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Earlier this month, the vinyl-only label Run Out Groove released The Monkees' second album, More of the Monkees, as an expanded deluxe limited edition double LP featuring bonus tracks and deluxe packaging. For this release, Monkees historian and author Andrew Sandoval, along with mastering engineer Kevin Grey, cut lacquers from the original stereo analog tapes. More of the Monkees was originally issued in January 1967 on Colgems and became one of the best selling Monkees albums (certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA). It was the longest to stay at #1 on the Billboard chart (eighteen weeks), and it contains The Monkees' biggest hit single, "I'm a Believer," which was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks. Run Out Groove's version of More of the Monkees arrived on two 180 gram records, featuring a gatefold jacket, never-before-seen photos, and new liner notes by Sandoval. And now, you can check out this Run Out Groove exclusive below, courtesy of Live Almanac contributor Ben Belmares. Copies of the limited edition transparent green vinyl version are long sold out, but the standard black vinyl is available via Amazon.     (Click most images to enlarge)            
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The wait is over. The Monkees: The Complete Series, housed in a lenticular box and including 10 Blu-ray discs, a booklet, as well as a bonus 45, is once again available via the official Monkees online store.
The set features all 58 episodes of The Monkees (newly remastered in HD from the original negatives for the very first time), the group's 1968 feature film Head (with never-before-seen outtakes), and the 1969 television special, 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee, along with a wide array of bonus materials. Previously unreleased mixes of both "Star Collector" and "Goin' Down" appear on the bonus 7" record. The former is an alternate mono mix and the latter is a mono vocal mix, featuring Micky Dolenz singing live in the TV studio to the backing track of "Goin' Down." Both versions of these well-known Monkees songs were heard exclusively on the soundtrack of the second season of The Monkees.
UPDATE 4/22/2022: The Blu-ray set is now out of stock. Shoppers are being asked to subscribe to an email list to receive a back in stock notification.
UPDATE 4/27/2022: The Blu-ray set has been removed from the online Monkees store. UPDATE 4/29/2022: The online Monkees store now lists the Blu-ray set as "currently not available."
A brand new hoodie and T-shirt celebrating the Monkees Blu-ray collection also debuted today and can be purchased online while supplies last:
(Click images to preview and order)
The tributes continue to pour in for Michael Nesmith, this time from UK-based magazine Shindig!, which features Nez on the cover of its current issue:  Rhino's Start Your Ear Off Right campaign is back for 2022. Each Friday through this month Rhino is releasing limited edition vinyl titles, including The Monkees' fourth consecutive number one album, 1967's Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. Pressed on translucent green vinyl, it's available only at participating brick and mortar retail outlets, but can also be purchased through online vendors like Bull Moose. Thank you to longtime Live Almanac contributor Ben Belmares for sharing his scans of the album!   (Click images above to enlarge)     Earlier today it was announced that The Monkees will grace the cover of the upcoming March 2022 issue of MOJO. Featuring an interview with Micky Dolenz and a piece by David Fricke, look for it in bookstores soon. You can also purchase a copy online or select the digital download option.  "As the world mourns Michael Nesmith, MOJO celebrates the ’60s phenomenon who transcended prefab pop – and the solo flights of their coolest member. His legacy: country-rock, MTV, that hat and more."
"In honor of the recently departed Michael Nesmith – the cool muso heart of the Monkees – and with the help of an exclusive new Micky Dolenz interview, we celebrate the group once dubbed the Prefab Four and explore the insanity of their ’60s rise and fall." In 1994, James Lee Stanley's Beachwood Records released Peter Tork's first ever solo album, Stranger Things Have Happened, featuring several notable guest musicians and friends including Stanley, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, Laurence Juber (Paul McCartney & Wings), Mackenzie Phillips, and Timothy B. Schmit (The Eagles). Last year, 7a celebrated Stranger Things with an expansive compact disc reissue while also pressing a limited edition splatter vinyl. 7a's latest incarnation of the album arrived this fall on transparent green vinyl, and it's available to order from both Amazon and Deep Discount. Thank you very much to Live Almanac contributor Ben Belmares for sharing his scans of this version of Stranger Things Have Happened.   (Click to enlarge)    For more information about other 7a Records releases featuring the works of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork, visit the website and follow 7a on Facebook and Twitter.
This July, the vinyl-only label Run Out Groove released The Monkees' eponymous debut album as an expanded deluxe limited edition double LP featuring previously unissued songs and new mixes. For this presentation, Monkees historian Andrew Sandoval, along with mastering engineer Kevin Grey, cut lacquers from the analog stereo tapes for the first time since its original pressing in 1966. Run Out Groove's version of The Monkees arrived on two 180 gram records, featuring a gatefold jacket and never-before-seen photos and new liner notes by Sandoval. And now, you can check out this Run Out Groove exclusive below, courtesy of longtime Live Almanac contributor Ben Belmares.     (Click most images to enlarge)           The Monkees' official Facebook page posted photos of the items being sold at the merchandise booth on The Monkees' Farewell Tour, which opened tonight in Spokane, Washington:          Late last year, fans pushed The Monkees over the top when the vinyl-only label Run Out Groove placed the group's 1966 eponymous debut album in the running to be pressed as an expanded deluxe edition double LP featuring previously unreleased songs and mixes. After some lengthy production delays, customers have started to receive their orders over the last couple of weeks. Fast forward now to another vote, a different album, but the exact same results! Earlier this summer, Run Out Groove conducted another contest to decide their next release, and this time The Monkees' sophomore album, More Of The Monkees, claimed victory and is now set to receive the same deluxe style treatment as The Monkees. Pre-orders are now open until August 17, 2021 for two different versions of the album, which include a standard black vinyl pressing as well as a limited edition transparent green vinyl edition. More details can be found below, along with links to pre-order. (UPDATE 7/28/2021: According to Monkees.com, the release date for the green vinyl edition is set for April 15, 2022.) Will Headquarters be next?  Pre-Order Deluxe 2 LP Edition (Transparent Green Vinyl)  Pre-Order Deluxe 2 LP Edition (Black Vinyl) As part of yesterday's Record Store Day offerings, the Missing Links trilogy (originally produced by Andrew Sandoval and Bill Inglot for Rhino Records in the late '80s/'90s) was made available as an exclusive, limited edition release courtesy of Friday Music. The LPs were pressed on 180 gram audiophile vinyl in multiple color variations, limited to 2,000 copies for each volume. Volume 1 contains the CD bonus tracks that were not part of the original vinyl and Volume 2 features the CD bonus tracks not found on the original cassette. This in-store only release also marks the premiere appearance of the second and third Missing Links installments on vinyl. Thanks a lot to longtime Live Almanac contributor Ben Belmares for providing scans of the albums he acquired. Missing Links  (Click to enlarge)    Missing Links Volume Two  (Click to enlarge)    Missing Links Volume Three  (Click to enlarge)    The deadline is fast approaching to officially pre-order your copy of Andrew Sandoval's 740 page opus, The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story. And don't forget: the various editions of Day-By-Day will be produced in limited combined quantities. There is no plan to keep this book in print perpetually and an electronic version will not be offered. Pre-order now via Beatland Books!! In the meantime, check out the latest news update from Andrew about Day-By-Day and much more, and then be sure to view the official unboxing video for the three distinct versions of the book, which also happens to feature a very interesting soundtrack! Andrew has also previously provided two other updates about Day-By-Day, accompanied by exclusive photographs, through the Beatland Books email list. These are must reads! (UPDATED 9/21/2021 to include latest information)   In the summer of 1987, Rhino Records delighted Monkees fans when it delivered Missing Links, the first album to officially assemble unreleased Monkees songs long stored away in the vaults at RCA. Except for "Apples, Peaches, Bananas and Pears" and "If You Have the Time," both of which had been aired on the Saturday morning repeats in the early 1970s, and "Nine Times Blue," performed live by Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz, and Davy Jones on The Johnny Cash Show in 1969, the remainder of the tracks were largely unheard (though some had floated around previously on bootlegs). Missing Links also featured what at the time was widely considered The Monkees' most famous lost song, "All of Your Toys," recorded during the Headquarters era and later shelved because of a publishing dispute. Initially available on LP and cassette, the collection was expanded in compact disc form in December 1988 with bonus tracks. Two more Missing Links volumes followed: Volume Two arrived in 1990 and Volume Three in 1996. Volume Two, issued on cassette and compact disc only, included more previously unreleased tracks as well as versions of songs originally heard only on The Monkees TV show that were ultimately re-recorded by The Monkees under their creative control (the first recorded takes of "You Just May Be The One," "Valleri," and "Words," to name a few). Volume Three, available on CD only, continued this same approach of unreleased material and alternate versions. Bill Inglot and Andrew Sandoval's deep dive of the vaults that resulted in these finely crafted collections remain fan favorites. All these years later, the original Missing Links trilogy is now slated to make a comeback for an exclusive, limited edition release on July 17 as part of a pandemic-adjusted Record Store Day 2021. Friday Music, which has previously tackled various Monkees reissues, announced today that all three Missing Links albums will be available on 180 gram audiophile vinyl in multiple color variations, limited to 2,000 copies for each volume. Of note, Volume 1 will contain the CD bonus tracks that were not part of the original vinyl and Volume 2 will feature the CD bonus tracks not found on the original cassette. This release also marks the premiere appearance of the second and third Missing Links installments on vinyl. Notably, the original cover of Volume 2 has been altered. Record Store Day was founded in 2007 and has become an annual tradition. With a stated purpose of celebrating the culture of the independently owned record store, bands and labels will press unique items that are distributed exclusively to shops participating in the event. Thanks to Rhino Records, The Monkees have had several Record Store Day releases, all of which are collected in the archives of The Monkees Live Almanac. Be sure to search a list of this year's participating stores where you can pick up your selections, but be aware that the color of the vinyl inside your Missing Links copy will be a surprise. Missing Links
Missing Links Volume Two
Missing Links Volume Three
Sandoval previews brand new book: "Information-wise, I feel it rewrites The Monkees' history"3/11/2021 Monkees fans: don't be left hangin' 'round! Andrew Sandoval is currently accepting reservations through March 15, 2021 (UPDATE: now through March 22) for the brand new edition of his classic book, The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story, exclusively via his website Beatland Books. At 732 pages and fully illustrated in color, this will be the definitive tome on The Monkees. Meanwhile, check out an interview with Andrew published today by The Second Disc, linked below. And take a peek at the artwork that will be the slipcover on the Deluxe Edition of Andrew's book, as well as the cover of the 32-page extra book of rare photos exclusive to the Super Deluxe Edition!   Back in 2018, Michael Nesmith's six early 1970s albums for RCA Records appeared suddenly on various digital and streaming platforms, and more surprisingly at the time, each album was chock-full of bonus tracks, many of them previously unreleased. Magnetic South (1970), Loose Salute (1970), Nevada Fighter (1971), Tantamount To Treason (1972), And the Hits Just Keep On Comin' (1972), and Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash (1973) have all seen various reissues over the years on both compact disc and vinyl. And since the CD re-releases featured scant bonus tracks, the 2018 digital/streaming versions of those albums marked the first time that the vaults were truly opened to reveal a plethora of previously unheard recordings by Nesmith and the First and Second National Band line-ups (including new versions of Monkees songs like "Circle Sky," and instrumental renditions of both "Magnolia Simms" and "Tapioca Tundra"). And now, courtesy of the Real Gone Music label, comes Different Drum: The Lost RCA Victor Recordings, which will collect "22 tracks drawn from the RCA Victor vaults, every one of which is previously unreleased in any physical format," according to the description found on the Amazon listing of the compact disc. Though no official track listing is available as of this posting, the disc will seemingly be comprised of the songs that were first revealed via the digital and streaming issues of the albums in 2018. Here is the full description of The Lost RCA Victor Recordings courtesy of Amazon: Michael Nesmith has always travelled to the beat of a 'Different Drum''whether as the writer of that classic hit for Linda Ronstadt and The Stone Poneys, the wool hat-clad member of The Monkees, or one of the earliest progenitors of the country-rock genre. In recent years, Nesmith has penned a critically acclaimed autobiography, reformed the First National Band to sold-out audiences, and both recorded and performed live to fans young and old with The Monkees. Now, Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records are proud to present a major deep dive into the Nez archives. Different Drum: The Lost RCA Victor Recordings features 22 tracks drawn from the RCA Victor vaults, every one of which is previously unreleased in any physical format. Over six RCA albums released between 1970 and 1973, Nesmith blossomed as a singer, songwriter, bandleader, and producer under the aegis of RCA Nashville legends Chet Atkins and Felton Jarvis. With bandmates including legendary pedal steel guitarist O.J. 'Red' Rhodes, John Ware, and John London, Nesmith pioneered country-rock with a spiritual and searching style all his own. Different Drum premieres on CD some of his most remarkable musical explorations from this vivid period including cosmic reimaginings of Monkees-era favorites like 'Tapioca Tundra,' 'Magnolia Simms,' 'Circle Sky,' and 'Listen to the Band;' unheard outtakes like 'American Airman' and 'Six Days on the Road;' vastly different alternate takes of 'Different Drum,' 'Dedicated Friend,' and 'Tengo Amore;' and even an early version of 'Marie's Theme' from his cult classic multimedia project The Prison. The mind-altering music on Different Drum has been mixed from the original multitracks by Andrew Sandoval and mastered by Vic Anesini at Sony's Battery Studios, while Papa Nez himself has contributed insightful new commentary to the liner notes by The Second Disc's Joe Marchese. Rare photos by renowned photographer Henry Diltz and previously unseen images round out this landmark package. Different Drum is a freewheeling, widescreen journey through the world of one of rock's greatest iconoclasts. Don't take our word for it: listen to the band! Different Drum: The Lost RCA Victor Recordings will arrive on April 30, 2021. You can pre-order your copy from Amazon now! And stay tuned to The Monkees Live Almanac for official track listings and more! UPDATE 3/8/2021: Thank you very much to Gordon from Real Gone Music for providing the Live Almanac with the official CD track listing for The Lost RCA Victor Recordings. And here is the official link to pre-order from Real Gone Music. 1. Different Drum (Alternate Version)
2. American Airman 3. Bye, Bye, Bye (Alternate Version) 4. Dedicated Friend (Alternate Version) 5. Tengo Amore (Alternate Instrumental) 6. Texas Morning (Alternate Take) 7. Rene (Uncut Version) 8. Six Days on the Road 9. Circle Sky 10. Listen to the Band (Alternate Version) 11. Some of Shelly’s Blues (Alternate Version) 12. Keep On (Alternate Version) 13. Roll with the Flow (Alternate Version) 14. Marie’s Theme (Alternate Version) 15. Magnolia Simms (Alternate Version) 16. Born to Love You (Instrumental) 17. Hollywood (Alternate Backing Track) 18. Tapioca Tundra (Instrumental) 19. Roses Are Blooming – Come Back to Me Darling (Instrumental) 20. Tan My Hide (Instrumental) 21. You Are My One (Alternate Instrumental) 22. Loose Salute (Radio Spots) Monkees fans, here he comes! Andrew Sandoval, Monkees historian, author, producer, and manager, has officially announced the brand new edition of his classic book, The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story, set for publication in June 2021. Long considered the ultimate resource for the most complete examination of The Monkees' television, recording, theatrical, live concert, and public appearance career, Day-By-Day has not been simply updated, it has been thoroughly rewritten, redesigned, and expanded!  FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO RESERVE YOUR COPY BY MARCH 22, 2021: The book flaps (click to enlarge) Here's a rare Monkees collectible to start off your new year, one that I have never come across previously. A seemingly original 1969 promotional poster for The Monkees' seventh album, Instant Replay, recently sold for $335.99 on eBay!   On April 3, 2020 Rhino Records issued The Monkees Live: The Mike & Micky Show, featuring performances from the duo's concerts recorded throughout March 2019, on compact disc, iTunes, and via streaming services. A 2-LP vinyl edition arrived later on July 10. Thanks a lot to longtime site contributor Ben Belmares for sharing the scans of the vinyl package seen below!   (The gatefold - click to enlarge)  (Click to enlarge)  (Above and below: Insert)      The Monkees' expansive 1969 tour stopped at the California State Fair in Sacramento on September 4, 1969. John Hurst of the Sacramento Bee reviewed the show, as documented by Andrew Sandoval in his book The Monkees: The Day-by-Day Story of the '60s TV Pop Sensation: "The audience game them the Star Spangled Banner treatment last night when they appeared in front of the State Fair grandstand - [meaning they] stood through the entire first half of [the group's] show ... When Micky Dolenz dangled his legs over the edge [of the stage] as he sat to sing a song, there was a stampede to touch him. He quickly retrieved his feet and the girls went back to flinging their crumpled wads of paper onto the stage. ... The concert opened with a group called Queen Lily Soap, playing a kind of Hebraic-psychedelic rock with occasional lapses into the dance tempo of the hora. Then Sam & The Goodtimers, the six-man group that backs up The Monkees, took over to warm up the audience. ... [The Monkees] gave the huge crowd a good show."  Handbill for The Monkees' appearance at the California State Fair  In 1991, Davy Jones released the cassette tape It's Christmas Time Again. And now, almost thirty years later, the album has been given a contemporary treatment featuring Davy's original vocals, along with guest appearances by Micky Dolenz, Coco Dolenz, Henry Diltz, and Davy's singer/songwriter daughter Annabel Jones, all overseen by celebrated Monkees producer Chip Douglas. Douglas was at the helm for The Monkees' two most acclaimed albums, Headquarters and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., as well as some of their best single sides, including "Daydream Believer," "Goin' Down," "Pleasant Valley Sunday," "Words," and "The Girl I Knew Somewhere." He recently talked about the opportunity to revisit Davy's early '90s holiday collection. "This was a rare chance to remix and enhance these recordings by adding the lovely voice of Davy's daughter Annabel whose heartwarming vocals on 'White Christmas' and 'Silent Night' were well above and beyond my expectations," Douglas told Rolling Stone. "Micky and Coco Dolenz beautifully enhanced 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' and Henry Diltz, and other friends, added just the right gusto to 'Hark The Herald Angels Sing.'" "Singing with my dad on this record was an extremely beautiful and healing experience," Annabel said in a statement. "What a gift to be able to share a moment like this!" The Monkees delivered their first-ever holiday album, Christmas Party, via Rhino Records in 2018. That album featured posthumous contributions by Davy Jones, who passed away in 2012. UPDATE 11/13/2020: It's Christmas Time Once More is now available to download on iTunes and stream on Apple Music, Amazon, and Spotify. People has just published an interview with Annabel Jones where she speaks about singing with her father and much more. Rolling Stone is also covering the release of Davy's Christmas album. UPDATE 11/23/2020: The Associated Press included Davy's Christmas album in a laundry list of reviews spotlighting current holiday releases: UPDATE 12/5/2020: It's Christmas Time Once More is now available to purchase on compact disc from the official Davy Jones Shop.  |
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