"Micky Dolenz Live in Japan" coming soon from 7a Records (UPDATED WITH EXCLUSIVE AUDIO SAMPLES)3/18/2020 
UPDATE #2: 4/17/2020:
UPDATE #1: 3/20/2020:
Thanks to 7a Records, you can listen to the very first audio samples from Micky Dolenz Live in Japan, coming this May! A big thank you to both Glenn Gretlund and Iain Lee for providing this exclusive preview to The Monkees Live Almanac.
US customers can pre-order the CD + DVD edition from Amazon and Deep Discount, while UK customers can pre-order the CD + DVD from Amazon. The 180 gram splatter vinyl LP is also available to pre-order in the US from Amazon and Deep Discount, and in the UK from Amazon. Now, enjoy snippets of "Goin' Down," "Mary, Mary", "Randy Scouse Git," "Shades of Gray," "You Just May Be The One," "I Wanna Be Free," "Sunny Girlfriend," "Pillow Time," "I'm Your Man," "Tomorrow," and "To Be Or Not To Be."
ORIGINAL BLOG POST:
This spring, 7a Records will release Micky Dolenz Live in Japan on May 8 in the United Kingdom and May 15 in the United States as a lavishly packaged CD + DVD digi-sleeve set, including a 24-page booklet packed with informative liner notes written by Mark Kleiner and many previously unseen pictures. The DVD will include a concert filmed during the 1982 tour, and Live in Japan will also be released as a special limited edition pressing on 180 gram splatter vinyl.
Micky Dolenz traveled to Japan in early 1982 to give his first ever tour as a solo performer, towards the end of a massive Monkees resurgence that had been sparked there in the fall of 1980 when "Daydream Believer" was used in a Kodak commercial. Micky's Japanese concerts marked the closest thing he had ever done (up to that point) to a solo concert tour. While he had performed extensively in 1975 and 1976 with Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart, he had seldom set foot on the concert stage post-Monkees 'on his own.' Dolenz employed a Japanese group of musicians for his backup band, hiring an outfit called Marlboro. The '82 tour provided a revealing look into what he himself, only fifteen years removed from the original Monkees phenomenon, may have considered the crème-de-la-crème of the group's catalog. While the practice of playing deep cuts for diehard fans has become more common in recent years, at this early juncture Micky makes some captivating choices, including 1969’s "Pillow Time," written by his mother Janelle Scott, along with two standout Michael Nesmith compositions from The Monkees' third album Headquarters, "Sunny Girlfriend" and "You Just May Be The One." Also included are the Davy Jones staple "I Wanna Be Free," "Shades of Gray," and what might be the first-ever concert performance of "Zor and Zam." Everything concludes with Micky's then-current Japan-exclusive single "To Be Or Not To Be" b/w "Beverly Hills." The CD + DVD version includes five bonus tracks, featuring the debut release of "I'm Your Man" from Micky's performance at the 1978 World Popular Song Festival in Tokyo, along with "Tomorrow" from the West End play Bugsy Malone, which Dolenz directed. Check out a preview of Micky Dolenz Live in Japan below, and take a look at the full track listing of the CD, DVD, and LP courtesy of The Second Disc. Thanks to 7a Records, the Live Almanac was given an advanced preview of Mark Kleiner's liner notes, which are superb. And stay tuned to The Monkees Live Almanac for audio samples from Live in Japan coming soon! 
"Micky Dolenz Live in Japan" 180 gram splatter vinyl (Courtesy of 7a Records)
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Japan experienced the first rebirth of The Monkees in the 1980s even before Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, and Peter Tork reunited for the mega-successful 20th Anniversary Tour of North America in 1986. When "Daydream Believer" was used in a Kodak commercial in Japan in 1980, Monkeemania was rekindled as the group's television show returned to the airwaves and Monkees albums were reissued, causing them to chart in that country once again. Demand for The Monkees was so high in Japan that Davy, Micky, and Peter (with The New Monks) all toured there individually between 1981 and 1982, playing to extremely enthusiastic audiences. Thanks to Iris at Iris' Little Monkees Corner for sharing these 1981 clippings of Davy and Peter in Japan!  (Click to enlarge) 7a Records announces "Davy Jones Live in Japan" in multiple formats with bonus tracks (UPDATED)6/8/2019  (Courtesy of 7a Records) Iain Lee and Glenn Gretlund, co-founders of 7a Records, have revealed the details surrounding their latest upcoming release. Davy Jones Live in Japan will highlight two of Davy Jones' early 1980s Japanese live albums, Live in Japan (1981) and Hello Davy (1982), while also providing fans with a bevy of bonus materials, including Davy's Japanese singles from this era on CD and vinyl and a DVD of one his concerts filmed in Japan in August 1981. Japan experienced the first rebirth of The Monkees in the 1980s even before Davy, Micky Dolenz, and Peter Tork reunited for the mega-successful 20th Anniversary Tour of North America in 1986. When "Daydream Believer" was used in a Kodak commercial in Japan in 1980, Monkeemania was rekindled as the group's television show returned to the airwaves and Monkees albums were reissued, causing them to chart in that country once again. Demand for The Monkees was so high in Japan that Davy, Micky, and Peter (with The New Monks) all toured there individually between 1981 and 1982, playing to extremely enthusiastic audiences. Davy also released several solo singles in Japan during this time period, including "Dance Gypsy" and "It's Now."  1981 LP cover for "Davy Jones Live in Japan" (Courtesy of Monkee45s.net)  1982 LP cover for "Hello Davy" (Courtesy of Monkee45s.net) 7a's Davy Jones Live in Japan arrives on August 9, 2019 (a week earlier in the United Kingdom) in two different formats, all of which will contain bonus materials. First, a triple vinyl LP set will include both of Davy's early '80s Japanese live albums along with a 28 page booklet that replicates an original Davy Jones Japanese tour program. Pressed on individually colored vinyl (red, white, and blue), the third LP is dedicated solely to bonus tracks (alternate mixes and single sides, including all of Davy's Japanese 45s). There will also be a 2CD + DVD set consisting of both live albums, 22 bonus tracks of alternate mixes and single sides, and a 24 page color booklet with liner notes by Iain Lee and Mark Kleiner. This set also exclusively features a DVD of the Hello Davy concert which has been transferred from a LaserDisc issued in Japan in 1982. Stay tuned to The Monkees Live Almanac for further previews of this release, and be sure to pre-order below! UPDATE 6/17/2019: The complete track listing is now available:
 (Photos courtesy of 7a Records)  The latest stellar release from 7a Records is a very limited edition (500 copies) 7" yellow vinyl single featuring two live cuts by Davy Jones. The single includes Davy and his band performing "Daydream Believer" and "I Wanna Be Free" during a tour of Japan in May 1981. Be sure to purchase your copy today at Amazon (in the US or UK) or via Deep Discount! You can also hear audio samples of the tracks from a previous post here on the blog. As always, thank you very much to Ben Belmares who shared the scans of his copy with the Live Almanac!   (Click to enlarge)      
Japan experienced the first rebirth of The Monkees in the 1980s even before Micky, Davy, and Peter reunited for the mega-successful 20th Anniversary Tour of North America in 1986. When "Daydream Believer" was used in a Kodak commercial in Japan in 1980, Monkeemania was rekindled as the group's television show returned to the airwaves and Monkees albums were reissued, causing them to chart in that country once again. Demand for The Monkees was so high in Japan that Micky, Davy, and Peter (with The New Monks) all toured there individually between 1981 and 1982, playing to near-hysterical audiences. Thanks to everyone at Written In Our Hearts for alerting fans to this YouTube footage from the early 1980s. Earlier this month, a very limited edition (500 copies) 7" colored vinyl single featuring two live cuts by Micky Dolenz was released by 7a Records. The single includes Micky singing "Sunny Girlfriend" and "Zor & Zam" on his brief Japanese tour in 1982. A CD release of the entire concert is forthcoming. A big thanks to Ben Belmares for sharing the scans of his copy with the Live Almanac!   (Click to enlarge)       In a recent email to its newsletter subscribers, 7a Records announced the following: Get ready for a 7a email exclusive! The very limited edition (500 copies) 7" coloured vinyl single of Micky Dolenz Live In Japan 1982 that was given out for FREE at the 7a Records Launch is now available to pre-order worldwide! This stunning single features Micky singing Sunny Girlfriend and Zor & Zam live on his brief Japanese tour in 1982, years before Monkeemania round 2 kicked in! These two tracks come from a forthcoming CD release of the entire concert with bonus tracks, but once this single sells out, it will never be available in this format again! US fans can order it from the following outlets: UK fans will be able to get it from Amazon by using this link. It isn't available for pre-order there yet but will be soon. Keep checking it out!  After a few years of being semi-retired musically, Micky Dolenz toured Japan in January of 1982. The Monkees had experienced a massive revival in Japan when "Daydream Believer" was used in a television commercial in 1980. "To Be Or Not To Be" was released as a single on JAM Records in Japan to coincide with Micky's solo tour. It was backed by Micky's own "Beverly Hills."  Original picture sleeve (From the collection of Kevin Schmid/Courtesy of Monkee45s.net) I've been attempting research on this single (with no luck), including when and where it was recorded, and how Micky ended up singing this B.A. Robertson original. Robertson is also notable for co-writing the 1989 hit "The Living Years" with Genesis member Mike Rutherford.
Does anyone out there know more about this single?  (From a 1981 Davy Jones Japanese photo book) Here are Davy's 1981 Japanese tour dates from the tour program, courtesy of Ed Reilly:  (Courtesy of Ed Reilly) Fred Velez has uploaded rare video clips to YouTube, including Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart live at the Riverboat Cafe in New York City in 1976, along with footage of Micky and Davy at the Riverboat in 1977 (featuring their supporting band, The Laughing Dogs). Also featured is Peter Tork & The New Monks live in 1981. Thanks, Fred! Here's a photo inside the program from Micky's tour of Japan in early 1982.  These are the tour dates listed on one of the pages in the program:  In late 1980, Peter formed a band called The New Monks. On February 13, 1981, they recorded a single, "Steppin' Stone"/"Higher and Higher." The 45 was eventually released on the Claude's Music Works label, named after Peter's then-manager Claude Hayn.
The New Monks later conducted a tour of Japan in August 1981, taking advantage of the resurgence of The Monkees that was happening there at the time. The set list for the shows generally comprised the following songs: Higher and Higher/Cripple Creek/Last Train to Clarksville/A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You/Daydream Believer/Pleasant Valley Sunday/Lucille/Hi Hi Babe/Shades Of Gray/Valleri/Tender Is/Your Auntie Grizelda/I’m a Believer/Steppin’ Stone. This is the front and back cover of the program made available at the Japanese shows:   The New Monks consisted of Nelson Bogart (guitar, trumpet), Paul Ill (bass, music director), Vince Barranco (drums), Phil Simon (guitar), and Peter on guitar and lead vocals. After touring Japan, the group performed in the United States before disbanding in early 1982. Peter would start fresh with a new band, The Peter Tork Project, in 1983.  After a few years of being semi-retired musically, Micky Dolenz toured Japan in January 1982. The Monkees had experienced a massive revival there when "Daydream Believer" was used in a television commercial in 1980. Micky released a single in Japan, "To Be Or Not To Be," to coincide with the tour.  (From my collection)  (Back cover) Japan experienced the first rebirth of The Monkees in the 1980s even before Micky, Davy, and Peter reunited for the mega-successful 20th Anniversary Tour of North America in 1986. When "Daydream Believer" was used in a Kodak commercial in Japan in 1980, Monkeemania was rekindled as the television show returned to the airwaves and Monkees albums were reissued, causing them to chart in that country once again. Here's the first version of the picture sleeve used for "Daydream Believer" in Japan that year. Totally '80s! (A second version was later issued which featured The Monkees in their directors chairs below the photo of the girl with the mobile phone.)  Yesterday I posted the fourth part of a "Star Collector" article series from Monkee Business Fanzine that focused on Monkees compilations. Here are Parts II & III...unfortunately, I do not have Part I. UPDATE 5/18: Thanks to Perry Corvese for sending in Part I from his collection!       |
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