A Man Without A Dream’ that Peter Tork submitted for the group.

CD four rounds out the set with more alternate album tracks, the TV version of ‘Riu Chiu’, ‘Salesman’ with Michael Nesmith’s salesman rap, and the TV mixes of ‘Cuddly Toy’, ‘Love Is Only Sleeping’, ‘Goin’ Down’, ‘Star Collector’, ‘What Am I Doing Hangin’ Round’, ‘Daydream Believer’, ‘She Hangs Out’, and the sessions for ‘Riu Chiu’, ‘Don’t Call On Me’ (Chatter Session) and more.

Along with the CDs, the box contains a booklet with Andrew Sandoval’s extensive and informative liner notes containing rare photos from the collection of Joe Russo who collaborated with Sandoval on the huge ‘Smoke-Filled Dreams’ book from Beatland Books, many of the photos taken by Rock photographer and Monkees friend Henry Diltz. An added bonus to the box set is a 45-vinyl single of the single mixes for ‘Love Is Only Sleeping’ and ‘Goin’ Down’ adorned by Henry Diltz’s photos taken from the Chicago Rainbow Room, this being the configuration of the single that was going to be pulled from the ‘Pisces’ album before it was replaced with ‘Daydream Believer’.

Since the “accidental” digital drop of the set that was quickly pulled, the anticipation level for the physical set has been very high, and reportedly, sales have been very brisked. Some fans have reported already receiving their sets.

Rhino High Fidelity Vinyl Edition of the Monkees ‘Pisces’ album.

And the box set is not the only thing getting Monkees fans excited. As part of Rhino’s High Fidelity Vinyl series, a limited-edition version of the ‘Pisces’ album taken from the original master tapes cut by Kevin Gray is also available on 180-Gram heavyweight vinyl, housed in a gatefold jacket with an exclusive insert containing new liner notes by Andrew Sandoval. Numbered and Limited to 5,000 copies, this Rhino exclusive is expected to sellout quickly.

Coming a year before the official 60^th anniversary of The Monkees, their fourth album ‘Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd’ is getting the special treatment and attention it deserves. Who knows what’s in store in 2026 when the Monkees 60^th anniversary rolls around!

Pisces Box Set Order Link: https://monkeesstore.warnermusic.com/products/pisces-aquarius-capricorn-jones-ltd-super-deluxe-edition-4cd-7-vinyl

Exclusive Pisces Vinyl Order Link: https://store.rhino.com/en/rhino-store/special-edition-shops/rhino-high-fidelity/pisces-aquarius-capricorn-and-jones-ltd.-rhino-high-fidelity/081227811150.html

Beatland Books Order Link: https://beatlandbooks.com

Fred Velez, 2025.

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’. 

Order Books At The FreddyPop Shop!

Link: https://freddypop.wordpress.com/freddy-pop-shop/

PISCES PART ONE: NOW YOU HEAR IT, NOW YOU DON’T – THE MONKEES ‘PISCES’ SDE BOX SET: DROP, CATCH, RELEASE? Order Link!

The Monkees fourth album, ‘Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.’ Is not only considered the group’s best album, but it’s also considered one of the great albums released in 1967, rating with other outstanding releases that year: The Beatles ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’, the Rolling Stones ‘Between The Buttons’, Pink Floyd’s ‘The Piper At The Gates’ Of Dawn’ and several more. (If ‘Smile’ by The Beach Boys had been released at the time, it would have been part of the list.)

The Monkees made a great achievement by not only having four albums issued between late 1966 to November 1967, but also that each consecutive album topped the charts at number one in a row. (‘Good Times’ released in 2016 would be the Monkees fifth official number one album issued in vinyl.)

The album followed the psychedelic musical trend of 1967, boosted by the use of the Moog Synthesizer created by Paul Beaver and used by Beaver and Micky Dolenz on several of the tracks, in particular ‘Love Is Only Sleeping’, ‘Daily Nightly’ and ‘Star Collector’. ‘Pisces’ was one of the first Pop/Rock albums to incorporate a Moog as part of the music. With Chip Douglas again sitting in the producer’s chair, the album was recorded during the Monkees 1967 concert tour at various studios along the route. The album is incredibly cohesive, with the music performed by the members of the band and assorted studio musicians, the record was completed quickly during this busy and hectic period for the group. ‘Pleasant Valley Sunday’ by Carole King and Gerry Goffin was pulled as the single for the album with ‘Words’ by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart as the B-side, the single reached number three on the charts.

For some time, the ‘Pisces’ album was announced as the next (and possibly last) in the Monkees Super Deluxe Edition box set series to be issued by Rhino Records and produced by Andrew Sandoval. Sandoval had written on his various social pages that the set was all ready to go, and fans were waiting with anticipation. When a track listing of the set was posted on the Steve Hoffman Music Board, the excitement level rose an additional 100%. Then, early on September 18^th, 2025, the ‘Pisces’ set suddenly began appearing on several digital platforms for download purchase and streaming.

After the initial surprise, fans quickly began streaming and downloading the tracks, still not believing what had just happened. However, by September 19^th after the initial drop, the tracks started disappearing from the various platforms as quickly as they appeared. Some fans were fortunate enough to have purchased the set and download the songs before they vanished. It was assumed that someone at Rhino had jumped the gun on the release. Andrew Sandoval on his Facebook page wrote: “Life is especially stressful on so many levels right now. I woke up to flurry of messages about a certain group (that’s how Peter (Tork) refer to them) and apparently a certain project that I produced was put up possibly in error on some sites? But why should I speak, since I know nothing…” Shortly afterwards, Rhino posted an image on their social media pages and on their official Monkees page:

About a week later Andrew Sandoval posted another message on his Beatland Books website:

Last week, some of you may have noticed that our friends at Rhino had a mysterious misfire and the special box set that Andrew worked on all of March was briefly issued across every digital platform (at least for a few hours). Rhino then pulled it all down and reset things for a full announcement about the project October 2. We can’t say much except that The Monkees WILL be back!​

The confirmation that the physical ‘Pisces’ Super Deluxe box set was on the way produced more excited chatter among Monkees fans. Those who were fortunate enough to download and save the 102 music files of the set were happy to know that with the “official” announcement of the box set, their long wait would soon be over. The downloads included the stereo and mono versions of the ‘Pisces’ album with greatly improved sound and separation of the music and vocals making them the best sounding versions of the album yet heard. As with the previous Monkees SDE’s. the bonus material spread throughout the four cd’s. There are alternate song versions with vocals, instrumental backing tracks, outtakes with studio chatter, 2025 remixes of album tracks and singles (some with longer fade-outs), the original 1967 mono single version of ‘Goin’ Down’ finally available on cd, a mono mix of ‘Daily Nightly’ without the Moog effects, the television mixes of ‘Riu Chiu’ plus the sessions, ‘Goin’ Down with live vocals, ‘Daydream Believer’, jams and so much more to examine, study and enjoy.

It’s fun and enlightening to listen to all the different takes and mixes. You can hear the Monkees, Chip Douglas and the various studio musicians really working hard on the tracks. Peter Tork shines on this set as a musician with his early acoustic instrumental demos of ‘Can You Dig It?’ (dubbed ‘Tentatively’ on the take) and ‘Tear The Top Off My Head’, the acoustic demo ‘Untitled’ and ‘A Man Without A Dream’ which he championed for the Monkees to record which eventually was done by Davy Jones for the ‘Instant Replay’ album. The lead vocals by Tork, Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones and Michael Nesmith are all outstanding.

The music on the ‘Pisces’ super deluxe set is such an amazing revelation of this ground-breaking album, the release of the actual physical box with Andrew Sandoval’s extensive and informative liner notes, rare photos, and an exclusive bonus vinyl 45 record, the anticipation for fans to hold it in their hot, little hands will be unbearable to say the least.

Can You Dig It? You betcha!

Stay Tuned for Part Two!

Order Details October 2nd, 2025

Order Link: https://monkeesstore.warnermusic.com/products/pisces-aquarius-capricorn-jones-ltd-super-deluxe-edition-4cd-7-vinyl

Disc 1:

1. Salesman (2:37)
2. She Hangs Out (2:58)
3. The Door Into Summer (2:50)
4. Love is Only Sleeping (2:31)
5. Cuddly Toy (2:39)
6. Words (2:52)
7. Hard to Believe (2:36)
8. What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round? (3:09)
9. Peter Percival Patterson’s Pet Pig Porky (0:27)
10. Pleasant Valley Sunday (3:16)
11. Daily Nightly (2:33)
12. Don’t Call On Me (2:52)
13. Star Collector (4:26)
14. Special Announcement (0:37)
15. Goin’ Down (4:23)
16. Salesman (2025 Remix) (3:04)
17. She Hangs Out (2025 Remix) (3:28)
18. The Door Into Summer (Alternate Version) (3:23)
19. Love is Only Sleeping (2025 Alternate Mix) (2:40)
20. Cuddly Toy (2025 Remix) (2:41)
21. Words (2025 Remix) (2:56)
22. Hard to Believe (2025 Remix) (2:40)
23. What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round? (2025 Alternate Mix) (3:21)
24. Pleasant Valley Sunday (2025 Remix) (3:15)
25. Daily Nightly (2025 Remix) (2:36)
26. Don’t Call On Me (Version 2) (2:57)
27. Star Collector (Alternate 1967 Mix) (4:51)
28. Riu Chiu (Alternate Version) (1:10)

Disc 2:

1. Salesman (Mono) (2:28)
2. She Hangs Out (Mono) (3:08)
3. The Door Into Summer (Mono) (2:52)
4. Love is Only Sleeping (Mono) (2:33)
5. Cuddly Toy (Mono) (2:39)
6. Words (Mono) (2:52)
7. Hard to Believe (Mono) (2:36)
8. What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round? (Mono) (3:09)
9. Peter Percival Patterson’s Pet Pig Porky (Mono) (0:27)
10. Pleasant Valley Sunday (Mono) (3:10)
11. Daily Nightly (Mono) (2:32)
12. Don’t Call On Me (Mono) (2:54)
13. Star Collector (Mono) (4:27)
14. Special Announcement (Mono) (0:37)
15. Salesman (Alternate Mono Mix) (2:35)
16. Cuddly Toy (Alternate Mono Mix) (3:02)
17. Don’t Call On Me (Alternate Mono Mix) (2:59)
18. Goin’ Down (Alternate Mono Mix) (4:23)
19. Star Collector (Alternate Mono Mix) (4:51)
20. The Door Into Summer (Alternate Vocal) (2:53)
21. Daily Nightly (Alternate Mono Mix) (2:29)
22. Goin’ Down (Full TV Mix) (4:50)
23. Love is Only Sleeping (Alternate Mono Mix) (2:35)
24. The Door Into Summer (Alternate Mono Mix) (2:54)
25. Goin’ Down (Mono Single Mix) (4:00)
26. Star Collector (Alternate Mono Mix 2) (5:09)

Disc 3:
1. The Story of Rock and Roll (Version Three Backing Track) (3:50)
2. I Don’t Know Yet (Backing Track) (2:38)
3. Cuddly Toy (Backing Track) (2:38)
4. Come On In (Version One Backing Track) (2:22)
5. Come On In (Version Two Backing Track) (2:25)
6. The Door Into Summer (Early Version Backing Track) (3:22)
7. Pleasant Valley Sunday (Backing Track) (3:28)
8. Words (Backing Track) (3:05)
9. Daydream Believer (Backing Track) (3:32)
10. Salesman (Backing Track with Backing Vocals) (3:14)
11. Jam #1 (Backing Track) (1:48)
12. Words (Vocal Session) (8:22)
13. Daily Nightly (Backing Track) (2:32)
14. Love is Only Sleeping (Backing Track with Percussion and Backing Vocals) (2:39)
15. What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round? (Backing Track) (3:19)
16. Don’t Call On Me (Backing Track) (2:27)
17. She Hangs Out (Backing Track) (3:28)
18. Goin’ Down (Backing Track) (4:52)
19. Yours Until Tomorrow (Backing Track) (3:39)
20. The Door Into Summer (Alternate Version Backing Track) (3:33)
21. Can You Dig It “Tentatively” (Instrumental Acoustic Demo) (3:00)
22. Tear the Top Right Off My Head (Instrumental Acoustic Demo) (2:08)
23. Untitled (Instrumental Acoustic Demo) (1:56)
24. A Man Without a Dream (Instrumental Acoustic Demo) (4:16)

Disc 4:
1. Pleasant Valley Sunday (2025 Alternate Vocal Remix) (3:09)
2. Words (Backing Track with Backing Vocals) (3:05)
3. Star Collector (Alternate Mix) (5:07)
4. Jam #2 (Backing Track) (2:12)
5. She Hangs Out (Alternate Mix) (3:28)
6. Daydream Believer (2025 Remix) (3:32)
7. A Man Without a Dream (Instrumental Piano Demo) (3:39)
8. Hard to Believe (Backing Track) (2:42)
9. Cuddly Toy (TV Mix) (2:36)
10. Love is Only Sleeping (TV Mix) (2:28)
11. Goin’ Down (TV Version) (3:58)
12. Star Collector (TV Mix) (2:44)
13. What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round? (TV Mix) (3:13)
14. Daydream Believer (TV Mix) (2:43)
15. She Hangs Out (TV Mix) (2:43)
16. Riu Chiu (TV Version) (1:33)
17. Salesman (2025 Remix with Sales Rap) (3:06)
18. Riu Chiu (Alternate Version 2) (1:36)
19. Daily Nightly (Alternate Mix) (2:30)
20. Riu Chu (Session) (4:53)
21. Riu Chiu (Alternate Take) (1:43)
22. Don’t Call On Me (Chatter Session) (9:33)
23. Special Announcement (Session) (2:26)
24. Star Collector (Alternate 1967 Stereo Mix) (4:56)

Fred Velez, 2025.

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’ 

Order Books At The FreddyPop Shop!

Review: The Monkees ‘Headquarters’ Super Deluxe Edition Box Set

Of the nine studio albums The Monkees recorded and released during their initial mid/late 1960’s period, their 1967 third album ‘Headquarters’ is universally recognized as The Monkees most famous and iconic record. After two albums released with studio musicians under the supervision of music coordinator Don Kirshner, ‘Headquarters’ was the group’s declaration of independence where their talents as a functioning band were on full display as they finally were allowed to perform the majority of the music themselves. While slightly rough in spots, the garage band feel of the album under the musical supervision of producer Chip Douglas and with Michael Nesmith taking on the helm of group leader, ‘Headquarters’ became the Monkees third number one charting album in a row. The band’s efforts have been previously examined in the 2000 Rhino Handmade ‘Headquarters Sessions’ box set and the 2007 two disc Deluxe Set. Now Rhino has finally released the highly anticipated 4 cd disc Super Deluxe Edition set produced by the Grammy Award winning producer, Monkees expert and chronicler Andrew Sandoval, and it was well worth the wait.

Under Sandoval’s meticulous supervision and attention to detail, the four discs are filled to capacity with tons of bonus tracks, session tapes, studio chatter, and accompanied by a booklet of informative liner notes by Sandoval that chronicle the entire genesis of the making of ‘Headquarters’, including the creative battle of wits between Don Kirshner and the Monkees. The essay is a condensed version of the more detailed account found in Sandoval’s extensive rewrite of his 2021 book ‘The Monkees: The Day To Day Story’. The booklet with the liner notes has great photos of the Monkees, Chip Douglas, Don Kirshner, Jeff Barry and the other major actors involved during the period of the sessions which would be almost worth the price of admission alone. But the main focus of the set is the amazing treasure trove of music spread out over the four cd discs with 67 previously unreleased tracks.

The discs are broken up into four thematic sections: a new 2022 remix of the original album with additional bonus material, the January 1967 Sessions, the February 1967 Sessions and the March 1967 Sessions and Beyond. The remix of the ‘Headquarters’ album found on Disc 1 is a major revelation on its own. Working with the original multitrack tapes, all of which still exist, Sandoval has created a new version that enhances the listening experience by centering the drums and bass on the mix without compromising the integrity of the record. The clarity is astounding, it’s like listening to ‘Headquarters’ for the first time, which with this mix you are. The stereo picture is very close to the mono mix of the album which brings out sound textures previously buried in the original mixes. There are longer fadeouts on some of the songs like ‘Forget That Girl’, ‘Shades Of Grey’ and clean endings to ‘Early Mornings Blues And Greens’ and ‘Randy Scouse Git’ which add to the fun of those songs. The bonus tracks on disc one include the first and second versions of ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’, amazing remixed versions of ‘All Of Your Toys’, ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’, the first version of ‘She Hangs Out’ with a longer fadeout, ’99 Pounds’ and ‘You Can’t Tie A Mustang Down’ that practically leap out of your speakers, headphones and ear buds. Even the weaker numbers ‘If I Learned To Play The Violin’ and ‘Sally’ (‘I Didn’t Know You Had It In You Sally’) have a bit of a kick to them in these remixes. Two songs on disc one, ‘Gotta Give It Time’ and ‘Love To Love’, originally produced by Jeff Barry and Brendan Cahill in 1967 and used by the late Adam Schlesinger for the 2016 ‘Good Times!’ album’, have also been remixed and enhanced with less reverb on the 2016 Micky Dolenz lead vocals and Michael Nesmith’s backing vocals brought up higher in the mix on the former track and on the latter track using Davy Jones’ 1969 vocals with the 2016 backing vocals of Dolenz and Peter Tork also brought up in the mix with much more clarity.

Disc 2 features the January 1967 sessions that begins with the previously unreleased instrumental demo sessions recorded at the legendary Gold Star Studios for ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’ and ‘All Of Your Toys’, with the Monkees playing the backing tracks and Chip Douglas in the producer’s seat, that were intended for Don Kirshner to listen to and prove that the group were adequately capable of accompanying themselves on their records. Another of the Monkees’ recorded backing tracks is ‘She’s So Far Out, She’s In’ which the group were performing on their early concerts. (A live version with Nez singing lead from the 1967 Arizona concert can be found on the ‘More Of The Monkees’ Super Deluxe Box Set.) The majority of Disc 2 are the various backing tracks for ‘Love To Love’, ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’, ‘Gotta Give It Time’, ’99 Pounds’ ‘She Hangs Out’ and ‘Mustang’. Many of these tracks were supervised by Kirshner with producer Jeff Barry at the helm at the New York RCA studios. The majority of these tracks were up for consideration for the proposed Kirshner supervised third Monkees album. Among the recorded backing track are those written and produced by the team of Denny Randell and Sandy Linzer which include ‘Love Is On The Way’, ‘Sally’, ‘I Wanna Be Your Puppy Dog’ and ‘Sugar Man’, the latter song notoriously confused with Jeff Barry and Andy Kim’s ‘Sugar, Sugar’ which became a hit for The Archies in 1969 with Ron Dante singing the lead. Andrew Sandoval definitively dispels the erroneous myth that ‘Sugar, Sugar’ was offered and rejected by the Monkees in 1967 when in actuallity it wasn’t composed until late 1968, a fact corroborated by the song’s writers Barry and Kim. Other backing tracks of songs for the proposed third Monkees album include ‘Poor Little Me’, ‘Eve Of My Sorrow’, ‘The Love You Got Inside’, ‘If I Learned To Play The Violin’ and ‘Black And Blue’ which was written by Neil Diamond. The remainder of the disc is rounded out by demo takes and mono mixes of ‘Seeger’s Theme’ with Peter Tork on acoustic guitar and whistling, ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’ and ‘All Of Your Toys’.

 

 

As chronicled in Sandoval’s liner notes, Don Kirshner was eventually ousted from his position as music supervisor when he breeched his contract by issuing through RCA Records in Canada an unauthorized single of ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’ backed with the early version of ‘She Hangs Out’ with vocals by Davy Jones instead of the group recorded ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’ with Micky Dolenz on lead vocals that was offered as a compromise which Kirshner refused and saw as an affront to his authority. With Don finally out of the picture, the Monkees along with Chip Douglas and engineer Hank Cicalo, Disc 3 of the February 1967 sessions presents the group as a musical working unit as they properly begin work on the album that would become ‘Headquarters’. Among the tracks are alternate versions of ’99 Pounds’, ‘She Hangs Out’, the Monkees’ recorded ‘Mr. Webster’, ‘Sunny Girlfriend’, the in-studio demos for ‘She’ll Be There’ and ‘Midnight Train’ with Micky and his sister Coco singing together, Peter Tork’s early rough mono mix of ‘Can You Dig It?’, Michael Nesmith’s mono mix demo of ‘Nine Times Blue’, individual demos of Davy and Nesmith singing ‘Until It’s Time For You To Go’ that Nez first recorded as Michael Blessing and with Michael accompanying Davy on acoustic guitar. The cd also includes the mono single mixes for ‘A Little Bit You, A Little Bit Me’, ‘She Hangs Out’ and ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’.

Disc 4 rounds out the set with the March 1967 sessions. Among the gathered gems are alternate vocal versions of ‘Randy Scouse Git’, ‘You Told Me’, ‘Forget That Girl’, ‘You Just May Be the One’, ‘No Time’, demo takes for Micky’s ‘Just A Game’ and ‘Pillow Time’ which was written by his mother Janelle Scott and Matt Willis, a version of ‘Early Morning Blues And Greens’ with alternating vocals between Davy and Peter, an informal recording of Tom Paxton’s ‘The Last Thing On My Mind’ with Peter on lead vocal and harmony vocals by Micky, an alternate vocal version of ‘Randy Scouse Git’ with a quick segue into the traditional song ‘East Virginia’, Micky and Peter fooling around on ‘Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho’, an unedited demo of Nesmith’s ‘Cantata & Fugue In C&W’ (which Nez later rerecorded on his own and appears as a bonus track on the 7a Records reissue of ‘And Hits Just Keep On Comin’), backing tracks for Harry Nilsson’s ‘The Story Of Rock And Roll’, a ‘Zilch’ concert tickets radio contest spot for KHJ Radio, the TV edit of ‘For Pete’s Sake’, the mono version of the ‘Tema Dei Monkees’ Italian 45 single with an additional stereo LP version that appeared on ‘I Monkees in TV’ Italian album and mono mixes for ‘Love To Love’ (originally issued on the 1979 ‘Monkeemania: 40 Timeless Hits From The Monkees’Australian LP), ‘You Can’t Tie A Mustang Down’ and ’99 Pounds’ which was originally issued on the Monkees final album ‘Changes’ in 1970.

But Wait, There’s More!!! A bonus 45 single with the 1967 mono mixes of ‘All Of Your Toys’ backed with ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’ with Michael Nesmith on lead vocals is the cherry on the cake.

The box set is beautifully put together with alternate front and back cover photos on the additional cds, the booklet filled with extensive and informative liner notes by Andrew Sandoval that gives you a basic primer on the history of the ‘Headquarters’ album with a fascinating peek behind the scenes of the backstage machinations and intrigues. There are many fantastic photos taken during the studio sessions that includes pictures of the master tapes boxes which are an extra treat. And, as a nod to those who purchased the 2000 Rhino Handmade ‘Headquarters Sessions’ box set, the inner casing of the box is made to resemble the cardboard OBI belt that secured that set, a nice little Easter egg for Monkees collectors.

Andrew Sandoval deserves extra kudos for compiling and producing this incredible collection. Monkees fans who purchase this set, which is limited to 4,000 units, will have hours of fun diving deep into the various contents of the box. The set can only be purchased at a reasonable price for such a jam packed collection on Rhino’s Monkees Shop Online Link and will NOT be available on any other online sale outlets like Amazon. Unless Rhino decides to run another batch of boxes, once it’s gone, it’s gone, and it will be expected to garner outrageously big bucks on sites like eBay down the road. The success of this set will also bode well for, hopefully, a super deluxe box set of the ‘Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd’ album, and perhaps, if all the master tape elements and materials can be located or miraculously turns up, fingers crossed, a deluxe edition of ‘Changes’.

The 2022 ‘Headquarters’ Super Deluxe Edition Box set is not only fantastic in its own right, it makes the perfect companion piece to the earlier 2000 ‘Headquarters Sessions’ and 2007 Deluxe Edition two cd set. An album this important deserves the deluxe treatment this set provides.

In 1967 The Monkees were looking for respect. With the 2022 ‘Headquarters’ Super Deluxe Edition Box Set, they more than earned it.

The 2022 ‘Headquarters’ Super Deluxe Edition Box Set can ONLY be ordered on the online Rhino Monkees Store:

Rhino/Monkees Store Order Link: https://monkeesstore.warnermusic.com/en/the-monkees/home/the-monkees—headquarters-super-deluxe-edition/081227883836.html

The 2000 ‘Headquarters Sessions’ set is also available for Digital Streaming and Download Purchase on most Streaming Services like Apple/iTunes, Amazon Music and Spotify.

Fred Velez, 2022.

Fred Velez is the author of the books ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’, ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 2: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives’ and the Monkees themed Holiday CD ‘A Little Bit Christmas’.

FreddyPop Shop Link: https://freddypop.wordpress.com/freddy-pop-shop/

The Monkees HEADQUARTERS Super Deluxe Edition And Micky Dolenz 2023 Headquarters Tour!

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!

Preorder Link: https://monkeesstore.warnermusic.com/en/the-monkees/home/the-monkees—headquarters-super-deluxe-edition/081227883836.html

Here are the dates for Micky’s tour:

4/1/23 – Orlando, FL – The Plaza Live
https://bit.ly/3WhnSQW

4/2/23 – Clearwater, FL- Bilheimer Capitol Theatre – Clearwater
https://bit.ly/3ST7ymP

4/4/23 – Virginia Beach, VA – Sandler Center for the Performing Arts
https://bit.ly/3TRXb3R

4/5/23 – Annapolis, MD – Maryland Hall
https://bit.ly/3sJ79bO

4/7/23 – Atlantic City, NJ – Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino Resort
https://bit.ly/3fkBcDx

4/8/23 – Vienna, VA – The Barns at Wolf Trap
https://bit.ly/3DNyqQy

4/10/23 – Chester, NY – Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center
https://bit.ly/3SRnMwD

4/11/23 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount – Huntington, NY
https://bit.ly/3FvDMBg

4/12/23 – Englewood, NJ – Bergen Performing Arts Center
https://bit.ly/3gZkQ3z

4/14/23 – Ridgefield, CT – The Ridgefield Playhouse
https://bit.ly/3Wuj3UK

4/15/23 – Beverly, MA – The Cabot
https://bit.ly/3Nmvcqp

4/16/23 – Jim Thorpe, PA – Penn’s Peak
https://bit.ly/3NjTKk1

4/18/23 – Warren, OH – Robins Theatre
https://bit.ly/3DpimmN

4/19/23 – Kent, OH – The Kent Stage
https://bit.ly/3DOfbqc

4/22/23 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
https://bit.ly/3gZ7B39

4/23/23 – Milwaukee, WI – The Pabst Theater
https://bit.ly/3SVRY9M

4/25/23 – Niagara Falls, ON – The Avalon Theatre at Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort
https://bit.ly/3FvEgY6

4/26/23 – Niagara Falls, ON – The Avalon Theatre at Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort
https://bit.ly/3sRAwbP

4/27/23 – Niagara Falls, ON – The Avalon Theatre at Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort
https://bit.ly/3UahxFd

Rhino Headquarters Super Deluxe Preorder Link: https://monkeesstore.warnermusic.com/en/the-monkees/home/the-monkees—headquarters-super-deluxe-edition/081227883836.html

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

* Previously Unreleased

The Monkees Blu-ray Set Available On Rhino Again!

The Monkees Blu-ray set is available again on Rhino Records Official Monkees website.

The set includes the entire Monkees TV series, the movie ’Head’, the 1969 ’33 & 1/3 Revolutions per Monkee’ television special, original Monkees screen tests, the original version of The Monkees TV pilot, outtakes from the movie ’Head’, Davy Jones performing ’Someday Man’, Saturday Morning reruns song segments, promos, commercials and outtakes, a bonus 45 single and booklet with liner notes written by Andrew Sandoval in a box featuring a lenticular cover. You can also purchase the set with a Monkees T-shirt to match.

Monkees Blu-ray Set Order Link: https://monkeesstore.warnermusic.com/music/the-monkees-complete-tv-series-blu-ray.html

Blue-ray/T-Shirt Combo Link: https://monkeesstore.warnermusic.com/the-complete-series-t-shirt-bundle.html

The Monkees ‘The Christmas Song’ Video

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

Link: Fred Velez Monkees Book

Monkees Unwrap You At Christmas Video

Rhino unveiled the first video from the new Monkees ‘Christmas Party’ album, ‘Unwrap You At Christmas’. Done in the style of the ‘She Makes Me Laugh’ video from the 2016 ‘Good Times’ album, the video features new artwork by comic artist Michael Allred who did the album cover, with a new single mix of the song available on Amazon and iTunes. Rhino also announced that the vinyl version of ‘Christmas Party’ will be available in September, 2019.

Fred Velez, 2018.

Rhino Podcast: The Monkees Christmas Party w/Micky Dolenz & Michael Nesmith

The latest Rhino Podcast talks to Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith about ‘The Monkees Christmas Party’ album.

Rhino Podcast: iTunes Link

Monkees To Release Christmas Album

Link: Rolling Stone – Monkees Christmas Album

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.

https://youtu.be/JeiG3eGOnxU

The latest Zilch podcast talks about the new Monkees Christmas album with Andrew Sandoval and John Hughes:

Link: Zilch Podcast on Monkees Christmas Album

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.

Preorder Link: Target Exclusive with Bonus Tracks

Preorder Link: iTunes

Preorder Link: Amazon

Review: More Of The Monkees Deluxe Box Set

By Fred Velez

Rhino Order Link: More Of The Monkees Deluxe Edition

Rhino Records continues their Monkees Deluxe series with the release of the highly anticipated ‘More Of The Monkees’ Deluxe Edition box set. As with the previous box sets, ‘MOTM’ is chockfull of outtakes, alternate mixes, live tracks and other gems that have made this series a treat for Monkees fans and collectors.

Among many highlights are the stereo and mono mixes of the original album, new 2017 mixes of songs like ‘Mary, Mary’, ‘Laugh’, early recorded versions of ‘Tear Drop City’ in the correct speed, ‘Valleri’, ‘Words’, the original backing track for ‘Whatever’s Right’, later redone for the 2016 ‘Good Times’ album. I found the backing track for ‘Whatever’s Right’ particularly interesting, the arrangement being a little slower and to my ears more country sounding, making me wonder if it was originally written with Nesmith in mind. Other rarities include TV only tracks of ‘I Really Love You’ from the ‘Monkees At The Movies’ episode and Nesmith’s hysterical version of ‘Different Drum’ and ‘Undecided’ from the ‘Too Many Girls’/Fern & Davy’ episode. A fun track on the box set are the background vocals sessions for ‘Mary, Mary’ with Michael Nesmith at the recording deck directing Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones and Peter Tork and the chaos that ensues with the three Monkees in the studio and Nesmith trying to keep things under control. It verifies the decision made by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart to have no more than one Monkee in the studio during recording sessions.

A big highlight of the set are the live tracks from the January 1967 concert recorded at the Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona are fun and, with the exception that some of the vocals were recorded low and as explained with the intention of being overdubbed, I feel the concert sounds much more exciting than the shows recorded for the Live 1967 and ‘67 Summer Tour set. My thinking on this is that this was still the early period of The Monkees as a live act and they were still feeling the excitement of the shows along with the fans before it all started to become a blur of shows with screaming fans for the group like it became for The Beatles towards the end of their touring career. Ten tracks from the concert are on Disc 3 of the set and includes the rare live version of ‘She’s So Far Out She’s In’ that the Monkees performed during their early concerts. The full concert can be heard on YouTube and it’s understandable why more tracks weren’t included with most of the vocals being inaudible.

The set was assembled by music historian, archivist and sometimes Monkees producer/manager Andrew Sandoval who also wrote the extensive liner notes in a booklet which includes a lots of great photos and fascinating information on the sessions and the intrigue going on behind the scenes between the Monkees and music supervisor Don Kirshner. The three disc set have reproductions of the original U.S. cover and foreign album cover variations. Also included is a vinyl single of a new 2017 mix of ‘I’m A Believer’ and a vocals only mix of ‘(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone’.

If you have the previous box sets, then it’s a no-brainer that the ‘More Of The Monkees’ Deluxe Edition is a must have for any Monkees collection.

Fred Velez, 2017

Fred Velez is the author of the book ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’

Amazon Link: A Little Bit You, A Little Bit Me Book

More Of The Monkees Deluxe Edition

Release Date: 12/15/2017

Who’s ready for even more of MORE? In honor of 50th anniversary this year, we’ve super-sized MORE OF THE MONKEES with a staggering 91 tracks including 55 previously-unreleased alternate takes, remixes, and newly discovered concert recordings from 1967, the band’s earliest-known live tracks, as well as a bonus 7” of “I’m A Believer” (Remix)/”(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone” (Vocals Only).

“This is the most exciting archival dig through The Monkees’ vault since 2009’s THE BIRDS, THE BEES AND THE MONKEES DELUXE EDITION. Every track is newly mastered for this set; the live material is the most historically significant of their career,” says Andrew Sandoval, who produced the set and wrote a new essay for its expansive booklet.

MORE OF THE MONKEES: SUPER DELUXE EDITION significantly expands the special edition of MORE OF THE MONKEES released in 2006. Along with mono and stereo mixes of the original album, the SUPER DELUXE EDITION takes listeners into the studio for the making of the album through extensive studio outtakes. Many make their debut here, including the first recorded versions of: “Words,” “Valleri,” “Hold On Girl” and more. Backing tracks for early version of “Sometime In The Morning,” “I’m A Believer” and “Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)” offer a behind-the-scenes perspective on the creative process.

However, the set’s most historic aspect is the inclusion of newly discovered unreleased live music. Recorded in Arizona in 1967, these 10 tracks are The Monkees’ earliest-known live recordings. The performance highlights songs from the band’s 1966 self-titled debut (“I Wanna Be Free” and “Papa Gene’s Blues”), along with covers of Ray Charles’ “I Got A Woman” and Willie Dixon’s “You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover.”

Limited to just 4,500 numbered copies and housed in a hardbound 7″x7″ box, the collection is available exclusively from monkees.com and rhino.com. MORE OF THE MONKEES: SUPER DELUXE EDITION will be available on December 15, but you can pre-order now.

Order Link: More Of The Monkees Deluxe Edition

The Monkees – Steppin’ Stone – Live 1996

The Monkees promote their 1996 album “Justus” with a club show in Los Angeles, California on November 20, 1996. Please Read more

The Monkees “Circle Sky” (Live 1996)

The Monkees promote their 1996 album “Justus” with a club show in Los Angeles, California on November 20, 1996. The Read more

The Monkees “Run Away From Life” (Live 1996)

The Monkees promote their 1996 album “Justus” with a club show in Los Angeles, California on November 20, 1996. Please Read more

The Monkees “Oh, What a Night” (Live 1996)

The Monkees promote their 1996 album “Justus” with a club show in Los Angeles, California on November 20, 1996. Please Read more

The Monkees “Pleasant Valley Sunday” (Live 1996)

The Monkees promote their 1996 album “Justus” with a club show in Los Angeles, California on November 20, 1996. (The Read more

The Monkees “Regional Girl” (Live 1996)

The Monkees promote their 1996 album “Justus” with a club show in Los Angeles, California on November 20, 1996. Please Read more

The Monkees “You and I” (Justus version – Live 1996)

The Monkees promote their 1996 album “Justus” with a club show in Los Angeles, California on November 20, 1996. Please Read more

The Monkees vs. Columbia Pictures (1989)

The Monkees were sued by Columbia Pictures in 1989 over usage of the ‘Monkees’ name. To update the video: the Read more

Monkees Billboard Live UK reports (1996)

The Monkees gathered in Los Angeles on November 20, 1996 for a club show at Billboard Live to promote their Read more