Blog - Monkees Live Almanac

A look inside a mid-1970s fan club newsletter devoted to Davy Jones

7/29/2019

Here is a wonderful artifact from the past: a complete issue of A Book of Davy Love, a newsletter devoted to Davy Jones. Iain Lee, British broadcaster and co-owner (along with Glenn Gretlund) of 7a Records, is currently scanning items from his Monkees collection and shared this particular piece with the Live Almanac.

It's easy to forget that in the pre-internet era of the 1970s through much of the 1990s, fan clubs and their newsletters were the ultimate source of Monkees news and information. I fondly recall, as a new fan in the '80s during The Monkees' 20th Anniversary resurgence, eagerly awaiting the latest issues of Monkee Business Fanzine and The Monkees/Boyce & Hart Photo Fan Club. Imagine all of the work involved in collecting submissions, typing stories, inserting pictures, and getting copies of the final draft printed, stapled, folded, and mailed!

This issue of A Book of Davy Love, published in 1976, includes a detailed "News" section with lots of updates about the activities of Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart at the peak of their touring and recording career, including a promotional photo and fan reviews for their 1975 single, "I Remember the Feeling." Other parts of the newsletter include "Poetry Corner" and "What It's Like Being a Davy Fan Abroad." "The First Time" documents stories about fans meeting The Monkees during their 1969 tour as well as details surrounding the filming of Davy's 1972 TV special, POP! Finally, "Memorable Concert Moments" highlights The Monkees in concert in 1967 and 1969, along with Michael Nesmith & The First National Band at KRNT Theatre in Des Moines, Iowa in 1970.

Thanks again, Iain, for taking the time to scan this newsletter and for sharing it with the Live Almanac. And don't forget, coming soon from 7a Records: Davy Jones Live in Japan, now available to pre-order!

Review: The Monkees live at Pier 84 in August 1987

4/6/2019

From the late '80s to the early '90s, I was a member of The Monkees/Boyce & Hart Photo Fan Club, which was a long-running Monkees newsletter published at that time by Jodi Hammrich and Shari S. Cain. In their September/October 1987 issue, The Monkees' sold-out performance at Pier 84 in New York City on August 20, 1987 was reviewed by Elayne Wechsler. The detailed recap of the show also included a look at the 1987 North American tour's opening act, Weird Al Yankovic.

Monkees 1987 Pier 84

(Click each image to enlarge)

Pier 84 Monkees 1987

Monkees 1987 Pier 84 New York City

The Monkees after their show at Pier 84 (Courtesy of Written In Our Hearts on Facebook)

1969 Monkees Christmas card

12/14/2017

Here's what I believe to be a fairly rare item that comes from my personal collection, and one that I've never previously seen online - a 1969 Monkees Christmas card that was sent to members of the group's fan club. The card features the signatures of Michael Nesmith, David Jones, and Micky Dolenz on the front, along with their manager at the time, Brendan Cahill. A big thanks to Monkees collector and expert Ed Reilly for confirming the details of this piece of memorabilia.

Monkees 1969 Christmas card

The card opens to reveal a color picture of The Monkees in holiday-themed attire while having "snow" poured on them by Cahill (left) and David Pearl (right). Pearl co-managed The Monkees with Brendan Cahill throughout 1969, and also acted as a stand-in on The Monkees television series and traveled with the band while on tour. The message reads, "Let there be Peace on Earth and let it begin with me."

Monkees Christmas card 1969

A black and white copy of this photo appeared in the December 2000 issue of Monkee Business Fanzine.

Monkees Christmas

Another picture from this Christmas-themed shoot was published in the December 27, 1969 issue of the music industry trade magazine Cash Box:

1969 fan club letter from Davy Jones

9/1/2016

Monkees Fan Club

(Courtesy of eBay - click to enlarge)

Chicago Monkees fan club pennant

12/26/2015

Monkees Chicago fan club

(Courtesy of 'The Monkees Collectibles Price Guide' by Marty Eck)

Photo of Micky inside the Monkees Fan Club kit

1/26/2015

Monkees Fan Club materials

Micky Dolenz dog

Photo sheet included with the Monkees fan club kit

8/8/2014

Monkees fan club photo

Photo of Davy from Monkees fan club kit

7/8/2014

Davy Jones black and white

Monkee News from the Monkees Fan Club Kit

5/6/2014

Monkees Fan Club newsletter

Group photo from the Monkees Fan Club kit

3/31/2014

Monkees

Welcome to the Monkee Club

3/7/2014

Here's a welcome letter from the Monkees Fan Club kit...

Monkees Fan Club

Photograph of Peter from Monkees Fan Club kit

2/28/2014

Peter Tork 1960s

On the road in 1967

2/24/2014

This was included in a newsletter that was a part of the Monkees Fan Club kit.

Monkees 1967 tour pictures

Nez photo from Monkees Fan Club kit

2/18/2014

Michael Nesmith fan club picture

Monkees Fan Club items

2/18/2014

From my collection comes some items one received after joining the Monkees Fan Club. Here's a button, membership card, and pen. Alas, the pen is out of ink!

Monkees button pen

Here's a closer look at the membership card:

Monkees fan club membership card

Rare "Oh My My" postcard from 1970

12/29/2013

A big thanks to Monkees author and collector Ed Reilly for sharing a great piece from his personal collection. This is the extremely rare postcard sent out by The Monkees' fan club in early 1970, urging fans to get behind what turned out to be the group's last original single, "Oh My My." The Monkees' fanbase had shrunk considerably by this time, and the song received limited airplay and suffered even worse sales figures. Debuting on the Billboard chart on June 6, 1970 at #99, it peaked at #98 the following week.

Note how the song is mistitled in the body of the postcard's message (as "Oh My, Oh My"). Thanks again, Ed!

Monkees Oh My My postcard

Monkees fan club 1970

Monkees Oh My My picture sleeve

("Oh My My" picture sleeve)

1969 fan club postcard

12/20/2013

Monkees 1969 fan club

(From the collection of Kevin Schmid)

A postcard from Michael Nesmith

7/27/2013

If you wrote to Nez in the mid-1980s during the second wave of Monkeemania, this is the postcard you received back via the Pacific Arts Corporation.

Michael Nesmith fan club

Postcard from Peter

6/19/2013

If you wrote Peter in 1989, this is the postcard (with a brief message on the back) that one would receive in return.

Peter Tork fan club

Fan Club picture

5/14/2013

I received this photo when I joined a Monkees fan club at some point in the mid-1980s. In those days I wondered when and where the picture was taken. The photo was actually snapped coming off an airplane in New York City during the promotional tour before the debut of the television show in September 1966.

Monkees Promotional Tour