​Gary Strobl is a lifelong Monkees fan and collector who has been compiling a book on The Monkees since 1983, conducting research and amassing numerous amounts of interviews through the years. Strobl, in collaboration with noted rock and Monkees photographer Henry Diltz, and journalist Harvey Kubernik, announced in May 2013 that a deal had been signed to publish their work. And now, it looks like Gary and company's long-awaited book on The Monkees will become a reality!

Amazon now shows a listing for The Monkees: From Reel to Real from Omnibus Press, with a release date of September 18, 2017.  The online retailer provides the following description for the 496 page hardcover book:

Thank you very much to Dan McKenzine for giving the heads-up to the Live Almanac about the Amazon listing. Stay tuned for more details!

​Ann Moses was the editor of Tiger Beat from 1966–1972, writing countless stories about The Monkees during their heyday. Ann also acted as Hollywood Correspondent to Britain's New Musical Express from 1968-1971. She has published a book which is now available on her website, and you can preview it  on Amazon.

British radio broadcaster (and co-founder of 7a Records) Iain Lee recently spoke to Ann on his radio show:

This episode of Headquarters is centered around Davy Jones and his 1987 autobiography, They Made a Monkee Out of Me. The special, hosted by Paris Stachtiaris and John Di Maio, begins with a multi-part interview with Alan Green, who assisted Davy in the publication of the book (as well as 1992's Mutant Monkees Meet The Masters of the Multimedia Manipulation Machine!). Green was also a member of Toast, the late '70s/early '80s group that backed Davy on the road during that period. Green talks about his relationship with Davy and the genesis of their partnership, Basil Foster, and recalls Toast on tour. From there Paris and John speak with Davy about the book, his experiences on Broadway, The Monkees' fallout with MTV, Pool It!, the making of the "Every Step of the Way" video, 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee, his 1988 solo album Incredible, Don Kirshner, Colpix Records, Head, and much, much more. 

Please note that I've misplaced the opening of this episode of Headquarters which is why the program begins right away with Alan Green's interview. And, sprinkled throughout you'll hear two tracks from Incredible, "After Your Heart" and "Hippy Hippy Shake," along with "Rainbows" (written and recorded with Chip Douglas), as well as audio from Davy's late 1965 appearance on Ben Casey.

On April 28, Michael Nesmith appeared with D.A. Wallach in Santa Monica, California at an event sponsored by Live Talks Los Angeles to promote his new book, Infinite Tuesday: An Autobiographical Riff. Here's the official video footage of their discussion:

Peter Mills, author of The Monkees, Head, and the '60s, was recently contacted by none other than Bob Rafelson, who praised his work! (And it looks like Jack Nicholson is reading, too.) Jawbone Press, the publisher of the book, tweeted the following account earlier today:

Be sure to check out an excerpt from the book that was published on this blog last year.

Congratulations, Peter!

​Kirkus: Michael Nesmith, author of Infinite Tuesday

In a message posted today on Facebook, Michael talked about the audio version of Infinite Tuesday: An Autobiographical Riff:

The book is indeed available to download at Penguin Random House and Audible. Listen to a sample below:

Michael Nesmith's book, Infinite Tuesday: An Autobiographical Riff, is now officially available! There are a variety of options when purchasing, including hardback and Kindle editions, at iTunes, and an audio download via Penguin Random House and Audible. Michael has previously published two novels: The Long Sandy Hair of Neftoon Zamora (1998) and The America Gene (2009). 

Advance praise for Infinite Tuesday has poured in, with both the Los Angeles Times and the Washington Post delivering positive reviews. This past weekend, NPR aired an exclusive interview with Nez, and on April 27, he will appear in Santa Monica, California to discuss the book.

​Stay tuned for further announcements and other engagements related to Michael's new work, and click on the image below to browse the archives of the Live Almanac for all things Infinite Tuesday!

Craig Smith wrote "Salesman," the opening track on The Monkees' fourth album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. Smith was a friend of Michael Nesmith's and a member of The Penny Arkade, a group Nesmith produced in the recording studio. Nez talked about the Arkade and "Salesman" with Monkees archivist Andrew Sandoval: "I really liked the way they sang," he said in the liner notes of Rhino's 1995 compact disc release of the LP. "I was drawn to record 'Salesman' because it reminded me of Sir Douglas and the Tex-Mex oompah."

The song was later used to great effect in the second season episode "The Devil and Peter Tork," but not before stirring controversy at NBC. The January 1968 issue of Hit Parader reported that the episode had been rejected by the network because of the inclusion of "Salesman," which was thought to have been about drug use. "NBC said we're not putting that song out," Peter Tork recalled in Sandoval's book, The Monkees: The Day-by-Day Story of the '60s TV Pop Sensation. "They said, 'Because "Salesman's" got drug references in it.' In fact, it sort of does, but it's not direct and it's not approving by any stretch of the imagination. What it really says is, 'Salesmen are so sleazy, they'll sell anything.'"

By the time the episode aired on February 5, 1968, the song remained in the final cut of the show. Ultimately, Bert Schneider, one half of Raybert Productions that created The Monkees series, was convinced that the network's real problem was the use of the word 'hell' throughout the episode. Peter agreed with this assessment. "Bert felt that they didn't want to put the show on because they were pissed off directly and personally at having their idea of what's right and wrong challenged. They said it was centered on 'Salesman,' but he thought it was a red herring."

Shortly after experiencing success with "Salesman," Craig Smith fell on hard times by the 1970s. Abusing drugs and dropping out of society, Smith's life spiraled alarmingly. He's been the subject of writers previously, and now author Mike Stax has delved into his life in a new book, which was released last fall.

“The Monkees were the beginning for me, the amazing thing is they were only the beginning for Mike Nesmith. This is the way a genius lives life right. Great stories of his buddies Hendrix, Timmy Leary, and Douglas Adams, adventures while inventing the music video and changing home video, yogis in California, VR, and why you should never complain about the air conditioning on a private jet. Nez inspired me when I was 13 and now with this book he continues to inspire me at 61." 
— Penn Jillette of “Penn & Teller” 

“You know it’s a good book when you quote lines and anecdotes from it, and claim them as your own. Infinite Tuesday is fascinating and funny! In a word, Nezmerizing.” 
— Jack Handey, author of Deep Thoughts and The Stench of Honolulu 

“Mike Nesmith is a pop-culture spirit guide. Every creative person should take this revealing, hilarious, semi-hallucinogenic trip back in time through all the biggest cultural revolutions of the late 20th century. Nesmith himself was a driving force in many of them. This book is honest, moving, and inspirational.” 
— Jay Roach, director of Austin Powers and Meet the Parents 

“Infinite Tuesday is a picnic in forward motion. The table is full of gems, big and small, and studded throughout with a full cast of characters. I am already looking for volume two and, please, let there be one.” 
— Ed Ruscha 

“Nesmith is an artist, adventurer and thinker whose nimble creativity soared far above the appellation he was given: “The smart Monkee.” In Infinite Tuesday, he details the inner forces, from personal to spiritual, that kept him forging ahead –and that created stumbling blocks as well. Unsparing and revealing, this book is an unusual, unforgettable read.” 
— Ben Fong-Torres 

“Nesmith is witty and ironic and has a fund of amazing and often absurd stories. Infinite Tuesday is unlike any other music or movie autobiography.” 
— Alex Cox, director of Repo Man

For more details and how to order: INFINITE TUESDAY An Autobiographical Riff By Michael Nesmith

Peter Mills is a longtime Monkees fan and author of The Monkees, Head, and the 60s. Back in September, Peter and his publisher, Jawbone Press, were kind enough to share an exclusive excerpt from the book with the Live Almanac. It's both a scholarly and entertaining work that fans of The Monkees are certain to enjoy. If you haven't checked it out, it's available in paperback and as a Kindle download. I've had the pleasure of exchanging several emails with Peter and I'm happy to give his book an enthusiastic endorsement! 

Click on the image below to listen to Peter's interview with Ken Mills from the Zilch podcast:

Long Title: Good Clean Fun; Examining the Monkees Songs, One By One by Michael A. Ventrella and Mark Arnold, is scheduled to be published (digital and paperback) in early 2018 by BearManor Media and will provide commentary and analysis of The Monkees' recorded work. The authors are encouraging fans to visit their website and provide input on various Monkees songs for potential use in the book. 

You can visit the book's site by clicking on the image below, and don't forget to follow their Facebook page. A big thanks to co-author Michael A. Ventrella for providing the Live Almanac with a heads-up about this great project!

Here is a description of the event, courtesy of Live Talks Los Angeles:

Michael Nesmith's career in music and television took him from starring in The Monkees to a celebrated run of albums as a solo artist and in the First National Band. He created the TV show Popclips, a forerunner of what would become MTV, and produced the films Repo Man and Tapeheads. He is the author of two novels and the founder of the Pacific Arts Corporation, which produces projects in the worlds of audio, video, and virtual reality, including Videoranch 3D.

The long, strange journey of Michael Nesmith is as fascinating as it as was fraught--from fleeing Dallas as a young man with his pregnant girlfriend, to gaining international fame as a member of the Monkees, to falling deep into the grips of what he calls Celebrity Psychosis, to finally achieving inner peace and finding a creative wellspring in the teachings of Christian Science. Influenced in equal parts by the consciousness-expanding ambitions of Timothy Leary and the cerebral humor of Douglas Adams, in Infinite Tuesday, Nesmith spins a spellbinding tale of an unexpected life, in which stories about meeting John Lennon, or recording with Nashville greats, or inventing the music video trace an arc from Hollywood to Silicon Valley, illuminating a remarkable mind along the way.

D.A. Wallach is a recording artist, songwriter, investor, and essayist who Kanye West and Pharrell Williams discovered while he was an undergraduate at Harvard College. He has been featured in GQ, Rolling Stone, Vogue, and numerous other publications, and has toured with N*E*R*D, Lady Gaga, and Weezer. D.A. has also performed on TV shows including Jimmy Kimmel Live and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.
As one half of Chester French, D.A. has released three full-length albums, and has written and performed on records with Janelle Monae, Rick Ross, Diddy, and many others. His solo debut for Capitol Records is Time Machine.

Beyond music, D.A. invests in and advises several start-up technology companies, including SpaceX, Doctor On Demand, Ripple Labs, DAQRI, and Spotify, where he was the official Artist in Residence. Forbes selected D.A. as one of its 30 Under 30 and Fast Company named him one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business. In 2015, he launched Inevitable Ventures, an investment partnership with multibillionaire Ron Burkle that supports radical entrepreneurs in areas ranging from health care to labor.

In 2016, D.A. made his feature film debut in La La Land, which won a record number of Golden Globe Awards and received 14 Academy Award nominations, making it one of the 3 most nominated films in history. He frequently publishes essays on media, technology, and philosophy on his website and Medium.