(Photo by Henry Diltz)
HEAD (ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE CONCERT)
Valley Music Hall / Salt Lake City, Utah
May 17, 1968
"The greatest live performance ever made by a rock band . . . "
-Blitz magazine editor Mike McDowell in 1978, commenting to Michael Nesmith about The Monkees'
live version of "Circle Sky"
-Blitz magazine editor Mike McDowell in 1978, commenting to Michael Nesmith about The Monkees'
live version of "Circle Sky"
Rehearsing backstage at Valley Music Hall
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THE SET LISTCircle Sky
You Just May Be the One Sunny Girlfriend Bach’s Two-Part Invention in F Major (Peter on organ) Last Train to Clarksville I Wanna Be Free Cuddly Toy Forget That Girl The Girl I Knew Somewhere You Told Me Mary, Mary |
Backstage with Jack Nicholson (Photo by Henry Diltz)
The Monkees finished their first and only motion picture, Head, with the filming of the "Circle Sky" concert scene in front of four thousand fans at the Valley Music Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah. They performed "Circle Sky" (seen below in video) several times for the cameras and also did a handful of other special requests. Micky played the drums; Mike was on lead guitar; Peter switched between bass, organ, and banjo; while Davy handled percussion and also played the organ during "Circle Sky." Private home reel video footage of this concert exists and has been seen in bits and pieces over the years on releases like Rhino's Heart and Soul: The Official Monkees Videography.
Selections from this performance later appeared on Rhino Handmade's triple-disc Head deluxe edition in 2010. Since "Circle Sky" was the only song meant for release in the film, the rest of the tapes from the show were poorly engineered. For some of the other live songs found on the Rhino deluxe edition, the mixes and vocals are not of the quality of "Circle Sky." (It should be noted that for use in the film, Nesmith overdubbed his lead vocal on "Circle Sky" later in the recording studio over the live Monkees instrumental performance.)
Selections from this performance later appeared on Rhino Handmade's triple-disc Head deluxe edition in 2010. Since "Circle Sky" was the only song meant for release in the film, the rest of the tapes from the show were poorly engineered. For some of the other live songs found on the Rhino deluxe edition, the mixes and vocals are not of the quality of "Circle Sky." (It should be noted that for use in the film, Nesmith overdubbed his lead vocal on "Circle Sky" later in the recording studio over the live Monkees instrumental performance.)
Patio Gardens at Lagoon (Photo by Henry Diltz)
Patio Gardens, a venue housed inside the Farmington, Utah amusement resort Lagoon, was the original location for the filming of "Circle Sky." The venue was changed at the last minute to the Valley Music Hall in Salt Lake City for logistical reasons, despite fans already waiting in line at Patio Gardens. To make amends, The Monkees delivered a 30-minute set later that evening in front of a crowd of five thousand at Patio Gardens. This particular show was not filmed or recorded, and a setlist has yet to surface.
The pair of concerts in Utah were The Monkees' only live performances in the United States during 1968, and they would also mark the final time the original quartet would perform together in the US until 1986.
The pair of concerts in Utah were The Monkees' only live performances in the United States during 1968, and they would also mark the final time the original quartet would perform together in the US until 1986.
Additional resources about the Salt Lake City and Farmington, Utah shows can be found in the archives of the Live Almanac
The Monkees' movie Head is also chronicled in the archives of the Live Almanac
The Monkees' movie Head is also chronicled in the archives of the Live Almanac
The Monkees onstage at Valley Music Hall in Salt Lake City
THE PERFORMANCE OF "CIRCLE SKY"
(Be advised that the video below contains a graphic scene from the Vietnam War)
PHOTO GALLERY
The video below features behind the scenes and concert footage from the Salt Lake City show in May 1968:
The Monkees enter Valley Music Hall