The Monkees Pad Show has returned with a very special episode that features the final interview with a member of The Monkees' extended family, Keith Allison. On November 17, 2021, Mr. Allison passed away from natural causes in California at the age of 79. Keith was a friend of Michael Nesmith's from Texas who acted as a session musician on several Monkees recordings, including "Auntie's Municipal Court," "Zor and Zam," "D.W. Washburn," "Rosemarie," the studio version of "Circle Sky," and "Through the Looking Glass." Mr. Allison composed "Auntie's Municipal Court" with Nez, and this enduring track from The Monkees' fifth album, The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees, was performed at every stop on the 2021 Monkees Farewell Tour. "I came up with the intro and I played two guitars on the track - one tuned down a full step," recalled Allison in an interview with Monkees historian Andrew Sandoval. "We broke for lunch and Mike had written most of the lyrics. He said, 'I'd better call Micky [Dolenz],' and he came down from Horseshoe Canyon and did the vocal right then and there. We finished the whole thing in one afternoon." Ultimately enjoying a prolific career in music, Mr. Allison appeared on recordings by Sonny & Cher, Ringo Starr, Harry Nilsson, Roy Orbison, The Beach Boys, The Righteous Brothers, Chuck Berry, Alice Cooper, and many others. Keith also toured with Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart in the mid-1970s and played on the group's eponymous album. Enjoy this interview with Keith Allison via the link below, and be sure to follow The Monkees Pad Show on Facebook and Twitter!
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7a Records announces 50th anniversary edition of Nesmith's lone Second National Band album (UPDATED)4/12/2022 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 17, 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. UPDATE 5/30/2022: The latest issue of Uncut features a rave review of 7a's 50th anniversary edition of Michael Nesmith's Tantamount To Treason Volume One. Thanks to Glenn Gretlund for sharing it on 7a's Facebook page: PopMatters on Circe Link & Christian Nesmith's new album: "First Great Prog Album of the Century"3/25/2022
Listen to an engaging and spirited conversation with Monkees author and producer Andrew Sandoval as he joins hosts Joe Kennedy and Dave Gebroe on an episode of the Discograffiti podcast. The trio assess the recorded works of The Monkees beginning with their 1966 debut all the way through 1967's Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., and everything in between. And be sure to stay tuned for Part 2!
UPDATE 3/28/2022: Andrew Sandoval joins Joe and Dave to continue the saga of The Monkees, covering the years 1968 to the present:
The fantastic Monkees Pad Show has returned, this time with special guest Coco Dolenz. Host JR's conversation with Coco covers the Dolenz family's entertainment roots, her solo and Monkees career, philosophy of life, and much, much more in this exclusive interview.
Coco's history with The Monkees traces back to the 1960s. She provided harmony and background vocals on such Monkees tracks as "Shortly Blackwell," "Little Girl," "Midnight Train," and "Mommy and Daddy." She wrote for teen magazines at the height of her brother's fame, and in the late 1970s, Coco toured with Micky and Davy after the dissolution of Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart. In 1987, Coco released her own album, One Voice. She joined The Monkees onstage in a supporting role when Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork reunited in late 2012 for a series of concerts after the passing of Davy Jones. Enjoy this interview with Coco via the link below, and be sure to follow The Monkees Pad Show on Facebook and Twitter! 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. UPDATE 6/1/2022: The latest issues of Record Collector and Mojo feature glowing reviews of 7a's 50th anniversary edition of Michael Nesmith's And The Hits Just Keep On Comin'. Thanks to Glenn Gretlund for sharing both on 7a's Facebook page. Record CollectorMojo
Micky Dolenz will hit the road this April for a special series of shows designed to pay tribute to his longtime bandmates Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. "Micky Dolenz Celebrates The Monkees" opens on April 5, 2022 at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee and will close in Madison, Wisconsin on April 16 at Overture Center for the Arts.
Joining Micky onstage will be the members of "The Mike & Micky Show" band: Wayne Avers, Emeen Zarookian, Gemma Dolenz, Rich Dart, Alex Jules, John Billings, and Pete Finney. "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," said manager Andrew Sandoval earlier today on social media. "It will give Micky and the band an opportunity to share the music he made alongside Davy, Peter, and 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, 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 nine shows in this format, but we are truly looking forward to being together again to celebrate the Monkees in song." Tickets go on sale this Friday, February 11 but presales will begin on Tuesday, February 9 with the presale code CELEBRATE for all shows. Check out the official press release with tour dates below, as well as the most up-to-date press coverage regarding the announcement of the tour. OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASEMicky Dolenz of The Monkees will embark on a special series of concert dates in April 2022. Honoring the contributions of his bandmates – the late Davy Jones, Mike Nesmith & Peter Tork – in song and with personal multimedia footage of the legendary performers, Dolenz will celebrate their lasting legacy on record and film. Launching on April 5 at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, the tour will end on April 16 at Madison’s Overture Center For The Arts. TOUR DATES
April 5: Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
April 6: Richmond, KY @ EKU Center For The Arts April 8: Nashville, IN @ Brown County Music Center April 9: Cincinnati, OH @ The Andrew J Brady ICON Music Center April 11: Wheeling, WV @ The Capitol Theatre April 12: Akron, OH @ Goodyear Theater April 13: Joliet, IL @ Rialto Square Theatre April 15: Riverside, IA @ Riverside Casino & Golf Resort April 16: Madison, WI @ Overture Center For The Arts PRESS COVERAGE
Fox News: Micky Dolenz, last surviving Monkees member, to embark on tribute tour: ‘Like my brothers’
UPDATE 4/1/2022: Andrew Sandoval discussed the upcoming tour and more in a post on Facebook today:
The tributes continue to pour in for Michael Nesmith, this time from UK-based magazine Shindig!, which features Nez on the cover of its current issue: Monkees historian, author, and producer Andrew Sandoval is joined by John Billings and Alex Jules, members of The Monkees' touring band, in a special episode of Zilch dedicated to the memory of Michael Nesmith. Listen to the show, hosted by Ken Mills, below:
Earlier today it was announced that The Monkees will grace the cover of the upcoming March 2022 issue of MOJO. Featuring an interview with Micky Dolenz and a piece by David Fricke, look for it in bookstores soon. You can also purchase a copy online or select the digital download option. "As the world mourns Michael Nesmith, MOJO celebrates the ’60s phenomenon who transcended prefab pop – and the solo flights of their coolest member. His legacy: country-rock, MTV, that hat and more."
"In honor of the recently departed Michael Nesmith – the cool muso heart of the Monkees – and with the help of an exclusive new Micky Dolenz interview, we celebrate the group once dubbed the Prefab Four and explore the insanity of their ’60s rise and fall." In his latest piece for Rolling Stone, senior writer Andy Greene goes behind the scenes of the Monkees Farewell Tour and reveals his last interactions with Michael Nesmith: *** UPDATE 1/10/2022 ***Hello readers of the Monkees Live Almanac,
I understand the passion that surrounds a variety of topics discussed in Mr. Greene's article linked above, and the public comments left on this blog post to date reflect those passions. However, it is my desire to keep this forum from becoming overly personal in comments made about one person or the next. As a result, I deleted several comments. Thank you for your consideration and understanding.
UPDATED 3/10/2022 - newest links appear at the bottom
The Hollywood Reporter: Michael Nesmith, Singer, Songwriter and Guitarist of The Monkees, Dies at 78
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