Andrew Sandoval and John Hughes provide massive updates on Monkees 50th Anniversary events

"She Makes Me Laugh" will be the first new Monkees single since 1987;
​Release date set for end of April

Monkees archivist and producer Andrew Sandoval, along with Rhino executive John Hughes, were interviewed this week by Ken Mills of the Zilch! podcast. The duo discussed an array of topics, including the brand new Monkees studio album, Good Times!, the forthcoming Blu-ray package, the 50th Anniversary Tour, and much more.  Ken previously conducted an interview with Sandoval and Hughes which included even more details about the topics discussed below. Here's a summary of Ken's most recent conversation with them:

---

Good Times!

• "Good Times!" is completely recorded, mixed, and mastered and has been sent to the production facility. The booklet is finished, and the album features 13 songs.

• Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and John Hughes visited the iTunes headquarters in San Cupertino, California and previewed the new album for iTunes executives. "The most jaded people in the music business," Hughes said, but Good Times! received a phenomenal reaction from the execs there.

• The album was also played for Rhino Records employees at a recent company event.

• Hughes praised producer Adam Schlesinger. "He brought out things from all three guys that we didn't know were there."

• Sandoval spoke about the Paul Weller/Noel Gallagher track, which he called the "mindblower of the entire thing," where The Monkees return to "psychedelia." The song is called "Birth of an Accidental Hipster" and features lead vocals from Michael Nesmith.  Sandoval compared the track sonically to "St. Matthew."

• Sandoval noted that Good Times! has all of the ingredients of the original Monkees records: acoustic folk, pop, show tunes, bubblegum, psychedelic, country twang, rock, singer/songwriter. "This album has all of those things."

• Hughes said The Monkees analyzed the songs and lyrics that were submitted to them by the various songwriters contributing to the project.

• Sandoval produced a bonus track called "Love's What I Want" (written by Andy Partridge) which he said was "completely in the original Monkees style," and it features Bobby Hart on Vox organ. Sandoval sent it to Michael Nesmith who praised the message of the song.

• Micky contributed a lyric change to the Rivers Cuomo song "She Makes Me Laugh," which will now be the album's first single.  (It was previously announced that the Andy Partridge track, "You Bring the Summer," would be the first single.) "She Makes Me Laugh" will be made available as a digital single during the week of April 25.  Sandoval called it a "fantastic Monkees single."

• The album is being mastered by Ryan Smith at Sterling Sound. Hughes called Smith an "audiophile" and assured everyone that the sound will not be "brickwalled."  "It's a very well-recorded record," Sandoval added. The album will also be made available on HD Tracks and 180 gram vinyl.

• ​​​There will be multiple editions released: 1) Mass market CD - 13 tracks.  2) FYE/FYE.com exclusive CD - 14 tracks, including Peter Tork's "A Better World" (which features a string quartet).  3) FYE exclusive teal-colored vinyl - 13 tracks.  4) Barnes & Noble exclusive vinyl with bonus 7" of "Love's What I Want" b/w "A Better World."  5) iTunes & HDTracks deluxe edition with "Terrifying" (written by Zach Rogue) and "Me & Magdalena" (Version 2), along with a digital booklet.

• Micky thinks Good Times! is The Monkees' best album since 1967's Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. 

• Note: In a Facebook message after this interview was posted online, Hughes confirmed that Michael will be featured as lead vocalist on three of the album's songs.

---

The Monkees: The Complete Series on Blu-ray

Sandoval and Hughes also provided updates on the upcoming Monkees Blu-ray package:

• Last minute discoveries led to a second delay in production.  John Hughes promised that there will be no further changes in the release date (which is now set for June 24, 2016). The discs have been mastered, and the sleeves and booklet are being printed at this very moment.

• Andrew Sandoval explained that more time was needed to restore footage that was recently discovered. He said they were "embarrassed" about the delays, but that the wait will be worth it.

• Sandoval notes there will be buttons for each year between 1965 and 1970 on the bonus disc in the Blu-ray package. 

• A full HD episode from the Blu-ray set will be uploaded to YouTube during the week of April 17 as a preview for the fans.

• ​The complete contents of the box along with an official picture of the packaging will be published during the week of April 17.

• "We have more surprises to come" regarding The Monkees' 50th Anniversary, according to both Sandoval and Hughes.

Blu-ray details: The TV Show

• The full and uncut screen tests of each Monkee will be included on the bonus disc, as will the screen test for Dallas Williams, who auditoned unsuccessfully.

• The unaired pilot has been restored to stunning quality which cost several thousand dollars alone in order to complete.

• Outtakes from the television show include an unused scene of Davy Jones directing traffic and The Monkees pushing Davy across the street on a block of ice (set to the song "I Can't Get Her Off My Mind").  Outtakes from the "Saturday's Child" and "Gonna Buy Me a Dog" romps have also been found and will be part of the set, as will the old Kellogg's bumpers.

• ​Original 8mm film of the September 1966 Screen Gems block party was discovered and restored to HD, along with footage from the KHJ San Juan Capistrano "Clarksville" event (including audio and interviews from that day).

• The bonus disc is a mix of high definition and standard definition due to some licensors only being able to provide standard definition material.

• "The Royal Flush" episode will include the 1967 alternate soundtrack aired during summer reruns, and "The Monkees on Tour" will include the alternate 1969 soundtrack.

• Backstage footage of The Monkees at the 1967 Emmy Awards was discovered and will be included, and as a bonus, an unissued backing track of "The Door Into Summer" will play over this footage.

Blu-ray details: Head

• ​The outtakes from Head are extensive. 

• The commentaries by The Monkees that Sandoval completed in 2010 for the Criterion Collection will be included in the Blu-ray set.

• Sandoval provided a sampling of some of the Head bonus features: alternate scenes for the "Can You Dig It" harem scene; alternate takes and performances of "Daddy's Song" (both the black and white tuxedo takes will be available as individual scenes); unseen footage from the "Long Title" birthday scene; about 15 minutes of outtakes (with sound), including Mike escaping from the black box; and alternate takes of the diner scene with different dialog.

Blu-ray details:​ 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee

• 33 1/3 has been restored (by co-producer Dan Wingate) from newly found tapes and "looks incredible," according to Sandoval.  The set will include the broadcast version of the special as shown by NBC in 1969, along with commercials.

• ​Alternate takes of "Goldilocks Sometime," Peter's Bach piece, and "String For My Kite" will be part of the bonus features.

• There is 17 minutes of previously unseen footage for the "Listen to the Band" performance, including previously unheard audio!

Updates on Blu-ray Bonus Features

• All of the 1969 Kool-Aid commercials, including the long 35mm promo film from 1970

• The Monkees on Laugh-In (1969)

• Syndicated rerun-era soundtracks (including "French Song," "I Never Thought It Peculiar," "Midnight Train," "Do You Feel It Too, and "All Alone in the Dark") appear in their mono TV mixes, which are not available anywhere else.

• The "Oh My My" video from 1970 will include the original mono audio.

• All of the commentaries from the early 2000s DVD sets have been ported over to the Blu-ray set.

• Monkees collector and historian Gary Strobl sat with Andrew Sandoval to provide commentary on two episodes.

---

The final part of the interview on "Zilch!" discussed the upcoming tour.

50th Anniversary Tour and Merchandise

• The tour is nearing 50 dates on the itinerary. Rehearsals begin in a month.

• International dates are in the planning stages.

• The 50th Anniversary concerts will feature a new set list and multimedia show, songs that have not been previously performed in a live setting, along with songs from Good Times!  The acoustic set that was a part of Micky and Peter's shows in 2015 will return.  Sandoval noted that Micky will play drums during the concerts, and Peter will play banjo, too.

• Sandoval assured fans that both Davy and Michael will be represented in and be a full part of the concert experience.

• The tour book is being compiled by Sandoval and will be hardback.  It will include unpublished photos and annotations.

• The merchandise table will feature a shirt dedicated to Davy and his horses. Proceeds from that shirt will go to the Davy Jones Equine Memorial Foundation.

• All four Monkees will appear on the merchandise being sold (shirts, accessories, and more). Unique items will include Micky's poncho that he wore in the "Randy Scouse Git" video and Davy Jones red maracas. Good Times! will be available in the various editions at the merchandise table, too.

• More dates are likely to be added to the tour, and Hughes teased special guests at the Los Angeles concert in September.