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In the early 1970s, Micky Dolenz recorded five singles on MGM Records and its subsidiaries. The October 16, 1971 issue of Cashbox noted Micky's affiliation with the label for his first post-Monkees releases:  (Courtesy of Yan Helgos Folkerts)
 Micky Dolenz with Chip Douglas and Red Rhodes in 1973 during the recording of "Love War" (Photos by Henry Diltz and courtesy of 7a Records)
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Micky's early 1970s singles, originally released on the MGM label, were collected for the first time ever in 2015 courtesy of Iain Lee and Glenn Gretlund of 7a Records, both longtime Monkees fans and co-producers of Micky Dolenz - The MGM Singles Collection. The set, originally available as a gatefold vinyl and digital download but later released on compact disc, featured the A and B-sides of Micky's tenure at MGM as well as his collaboration with Michael Lloyd (Starship) that yielded the 1972 single "Johnny B. Goode"/"It's Amazing to Me." The CD version contained a plethora of bonus tracks, including Micky's late '70s/early '80s singles and collaborations with Christian Nesmith and Circe Link. Micky placed his stamp of approval on the project, and conducted several interviews in support of it. "It's really a great package," Dolenz told Examiner.com. "Over the years, I've had versions of those songs, one on a tape here, on a disc here, on a demo here," he said. "It's nice to have them all in one package." The MGM Singles Collection is a stellar release that is highly recommended by the Live Almanac. Bolstered by the photography of Henry Diltz and superb liner notes (by Mark Kleiner Biggar) and mastering, the set is available on Amazon US and Amazon UK and is also downloadable on iTunes. You can take a look inside the compact disc package below, thanks to Ben Belmares, and read more about Micky's career at MGM in the archives of the Live Almanac. Gatefold Sleeve      Liner Notes by Mark Kleiner Biggar  (Click on liner notes to enlarge)                   Updated Liner Notes for Compact Disc Release by 7a co-owner Glenn Gretlund    The Compact Disc  (Click the image above to visit 7a Records on Facebook) London launch party for Dolenz "MGM Singles Collection" on CD will include limited edition 7"9/11/2016 Last summer, 7a Records released the very first official collection of Micky Dolenz's early 1970s singles on vinyl and later as a digital download. And now here's an exclusive look at their next project - The MGM Collection on compact disc, along with a plethora of bonus tracks! Look for it this October, and you can pre-order via Amazon US and Amazon UK. Thanks a lot to Iain Lee of 7a for passing along the press release to the Live Almanac.  (Click each image to enlarge)  A few notes on the bonus tracks: In 1979, Chrysalis Records in the UK released "Love Light"/"Alicia" as a single there. According to The Monkees: A Manufactured Image, the first 1,000 copies were pressed with a picture sleeve. The B-side is a Dolenz original.  (Courtesy of Monkee45s.net) Micky toured Japan in January 1982. The Monkees had experienced a massive revival there when "Daydream Believer" was used in a television commercial in 1980. "To Be Or Not To Be" was released as a single in Japan to coincide with the tour, and was backed by Micky's own "Beverly Hills."  Earlier this year, two long lost Dolenz solo tracks, "Chance of a Lifetime" and "Livin' On Lies," were issued as a 7" vinyl single on Record Store Day exclusively in the UK. A limited edition release in the US quickly followed.  "Porpoise Song," "Good Morning Good Morning," "Crying in the Rain," and "Randy Scouse Git" were performed by Micky, Christian Nesmith, Circe Link, and company during a special 2015 online concert event. A limited edition vinyl EP arrived in July.  Dolenz "MGM Singles Collection" coming to CD in October; Launch party scheduled for London6/23/2016 Monkees archivist Andrew Sandoval's work on Robin Gibb, Saved by the Bell: The Collected Works 1968-1970 was also acknowledged.  (Click image above to read entire article) 
Micky's early 1970s singles, originally released on the MGM label, were recently collected for the first time ever courtesy of Iain Lee and Glenn Gretlund of 7a Records, both longtime Monkees fans and co-producers of Micky Dolenz - The MGM Singles Collection.
Released in the summer of 2015, the set (made available as a gatefold vinyl and digital download) featured the A and B-sides of Micky's tenure at MGM, including his collaboration with Michael Lloyd, dubbed Starship, that yielded the 1972 single "Johnny B. Goode"/"It's Amazing to Me." Micky placed his stamp of approval on the project, and conducted several interviews in support of it. "It's really a great package," Micky told Examiner.com. "Over the years, I've had versions of those songs, one on a tape here, on a disc here, on a demo here," he said. "It's nice to have them all in one package." Despite the lack of chart success for Micky's output during this era, the tracks are remarkably diverse and have stood the test of time. In the most recent Live Almanac poll, fans were asked to choose their two favorite songs from the collection, and "Oh Someone" took top honors. Written by Monkees associate (and Davy's stand-in on the TV show) David Price, the song is notable as the first collaboration between Micky and Peter since Peter left The Monkees in late 1968. Coincidentally, "Oh Someone" came together after a chance encounter Price had with Peter in 1971. The superb liner notes of the MGM Singles Collection, written by Mark Kleiner Biggar, elaborated on the meeting. "I was walking down the street in Hollywood when I looked up and there was Peter," said Price. "We hadn't seen each other in a while, and he said, 'I'm recording up at Micky's; why don't you come up?'" The song took a few hours to record, and featured Price on rhythm guitar, Peter on bass, and Micky behind the drums. A scorching lead guitar part by Price's friend B.J. Jones finished off the proceedings. "Daybreak" was composed by Micky's close friend, Harry Nilsson. Nilsson, of course, had contributed "Cuddly Toy" and "Daddy's Song" to The Monkees years before, and both he and Micky were members of the infamous late night Los Angeles party group The Hollywood Vampires in the early 1970s. "Daybreak" featured former Monkees producer Chip Douglas on bass, who also compiled a video for the song that ultimately was not circulated at the time of the single's release in 1973. It surfaced on YouTube this past summer via Iain Lee as a promotional vehicle for the MGM Singles Collection.
You can order Micky Dolenz - The MGM Singles Collection on a couple of different formats. The gatefold vinyl LP is available on Amazon UK and via Amazon in the United States. The vinyl is also for sale (at a great price) through online retailer Ernie B's. You can also download it digitally on both Amazon and iTunes, with bonus tracks. And even better news, the MGM Singles Collection is slated for release on compact disc in the future!
The latest project from 7a Records showcases Bobby Hart's first solo album, which is also now available.
Micky's early 1970s singles, originally released on the MGM label, have been collected for the first time ever courtesy of Iain Lee and Glenn Gretlund, longtime Monkees fans and co-producers of Micky Dolenz - The MGM Singles Collection. You can order this release on a couple of different formats. A vinyl LP set is available on Amazon UK and via Amazon in the United States. The vinyl is also for sale through online retailer Ernie B's. And now, the collection is ready for download on both Amazon and iTunes, with bonus tracks! To top off everything, the extremely informative liner notes for the MGM Singles Collection (written by Mark Kleiner Biggar) features rare and previously unseen photographs from iconic rock and Monkees photographer, Henry Diltz. The liner notes are worth the price alone. The Monkees Live Almanac is proud to endorse this release. Be sure to check it out!  Here's the latest from Iain Lee and 7a Records, which was posted on Facebook earlier today: Sorry again for the silence. Shh, I'm actually away on holiday and I'm stealing wi-fi...anyway...SO MANY GOOD THINGS HAPPENING and unfortunately I can't tell you about much of it at the moment.
Firstly, Micky Dolenz The MGM Singles Collection is being readied for digital release. The final stock of the vinyl records get shipped next month and then that is (probably - please don't be angry if we release more) it. The digital download will have a few bonus tracks including the full interview I conducted with Micky for the project, me being interviewed by Amanda Nazario for radio station WFMU discussing the project and a few different versions of one of the songs. The CD release is still not definite but looking healthier each day. Glenn has found a real holy grail for Dolenz collectors...something that I can guarantee NONE OF YOU HAVE HEARD. I can't say any more than that as we haven't received it yet and also we need to secure the rights to release it once we do. Could take a while. The next release is looking very likely to be a Bobby Hart CD. Bobby has been impressed with the work we've done with Micky and we are discussing exactly how to proceed. He's digging out some master tapes for us and we are looking at how to convert these (if anyone can help....). And finally, for now, we had a great meeting with someone very close to Davy. Again, don't want to say any more as anything is a long way off but we got on very well, had a great couple of hours chatting and it...well...let's just keep our fingers crossed. Thanks for all of your support so far on our first record. The love and support has been absolutely overwhelming. We are really onto something very special here and 7a Records is looking like we might be able to what no other record company has managed in terms of releases...primarily because Glenn and I are huge fans and are not doing this to make a profit. For years, Monkees fans have clamored for compilations highlighting the solo efforts of Micky, Davy, Michael, and Peter. Outside the readily available works of Michael Nesmith, and the reissue of Davy's albums from 1965 and 1971, little else can be found on the marketplace. But now, Micky's early 1970s singles originally released on the MGM label are being collected for the first time ever. You can order Micky Dolenz: The MGM Singles Collection, a vinyl LP set, on Amazon UK and via Amazon in the United States. It's also available through online retailer Ernie B's, at a much better price. (A digital release is planned for a later date.) A big thanks goes to both Iain Lee and Glenn Gretlund, co-producers of the MGM Singles Collection, for single-handedly making this project become a reality. To top off everything, the set features rare and previously unseen photographs from iconic rock and Monkees photographer, Henry Diltz. Iain was kind enough to share with me the expertly crafted liner notes, written by Mark Kleiner Biggar, which are highly informative. And don't forget, Iain conducted an exclusive interview with Micky that appears in the gatefold. In the meantime, check out this footage from Iain, who recently posted a video unveiling the package.   (Click to visit the Facebook page) |
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