7a Records announces 50th anniversary edition of Nesmith's lone Second National Band album4/12/2022  7a Records just announced a special 50th Anniversary Edition of Michael Nesmith's fourth album for RCA Records, Tantamount to Treason Volume 1. It will be made available on both compact disc and 180 gram aqua splatter vinyl on June 3, 2022. Originally released in 1972, Tantamount is the only album Nez recorded with the Second National Band, which included O.J. "Red" Rhodes (pedal steel), Michael Cohen (keyboards and Moog), Jack Ranelli (drums), José Feliciano (congas), and Johnny Meeks (bass). The First National Band, which had backed Michael on his initial solo efforts (Magnetic South, Loose Salute, and Nevada Fighter), disbanded in 1971. Red Rhodes was the only FNB member to soldier on with Nez. The album also features a contribution from Bill Chadwick ("Talking to the Wall"). 7a Records also recently announced a 50th Anniversary Edition of Michael's 1974 album And The Hits Just Keep On Comin'. Read more about the reissue of Tantamount To Treason Volume 1 and its updated cover art below, courtesy of 7a's official press release. Pre-orders are now available via Deep Discount and Amazon worldwide.  TRACK LISTING
PRESS RELEASEWe are proud to announce the 50th Anniversary Edition of "Tantamount To Treason, Volume One" by Michael Nesmith & The Second National Band - released on June 3rd. The 1972 album has been remastered, expanded with bonus tracks and given a brand new cover painting by Wilson McLean, who also painted the original album sleeve. The CD comes with a 32 page booklet, including extensive liner notes, previously unpublished photos and lyrics to all of the songs. The Vinyl is presented in a gatefold sleeve and is pressed on 180g Aqua coloured splatter Vinyl. The bonus tracks have never previously been released on vinyl. You can pre-order the album here: THE ALBUMBy late 1971, Michael Nesmith found himself confronted with dissenting opinions of his First National Band releases on RCA Records. Though critics generally lauded the music, radio audiences and the record buying public became less interested in the material with each subsequent release. Contemplating his next move under his RCA contract, Nesmith made some significant changes to his approach in recording new material, which would ultimately yield Tantamount to Treason, Volume One. Gone would be a supporting “band” in the sense of a collective partnership of musicians. Rather, an eclectic group of session musicians would be gathered to lay down what were arguably Nesmith’s most free-form, jazz-influenced and psychedelic country tracks of his career. 
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Micky Dolenz's latest release, Dolenz sings Nesmith - The E.P., arrived last week from 7a Records on 10" colored vinyl, compact disc, and digital/streaming platforms. Read more about the extended play and listen to a sample below, featuring Micky's interpretation of "The Crippled Lion." Thank you to Live Almanac contributor Ben Belmares for sharing his scans of the E.P.! THE VINYL  (Click to enlarge)    THE COMPACT DISC    (Click to enlarge)  Dolenz Sings Nesmith - The E.P. was released yesterday and immediately landed on the US iTunes charts! Available on 10" colored vinyl, compact disc, and via all digital platforms, the extended play features four songs from the sessions that yielded Micky Dolenz's critically acclaimed 2021 solo album Dolenz sings Nesmith (produced by Michael's son, Christian), including "Soul-Writer's Birthday," a previously unreleased Michael Nesmith composition that Nez originally copyrighted in October 1967 but never recorded. Congratulations to 7a Records for another stellar release, and don't forget to pre-order 7a's newest undertaking, a 50th anniversary edition of Michael Nesmith's classic 1972 album, And the Hits Just Keep on Comin'.   7a Records announced today that a special 50th Anniversary Edition of Michael Nesmith's album, And The Hits Just Keep On Comin', will be released on both compact disc and colored vinyl on May 13, 2022. The LP, Michael's fifth effort for RCA Records, was originally issued in 1972. It has been remastered and expanded with four bonus tracks. The CD edition comes with a 28-page color booklet, featuring extensive liner notes and previously unpublished photos. The vinyl edition comes in a gatefold sleeve and is pressed on 180 gram honey colored vinyl. Read more about the anniversary edition of Hits below, courtesy of 7a's official press release, and pre-orders are now available via Deep Discount!  TRACK LISTING
PRESS RELEASEBy 1972 both Nesmith and his then record company RCA were dismayed at Nesmith’s lack of commercial success, following his early 1970 departure from The Monkees. Nesmith took the opportunity to blatantly poke fun at the situation he found himself in, titling his new album - that certainly would not yield a Top 40 hit – And the Hits Just Keep on Comin'. The album was a departure from his previous solo records, as it featured just Nesmith on acoustic 12-string guitar and the excellent Red Rhodes on pedal steel guitar, no other musicians were involved. The approach was simple, but it exposed a beauty in the poetry of Nesmith’s lyrics which was matched perfectly by Rhodes’ inspired playing. And The Hits Just Keep On Comin’ became Nesmith’s most critically acclaimed album and it is today generally viewed as an iconic ground-breaking marvel in the annals of country-rock music. To mark the album’s 50th anniversary, 7A Records have remastered the album and included four bonus track that will see their first ever release on vinyl. The album is released on CD with a 28 page color booklet featuring extensive liner notes and previously unseen photos, as well as on 180g colored vinyl in a gatefold sleeve.      7a Records recently delivered exciting news for Monkees fans when it announced Dolenz Sings Nesmith - The E.P. was set for release on March 18, 2022 on 10" colored vinyl and via all digital platforms. The extended play disc, featuring four songs from the sessions that yielded Micky Dolenz's critically acclaimed 2021 solo album Dolenz sings Nesmith (produced by Michael's son, Christian) includes "Soul-Writer's Birthday," a previously unreleased Michael Nesmith composition that Nez originally copyrighted in October 1967 but never recorded. And now, due to popular demand, a compact disc version of the EP will also be made available on the release date. Pre-order links for US and UK customers can be found below, including the option to obtain an autographed copy from Micky's official online store. Rounding out the track list on Dolenz Sings Nesmith - The E.P. are some of Michael's most celebrated songs, two of which were originally recorded during the Monkees era and later featured on Michael's RCA solo albums ("The Crippled Lion" and "Some of Shelly's Blues"), and "Grand Ennui," the opening track from Nevada Fighter, the third and final album released by Nez and The First National Band.  "Dolenz sings Nesmith - The E.P." to include previously unheard Michael Nesmith song (UPDATED)1/18/2022 There's fresh news today from 7a Records as the label has announced Dolenz sings Nesmith - The E.P., coming March 18, 2022 on 10" colored vinyl and via all digital platforms. Last year's Dolenz sings Nesmith album featured Micky Dolenz reimagining select tracks from the songbook of his longtime friend and bandmate, Michael Nesmith, and was met with critical acclaim. The EP includes "Soul-Writer's Birthday," a song Nez copyrighted in 1967 but never recorded. Check out 7a's press release for Dolenz sings Nesmith - The E.P. below, along with links to pre-order the vinyl version.  OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE:7A Records announces the release of a brand new 10" EP by Micky Dolenz featuring four Nesmith compositions, including the first ever release of 'Soul-Writer’s Birthday.' "Dolenz Sings Nesmith - The EP" will be released on March 18.  (Click image to enlarge) UPDATE 2/11/2022: Have a listen to the vinyl test pressing of Dolenz sings Nesmith - The E.P. courtesy of 7a Records: In 1994, James Lee Stanley's Beachwood Records released Peter Tork's first ever solo album, Stranger Things Have Happened, featuring several notable guest musicians and friends including Stanley, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Laurence Juber (Paul McCartney & Wings), Mackenzie Phillips, and Timothy B. Schmit (The Eagles). Last year, 7a celebrated Stranger Things with an expansive compact disc reissue while also pressing a limited edition splatter vinyl. 7a's latest incarnation of the album arrived this fall on transparent green vinyl, and it's available to order from both Amazon and Deep Discount. Thank you very much to Live Almanac contributor Ben Belmares for sharing his scans of this version of Stranger Things Have Happened.   (Click to enlarge)    For more information about other 7a Records releases featuring the works of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork, visit the website and follow 7a on Facebook and Twitter.
 7a Records, the label that specializes in Monkees solo-related projects and more, recently announced that a couple of their titles are now available to stream and download on over 70 different platforms. And on top of that, vinyl lovers rejoice! Peter Tork's 1994 solo album, Stranger Things Have Happened, is coming soon on limited edition green vinyl. Here's a rundown of 7a's latest activities: In late 1980 Peter Tork formed a band called The New Monks, and shortly thereafter the group recorded a single, "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone"/"Higher and Higher." Last year, both songs were featured as bonus tracks on 7a's CD and vinyl editions of Peter's Stranger Things Have Happened album. And now, for the first time, the single is officially available to stream or download:  Back in 2019, 7a revived Davy Jones' long out-of-print early 1980s live albums that were recorded and issued in Japan. Stream or download Davy Jones Live in Japan now:  Don't forget that this collection can still be purchased on compact disc and as a triple vinyl LP, and both of these versions contain exclusive bonus tracks. In 1994, James Lee Stanley's Beachwood Records released Peter Tork's first ever solo album, Stranger Things Have Happened, featuring several notable guest musicians and friends including Stanley, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Laurence Juber (Paul McCartney & Wings), Mackenzie Phillips, and Timothy B. Schmit (The Eagles). Last year, 7a celebrated Stranger Things with an expansive compact disc reissue while also pressing a limited edition splatter vinyl. Fans can now pre-order 7a's latest incarnation of the album, this time on transparent green vinyl, which is set for release on September 10:  For more information about other 7a Records releases featuring the works of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork, visit the website and follow 7a on Facebook and Twitter.
 (Courtesy of 7a Records) 
This Friday, Dolenz sings Nesmith, the highly anticipated new release from 7a Records, will be available worldwide on CD, vinyl, and as a digital download. The album features Micky Dolenz reimagining select tracks from the songbook of his longtime friend and bandmate, Michael Nesmith. Pre-orders are now available, and be sure to take advantage of the great prices being offered by Import CDs.
Collected below are recent articles and interviews with Micky about this long-simmering project, along with some early (and glowing) reviews! "Dolenz sings Nesmith" Press Coverage and InterviewsReviews of "Dolenz sings Nesmith"
And if that's not enough to get you excited about the album, a pre-release party was held this past weekend on Zoom where hosts Tim Powers and Jodi Ritzen welcomed 7a's Glenn Gretlund, Christian Nesmith (who produced the album), Circe Link, Andrew Sandoval, and Micky himself! Check out the entire session below, which also features samples from each track on Dolenz sings Nesmith.
UPDATE 6/7/2021: More great news about Dolenz sings Nesmith from 7a Records:
Last December, 7a Records presented its first-ever Peter Tork-related project when the label re-released Peter's 1994 solo album, Stranger Things Have Happened, on compact disc and vinyl. The review below, written by Martin Hutchinson of Eighth Day magazine, was recently shared by 7a's Facebook page.  Dolenz sings Nesmith, a brand new album by Micky Dolenz comprised of songs written by Michael Nesmith throughout his career, will be released by 7a Records worldwide on May 21. Listen to a recent interview with Micky conducted by Steven Rainey of BBC Radio Ulster where he talks about the album, working with Christian Nesmith, and more:  This week, fans will get a preview of Micky Dolenz's forthcoming solo album when "Different Drum"/"Propinquity" debuts as the lead single from Dolenz sings Nesmith, a collection featuring Micky singing the songs of Michael Nesmith. While you wait for this Friday's single release, take a listen to the latest episode of Zilch where Glenn Gretlund of 7a Records is joined by the album's producer, Christian Nesmith, and the two chronicle the project with host Ken Mills, along with exclusive track samples to boot!   7a Records has revealed that a digital single, "Different Drum" / "Propinquity", will be issued on April 23 as a preview of Micky's forthcoming album, Dolenz sings Nesmith, a collection of songs featuring Micky paying tribute to the songbook of Michael Nesmith. The single can now be pre-ordered from Amazon and iTunes in the US (and in the UK, too), with an official release date set for April 23. Check out the YouTube video below for extended snippets of the songs and more! UPDATE 4/23/2021: Listen to Micky's new single below, and don't forget to download or stream it via iTunes, Amazon, or Spotify.
7a Records has re-released Peter Tork's 1994 solo album, Stranger Things Have Happened, on compact disc and vinyl, along with bonus tracks! Below is the latest review of the set, courtesy of The Beat, that was posted on 7a's Facebook page.  (Click image to enlarge) Cover art and track listing revealed for "Dolenz sings Nesmith" coming this May from 7a Records3/10/2021  (Artwork by Tim Johnson from Silver Parrot Creative Services) 7a Records is pleased to announce the release of Dolenz sings Nesmith – Micky Dolenz's first new solo studio album in nine years. The album is comprised of songs Michael Nesmith wrote throughout his career, all beautifully reimagined. Produced by Nesmith's son, Christian Nesmith, this is the album Monkees fans have waited years to hear. The Album Dolenz got the idea for the album a long time ago. As Micky says "I think I first mentioned it to Nez years ago, I don’t know where the idea came from, maybe from my friend Harry Nilsson and his Nilsson Sings Newman album. I thought to myself, 'Wow, Dolenz sings Nesmith.'" The new album, which was recorded between September 2020 and February 2021, features songs written throughout Nesmith’s long career, including many from the critically acclaimed Michael Nesmith & The First National Band albums, as well as a few Monkees deep cuts. And who better to produce the album than Nesmith's son, Christian Nesmith, who has done an incredible job in coming up with fresh and completely new arrangements for all of the songs. The global release date for Dolenz sings Nesmith is May 21, 2021. (Courtesy of 7a Records) The Track Listing
 (Courtesy of 7a Records) Pre-Order Now!
 Back cover (Courtesy of 7a Records) 
In 1994, James Lee Stanley's Beachwood Records released Peter Tork's first ever solo album, Stranger Things Have Happened, featuring several notable guest musicians and friends including Stanley, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Laurence Juber (Paul McCartney & Wings), Mackenzie Phillips, and Timothy B. Schmit (The Eagles).
And now, in 2020, 7a Records has announced its first-ever Tork-related project as it will reissue Stranger Things Have Happened on compact disc and vinyl this December. The CD version includes a whopping 9 bonus tracks and a 32-page color booklet with sleeve notes by Mark Kleiner, who hosts the Nesmith, Tork, Goffin & King podcast and has written numerous superlative liners for previous 7a releases. The vinyl, limited to just 600 copies, features 6 bonus tracks and will be pressed on 180 gram Neon Magenta Splatter vinyl. The album cover has also been updated from its original pressing. Dolenz and Nesmith provided backing vocals on "Milkshake," and Nez can also be heard on "MGB-GT," which was initially performed by Micky, Peter, and Davy Jones during The Monkees' 20th Anniversary Reunion Tour. Davy was present at the recording session for "Milkshake" with his fellow Monkees, but never got around to putting his vocal on tape. James Lee Stanley recalled the comedic circumstances that caused Davy to leave the session during this interview (at 27:30). Bonus tracks on 7a's compact disc reissue of Stranger Things Have Happened include Peter's 1981 single with his band The New Monks, "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone"/"Higher and Higher." 7a Records is also currently producing another highly anticipated release, Dolenz Sings Nesmith, featuring Micky Dolenz covering the songbook of Michael Nesmith, produced by Christian Nesmith with Monkees archivist Andrew Sandoval handling A&R duties. Stranger Things Have Happened arrives December 4 in the United Kingdom and December 11 in the United States. UK fans can pre-order from Amazon while those in the US can pre-order the compact disc or vinyl from Deep Discount, or Amazon. Stay tuned to The Monkees Live Almanac for further updates, and in the meantime, read another preview of this latest 7a release courtesy of The Second Disc.
UPDATE 11/24/2020: Listen to the latest Zilch podcast that covers the re-release of Stranger Things Have Happened, featuring an interview with 7a's Glenn Gretlund as well as Mark Kleiner.
COMPACT DISC PACKAGE
SPLATTER VINYL PACKAGE
For years, Micky Dolenz has spoken about his admiration for Michael Nesmith, including his song catalog stretching from the Monkees era all the way through Nez's varied solo output. And their well-known camaraderie was on full display during the recent "Mike & Micky Show" tours. "Way back in the day when we were in the recording studio, Nez and I fell into this wonderful harmonic vocal blend I called 'The Everly Monkees,' as exemplified by the beautiful song 'Me & Magdalena,'" Micky wrote in the liner notes of the The Monkees Live: The Mike & Micky Show. "On the set of The Monkees TV show, we would fall into some ad-lib riff and totally crack each other up. We often joked about one day having 'The Mike & Micky Show'!"
Those 2018-2019 dates were a critical and commercial success, performing to audiences in North America, Australia, and New Zealand. Although Micky and Michael's most recently scheduled tour has twice been postponed due to COVID-19, Rolling Stone delivered some welcome news today that Micky Dolenz will record an album covering the works of his longtime friend and musical partner Michael Nesmith. "I've always been a huge fan of his songs,” Micky told Rolling Stone. "He's just so prolific." According to Rolling Stone, recording has not commenced for Dolenz Sings Nesmith and there's no firm track listing, but Christian Nesmith, Michael's oldest son, will be producing the project while Monkees manager and historian Andrew Sandoval will be handling A&R duties. 7a Records, the British-based label fronted by Glenn Gretlund and well-known to fans for its Monkees-related releases over the last several years, will issue the album.
UPDATE 11/23/2020: Micky is currently recording the album in Los Angeles, and 7a's Glenn Gretlund has informed the Live Almanac that a tentative release date is set for March 2021.
UPDATE 11/28/2020:
UPDATE 2/13/2021: Christian Nesmith posted the following on his Facebook page regarding the latest update about Dolenz Sings Nesmith:
Micky with Christian Nesmith (Photo courtesy of Micky Dolenz on Twitter)
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