Hank was the engineer on Tapestry. What more can I say? 🙏 R.I.P. Hank Cicalo
Hank’s wife Lynn shared this on his Facebook page:
HENRY “HANK” CICALO June 25, 1932 – January 31, 2024 On Wednesday, January 31, Hank passed away at home, peacefully, in his sleep, surrounded by his loving family. He was 91 years old. Born in Brooklyn, Hank graduated from Lafayette High School. He served for four years in the U.S. Marine Corps and fought in the Korean War, rising to the rank of staff sergeant. He attended Audio Visual Technical School in New York City.
Shortly after graduating, he moved to California to begin his illustrious career as a recording engineer — first working with Armed Forces Radio, then Capitol Records, RCA, Dot, A&M Records and more. He had the pleasure of working with almost every great artist of his time – from the 50’s through the 80’s: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Peggy Lee, Lou Rawls, Duke Ellington, The Monkees, George Harrison, Tom Scott, Michael Feinstein and Barbra Streisand, to name a few.
One of his most acclaimed projects was Carole King’s Tapestry album, with producer Lou Adler. In addition to working with them on several subsequent projects, he also enjoyed recording many other artists on Ode Records. He met his wife, Lynn Cherry Cicalo, working on The Blade Runner soundtrack in 1982 and they married in 1988. They were fortunate to share many happy years together.
Hank is survived by his wife Lynn, his former wife Norma and their children: Joe (Shari), Christine, Victoria (Gene) and his grandchildren Joe (32) and Elena (16). A memorial service will be planned for a future time. Because of Hank’s service in the Korean War, he was a passionate advocate for the caring service provided by the USO. Contributions can be made to the USO.
From Andrew Sandoval’s Facebook page:
Last night I learned that recording engineer, Hank Cicalo, had passed – he was 91. He had a very long and incredible career in audio and to highlight only his work with The Monkees would be a disservice to his professional legacy. Nevertheless, that is how I made a connection with him some 30 years ago for an interview that has stood the test of time and has featured in numerous writings I have done ever since on the band. And it was amazing he even recalled as much as he did when, as he told me, his days as an RCA staff engineer were stacked.
Hank: “In order not to lose what I had going with other clients, and the way RCA was set up in those days, I was working like 100 hours a week. Although the Monkees things were important because we were doing scoring — underscoring stuff with Shorty Rogers and whatever — at the same time I was trying to do Duke Ellington, Vic Damone, Peggy Lee and all those other acts. There was a lot of stuff going on. In those two years, ’66 and ’67, I had seven days off the whole year and worked over 100 hours a week.”
In fact, Hank was one of the only factors of continuity in The Monkees’ first 18-months of recording, when they went from producer to producer and eventually became a band in their own right. The Monkees trusted and respected Hank and even gave him the sole writing credit on their song, “No Time,” as a sincere gesture for putting in long hours with them. Notably, he also worked with Michael Nesmith on the solo instrumental project, The Wichita Train Whistle Sings.
I want to thank Hank for his contribution and to giving me a solid interview back when I was just an eighteen-year-old cold calling him hoping to learn as much as possible. May his work live on and bring joy to those who listen. Hint: Every time you hear those words “7A” that open “Daydream Believer” – that’s Hank’s voice.
Beatland Books, which has previously published the extensive deluxe rewrite of Andrew Sandoval’s ‘The Monkees: The Day by DayStory’ book, has followed up with another outstanding release with ‘I’m Told I Had A Good Time: The Micky Dolenz Archives – Volume One’.
Sandoval has compiled from the personal archives of Micky Dolenz an incredible collection of photos that chronicles Dolenz’s life and career from his earliest childhood stardom in the 1950’s television series ‘Circus Boy’, into the 1960’s and Micky’s second burst of fame with The Monkees and on till 1977 as he began his career in England as a respected television director.
Photo Copyright Micky Dolenz/Beatland Books.
The nearly 500 pages are packed with astounding photos and memorabilia from Micky’s personal collection, the majority never before published. Micky takes the reader behind the scenes of Circus Boy, the early days of The Monkees on their television set, the movie ‘Head’ and the whirlwind of their wild concert tours, with fantastic photos of Jimi Hendrix as their opening act, hanging out with The Beatles, Stephen Stills, Eric Clapton, Keith Moon and Harry Nilsson among many famous faces and names.
Peter Tork and Jimi Hendix. Photo Copyright Micky Dolenz/Beatland Books.
Throughout the book Dolenz reflects on the many aspects of his life and career with warmth and humor and a fondness for the people he associated with and called his friends. Micky takes you back to those fun, crazy days when he and the other Monkees were briefly in the eye of the hurricane and beyond.
The book is available in three different formats: as a numbered Super Deluxe Hardcover Edition in a special clamshell case with an additional set of prints, a numbered Deluxe Hardcover Edition in a protective slipcase and a less expensive unnumbered Flexibound Open Edition minus extras. Both Deluxe Editions are hand signed by Micky Dolenz. The Deluxe Editions are limited and will be available for a very short time. The Flexibound is an unsigned open edition. The Flexibound edition of ‘The Monkees: The Day By Day Story’ by Andrew Sandoval is also still available in a limited supply.
Beatland Books has prided itself in presenting the book to its highest quality standards with glossy paper in a sturdy bound format. ‘I’m Told I Had A Good Time’ by Micky Dolenz is a book that belongs in the book shelves of any Monkees and 60’s Rock Fan. This is the ultimate Monkees scrapbook, and it’s only volume one!
Fred Velez is the author of the books ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’ and ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 2: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives’
Micky Dolenz has a lot piled up on his plate these days. While currently on tour, he has new releases coming up: his already announced Beatland Book, ‘I’m Told I Had A Good Time’, a surprise 7a Records EP ‘Dolenz Sings R.E.M.’, and a video of the first song off the EP of Micky singing ‘Shiny HappyPeople’ comprised of personal home movies produced by Dolenz and Andrew Sandoval who also put the book together.
Original R.E.M. ‘Shiny Happy People’ video with Kate Pierson of the B-52’s.
The 500 page book with tons of photos from Micky’s personal collection and history can now be preordered on the Beatland Books website in three different editions.
The Micky Dolenz version of the R.E.M. song ‘Shiny Happy People’ is now available on the streaming services and for download purchase.
On top of all that, Beatland Books is making available again the flexi bound edition of Andrew Sandoval’s 740 page book ‘The Monkees: The Day by Day Story’, also loaded with many never before seen photos and in-depth information. For those who missed out the first time, now’s the time to get it!
Fred Velez is the author of the books ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’ and ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 2: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives’.
The songwriting team of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart are pretty much recognized as the ‘Lennon & McCartney’ of The Monkees, having written several of the groups most popular songs and hits like ‘Last Train To Clarksville’, ‘I Wanna Be Free’, ‘She’, ‘(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone’, ‘Words’, ‘Valleri’, ‘Tear Drop City’ and more. Together and as individual songwriters, they’ve written hits for artists like Little Anthony & The Imperials (‘Hurt So Bad’), Freddie Cannon (‘Action’), Curtis Lee (‘Pretty Little Angel Eyes’), Jay & The Americans (‘Come A Little Bit Closer’) and Helen Reddy (‘Keep On Singing’) among others. It was Boyce & Hart that Screen Gems turned to help write, produce, and shape The Monkees’ sound on record. Seeing the success the Monkees were having inspired Tommy and Bobby to become recording and performing artists as well, getting a taste with their band the Candy Store Prophets backing the solo segments of the Monkees 1967 tour. (Less than a decade later, the duo would team up with Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones as Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart.)
Signing with A&M Records, the duo released their first album ‘Test Patterns’ in 1967. On the strength of the successful single ‘I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight?’, the team recorded and released their second album named after the single in 1968. Considered their best album, 7a Records has remastered ‘I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight?’ in a new reissue with incredible sound to celebrate its 55th anniversary.
The songs have a Beatlesque/Brian Wilson type of production that really benefits the songs with a Pop sheen sprinkled with a bit of 60’s psychedelia. ‘Pretty Flower’ could have fit on a later Beach Boys record with its Pop arrangement enhanced by strings. And the B & H version of ‘Tear Drop City’ is actually better than the Monkees one, which segues with sitar-like acoustics into the ethereal ‘Love Every Day’. ‘Two For The Price Of One’ is a soulful bit of fun with the duo name tagging each other.
‘Goodbye Baby (I Don’t Want To See You Cry)’ is a nice orchestral track with building vocals that evoke the harmonies of The Beatles and The Beach Boys. (Tommy & Bobby were paying attention to what Brian Wilson was doing in the studio.) ‘I’m Digging You Digging Me’ sounds like it could have fit onto the Beach Boys ‘Wild Honey’ album, the melody sort of references the ‘Monkees Theme’ with a wink! Bobby Hart enhances the song ‘Leaving Again’ with his soulful vocals. Tommy Boyce has fun with ‘The Countess’ which has a touch of the Beatles and the Monkees. ‘Population’ has a Bob Dylan improvisational stream of consciousness feel in the lyrics with a wild instrumentation buildup that softly segues into Tommy & Bobby’s version of ‘I Wanna Be Free’ that ends the album on a nice, quiet note.
7a Records has reissued the remastered album on cd in a gatefold sleeve accompanied by a 28-page booklet with informative liner notes written by Monkees historian Andrew Sandoval and many period photos by acclaimed photographer Henry Diltz. The vinyl edition is limited to 500 copies pressed on 180g Red vinyl. As per their past releases, 7a Records excels on the quality and production of this release.
Hopefully this release will lead to more reissues of the Boyce & Hart catalogue with rare bonus tracks included. If you’re a fan of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart and their work with The Monkees and other artists, then the 7a Records remaster of ‘I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight?’ is a definite keeper.
1. I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight? 2. Pretty Flower 3. Teardrop City 4. Love Every Day 5. Two For The Price Of One 6. Goodbye Baby (I Don’t Want To See You Cry) 7. I’m Digging, You Digging Me 8. Leaving Again 9. The Countess 10. Population 11. I Wanna Be Free
• Deluxe 55th Anniversary Edition • Remastered • Previously Unseen Photos • 28 Page Colour CD Booklet • Extensive Liner Notes • Lyrics To All Songs
Fred Velez is the author of the books ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’ and ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 2: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives’.
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’.
Of the nine studio albums The Monkees recorded and released during their initial mid/late 1960’s period, their 1967 third album ‘Headquarters’ is universally recognized as The Monkees most famous and iconic record. After two albums released with studio musicians under the supervision of music coordinator Don Kirshner, ‘Headquarters’ was the group’s declaration of independence where their talents as a functioning band were on full display as they finally were allowed to perform the majority of the music themselves. While slightly rough in spots, the garage band feel of the album under the musical supervision of producer Chip Douglas and with Michael Nesmith taking on the helm of group leader, ‘Headquarters’ became the Monkees third number one charting album in a row. The band’s efforts have been previously examined in the 2000 Rhino Handmade ‘Headquarters Sessions’ box set and the 2007 two disc Deluxe Set. Now Rhino has finally released the highly anticipated 4 cd disc Super Deluxe Edition set produced by the Grammy Award winning producer, Monkees expert and chronicler Andrew Sandoval, and it was well worth the wait.
Under Sandoval’s meticulous supervision and attention to detail, the four discs are filled to capacity with tons of bonus tracks, session tapes, studio chatter, and accompanied by a booklet of informative liner notes by Sandoval that chronicle the entire genesis of the making of ‘Headquarters’, including the creative battle of wits between Don Kirshner and the Monkees. The essay is a condensed version of the more detailed account found in Sandoval’s extensive rewrite of his 2021 book ‘The Monkees: The Day To Day Story’. The booklet with the liner notes has great photos of the Monkees, Chip Douglas, Don Kirshner, Jeff Barry and the other major actors involved during the period of the sessions which would be almost worth the price of admission alone. But the main focus of the set is the amazing treasure trove of music spread out over the four cd discs with 67 previously unreleased tracks.
The discs are broken up into four thematic sections: a new 2022 remix of the original album with additional bonus material, the January 1967 Sessions, the February 1967 Sessions and the March 1967 Sessions and Beyond. The remix of the ‘Headquarters’ album found on Disc 1 is a major revelation on its own. Working with the original multitrack tapes, all of which still exist, Sandoval has created a new version that enhances the listening experience by centering the drums and bass on the mix without compromising the integrity of the record. The clarity is astounding, it’s like listening to ‘Headquarters’ for the first time, which with this mix you are. The stereo picture is very close to the mono mix of the album which brings out sound textures previously buried in the original mixes. There are longer fadeouts on some of the songs like ‘Forget That Girl’, ‘Shades Of Grey’ and clean endings to ‘Early Mornings Blues And Greens’ and ‘Randy Scouse Git’ which add to the fun of those songs. The bonus tracks on disc one include the first and second versions of ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’, amazing remixed versions of ‘All Of Your Toys’, ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’, the first version of ‘She Hangs Out’ with a longer fadeout, ’99 Pounds’ and ‘You Can’t Tie A Mustang Down’ that practically leap out of your speakers, headphones and ear buds. Even the weaker numbers ‘If I Learned To Play The Violin’ and ‘Sally’ (‘I Didn’t Know You Had It In You Sally’) have a bit of a kick to them in these remixes. Two songs on disc one, ‘Gotta Give It Time’ and ‘Love To Love’, originally produced by Jeff Barry and Brendan Cahill in 1967 and used by the late Adam Schlesinger for the 2016 ‘Good Times!’ album’, have also been remixed and enhanced with less reverb on the 2016 Micky Dolenz lead vocals and Michael Nesmith’s backing vocals brought up higher in the mix on the former track and on the latter track using Davy Jones’ 1969 vocals with the 2016 backing vocals of Dolenz and Peter Tork also brought up in the mix with much more clarity.
Disc 2 features the January 1967 sessions that begins with the previously unreleased instrumental demo sessions recorded at the legendary Gold Star Studios for ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’ and ‘All Of Your Toys’, with the Monkees playing the backing tracks and Chip Douglas in the producer’s seat, that were intended for Don Kirshner to listen to and prove that the group were adequately capable of accompanying themselves on their records. Another of the Monkees’ recorded backing tracks is ‘She’s So Far Out, She’s In’ which the group were performing on their early concerts. (A live version with Nez singing lead from the 1967 Arizona concert can be found on the ‘More Of The Monkees’ Super Deluxe Box Set.) The majority of Disc 2 are the various backing tracks for ‘Love To Love’, ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’, ‘Gotta Give It Time’, ’99 Pounds’ ‘She Hangs Out’ and ‘Mustang’. Many of these tracks were supervised by Kirshner with producer Jeff Barry at the helm at the New York RCA studios. The majority of these tracks were up for consideration for the proposed Kirshner supervised third Monkees album. Among the recorded backing track are those written and produced by the team of Denny Randell and Sandy Linzer which include ‘Love Is On The Way’, ‘Sally’, ‘I Wanna Be Your Puppy Dog’ and ‘Sugar Man’, the latter song notoriously confused with Jeff Barry and Andy Kim’s ‘Sugar, Sugar’ which became a hit for The Archies in 1969 with Ron Dante singing the lead. Andrew Sandoval definitively dispels the erroneous myth that ‘Sugar, Sugar’ was offered and rejected by the Monkees in 1967 when in actuallity it wasn’t composed until late 1968, a fact corroborated by the song’s writers Barry and Kim. Other backing tracks of songs for the proposed third Monkees album include ‘Poor Little Me’, ‘Eve Of My Sorrow’, ‘The Love You Got Inside’, ‘If I Learned To Play The Violin’ and ‘Black And Blue’ which was written by Neil Diamond. The remainder of the disc is rounded out by demo takes and mono mixes of ‘Seeger’s Theme’ with Peter Tork on acoustic guitar and whistling, ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’ and ‘All Of Your Toys’.
‘Sugar Man’ by Denny Randell & Sandy Linzer
‘I Wanna Be Your Puppy Dog’ and ‘Love Is On The Way’ by Denny Randell & Sandy Linzer
As chronicled in Sandoval’s liner notes, Don Kirshner was eventually ousted from his position as music supervisor when he breeched his contract by issuing through RCA Records in Canada an unauthorized single of ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’ backed with the early version of ‘She Hangs Out’ with vocals by Davy Jones instead of the group recorded ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’ with Micky Dolenz on lead vocals that was offered as a compromise which Kirshner refused and saw as an affront to his authority. With Don finally out of the picture, the Monkees along with Chip Douglas and engineer Hank Cicalo, Disc 3 of the February 1967 sessions presents the group as a musical working unit as they properly begin work on the album that would become ‘Headquarters’. Among the tracks are alternate versions of ’99 Pounds’, ‘She Hangs Out’, the Monkees’ recorded ‘Mr. Webster’, ‘Sunny Girlfriend’, the in-studio demos for ‘She’ll Be There’ and ‘Midnight Train’ with Micky and his sister Coco singing together, Peter Tork’s early rough mono mix of ‘Can You Dig It?’, Michael Nesmith’s mono mix demo of ‘Nine Times Blue’, individual demos of Davy and Nesmith singing ‘Until It’s Time For You To Go’ that Nez first recorded as Michael Blessing and with Michael accompanying Davy on acoustic guitar. The cd also includes the mono single mixes for ‘A Little Bit You, A Little Bit Me’, ‘She Hangs Out’ and ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’.
Disc 4 rounds out the set with the March 1967 sessions. Among the gathered gems are alternate vocal versions of ‘Randy Scouse Git’, ‘You Told Me’, ‘Forget That Girl’, ‘You Just May Be the One’, ‘No Time’, demo takes for Micky’s ‘Just A Game’ and ‘Pillow Time’ which was written by his mother Janelle Scott and Matt Willis, a version of ‘Early Morning Blues And Greens’ with alternating vocals between Davy and Peter, an informal recording of Tom Paxton’s ‘The Last Thing On My Mind’ with Peter on lead vocal and harmony vocals by Micky, an alternate vocal version of ‘Randy Scouse Git’ with a quick segue into the traditional song ‘East Virginia’, Micky and Peter fooling around on ‘Joshua Fit The Battle Of Jericho’, an unedited demo of Nesmith’s ‘Cantata & Fugue In C&W’ (which Nez later rerecorded on his own and appears as a bonus track on the 7a Records reissue of ‘And Hits Just Keep On Comin’), backing tracks for Harry Nilsson’s ‘The Story Of Rock And Roll’, a ‘Zilch’ concert tickets radio contest spot for KHJ Radio, the TV edit of ‘For Pete’s Sake’, the mono version of the ‘Tema Dei Monkees’ Italian 45 single with an additional stereo LP version that appeared on ‘I Monkees in TV’ Italian album and mono mixes for ‘Love To Love’ (originally issued on the 1979 ‘Monkeemania: 40 Timeless Hits From The Monkees’ Australian LP), ‘You Can’t Tie A Mustang Down’ and ’99 Pounds’ which was originally issued on the Monkees final album ‘Changes’ in 1970.
But Wait, There’s More!!! A bonus 45 single with the 1967 mono mixes of ‘All Of Your Toys’ backed with ‘The Girl I Knew Somewhere’ with Michael Nesmith on lead vocals is the cherry on the cake.
The box set is beautifully put together with alternate front and back cover photos on the additional cds, the booklet filled with extensive and informative liner notes by Andrew Sandoval that gives you a basic primer on the history of the ‘Headquarters’ album with a fascinating peek behind the scenes of the backstage machinations and intrigues. There are many fantastic photos taken during the studio sessions that includes pictures of the master tapes boxes which are an extra treat. And, as a nod to those who purchased the 2000 Rhino Handmade ‘Headquarters Sessions’ box set, the inner casing of the box is made to resemble the cardboard OBI belt that secured that set, a nice little Easter egg for Monkees collectors.
Andrew Sandoval deserves extra kudos for compiling and producing this incredible collection. Monkees fans who purchase this set, which is limited to 4,000 units, will have hours of fun diving deep into the various contents of the box. The set can only be purchased at a reasonable price for such a jam packed collection on Rhino’s Monkees Shop Online Link and will NOT be available on any other online sale outlets like Amazon. Unless Rhino decides to run another batch of boxes, once it’s gone, it’s gone, and it will be expected to garner outrageously big bucks on sites like eBay down the road. The success of this set will also bode well for, hopefully, a super deluxe box set of the ‘Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd’ album, and perhaps, if all the master tape elements and materials can be located or miraculously turns up, fingers crossed, a deluxe edition of ‘Changes’.
The 2022 ‘Headquarters’ Super Deluxe Edition Box set is not only fantastic in its own right, it makes the perfect companion piece to the earlier 2000 ‘Headquarters Sessions’ and 2007 Deluxe Edition two cd set. An album this important deserves the deluxe treatment this set provides.
In 1967 The Monkees were looking for respect. With the 2022 ‘Headquarters’ Super Deluxe Edition Box Set, they more than earned it.
The 2022 ‘Headquarters’ Super Deluxe Edition Box Set can ONLY be ordered on the online Rhino Monkees Store:
The 2000 ‘Headquarters Sessions’ set is also available for Digital Streaming and Download Purchase on most Streaming Services like Apple/iTunes, Amazon Music and Spotify.
Fred Velez, 2022.
Fred Velez is the author of the books ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’, ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 2: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives’ and the Monkees themed Holiday CD ‘A Little Bit Christmas’.
The Monkees Blu-ray set is available again on Rhino Records Official Monkees website.
The set includes the entire Monkees TV series, the movie ’Head’, the 1969 ’33 & 1/3 Revolutions per Monkee’ television special, original Monkees screen tests, the original version of The Monkees TV pilot, outtakes from the movie ’Head’, Davy Jones performing ’Someday Man’, Saturday Morning reruns song segments, promos, commercials and outtakes, a bonus 45 single and booklet with liner notes written by Andrew Sandoval in a box featuring a lenticular cover.
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.
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.
Michael Nesmith pre-Monkees TV Debut
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.
Circle Sky from the movie ‘Head’
The Cincinnati Story
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’.
Just in time for the 55th Anniversary of The Monkees first coming onto the Pop Culture scene, Andrew Sandoval’s original 2005 book, The Monkees: The Day To Day Story, has not only been updated, it has received a full 740 page re-write in beautiful deluxe editions filled to brim with photos and additional and in-depth information, making this the absolute definitive book on The Monkees as a media phenomenon.
Starting with the individual childhoods of the four who would become the Monkees, Sandoval’s book traces them in their early careers as entertainers, the beginnings of the Monkees television project by producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider, Don Kirshner‘s entry as the music supervisor for the project, the work of Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart in writing the songs and shaping the Monkees’ sound, the selling and initial success of the television series and records, the first live appearances by the group, their place in the 60’s counter culture, the filming and release of the movie Head and the 33 & 1/3 television special, and much more.
All Photos Property of Beatland Books
Following the template of Beatles author Mark Lewisohn, Sandoval follows the history of the Monkees through deeply detailed date entries that fully explore what took place between the years 1965 to 1970. If you want to find out what the Monkees were doing between the months of January to August of 1967, it’s all there with in-depth information and dates on filming and recording sessions, with tons of amazing black & white and color photos. Many of the photos are broken up in pull out pages that give you a panoramic view of the Monkees in the recording studio, in concert, filming the movie Head, etc.
All Photos Property of Beatland Books
Perhaps the most anticipated part of the book is the lawsuit between Don Kirshner and Screen Gems that got Kirshner booted from the Monkees project. Sandoval has included details of the lawsuit with the legal depositions of the Monkees that gives revealing and detailed information that puts into perspective of, as Micky Dolenz referred to it, “the palace revolution”, that ousted Kirshner from his position as music supervisor of the Monkees records, and leading to the freedom for the group to write and record the music on their own recordings .
Fred Velez Unboxes Super Deluxe Edition of Monkees Book
Beatland Books is offering three different versions of the book at different prices: the Super Deluxe Hardcover Edition which comes inside a sturdy Red protective clamshell casing with an exclusive booklet of rare and fascinating photos that couldn’t be fit into the main book. The Deluxe Edition comes in a slipcase with the design of the famous Monkees ‘Rainbow’ room. The least expensive Open Flexibound Edition is a sturdy and firm Paperbound book that includes everything in the hardcover versions minus the extras. Both Deluxe Editions are personally signed and numbered by Andrew Sandoval. The Regular Edition is not signed or numbered.
The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story: Deluxe Clamshell Edition
Deluxe Clamshell Edition with Bonus Photo Booklet
2005 Original Edition in Size Comparison with Deluxe Edition
As of this writing, the Super Deluxe is completely sold out and there are limited supplies of the Deluxe Edition and Open Flexibound Edition still available. Orders and payments for the books can be placed at the Beatland Books website.
Andrew Sandoval who has done yeoman’s work as a music archivist, Grammy Award winning producer, and producer and manager for The Monkees, has painstakingly put together an amazing book on the group that can only be described as a work of art in its own right. Pretty much everything you’ve ever wanted to know about the Monkees can be found in this book, with well-researched details and beautifully reproduced color and black & white photos that on their own will literally take hours to properly digest.
Whether you’re a serious student of Pop Music Culture, or a Monkees fan from any generation of the past 55 years, The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story is an essential addition for the library of collectors and fans alike.
Fred Velez is the author of the books ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’, ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 2: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives’, and the Monkees’ themed Holiday cd ‘A Little Bit Christmas’.
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Freddy Pop! 