 (T-shirt sold on The Monkees' 2012 tour)
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Thanks much to Bill Weimer for submitting this vintage piece examining The Monkees' 1968 album, The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees, as published in the June 23, 1968 issue of the Chicago Tribune. Some clichés abound, but author Robb Baker provides an interesting examination of the group's fifth million-seller.
(Click image to enlarge)
Listen to The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees courtesy of The Monkees' official YouTube channel:
On April 3 Rhino Records issued The Monkees Live: The Mike & Micky Show, featuring performances from the duo's concerts recorded throughout March 2019, on compact disc and via streaming services. A 2-LP vinyl edition will be available on July 10. The Live Almanac highly recommends this very worthwhile document of a unique era in Monkees history, and a big thanks to longtime site contributor Ben Belmares for sharing the scans of the CD package seen below!                Ed Reilly is a first generation Monkees fan, collector, and author who co-published one of the principal books about The Monkees during the group's 1980s revival. Ed is also known for his long running column in (the now defunct) Monkee Business Fanzine. Entitled "Star Collector," Ed would break down a wide range of Monkees memorabilia, including everything from toys, trading cards, records, and much more. In 1986, Ed co-produced the Monkees convention in Philadelphia that summer. In the article linked below, published last week on Monkee45s, Ed examines possible intentions of The Monkees' label, Colgems, during the waning days of the group in its original incarnation. Check it out!  "Greatest Hits" album cover issued in Canada "The primary purpose of the SoCal Music Hall of Fame is to honor, promote and commemorate California's musical heritage. Micky Dolenz of The Monkees is more than worthy of this coveted recognition."   The former Monkeesmixography website, which classified every Monkees track by mix/master/remaster, and more, is being converted into a book by Craig Smith and Derek Miner. Mixing Links: The Monkees on Disc doesn't have a release date, but fans can now review another excerpt that was recently revealed on their website! Featured in this update is "Goin' Down," originally issued as the B-side to "Daydream Believer" in October 1967. And don't forget to follow Mixing Links on Facebook! "Goin’ Down" started life as a jam following a take of "She Hangs Out" on June 21, 1967. Mike Nesmith and Peter Tork played electric guitar with a rhythm section of "Fast" Eddie Hoh on drums and producer Chip Douglas on bass. The original tracking was recorded to 4-track tape, though it is most likely the recording was transferred to 8-track for later overdubs. The brass parts were recorded September 15, 1967, both a 12-piece accompaniment (which may have been recorded to just one mono track!) plus saxophone and trumpet solos. It is unclear if the vocals were added before or after this instrumentation.  (Sheet music) Thanks to John at Monkee45s.net for the images seen above!
 (Photo courtesy of SF Sketchfest) Earlier this year, San Francisco's Sketchfest paid tribute to The Monkees by hosting Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith, who took part in a panel discussion with author Paul Myers. First held in 2002, Sketchfest has grown into a nationally recognized comedy festival that mixes national headliners, local favorites, and the best up-and-coming groups from throughout North America for a month of sketch, improv, stand-up, and alternative comedy. Micky and Michael's conversation with Myers from January 12 at Marines' Memorial Theatre will be available to rent online later this month. According to Sketchfest, proceeds will go toward "helping to keep our small business afloat, to the performers featured, and to select charities and fundraisers for fellow independent artists and venues in our comedy community." Watch the trailer below, and a big thanks to Neil D. for alerting the Live Almanac about this opportunity to watch Micky & Nez!
In late 2019, it was announced that Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz would return to the concert stage for a tour dubbed "An Evening With The Monkees," with dates scheduled to be played throughout April 2020. But when the coronavirus pandemic landed on the shores of North America, the April tour was postponed until summer 2020.
And now, with the pandemic continuing to uproot people's daily lives and much more, "An Evening With The Monkees" has once again been delayed, this time until the spring of 2021. But good news! Additional dates will be added to the tour in the coming weeks. Below you can find the revised tour schedule along with links to purchase tickets. The Monkees Live Almanac hopes everyone stays safe and healthy!
March 18: Commodore Ballroom / Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
March 21: Moore Theatre / Seattle, Washington March 23: The Crest Theatre / Sacramento, California March 24: San Jose Civic / San Jose, California March 26: Fox Performing Arts Center / Riverside, California March 27: The Magnolia / El Cajon, California March 28: Celebrity Theatre / Phoenix, Arizona April 1: Tobin Center For The Performing Arts / San Antonio, Texas April 2: Austin City Limits Live at The Moody Theater / Austin, Texas April 3: Majestic Theatre / Dallas, Texas April 12: Schermerhorn Symphony Center / Nashville, Tennessee
Here is the official announcement posted a couple of hours ago on The Monkees Tour Facebook page:
The following venues and cities, which were previously scheduled dates on the tour, are no longer listed as part of the current itinerary:
Verizon Theatre / Grand Prairie, Texas
Iron City / Birmingham, Alabama (The Monkees Tour Facebook page says the following about Birmingham: "It is possible that show will be rescheduled in 2021; we are awaiting word from the venue of our new date.") IP Casino Resort & Spa / Biloxi, Mississippi (The Monkees Tour Facebook page says the following about Biloxi: "It is possible that show will be rescheduled in 2021; we are awaiting word from the venue of our new date.") Golden Nugget Grand Event Center / Lake Charles, Louisiana 
(Courtesy of Andrew Sandoval)
Peter Mills, author of The Monkees, Head, and the '60s, recently reviewed The Mike & Micky Show on his blog, Pete Sounds:  (Click image above for links to order)   Adam Schlesinger backstage with Peter Tork & Micky Dolenz at a January 2016 Dolenz solo show in Hartford, Connecticut Adam Schlesinger, who produced The Monkees' 2016 album Good Times! along with the group's first-ever holiday collection Christmas Party (2018), passed away on April 1, 2020 at age 52 from complications of COVID-19. "As many of you are aware, Adam had been hospitalized with COVID-19 and although he had been making some small improvements over the last few days, Adam's condition was critical and he was ultimately unable to recover from COVID-19 complications," read a statement on April 2 provided to CNN. "He was truly a prolific talent and even more so, a loving and devoted father, son and friend." Adam was a member of the bands Fountains of Wayne and Ivy, along with the supergroup Tinted Windows, whose song "This Is The Day" was featured in There's Something About Mary. His notable achievements also included TV and film songwriting, which stretched from That Thing You Do to Music and Lyrics to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.  Fountains of Wayne (Photo by Violeta Alvarez) Fountains of Wayne was perhaps best known for the early 2000s hit single "Stacy's Mom," which was nominated for a Grammy. Schlesinger was also an Emmy-winning songwriter for the CW musical comedy series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, a show for which he composed more than 100 songs. He received an Oscar nomination for writing the title song to That Thing You Do, directed by Tom Hanks, as well as two Tony nominations for his work on the musical adaptation of John Waters' film Cry-Baby in 2008. In addition to his songwriting, Schlesinger produced recordings for such musical artists as They Might Be Giants, America, and Robert Plant.  Good Times!, The Monkees' first album of all new material since 1996's Justus, was produced by Schlesinger and included his own composition, "Our Own World," along with a song co-written with Micky Dolenz, a send-up of an oft-used phrase utilized by Dolenz over the years, "I Was There (And I'm Told I Had a Good Time)." The album peaked at #14 on the Billboard 200 in June 2016.
Schlesinger appeared onstage with The Monkees in New York City during the group's 50th Anniversary Tour, performing "I Was There" and "Steppin' Stone."  June 1, 2016 / Town Hall, New York City (Photo by Robb Johnston) Micky Dolenz remembered Adam in an interview with WCBS FM. "He was such a great guy, a gentleman, and funny, and so smart. And obviously an incredible producer, writer, performer. I wrote a song with him on Good Times! I just can't believe it. That's by far the closest person to me that's been affected [by COVID-19] and I think about him all the time. What a loss." Schlesinger was effusive in his praise of Dolenz in a 2016 interview with Fast Company when talking about the recording sessions for Good Times! "Micky was a real workhorse, and I think he did more hours in the studio than all the other guys, in total, because he sang most of the songs. He was a real trooper, and his voice is incredible – in most cases, when you’re working with older singers, you’re having to transpose things lower, and in Micky’s case, we’re actually having to transpose things higher, because he’s got this incredible range." Adam's collaboration with The Monkees on Good Times! was seemingly a high point in his career. "They were all incredibly easy and fun to work with," he told Fast Company. "Everybody has the attitude of 'let us know what we can do to help - here are some ideas, take them or leave them.' They're very collaborative." The Monkees' official website paid tribute to Adam Schlesinger after the announcement of his death, while also highlighting his work on Good Times! "Even the most optimistic Monkees fan couldn’t have guessed just how wonderful an effort Schlesinger would help put together. It wasn't just a comeback album, it was an instant classic that was – without question – the best thing the band had released since the '60s."  Adam Schlesinger in the studio with Michael Nesmith during sessions for "Good Times!" Ben Gibbard, lead vocalist and guitarist of Death Cab For Cutie, whose song "Me & Magdalena" proved to be a highlight from Good Times!, also commemorated Adam. "I never got to meet Adam," Gibbard relayed during an at-home live stream concert after Schlesinger passed. "We had a lot of connective tissue - a lot of friends in common - but we never had a chance to meet. But I owe him a huge debt of gratitude because he was integral in picking 'Me & Magdalena' for The Monkees to record four years ago." "I always thought as one does in life that you have plenty of time to say thank you, or I love you, or to give somebody a compliment or what have you, but that day obviously did not come," said Gibbard. "From the bottom of my heart, I'm so grateful to him for helping me realize a lifelong dream, which was to write a song that would be recorded by The Monkees, a band I grew up listening to." Adam Schlesinger returned to the producer's chair for The Monkees on Christmas Party in 2018. Schlesinger co-wrote one of the standout tracks on the holiday collection, "House of Broken Gingerbread," with novelist Michael Chabon. Adam was survived by his two daughters, Sadie and Claire, his girlfriend Alexis Morley, his parents Barbara and Stephen Schlesinger, and his sister Lauren.
Listen to the latest podcasts from Rhino, NPR's Fresh Air, Zilch, Nesmith, Tork, Goffin & King, and Rolling Stone as they honor the life and accomplishments of Adam Schlesinger. Nez live on Facebook this Sunday + Videoranch pre-order for autographed "Mike & Micky Show" vinyl5/16/2020 Michael Nesmith's Videoranch is now taking pre-orders for the upcoming 2-LP vinyl release of The Monkees Live: The Mike & Micky Show, and as an added bonus Nez will personally sign your copy of the album!  Michael will also be chatting live with Jodi Ritzen on Sunday, May 17 at 8 pm ET. Tune in live on Jodi's Facebook page for this special event!  
Thanks a lot to longtime Live Almanac contributor Al Bigley for submitting this article where Nez opens up about the end of The Monkees while also discussing the group's 1968 feature film, Head, still under the working title of Changes, and much more.  "I thank you. The banjo thanks you." - Peter Tork Milwaukee, Wisconsin at Shank Hall / May 4, 1997  (Photo by Sherri Hansen) The Monkees are the featured story in the upcoming June 2020 issue of Goldmine. The magazine is available via Amazon Kindle, but as of this posting, Amazon still lists the May edition as the most current. Goldmine's website happens to be offering their May issue (featuring Mick Jagger and Keith Richards on the cover) as a complimentary digital download. Keep an eye on these links for future availability. And thanks to Scott Nelson for advising the Live Almanac about The Monkees' latest entry in Goldmine! UPDATE 4/27/2020: The June 2020 issue featuring The Monkees is now available to purchase digitally via the Kindle edition on Amazon. UPDATE 5/28/2020: The issue is now available as a complimentary download! And you can read the featured interview with Micky Dolenz on Goldmine's website. 
"If it sometimes plays like a victory lap, it's one that's well-deserved, and while this isn't the stuff to win them new converts, The Mike & Micky Show proves no one was wrong for loving this band and their music, and longtime fans will certainly enjoy it."  (Photo by Sherri Hansen) |
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