 (From the August 27, 1966 issue of Billboard)
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 (Click image to enlarge) Longtime record executive Lester Sill was involved with the Monkees project from the very start. In the early days, Sill was the music coordinator for the group, overseeing the recording process under the helm of Don Kirshner. When Kirshner was sacked in early 1967, Sill took over as musical supervisor. He later became president of Colgems Records.  (From the March 1969 issue of Monkees Monthly)    Don't forget to vote in the poll (in the blog sidebar to the right)! "What is your favorite Monkees album cover?"
 (May 1969) Here's the mono mix of "Someday Man" (with the studio chatter at the start) that I first heard on the Monkee Business compilation: Check out this alternate mix of the song from the Instant Replay deluxe edition: Check out the entire '69 tour program on the 1969 tour page!   (Front and back cover scans of "Instant Replay" courtesy of Ben Belmares)  On January 27, 1967, the first 'Monkees Club' was opened in West Caldwell, New Jersey. New talent would be showcased in a "theatre environment" where teenagers could be easily admitted on Friday and Saturday nights. As the flyer below notes, the club would act as a "stage to stardom" and attendees were promised an evening of live entertainment in a "groovy" atmosphere, all in a place where they would feel "in, together, with it." Colgems (The Monkees' record label) was advertised as having first right of refusal on any talent discovered at the clubs. Record World magazine said "The Monkees themselves won attention after talent auditions [and] this Monkees discovery pattern will now be adapted at the Monkees Clubs." This full-page ad appeared in the March 25, 1967 issue of Billboard.  (Click to enlarge) The menu at the clubs would consist of "kooky soft-drink and ice cream concoctions," and auditions would be held on Sundays. Winners of the contests would play the circuit of other clubs. Over thirty more locations were planned, but it's unknown if they came into existence, and if any talent was ultimately discovered.  Andrew Sandoval's book, The Monkees: The Day-by-Day Story of the '60s TV Pop Sensation, was referenced for details appearing in this blog post.
 (From the September 6, 1969 issue of Cashbox)  (September 1, 1966)
When "Someday Man"/"Listen to the Band" was issued as a single on April 15, 1969, "Someday Man" (written by Paul Williams and produced by Bones Howe) was the designated A-side and the song that was being pushed for airplay. Events would quickly change that altered the course of The Monkees' second post-Peter Tork single in 1969. Shortly after its release, Micky, Davy, and Michael performed both sides live (along with "I'm a Believer") on The Joey Bishop Show on April 24, 1969. For this appearance the trio were supported by Sam & The Goodtimers, The Monkees' backing band throughout their 1969 concert tour. In short time many DJs decided that they preferred the B-side, Michael's own "Listen to the Band," and started to give it more airplay. As a result, a second picture sleeve was produced by Colgems designating it as the A-side.
Despite the artistic merit of both tracks, the single's performance with the record buying public was more than underwhelming. By 1969 the popularity of The Monkees had waned, and each side of the single languished on the Billboard charts. "Someday Man" placed for just three weeks, peaking at #81 on May 17, 1969. "Listen to the Band," however, proved to have more staying power, charting for 9 weeks and peaking at #63 on July 19, 1969.  (Billboard chart information courtesy of The Monkees: A Manufactured Image by Maggie McManus, Ed Reilly, and Bill Chadwick) Both "Listen to the Band" and "Someday Man" were mainstays in the set list on the 1969 North American Tour, and "Listen to the Band" has been played during every Monkees tour since the group reunited in 1986. "Someday Man," however, was not performed live again by The Monkees until 2011. Today, "Listen to the Band" is considered one of The Monkees' most enduring songs, having become an anthem of sorts for the group over time. In a 1997 interview with the British publication Melody Maker, Michael Nesmith expressed his fondness for the song. "We [The Monkees] were off the air and it was right at the end of everything when I delivered that record and everyone said, 'No, that is not a Monkees song. This won't work.' But, much to my satisfaction, it's proved to be one of our most enduring songs. I think I was able to get everything I wanted to say about The Monkees into it. And I love the way the music recurs, the way it rolls around on itself again so it can be played over and over and over." Nez also offered his interpretation of the song and its lyrics: "Well, it says, 'Plays a song and no-one listens.' That's the phrase that really says it and it's able to crystallize, still, everything I was feeling at that time. It's 'He plays a song and no-one listens, I need help, I'm falling again.' It's the feeling of falling backwards into this thing of nobody getting it. But it's also, 'Play the drums a little bit louder, tell me I can live without her,' so the only thing that's going to give me comfort here is what I'm doing. It takes the spirit of the idea and really conveys it and that's what makes me the most proud. I'd love to hear someone cover that song. I don't know who could."  (Billboard magazine ad from the April 26, 1969 issue) As 1970 drew to a close, Micky and Davy conducted one more recording session in September with producer Jeff Barry. The bubblegum-esque single "Do It In The Name of Love" (backed with "Lady Jane") would be officially credited to Dolenz & Jones and not to The Monkees. Issued in April 1971 on Bell Records (which had absorbed Colgems, The Monkees' now defunct record label), the single failed to make a dent in the charts. Below is the Japanese picture sleeve for "Do It In The Name of Love" (courtesy of Monkee45s.net). The single was released under the Monkees banner in Japan. 
 Below is one fan's interpretation of the picture sleeve had Peter still been a member of The Monkees at the time of the single's release on February 8, 1969.  (Design by Steve Moss) This is my favorite advertisement created for a Monkees single, coming from the April 26, 1969 issue of Billboard and courtesy of JD at Monkee45s.net!  |
Remembering
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