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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)      
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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? 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! 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!       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. Demand for The Monkees was so high in Japan in the early '80s that Micky, Davy, and Peter all toured the country individually between 1981 and 1982, playing to near-hysterical audiences. A flood of Monkees items hit the market, including picture books that featured some rare photographs. Here's another one of those books from the early '80s Japanese Monkeemania era.   This is the rare Japanese import Beta videotape of the 1976 Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart television special, released only in Japan and Great Britain in the early 1980s. Directed by Micky, the special was syndicated throughout the United States, but never found its way to home video in America. This comes from the collection of Scott Catton....thanks, Scott!  Front cover  Back cover  Insert
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