Set lists from all Monkees Live Concerts!

Set lists from all Monkees Live Concerts!

Monkees Concert Tour Set Lists and History

Monkees Concert Tour Set Lists and History

 

Hosted by ‘The Monkees Home Page’ since March 2001

Last updated on August 23, 2006

 

This is the original resource on the internet for the most comprehensive information regarding the concert tour history of the musical group The Monkees.  This page is not officially affiliated with The Monkees or Rhino Records.

“When we get on stage, we’re so together.  It’s unbelievable.  It’s such a wonderful feeling.  We’ve all experienced so much together.  We really care about each other, and we really know how to play off each other and that’s a wonderful thing, to have that sort of confidence in each other when you go out on stage.  That’s why if anyone was to ask me why we keep getting back together, it’s a safe place to be.”
-Davy Jones, August 1996

1966 – 1967 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

(December 1966 – May 1967)

“With a number one hit, the demands for live appearances were mounting.  The boys furiously rehearsed late into the night and on weekends.  The crowd screamed as the four leapt through fake speakers onto the stage.  Such frenzy had not been seen since the peak of Beatlemania.  Crowds were awesome and more than $540,000 was grossed within two weeks.”
-Glenn A. Baker, author of Monkeemania: The True Story of the Monkees

• Last Train To Clarksville
• She’s So Far Out She’s In  (Mike lead vocal)
• You Just May Be The One
• I Wanna Be Free
• Mary, Mary
• (I Prithee) Do Not Ask For Love [performed on very early dates only]
• Sweet Young Thing
• I Can’t Get Her Off My Mind
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• East Virginia or Cripple Creek (Peter solo)
• You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover  (Mike solo)
• The Joker  (Davy solo)
• I Got A Woman  (Micky solo)
• If I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate  (Peter lead vocal)
• Take A Giant Step
• I’m A Believer

 

For their very first tour, the Monkees performed solely as a four-piece band with Micky on drums, Mike on lead guitar, Peter on bass guitar, keyboards and banjo, and Davy on tambourine and maracas. Towards the end of “Mary, Mary,” Davy would play the drums allowing Micky to come down to center stage. Davy would also play the bass guitar when Peter moved to keyboards. The above set list was standard for the earliest shows and would fluctuate in later performances during this round of dates.  Other songs added to the set for the early 1967 concerts included “The Kind of Girl I Could Love,” “Your Auntie Grizelda,” “Sunny Girlfriend” and “(Look Out) Here Comes Tomorrow.”

The Monkees’ first full live concert was held in Honolulu, Hawaii on December 3, 1966.  Reviews were enthusiastic and subsequent dates were added to the schedule. Images of the Monkees performing and other selected clips were projected on large screens behind the band.

The opening act was Bobby Hart’s band, the Candy Store Prophets. They also provided instrumental backup during the solo segments.

The performance in at the Memorial Coliseum in Phoenix, Arizona on January 21, 1967 was filmed and later broadcasted as the last episode of the first season, “The Monkees on Tour.”  The Phoenix concert is also a widely circulated bootleg recording, including the rare performance of “She’s So Far Out She’s In.”

1967 NORTH AMERICAN / BRITISH TOUR

(June – August 1967)

“With noise and screams, I suddenly realized the Monkees were actually freaking out properly, and much better than many of the much vaunted psychedelic groups.”
–Melody Maker review of one of the Monkees’ concerts at Wembley Pool in England, July 1967

“The Monkees demonstrated they could carry a live show and maintain the level of excitement throughout.”
–Billboard Magazine review describing one of the Monkees’ concerts at Forest Hills Stadium
in New York, July 1967

• Last Train To Clarksville
• You Just May Be the One
• The Girl I Knew Somewhere
• I Wanna Be Free
• Sunny Girlfriend
• Your Auntie Grizelda
• Forget That Girl
• Sweet Young Thing
• Mary, Mary
• Cripple Creek  (Peter solo)
• You Can’t Judge A Book By Looking At The Cover  (Mike solo)
• Gonna Build A Mountain  (Davy solo)
• I Got A Woman  (Micky solo)
• I’m A Believer
• Randy Scouse Git
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• Shades Of Gray  (apparently only performed at the Hollywood Bowl in June 1967)

 

The Monkees’ 1967 summer tour commenced in Hollywood, California with a performance at the Hollywood Bowl.  The instrumental lineup was similar to the first regional tour done a couple months earlier, with Micky on drums and tympani, Mike on lead guitar, Peter on bass guitar, keyboards and banjo, and Davy playing tambourine and the maracas. Davy would also occasionally play bass guitar when Peter moved to the keyboards and he would relieve Micky on drums during “Randy Scouse Git” and towards the end of “Mary, Mary.” Images of The Monkees performing and other selected footage were projected on large screens behind the band.

The 1967 concerts were critically acclaimed, and the crowds large and hysterical. The performances included a psychedelic light show, one of the first concert tours to feature such techniques. The last three North American dates (Seattle, Washington 8/25/67, Portland, Oregon 8/26/67 and Spokane, Washington 8/27/67) were recorded with the intent of releasing a live album. That album did not see the light of day until it was finally released as Live 1967 in 1987.  The 8/12/67 performance at the Municipal Auditorium in Mobile, Alabama is a widely circulated bootleg recording.  Summer 1967:  The Complete US Concert Recordings features four complete concerts from this tour, and is available as a limited edition release from Rhino Handmade.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience was the opening act for several American cities on the summer tour.  Hendrix joined the Monkees’ tour in progress on July 8, 1967 in Jacksonville, Florida and departed the tour after multiple concerts at Forest Hills Stadium in New York on July 16, 1967.  Other opening acts included Lynn Randell, and The Sundowners, who provided instrumental backup during the solo segments. British star Lulu opened the concerts at Wembley in London, England, and Epifocal Phringe supplied backup during the solo performances.  While in England, the Beatles held a party in honor of the Monkees, and Mike attended a Beatles recording session for the song “A Day In The Life.”

“Throughout the American tour, regular jams were carried on in hotel suites and dressing rooms, between the Monkees, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, the Sundowners and Stephen Stills.  This was the first real chance the guys had to hone their musicianship and they became eager learners.”
-Glenn A. Baker, author of Monkeemania: The True Story of the Monkees

“Nobody thought, ‘This is screaming, scaring-the-balls-off-your-daddy music compared with the Monkees,’ you know? It didn’t cross anybody’s mind that it wasn’t gonna fly. And there’s poor Jimi, and the kids go, ‘We want the Monkees, we want the Monkees.’ . . . We went early to the show and listened to what this man could do because he really was a world class musician.”
-Peter Tork, speaking about Jimi Hendrix

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”

• Circle 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

 

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” several times for the cameras and also did a handful of other special requests.  Micky played the drums, Mike the 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.  The tapes of the show were so poorly engineered that most of the vocals were inaudible.  (For “Circle Sky,” Nesmith later overdubbed his lead vocal in the studio over the live Monkees instrumental performance.)

The response to this performance was so overwhelming that a second show was added that night at the Lagoon’s Patio Gardens venue.  The Monkees delivered a 30-minute set in front of five thousand fans as a ‘thank you’ for the warm reception they received in Salt Lake City.  This particular show was not filmed or taped.  A set list for it has yet to surface.  These two concerts would be the last United States performances by the original quartet until 1986.

1968 AUSTRALIAN / JAPANESE TOUR

(September – October 1968)

“Not even their new physical appearance seemed to phase their fans.  A bearded Peter was resplendent in kaftan and beads, Micky was sporting an untamed afro, and Mike was somber in dark glasses and suit and tie.  Only Davy seemed prepared to acknowledge his popularity, with bright simple garb.”
-Glenn A. Baker, author of Monkeemania: The True Story of the Monkees

• Last Train To Clarksville
• I Wanna Be Free
• D.W. Washburn
• Daydream Believer
• Cuddly Toy
• Salesman
• It’s Nice To Be With You
• Mary, Mary
• Cindy  (Peter solo)
• Peter Percival Patterson’s Pet Pig Porky  (Peter solo)
• Johnny B. Goode  (Mike solo)
• Gonna Build A Mountain  (Davy solo)
• I Got A Woman  (Micky solo)
• I’m A Believer
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone

 

Marcie and the Cookies opened up for the Monkees on the Australian portion of the tour, as did the Cherokees, who also provided instrumental support during the solo segments. In Japan, The Floral was the opening act and provided backup during each Monkees solo spot.

The Far East tour of 1968 was extremely successful for the Monkees. Even though their popularity was beginning to calm in other countries, the concerts here were a critical and commercial triumph. In Japan, one of two concerts at Festival Hall in Osaka on October 7 and 8, 1968 was filmed and later broadcasted on Japanese television. This recording, however, has never been officially released. The audio of it (straight from the video) does exist as a bootleg, but the video footage is presumed lost.  After these concerts were completed, the original quartet would not perform together again in concert until 1986.

The Monkees Talk Downunder, originally released as a picture disc vinyl album in 1988, chronicles the Monkees’ visit to Australia.  The album features the Sydney and Melbourne press conferences, radio interviews, and comments from the individual Monkees.  It was made available on compact disc in 1997.

Glenn A. Baker, author of Monkeemania: The True Story of the Monkees:
“Throughout the ensuing six days of riots, hotel mobbings and crowded press conferences, the four endeared themselves to the ultra-cynical Australian press corp. as witty and intelligent entertainers.  Go-Set magazine was impressed enough to dub them ‘Pop Personalities of 1968.’  Death and bomb threats forced them into hotel captivity and the tour, though successful on every other level,
ended on a tragic note with the death of a 13 year old. In Japan, the reaction was similar, though no deaths were reported.”

1969 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

Dolenz, Jones and Nesmith

(March – December 1969)

“In the first Peter Tork-less tour, the Monkees are evolving rapidly into a young adult act.  The Monkees are carefully bridging two images.  They performed enough of their hits to avoid alienating the vast teen market, while adding enough new material to stake out a claim on a more mature market.”
–Billboard Magazine review of the Monkees’ concert at the Civic Center Arena in West Virginia, 4/12/69

• I’m A Believer
• Pleasant Valley Sunday
• Tapioca Tundra
• I Wanna Be Free
• Show Me  (Micky lead vocal)
• A Man Without A Dream
• Daydream Believer
• Goin’ Down
• Someday Man
• Listen To The Band
• Don’t Wait For Me
• Get On Up (or) Summertime  (Micky solo)
• For Once In My Life  (Davy solo)
• Johnny B. Goode  (Mike solo)
• I’m A Believer  (reprise / R & B version with Micky and Davy sharing lead vocal duties)
• “Last Train To Clarksville” was played on different nights.  “Mommy And Daddy” was reportedly performed in Salt Lake City in December 1969.

 

Reduced to a trio after Peter Tork’s departure from the band, Dolenz, Jones and Nesmith set out to promote their two 1969 releases, Instant Replay and The Monkees Present, with the set featuring songs from both albums.  The seven-piece rhythm and blues band Sam and The Goodtimers (formerly of Ike and Tina Turner fame) was the opening act on the 1969 tour and also provided instrumental backup for the three Monkees.  (Other bands were also featured on the bill throughout the tour as opening acts.)  Mike played the guitar throughout the show, while Micky and Davy sang center stage and both occasionally played the tambourine or the maracas. Micky played the drums only during his solo number.  The combination of the Monkees’ pop/rock sound with the R & B flavor of the Goodtimers made for a unique sounding and diverse presentation.  The concerts were staged to be more like a revue, and featured cover songs like “Summertime,” “For Once In My Life” and “Show Me” as well as the individual solo selections of each Monkee. Sam and The Goodtimers consisted of Sam Rhodes, Willie Webb, Tony Burrell, Clifford Solomon, McKinley Johnson, Thomas Norwood and Ernest Lane.

Even though the trio appeared on “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson,” “The Joey Bishop Show,” “The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour” and Johnny Cash’s show for promotion, the tour was poorly attended at most dates, though several stops did indeed play to a packed house.  Billboard Magazine praised the show as a gutsy and daring new adventure for the Monkees.  The 1969 concerts featured silent film footage shot by Mike and Micky projected on a screen behind them, mixed in with comedy bits and the solo spots.  This would be the last Monkees tour until 1986.

One concert from this tour (thought to be the May 10, 1969 performance in Wichita, Kansas) does exist as a bootleg, but it’s an absolutely horrible recording usually sought after for historical purposes only. For years there have been rumors that the band recorded a show on this tour, but no tapes have ever turned up.  Monkees collector Gary Strobl is said to have some silent video footage of the Monkees onstage in 1969.

Dolenz, Nesmith and Jones performed their last concert together on December 6, 1969 at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Around this time, Michael announced that he would be leaving the Monkees to form a new group, The First National Band.  Micky and Davy confirmed that they would continue as the Monkees for any remaining projects.  The duo released the album Changes in May 1970.  The Monkees were officially disbanded by the end of 1970.

Former Monkees confidant Brendan Cahill told Monkees historian Andrew Sandoval in 1991 that a short American club tour was conducted by Dolenz and Jones in 1970 to promote the Changes album.  Sandoval writes in the liner notes of the 1991 Listen to the Band box set that such a club tour took place, but later could not completely confirm the idea in an internet interview conducted in 2006, as Cahill is now deceased.  In his book, Sandoval does report on a performance that took place on November 21, 1970 at the Valley REC Center in Van Nuys, California with Micky, Davy and Peter.  The show was billed as a ‘Freaky, Foxy, Funky Revival.’  No set list or further details are available for this concert.

Visit The Ultimate Tour to learn even more specifics regarding the 1969 North American tour.

1975 – 1977
THE GREAT GOLDEN HITS OF THE MONKEES –
THE GUYS WHO WROTE ‘EM & THE GUYS WHO SANG ‘EM
NORTH AMERICAN / FAR EAST TOUR

Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart

(July 1975 – March 1977)

DJBH set lists varied from night to night, but usually consisted of:

• Last Train To Clarksville
• Medley: Valleri / Daydream Believer / A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight?
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• I Wanna Be Free
• I Remember The Feeling
• Savin’ My Love For You
• Medley: Come A Little Bit Closer / Pretty Little Angel Eyes / Hurt So Bad / Peaches ‘N’ Cream / Something’s Wrong With Me / Keep On Singing
• Pleasant Valley Sunday
• A Teenager In Love
• Right Now
• She
• Alice Long
• I Love You (And I’m Glad That I Said It)
• Action
• I’m A Believer
• (Theme From) The Monkees
• Cuddly Toy
• I’m A Believer  (reprise)
• Also possibly performed on various nights was “Out and About.”

 

In 1975, all four Monkees convened at Micky’s house to consider several offers to reunite the group, including one from McDonalds (to film a commercial) and another from the “Midnight Special” television show.  A possible tour was also discussed, but Michael and Peter both rejected the plans for different reasons.  Although the meeting was a positive and friendly event, the Monkees did not reunite.  However, Dolenz and Jones were interested in working together again.

Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart (DJBH) was the brainchild of Christian DeWalden, a publisher/producer and friend of Bobby Hart.  After the failed attempt to reunite the Monkees, Dolenz and Jones subsequently agreed to tour alongside Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart.  Boyce and Hart were responsible for writing and producing some of the Monkees’ greatest hits.  The foursome toured as The Great Golden Hits of the Monkees – The Guys Who Wrote ‘Em and the Guys Who Sang ‘Em.  Their concert combined Monkees classics, new material and Boyce and Hart hits.  The band appeared on “American Bandstand,” “The Mike Douglas Show,” “Dinah!” and “Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert” to promote their activities.

The group made its first public appearance on July 4, 1975 at Six Flags Over Mid-America in St. Louis, Missouri, where they were met by a crowd of 12,500.  Onstage, Micky would occasionally play acoustic guitar while Davy played the tambourine on a few songs.  Boyce and Hart would also play guitar throughout the show.  The backing band included Keith Allison (guitar and backing vocals), Rick Tierny (bass), Steve Johnson (keyboards) and Jerry Summers (drums).  Keith Allison was a friend of Michael Nesmith’s in the early 1960s and worked with Boyce and Hart on their albums.  Allison was also featured as a session musician on several Monkees recordings.

Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart toured North America before heading to Japan, Thailand and Singapore.  They have the distinction of being the first American band to play in Thailand.  An album of all new material, Dolenz, Jones, Boyce and Hart, was released in May 1976 on Capitol Records.  The first single, “I Remember the Feeling,” became a minor hit on the West Coast in the United States and was a concert highlight during this era.  In mid-1976 the foursome filmed a television special (directed by Dolenz) called “The Great Golden Hits of the Monkees,” which showcased the band performing musical numbers and comedy skits.  The TV special was syndicated and aired across the United States in 1977.  A videocassette of the special was sold in the United Kingdom and Japan in the early 1980s.

Peter Tork made a guest appearance with DJBH onstage at California’s Disneyland on July 4, 1976.  As DJBH came to a close, Micky, Davy and Peter reunited in the recording studio with ex-Monkees producer Chip Douglas to record a holiday single, “Christmas Is My Time of Year.”  The single’s flipside was “White Christmas,” and it was released in late 1976 to members of the Monkees fan club only.

A live recording of a DJBH show, Concert in Japan (recorded on July 20, 1976 at Yubin Chokin Hall in Tokyo, Japan), was initially available only in Japan in 1981.  The album was eventually distributed on compact disc in the United States in 1996.

By March 1977, Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart had disbanded.  While Tommy and Bobby went back to their songwriting careers, Micky and Davy continued touring, backed by Micky’s sister Coco and a backing group called The Laughing Dogs.  In September 1977, Micky and Davy traveled to England to begin rehearsals for Harry Nilsson’s stage production of The Point.

1986 ‘SOUNDS OF THE MONKEES’ AUSTRALIAN TOUR

Jones and Tork

(February – March 1986)

“Every date was jammed not only with teary-eyed original fans but with wildly enthusiastic teenagers who appeared to sing along with the lyrics of every number.  Each show was laced with the slapstick lunacy that the audience would have recognized from the television series, which had been rerun in Australia over the previous two years.”
-Glenn A. Baker, author of Monkeemania: The True Story of the Monkees

• Last Train To Clarksville  (Davy & Peter lead vocal)
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone  (Davy & Peter lead vocal)
• Valleri
• Cuddly Toy
• Your Auntie Grizelda
• I’ll Be True To You
• Sometime In The Morning  (Peter lead vocal)
• I’m In Love (With Six Girls)   (Davy lead vocal)
• Daydream Believer
• What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round?  (Davy & Peter lead vocal)
• I’ll Love You Forever
• Peter’s Oldies Medley:
• -Whole Lotta Shakin’
• -I Want You, I Need You, I Love You
• -Lucille
• Gonna Buy Me A Dog  (Davy & Peter lead vocal)
• Shades Of Gray  (Davy & Peter lead vocal)
• Star Collector
• I Wanna Be Free
• Cripple Creek
• Higher And Higher
• Randy Scouse Git  (Davy & Peter lead vocal)
• Pleasant Valley Sunday  (Davy & Peter lead vocal)
• Encore:
• I’m A Believer  (Davy & Peter lead vocal)

 

In 1985 Peter Tork attended a concert in New York City featuring the ‘Happy Together’ tour, which showcased several regrouped sixties rock and roll bands.  Tork was so impressed with the dynamics of the show that he approached its promoter, David Fishof, after the concert and expressed interest in the Monkees doing something similar.  Fishof quickly began an effort to reunite the band.

This low-key tour of Australia by Davy and Peter was the first of many concert tours the soon-to-be reformed Monkees would undertake during the next three years.  It was actually scheduled before the deal had been finalized to officially reunite the Monkees.  With American music channel MTV airing the television series and Rhino Records already re-releasing the group’s nine original albums (the reissue campaign had initially begun in 1985), plans were underway for Dolenz, Jones, Nesmith and Tork to embark on a small 20th anniversary reunion tour of the United States in the summer of 1986 to commemorate the occasion.  Little did Davy and Peter know that when Micky eventually joined them later that summer in America that Monkeemania II would explode, ushering in a new era in the history of the Monkees.

Davy and Peter played to full houses everywhere on this Australian tour, giving strong performances of Monkees songs with extra treats here and there during the set. For the most part, they shared lead vocal duties on Micky’s songs.

1986 ’20th ANNIVERSARY’ NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

Dolenz, Jones and Tork

(May – December 1986)

“Critics of the band wouldn’t believe it–and they certainly wouldn’t have been there to witness it themselves–but The Monkees are a legitimate rock and roll band.  They’re also entertaining, something that can’t be said about some of their ’80s counterparts.
The Monkees are a hard act to follow.”
–USA Today review of the Monkees’ concert at Jones Beach Amphitheater in New York City, 7/26/86

• Last Train To Clarksville
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• Cuddly Toy
• Goin’ Down
• I Wanna Be Free
• Your Auntie Grizelda
• She
• Cripple Creek
• For Pete’s Sake
• That Was Then, This Is Now
• Shades Of Gray
• Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)
• No Time
• Daydream Believer
• Zilch / Randy Scouse Git
• I’ll Love You Forever
• MGBGT
• Valleri
• I’m A Believer
• Encore:
• Listen To The Band
• Pleasant Valley Sunday
• Also performed but dropped were “Take A Giant Step,” “Star Collector” and “Sometime In The Morning.”

 

The Monkees’ 20^th anniversary reunion tour was one of the biggest grossing tours of 1986, having sold out every date on the itinerary.  The tour was originally booked in small amphitheaters for a period of six weeks, but quickly stormed into larger capacity arenas and stadiums, keeping the trio on the road for an incredible seven months straight.  Michael Nesmith had originally planned to participate in a small reunion tour.  Before the North American tour commenced, it became obvious that it was growing with no end in sight, as weeks turned into months when it came to bookings for Monkees concerts.  Because of prior business commitments, Mike was forced to pull out of such an extended tour and any accompanying projects.

A press conference was held on May 28, 1986 at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City to officially announce that the Monkees would embark on a 100-plus city tour.  (Nesmith originally planned to be at this press conference with Dolenz, Jones and Tork to explain his absence from the tour, but scheduling conflicts prevented his attendance.)  Two weeks of rehearsals were undertaken at a Catskill Mountains resort in New York before the tour officially kicked off on May 30, 1986 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Herman’s Hermits, Gary Puckett and The Union Gap and the Grass Roots were featured as opening acts on the extremely successful 20^th anniversary reunion tour.  An eight-piece backing band, including a horn section, provided instrumental support for the three Monkees.  Peter played rhythm and lead guitar throughout the show, as well as the banjo on “Cripple Creek.”  Micky occasionally played a stand-up electric drum kit at the front of the stage, and Davy played the tambourine.  Micky played guitar on “Pleasant Valley Sunday” at most of the shows.  The backing band included Dusty Hanvey (guitar), Larry Nelson (keyboards), Mark Clarke (bass), Eddie Zyne (drums), Kevin Osborne (trombone), John Leslie (saxophone), Lon Seaman (trumpet) and Jim O’Connor (trumpet).

Media reviews were glowing.  A new compilation album featuring three newly recorded songs, Then and Now…The Best of The Monkees, went platinum.  One of the new songs, “That Was Then, This Is Now,” became a Top 20 hit in the summer of 1986 and was played at every stop, helping spur its radio airplay.  An original Tork composition, “MGBGT,” as well as Davy’s “I’ll Love You Forever,” rounded out the new material being played.  Cable music channel MTV was airing marathons of the Monkees’ original television series, and the TV show began to air daily on the channel in 1986.  The Monkees acted as guest VJ’s on MTV to promote the tour and host the marathons.

During the very early part of the tour, Peter did “Peter Percival Patterson’s Pet Pig Porky” before “Pleasant Valley Sunday.”  Peter, as he would do on all future tours, handled lead vocals on his self-penned “For Pete’s Sake,” unlike the album version of the song where Micky sings the lead vocal.  Peter also sang the complete lead on “Shades Of Gray,” slightly different from the album version featuring Davy singing the lead vocal with Peter.  This arrangement would continue for most of the following Monkees tours.  “Listen To The Band,” with all three members sharing lead vocal duties, would also be an arrangement that would continue during all future Monkees tours.

The presence of the Monkees on MTV, the success of the new single and the popularity of the tour resulted in seven of the nine original Monkees albums returning to the Billboard Top 200 chart, along with the Then and Now collection. By the end of 1986, Rhino Records had sold over 2 million albums in the Monkees back catalog.

Nesmith attended a Monkees concert in disguise at Arlington Stadium in Texas on June 22, 1986.  He finally joined Dolenz, Jones and Tork onstage for the encore performance at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California on September 7, 1986.  The final two dates of the tour (Civic Center Arena in Charleston, West Virginia on 12/1/86 and Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on 12/3/86) were recorded.  The subsequent live album, 20^th Anniversary Tour 1986, was sold at the 1987 concerts and through mail order only.  It was reissued on compact disc as Live! and sold at the 1996 concerts as well.

All four Monkees took part in filming a Christmas medley music video for MTV in early December 1986.  Afterwards, the quartet hosted a party at a Manhattan nightclub to celebrate the end of the 20th anniversary tour.

“I got some inkling of what the whole thing was about. I wondered to myself if I could have ever been a Monkees fan, because I really liked that experience; I liked the way Micky sang, I liked the way Davy sang and the way he looked. I liked the love that was exchanged between the audience and the performers, and the reciprocity of it, which was complete. There was a lot coming off the stage from those guys, and a lot going back to the people. It was edifying on one hand, but on the other hand it was uplifting. I had never realized that that was going on at Monkees concerts because what I was trying to do was play loud enough so I could be heard.”
-Michael Nesmith, interviewed after attending his former bandmates’ concert at
Arlington Stadium in Texas, 6/22/86

THE GREEK THEATRE

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Dolenz, Jones and Tork With Special Guest Michael Nesmith

(September 7, 1986)

“Nesmith walked slowly out onto the stage and toward the other Monkees, who comically feigned incredulity.  Then all four embraced at center stage while the capacity crowd cheered wildly.”
-Stan Becker of Rhino Records, on the super-charged atmosphere of the Greek Theatre concert, 9/7/86

• Last Train To Clarksville
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• Cuddly Toy
• Goin’ Down
• I Wanna Be Free
• Your Auntie Grizelda
• She
• Cripple Creek
• For Pete’s Sake
• That Was Then, This Is Now
• Shades Of Gray
• Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)
• No Time
• Daydream Believer
• Zilch / Randy Scouse Git
• I’ll Love You Forever
• MGBGT
• Valleri
• I’m A Believer
• ENCORE WITH MICHAEL NESMITH:
• Listen To The Band
• Pleasant Valley Sunday

 

Mike joined Micky, Davy and Peter for an encore performance on the last night of a three night stand for the Monkees in Los Angeles in September 1986. The appearance of all four original Monkees performing on the same stage for the first time since 1968 was widely covered by mainstream media outlets. The Monkees sang “Listen To The Band” first, with Mike handling lead vocals. During the song the other three Monkees introduced the backing band to Mike. The final number was a rousing version of “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” complete with Nesmith handling the lead guitar riffs as he had done on the original studio version nineteen years earlier.

 

1987 ‘SOUNDS OF THE MONKEES’ AUSTRALIAN TOUR

Jones and Tork

(February – April 1987)

• That Was Then, This Is Now  (Peter lead vocal)
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone  (Peter & Davy lead vocal)
• Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)
• Your Auntie Grizelda
• No Time  (Davy & Peter lead vocal)
• I Wanna Be Free
• Tolane
• After Your Heart
• Last Train To Clarksville  (Peter lead vocal)
• Since You Went Away
• Daydream Believer
• Shades Of Gray
• Hippy Hippy Shake
• MGBGT
• Valleri
• For Pete’s Sake
• Encore:
• Pleasant Valley Sunday  (Davy & Peter lead vocal)
• Incredible
• Higher And Higher
• I’m A Believer  (Davy & Peter lead vocal)

Davy and Peter returned to Australia in the winter of 1987 for another successful tour.  Micky stayed in the United States during this time period negotiating a new Monkees album and feature film.  The duo made many television appearances on Australian TV in promotion of the concerts. Peter sang three non-Monkees songs, including “Tolane,” “Higher and Higher” and “MGBGT,” which had been played during the ’86 North American concerts. Peter also sang “Since You Went Away,” which eventually was released on the Monkees’ Pool It! album. Davy added three songs to the set from his 1988 solo album, Incredible: “After Your Heart,” “Hippy Hippy Shake” and “Incredible.”

The backing band consisted of most of the musicians from the 1986 North American tour, with a few local players added in as well.

1987 NORTH AMERICAN ‘HERE WE COME AGAIN’ TOUR

Dolenz, Jones and Tork

(July – October 1987)

“The Monkees aren’t just a nostalgia act…their first newly recorded album in eons displays plenty of pop savvy.  The first single, “Heart and Soul,” is an impressive release that rocks politely…and should raise the re-established outfit to the status of being more than a mere novelty.”
–Billboard Magazine, July 1987

The set list for the 1987 North American tour varied from night to night, but usually followed this order:

• Last Train To Clarksville
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)
• No Time
• Cuddly Toy
• Zilch / Randy Scouse Git
• Can You Dig It  (Peter lead vocal)
• I’ll Be True To You
• She
• Gettin’ In
• Sometime In The Morning
• Valleri
• Your Auntie Grizelda
• That Was Then, This Is Now
• Every Step Of The Way
• Bach’s Two-Part Invention in F Major  (Peter’s keyboard solo)
• I’ll Love You Forever / I Wanna Be Free
• Goin’ Down
• It’s Nice To Be With You
• For Pete’s Sake
• Zor and Zam
• Daddy’s Song
• Ditty Diego / Monkees Rap
• Don’t Bring Me Down
• Daydream Believer
• Shades Of Gray
• Listen To The Band
• When Love Comes Knockin’
• Through The Looking Glass
• Hold On Girl
• Cripple Creek
• Pleasant Valley Sunday
• Encore:
• I’ll Be Back Up On My Feet
• Heart And Soul
• I’m A Believer
• “Good Clean Fun” (with Peter on banjo and lead vocals) was played early in the tour but was dropped from the set list. Other songs played on various nights included “Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again,” “Mary, Mary,” “You Just May Be The One” (Peter lead vocal) and “Circle Sky” (Micky, Davy and Peter shared lead vocal duties).

The Monkees’ 1987 North American tour followed hot on the heels of the extremely successful 20^th anniversary reunion tour of 1986.  They were also touring in support of their new studio album, Pool It!, and the show featured several tracks from the album.  The first single, “Heart And Soul,” quickly became a concert favorite and was prominently featured in the encore.  The song’s accompanying video received heavy airplay on cable TV music show “Nick Rocks,” as did the second single from Pool It!, “Every Step Of The Way.”  The set list also contained songs rarely played live in concert.

The three Monkees played a larger role instrumentally during this tour, with Micky behind the drum kit for a good portion of the show.  Peter switched back and forth between rhythm, bass and lead guitar, keyboards and banjo. Davy played the tambourine and occasionally an electric-acoustic guitar. Otherwise, the Monkees were backed by the same supporting band that had been on the 1986 North American tour, except a new backup drummer had been chosen and an extra guitarist had been added to round out the sound.  The backing band included Dusty Hanvey (guitar), Larry Nelson (keyboards), Mark Clarke (bass), Sandy Gennaro (drums), Jeff Jones (rhythm guitar), Kevin Osborne (trombone), John Leslie (saxophone), Lon Seaman (trumpet) and Richard Fanning (trumpet).  Weird Al Yankovic, at the height of his popularity, was the opening act for the Monkees.

The 1987 performances were more theatrical and included costume changes, comedy bits, video screens and a stage designed in the mold of the Monkees’ house from the television series.  This was the first tour in which Peter began performing his keyboard solo, “Bach’s 2-Part Invention #8 In F” (originally performed by Peter on the 1969 NBC special “33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee“).  Peter also handled lead vocals on his composition “Can You Dig It,” unlike the album version of the song where Micky is the lead vocalist.

In September 1987, “The New Monkees” television show premiered in syndication across the United States.  The series was based on the concept of the Monkees’ original TV show.  The New Monkees released an album to accompany the premiere, but both projects were critical and commercial flops.  The series lasted 12 episodes, and then the project sank without a trace.  On the other hand, the original Monkees’ summer tour ended in October in front of a crowd of 70,000 in Tampa, Florida.  It was successful enough to finish in the top 10 grossing concert tours of 1987.

Following the conclusion of the tour, the Monkees were sued by their manager David Fishof, who claimed he was owed large sums of back profits.  The Monkees’ relationship with Fishof actually began to sour in early 1987, when Fishof booked the trio to appear at MTV’s Super Bowl party TV special.  When the Monkees could not attend due to scheduling conflicts, forcing Fishof to cancel, MTV took this move as a snub.  As a result, the channel refused to air the Monkees’ new music videos from the Pool It! album.  It should be noted that TV Guide magazine obtained and later reported about MTV request logs that showed “Heart And Soul” as one of the top 10 most requested videos throughout the summer of 1987.  Fishof’s lawsuit was dismissed by a judge in late 1988.

1988 AUSTRALIAN TOUR

Dolenz, Jones and Tork

(September – October 1988)

• Last Train To Clarksville
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• Pleasant Valley Sunday
• Cuddly Toy
• No Time
• Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)
• Your Auntie Grizelda
• Heart And Soul
• Shades Of Gray
• Goin’ Down
• I Wanna Be Free
• Gettin’ In
• Cripple Creek
• Zilch / Randy Scouse Git
• That Was Then, This Is Now
• I’ll Love You Forever
• Valleri
• Every Step Of The Way
• MGBGT
• For Pete’s Sake
• She
• Daydream Believer
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• Encore:
• Ditty Diego / Monkees Rap
• I’m A Believer

This sold-out tour featured Micky joining Davy and Peter in Australia for the first time since Davy and Peter had started touring there as a duo in 1986. The trio celebrated the 20th anniversary of their ultra successful 1968 trip to Australia.  A new backing band, minus the horns, supported the three Monkees.  For the most part, Micky played drums on the songs he didn’t sing the lead vocal, while Peter stuck mainly to electric guitar and banjo, and Davy played his usual tambourine parts. One of the concerts was filmed and later released by Davy’s promotional company, Dome Press, in 1989.

The only other concert appearance made by the trio this year was on August 20, 1988 in Chicago, Illinois at the Vic Theatre.  A Peter Tork solo show was the highlight of a Monkees convention being held in Chicago, and Micky and Davy joined Peter during the encore to sing “I’m A Believer” and “Daydream Believer.”

1989 EUROPEAN TOUR

Dolenz, Jones and Tork

(March – April 1989)

• Last Train To Clarksville
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• Pleasant Valley Sunday
• Cuddly Toy
• No Time
• Your Auntie Grizelda
• I’ll Be True To You
• Goin’ Down
• Shades Of Gray
• Zilch / Randy Scouse Git
• I Wanna Be Free
• That Was Then, This Is Now
• Valleri
• Bach’s Two-Part Invention in F Major  (Peter’s keyboard solo)
• Through The Looking Glass
• MGBGT
• Every Step Of The Way
• Cripple Creek
• Acoustic Set:
• -When Love Comes Knockin’  (Davy)
• -Sometime In The Morning  (Micky)
• -Take A Giant Step  (Peter)
• -Good Clean Fun  (Davy)
• -Papa Gene’s Blues  (Peter)
• -What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round?  (Micky)
• She
• It’s Nice To Be With You
• For Pete’s Sake
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• Daydream Believer
• Encore:
• Ditty Diego / Monkees Rap
• Listen To The Band
• I’m A Believer
• Davy’s solo song “Manchester Boy” was played during the acoustic set on 4/8/89 in Manchester, England.  At the 4/24/89 Reading, England show, “You And I” (Dolenz, Jones, Boyce and Hart version) was performed.

The Monkees’ first visit to Europe since 1967 brought a sell-out crowd to nearly every venue and the media extensively covered their return.  Most of the tour centered in the United Kingdom.  The Monkees were in such high demand that extra dates had to be added to the original schedule.  A performance in Holland on April 21, 1989 was broadcasted on European radio.  British band Seven opened up for the Monkees at most dates.  The tour kicked off with a press conference at London’s Hard Rock Cafe in early March.

The band undertook an exhaustive media campaign prior to the tour.  Amongst other things, UK record label K-Tel released the album “Hey Hey It’s The Monkees Greatest Hits” which jumped to #12 on the British charts and sold over 100,000 copies, spurred by a massive TV and radio campaign.  The album went gold, and the Monkees were presented with a gold record at the final show in Reading, England on April 24, 1989.

These critically acclaimed concerts included several of the skits performed during the 1987 North American tour.  A very well received acoustic set was added to the show, featuring Peter on the acoustic guitar.  Micky played the drums often, Peter switched back and forth between electric and lead guitar, keyboards and banjo, and Davy played the tambourine and maracas.  Yet another new band (with the horn section returning) was chosen to back the three Monkees on this tour.  The backing band consisted of Doug Trevor (rhythm guitar), Glyn Evans (bass), Frankie Hepburn (guitar), Martin Wilde (drums), Mark Hayley (keyboards), Lawrie Hayley (backing vocals), Mike Smith (saxophone), Noel Langley (trumpet) and Andy Bush (trumpet).

The Nesmith tribute songs in the acoustic set (“Good Clean Fun,” “Papa Gene’s Blues” and “What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round?”) were played at selected concerts only.  “MGBGT” and “Every Step Of The Way” were added to or deleted from the set on any given night as well.

1989 NORTH AMERICAN / JAPANESE TOUR

Dolenz, Jones and Tork

(July – September 1989)

• Hello Hello, I’m Back Again
• Pleasant Valley Sunday
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• D. W. Washburn
• No Time
• Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again
• She Hangs Out
• Goin’ Down
• Your Auntie Grizelda
• Hangin’ By A Thread
• Zilch / Mary, Mary (or) Through The Looking Glass
• I Wanna Be Free
• That Was Then, This Is Now
• Valleri
• As We Go Along
• Sea Change
• Last Train To Clarksville
• Cripple Creek
• Acoustic Set:
• -When Love Comes Knockin’  (Davy)
• -Sometime In The Morning  (Micky)
• -Take A Giant Step  (Peter)
• What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round?
• She
• Baby, You’ll Soon Be Sixteen
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• Daydream Believer
• Encore:
• Ditty Diego / Monkees Rap
• Listen To The Band
• I’m A Believer
• Later in the tour, “Mary, Mary” was dropped and “Through The Looking Glass” (with Peter on keyboards) was added. “Circle Sky” was played at the first couple of dates on the tour, but was dropped and replaced with “Goin’ Down.”

 

The Monkees’ 1989 summer tour featured one of their best stage shows ever (with rarely performed songs such as “D.W. Washburn,” “She Hangs Out,” “Mary Mary,” “What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round?” and “As We Go Along” featured), but the tour on the whole lacked the public enthusiasm and media publicity garnered by the two previous North American tours.

Before the 1989 summer tour commenced, Micky and his manager Kevin Allyn had proposed a three-year plan for the Monkees that would culminate in 1991 with the band’s 25th anniversary.  On the other hand, Davy was reluctant to tour the United States without a new album to draw songs from.  (Jones also had a lucrative offer on the table to act in a theater production.)  Plans for a follow-up studio album to Pool It! had been in the works at the time but nothing was ever recorded.  With Dolenz and Allyn claiming that future recording deals and projects were in jeopardy without a summer tour, Jones agreed to go out on the road.  A full band meeting was to be held after the July California dates to look over offers on the table and other possible projects.  It was around this time that Micky suddenly told his bandmates that he would be taking time off immediately after the summer tour to pursue solo endeavors.  As a result, internal tensions flared and all future Monkees activities were abruptly cancelled.

Before the rift in the band took place in early July, the summer began with all four Monkees appearing on “The Mark & Brian Show” in June on KLOS Radio in Los Angeles, California.  The quartet was on the air for two and a half-hours and sang “Daydream Believer” with Peter playing acoustic guitar.  Nesmith appeared with the trio to hype his upcoming guest concert appearance with the Monkees in Los Angeles, California. The full quartet also appeared on the Rick Dees radio program.

The final portion of the 1989 world tour in North America and Japan found Micky playing drums on most of the songs that he didn’t sing the lead vocal.  Peter supplied rhythm and lead guitar work, and played the banjo on “Cripple Creek” and “What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round?”.  Davy would play the tambourine and maracas.  Two of Davy’s solo songs, “Hangin’ By A Thread” and “Baby, You’ll Soon Be Sixteen,” were added to the set, as was Peter’s solo song, “Sea Change,” which later was released on his 1994 solo album, Stranger Things Have Happened.  The 1989 summer concerts opened up with an old Gary Glitter hit, entitled appropriately enough “Hello Hello, I’m Back Again.”  The Monkees appeared on “The Pat Sajak Show” and “Nashville Now” (the latter which included rare live television performances of “D.W. Washburn” and “What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round?”) to promote the tour. The backing band consisted of Jerry Renino (bass), Doug Trevor (rhythm guitar), Frankie Hepburn (guitar), Lawren Roper (drums), Jim Belin (keyboards), Lawrie Hayley (backing vocals) and horn players Les (last name unknown), Scott Wright and Mike Schmitt.

By 1989, the enthusiasm generated from the initial reunion in 1986 had subsided.  Attendance was no where as strong in America as it had been in 1986 and 1987.  On the other hand, a lot of media attention was generated when Nesmith joined Dolenz, Jones and Tork onstage in Los Angeles, California on July 9, 1989 at the Universal Amphitheatre.  The following day, the four Monkees attended a ceremony in their honor when they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  Though the Japanese dates, the first since 1968, attracted large and excited crowds, the 1989 world tour ended in September to little fanfare.  Because of bad feelings leftover from the band meeting earlier in the summer, the Monkees immediately disbanded.

UNIVERSAL AMPHITHEATRE

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Dolenz, Jones and Tork With Special Guest Michael Nesmith

(July 9, 1989)

• Hello Hello, I’m Back Again
• Pleasant Valley Sunday
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• D.W. Washburn
• Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again
• She Hangs Out
• Goin’ Down
• Baby, You’ll Soon Be Sixteen
• Your Auntie Grizelda
• Hangin’ By A Thread
• Zilch / Mary, Mary
• I Wanna Be Free
• That Was Then, This Is Now
• Valleri
• As We Go Along
• Sea Change
• She
• Cripple Creek
• Acoustic Set:
• -When Love Comes Knockin’  (Davy)
• -Sometime In The Morning  (Micky)
• -Take A Giant Step  (Peter)
• WITH MICHAEL NESMITH:
• What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round?
• Cruisin’
• Joanne
• Papa Gene’s Blues
• Last Train To Clarksville
• No Time
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• Daydream Believer
• Encore:
• Ditty Diego / Monkees Rap
• Listen To The Band
• I’m A Believer

This highly anticipated concert found the original quartet playing their first full length show together since late 1968. Michael had joined the reunited trio once before, but only for the two song encore performance at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California in 1986.  This sold-out concert coincided with the dedication of the Monkees’ star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame as well with a Monkees convention that was being held in Los Angeles at the same time.

For this concert, the set list was slightly re-arranged to allow for Mike’s appearance in the second half of the show. Two of Mike’s solo hits, “Joanne” and “Cruisin,” were added to the set, as was “Papa Gene’s Blues.” During Mike’s appearance, Micky played the drums on “Cruisin.”  Mike played the guitar for most of his time on stage.

1994 / 1995
‘MICKY AND DAVY: TOGETHER AGAIN’
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

Dolenz and Jones

(July – September 1994 /
June – October 1995)

“It’s like going to your own birthday party every night.  It isn’t like we’re a new group and have an enormous hurdle to overcome.  We get up there and talk, have fun, and the songs themselves stand up so well—that it’s hard to mess them up.  Musically, the late 1960s was a time for great songs.  I think people are looking for that again. We have so many hits, it would be difficult to do anything else.”
-Micky Dolenz, commenting to the Syracuse Herald Journal, 9/1/95

• Listen To The Band
• That Was Then, This Is Now
• She Hangs Out
• Last Train To Clarksville
• Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)
• She
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• Sometime In The Morning
• Every Step Of The Way
• D.W. Washburn
• Pleasant Valley Sunday
• Girl  (Davy solo)
• Jimi Hendrix Medley
• Since I Fell For You  (Micky solo)
• Valleri
• Too Much Monkey Business  (Micky lead vocal)
• It’s Nice To Be With You
• Goin’ Down
• Rainy Jane
• No Time
• I Wanna Be Free
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• Daydream Believer
• Encore:
• I’m A Believer
• Also performed at various shows were “Circle Sky,”  “I’ll Love You Forever” and Davy’s solo song “It’s Now.”

When Micky and Davy appeared together in a television commercial in 1993, an offer was quickly made for the Monkees to reunite that year or in 1994.  Plans for a full-fledged regrouping, however, were hampered by solo projects and a lack of rehearsal time.  Two offers to tour the United Kingdom were also rejected when negotiations broke down between the band and promoters.  Dolenz and Jones decided to work as a duo instead and embarked on a small tour, but not under the banner of the Monkees name.  Billed as “Micky and Davy: Together Again,” the duo played small venues throughout 1994 with a show consisting of Monkees hits and their respective solo numbers.  The outing proved successful enough that they returned with another round of concerts in 1995.  A live recording from this era (taped in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in August 1994) was released on cassette tape only and sold via the internet and at the Together Again concerts.

Micky played rhythm guitar for the entire show (except during his solo spot) and Davy would add his usual percussion parts.  The duo was accompanied by a backing band led by Jerry Renino (bass), who was a member of the Monkees’ touring band in 1989 (and of the Peter Tork Project in the early 1980s).  The other musicians were members of the duo’s recent solo touring bands, including Dave Alexander (keyboards), Wayne Avers (lead guitar), VJ Riccitelli (drums) and Jimmy Riccitelli (keyboards).

In between Together Again concerts, Micky and Davy joined Michael and Peter on January 5, 1995 at the Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood, California.  In their first appearance together since 1989, the Monkees gathered to receive platinum and multi-platinum awards for their first five albums, which had recently been re-certified.  With a large crowd of media and fans on hand, the quartet announced their commitment to such projects as a feature film, a new album and a 30th anniversary reunion tour. In conjunction with these new plans, Rhino Records was already in the process of a huge reissue campaign, releasing the original Monkees albums on compact disc, digitally remastered with bonus tracks.

“Dolenz and Jones gave a cross-generational seminar on how to have fun and play entertaining music, too.”
–San Diego Tribune review of a Together Again performance in San Diego, California, 8/20/95

1996 ’30th ANNIVERSARY’ NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

Dolenz, Jones and Tork

(June – December 1996)

“Backed by a tight, talented quintet, these pop classics came off without a hitch. The guys also added theatrical touches to the performance…
It was a refreshing, nostalgic blast of good clean family fun for the angst-ridden ’90s.”
–Hollywood Reporter review of the Monkees’ concert at the Universal Amphitheatre in
Los Angeles, California, 6/20/96

• Last Train To Clarksville
• That Was Then, This Is Now
• Valleri
• For Pete’s Sake
• She
• It’s Nice To Be With You
• Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again
• The Girl I Knew Somewhere
• Your Auntie Grizelda
• Hard To Believe
• Purple Haze bit  (Micky)
• Since I Fell For You  (Micky solo)
• Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)
• D.W. Washburn
• Circle Sky
• I Wanna Be Free
• Randy Scouse Git
• Pleasant Valley Sunday
• Bach’s Two-Part Invention in F Major  (Peter’s keyboard solo)
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• Heart And Soul
• What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round?
• Mary, Mary
• Sea Change  (Peter solo)
• She Hangs Out
• Goin’ Down
• Girl  (Davy solo)
• No Time
• Papa Gene’s Blues
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• Daydream Believer
• Encore:
• Listen To The Band
• I’m A Believer
• Also performed at various shows were “Every Step Of The Way,” “It’s Not Too Late,” “Shades Of Gray,” “I’ll Love You Forever,” “Daddy’s Song,” “Peter Percival Patterson’s Pet Pig Porky,” Peter’s solo songs “Good Looker” and “Higher And Higher” and Davy’s solo songs “It’s Now” and “Rainy Jane.”

The Monkees returned to celebrate their 30^th anniversary in the summer of 1996 with the ‘Here We Come World Tour.’  Though not as wildly successful as the 20^th anniversary, Micky, Davy and Peter provided very strong performances to well attended venues.  Davy’s solo song “It’s Now” was added to the set, as was Peter’s “Good Looker,” “Higher and Higher” and “Sea Change,” all solo Tork releases.  Davy also sang “Girl,” the song made famous by his 1971 appearance on “The Brady Bunch” television show.  Unlike previous tours (except for Australia 1987 and Together Again 1994/1995), Davy participated in the performance of “That Was Then, This Is Now,” and would continue to do so during all future tours.  The Monkees and their band performed on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” in June 1996 to promote the start of the tour.  A new Greatest Hits album had also been released.

Michael Nesmith had originally planned to take part in the 30th anniversary tour, but when his company became involved in a lawsuit with television channel PBS, he was forced to cancel.  He opted instead to stay at home and begin work on a proposed second Monkees feature film, which never got off the ground.  However, during breaks on tour, Dolenz, Jones and Tork joined Nesmith in the recording studio to record a brand new album.  The full quartet officially celebrated their 30th anniversary on September 12, 1996 in Santa Monica, California with a private party for family, friends and former co-workers from the television series.

On tour in 1996, Micky played rhythm guitar for almost the entire show while Davy would play the tambourine, the maracas and occasionally an electric-acoustic guitar.  Peter switched back and forth between electric/bass/lead guitar, keyboards and banjo.  The backing band included Jerry Renino (bass), Wayne Avers (guitar), Aviva Maloney (saxophones/flute/keyboards), VJ Riccitelli (drums) and Jimmy Riccitelli (keyboards). Sandy Gennaro replaced VJ Riccitelli on drums towards the later part of the tour.

BILLBOARD LIVE CLUB

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

Dolenz, Jones, Nesmith and Tork

(November 20, 1996)

“Doing the album gave us a lot of satisfaction and a sense of brotherhood.  And though in the past it was always ‘Davy’s the cute one, Mike’s the serious one, Micky’s the wacky one, and Peter’s the shy one,’ we ate lunch and dinner together for a month, and we all put up a quarter share of the tab each time.  Nobody was in charge, nobody was inferior.”
-Davy Jones, commenting on Justus to Entertainment Weekly Magazine, 7/19/96

• Circle Sky  (Justus version)
• Regional Girl
• You And I  (Justus version)
• Steppin’ Stone
• Run Away From Life
• Oh, What A Night
• Admiral Mike
• Pleasant Valley Sunday

In promotion of their new album, Justus, all four Monkees gathered in Los Angeles to perform a mini-concert arranged for the media and fans lucky enough to attend. The concert made entertainment headlines and major features were written about the band in newspapers like USA Today and the Los Angeles Times. This would be the only concert in the United States by all four Monkees promoting the new album, and to date, the last performance in the United States featuring all four band members.  Each individual member played their respective instruments during this performance.  Davy occasionally played an electric-acoustic guitar as well.

After this performance, the Monkees traveled to England in early January 1997.  A press conference was held at the Hard Rock Cafe in London to announce their upcoming tour of the United Kingdom.  Upon returning to the United States, the quartet began work on an original one-hour prime time television special (written and directed by Nesmith) which eventually aired on ABC in February 1997.  A Monkees documentary also premiered on the Disney Channel in late January 1997.

“We may work under that banner, but there is no Monkees.  It’s just us.”
–Michael Nesmith, interviewed in the Boston Herald, 1996

 

1997 UNITED KINGDOM ‘JUSTUS’ TOUR

Dolenz, Jones, Nesmith and Tork

(March 1997)

“Genius…brilliant.”
–Melody Maker review describing one of the Monkees’ performances at Wembley Arena in London

• Last Train To Clarksville
• Circle Sky  (Justus version)
• Regional Girl
• Sunny Girlfriend
• Mary, Mary
• You And I  (Justus version)
• Randy Scouse Git  (featuring Davy playing the tympani drum)
• Shades Of Gray  (Davy lead vocal)
• You Just May Be The One
• Oh, What A Night
• I’m A Believer
• Bach’s Two-Part Invention in F Major  (Peter’s keyboard solo)
• Laugh Kills Lonesome (or) Rio  (Mike solo)
• Lucille  (Peter solo)
• Since I Fell For You  (Micky solo)
• Daddy’s Song  (Davy solo)
• For Pete’s Sake
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• Goin’ Down
• Your Auntie Grizelda
• Valleri
• Listen To The Band
• Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)
• Daydream Believer
• Encore:
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• Pleasant Valley Sunday

The return of all four Monkees to the United Kingdom created a British media stir. The quartet appeared on many UK television talk shows to hype the concerts.  The Justus tour played to mostly full arenas in England, Scotland and Ireland, including two sold-out shows at Wembley Arena, for one month in the winter of 1997.  The UK press is known for being cynical, and though they widely covered the tour, most coverage was negative and unflattering.  Most surmise that the double punch of negative reviews and possible internal band tension forced Michael Nesmith to reassess his position as a full-time member of the Monkees.

The first half of the show featured the four Monkees playing their respective instruments alone on stage. Micky played the drums while Peter switched between bass guitar and keyboards, Mike handled lead guitar duties, and Davy played tambourine and the electric-acoustic guitar. The backing band from the 1996 North American tour (with Sandy Gennaro replacing VJ Riccitelli on drums and John Sabino replacing Jimmy Riccitelli on keyboards) took the stage to support each individual member during the solo segments. The backing band remained onstage for the rest of the concert allowing the Monkees more freedom to sing and perform. The new songs were incorporated into the show nicely, often accompanied by footage from the 1997 US television special projected on video screens on both sides of the stage. The encore featured only the four Monkees on stage. The band Nancy Boy, featuring Jason Nesmith, opened up the shows.

For the first half of the tour, Mike performed “Laugh Kills Lonesome” during his solo segment, but switched to “Rio” for the second half of the tour.

1997 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

Dolenz, Jones and Tork

(June – December 1997)

“The Monkees did something I haven’t seen a ‘real’ band do in a while–entertain.  Dolenz proved himself an accomplished drummer, and Tork threw in a nice slide guitar solo (“Lucille”)…but mostly this gig was about showmanship and working an audience.  I left feeling sad that these guys were pretty much the last successful extension of pre-rock pop, matching great songwriters who might never be heard with performers who know how to do more than grumble into a microphone.”
–Chicago Tribune review of the Monkees’ concert at the Star Plaza Theatre in
Merrillville, Indiana, 8/1/97

• Last Train To Clarksville
• Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)
• The Girl I Knew Somewhere
• That Was Then, This Is Now
• For Pete’s Sake
• Regional Girl
• I Wanna Be Free
• Oh My My
• Valleri
• I Believe You
• Words
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• Zilch / Randy Scouse Git  (featuring Micky playing the tympani drum)
• Oh, What A Night
• Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again
• Heart And Soul
• Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)
• Listen To The Band
• You And I  (Justus version)
• Peter Percival Patterson’s Pet Pig Porky
• Pleasant Valley Sunday
• I’ll Be Back Up On My Feet
• Lucille  (Peter solo)
• Purple Haze bit  (Micky)
• Since I Fell For You  (Micky solo)
• Girl  (Davy solo)
• Goin’ Down
• Higher And Higher
• I’m A Believer
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• Daydream Believer
• Encore:
• No Time
• Also performed at various dates were “Mary Mary,” “It’s Not Too Late,” “Circle Sky” (original version), “I’ll Love You Forever,” “Your Auntie Grizelda,” “Shades Of Gray” (Davy lead vocal), “For Pete’s Sake,” “It’s Nice To Be With You,” “Daddy’s Song,” “She’s Movin’ In With Rico” and “Every Step Of The Way.”

The 1997 American performances were marred by disappointment after Mike backed out of the much anticipated American portion of the Justus tour, scheduled to take place in the summer of 1997.  Instead, Micky, Davy and Peter went on the road with a show that combined elements of the previous summer North American tour and the 1997 tour of the United Kingdom. With Nesmith not on board, the whole concept of the Justus tour vanished, and the three Monkees returned with their backing band in tow.  However, the trio was able to be more experimental with the play list, retrieving the Justus songs and “Porpoise Song” from the UK set and adding “Words” and “Oh My My,” two songs which had never been previously played in a live setting.  The band once again included Jerry Renino (bass), Wayne Avers (guitar), Aviva Maloney (saxophones/flute/keyboards), Sandy Gennaro (drums) and Kincaid Miller (keyboards).

The Monkees were very involved instrumentally.  Micky played the drums for almost the entire show, as well as rhythm guitar.  Peter played electric/bass/lead guitar, keyboards and banjo, while Davy played the tambourine, maracas and occasionally an electric-acoustic guitar. The Monkees and their band appeared on the “Today” show during their ‘Summer Concert Series’ to promote the tour and Justus.  At that particular time, the Monkees attracted the largest crowd to date for the “Today” show’s summer concerts outside in Rockefeller Plaza in New York City.  After the Monkees’ performance at Giants Stadium in San Francisco, California on June 20, 1997, Davy attended a concert by U2 held the next day at the Los Angeles Coliseum in Los Angeles, California.  He took the stage during a performance of “Daydream Believer” by U2 guitarist The Edge and took over on lead vocals, much to the delight of the surprised crowd.

Because the promised tour of the original quartet never happened, attendance was mediocre for the ’97 North American tour.  Attendance figures at the shows initially started off strong.  However, as the tour progressed, ticket sales were disappointing and in some markets, nowhere near the numbers the 1996 North American tour posted.  Plans for a subsequent visit to Australia in early 1998 were later cancelled.  A tour of Japan was also reconsidered because of the poor Japanese economy.  It is unlikely that these Far East dates would have even occurred as Davy openly expressed his desire to no longer tour with the Monkees when the ’97 tour ended.

The reunion of 1996-1997 saw a new Monkees album, a TV special and concert tours.  The final part of the band’s original plan was to make another motion picture, and at one point a deal was extremely close to being signed.  Sometime in 1996 Michael Nesmith and legendary Hollywood producer Brandon Tartikoff sold an idea for a movie to two producers, who later approached the Monkees with exclusive contracts in the summer of 1998.  Micky, Peter and Michael were ready to commit, but Davy refused to sign.  Jones adamantly protested that he was unhappy with negotiations and the overall layout of the movie plans.  As a result, the four Monkees returned to their individual careers.

2001 NORTH AMERICAN
‘MONKEEMANIA RETURNS’ TOUR

a)  Dolenz, Jones and Tork
(March – August 2001)

b)  Dolenz and Jones: “The Stars of the Monkees”
(September, October, December 2001)

“These guys can play.  But, now that they don’t have to prove it, the Monkees are free to do what they do best, to entertain.  They are blessed; they can do that, still, by just being themselves.”
–St. Petersburg Times review of the Monkees’ performance in Clearwater, Florida, 3/1/01

The set list for the March – May 2001 North American concerts:

• Last Train To Clarksville
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again
• Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)
• Randy Scouse Git  (featuring Micky playing the tympani drum)
• Your Auntie Grizelda
• Mary, Mary
• It’s Nice To Be With You
• Goin’ Down
• Girl
• Lucille  (Peter solo)
• Purple Haze bit  (Micky)
• Since I Fell For You  (Micky solo)
• Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby?  (Broadway song sung by Davy solo)
• Shades Of Gray  (Davy and Peter lead vocal)
• Bach’s Two-Part Invention in F Major  (Peter’s keyboard solo)
• Valleri
• I’m A Believer
• ‘Unplugged’ set:
• -What Am I Doing Hangin’ ‘Round?  (Micky, Davy and Peter)
• -Take A Giant Step  (Peter)
• -Papa Gene’s Blues  (Micky)
• -You And I  [Justus version]  (Davy)
• That Was Then, This Is Now
• The Girl I Knew Somewhere
• She Hangs Out
• Can You Dig It  (Peter lead vocal)
• Circle Sky
• Higher And Higher
• Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)
• Listen To The Band
• Daydream Believer
• Encore:
• For Pete’s Sake
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• Pleasant Valley Sunday
• Also played on various nights were Davy’s Oliver medley : “Consider Yourself,” “I’d Do Anything” and “Who Will Buy?”;   “I Wanna Be Free,” “I’ll Love You Forever” and “Hard To Believe.”

The set list for the June – August 2001 North American concerts:

• Last Train To Clarksville
• Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)
• For Pete’s Sake
• The Girl I Knew Somewhere
• Valleri
• Randy Scouse Git  (featuring Micky playing the tympani drum)
• Mary, Mary
• Your Auntie Grizelda
• I Wanna Be Free / I’ll Love You Forever
• Goin’ Down
• Can You Dig It  (Peter lead vocal)
• Girl
• Higher And Higher
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• Bach’s Two-Part Invention in F Major  (Peter’s keyboard solo)
• No Time
• Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again
• She Hangs Out
• Purple Haze bit  (Micky)
• Since I Fell For You  (Micky solo)
• Lucille  (Peter solo)
• Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby? (or) the Oliver medley (or) It’s Nice To Be With You  (Davy solo)
• That Was Then, This Is Now
• Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)
• Listen To The Band
• Daydream Believer
• Encore:
• I’m A Believer
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• Pleasant Valley Sunday
• Also played on various nights early in the summer was “Circle Sky.”

 

During the year 2000, the Monkees were the subject of the VH-1 series “Behind the Music.” The band was also the centerpiece of the E! Entertainment Network show, “The E! True Hollywood Story,” and VH-1 produced and aired a movie of the week telling the story of the Monkees. Because of the extra focus on the band, Monkees album sales increased and their most recent greatest hits package was certified gold in sales. David Fishof, the promoter from the 1986 and 1987 tours, approached Micky, Davy and Peter about doing a small tour of the United States to showcase the enthusiasm.  Perhaps because of bad feelings from the aftermath of the 1997 United Kingdom tour, Michael Nesmith was not asked to join the 2001 tour.  A new box set chronicling the Monkees’ recorded output from 1966-1996, Music Box, was released in conjunction with the tour.

The three Monkees hit the road for the first time in nearly four years in March 2001, with a young up and coming act, Natural, as the guest band.  Most of the backing band from the 1996 and 1997 tours returned to support the trio onstage.  The backing band consisted of Aviva Maloney (saxophones/flute/keyboards), Jerry Renino (bass), Dave Alexander (keyboards), Sandy Genarro (drums), Wayne Avers (guitar), Sam Albright (saxophone), Eric Biondo (trumpet) and Greg Briggler (trombone).  Renino also toured with the Monkees in 1989 and 1996-1997 as did Genarro in 1987 and 1997, and Avers and Maloney in 1996-1997.  Instrumentally, Micky played rhythm guitar and on occasion, the drums, Peter switched back and forth between electric and lead guitar, keyboards and banjo, while Davy handled percussion work and occasionally played an electric-acoustic guitar.  An “unplugged” set was done in the first half of the tour (March – May) with just the three Monkees onstage, featuring Peter and Micky playing acoustic guitars.

Because the spring concerts were enthusiastic sell-outs, the tour was extended in North America for the summer months.  Natural retained the opening spot on the second leg of the tour with the Monkees, but left at the end of July to begin their own tour.  The summer concerts featured different stage banter than the spring dates, as well as a re-arranged set list.  The trio and the backing band performed on “Live with Regis and Kelly” and the “CBS Early Show” in late May to promote the start of the summer tour.  At the July 15, 2001 performance at Westbury Music Center in New York, Micky sang the National Anthem at the start of the concert in rehearsal for his rendition the next day at Shea Stadium before a New York Mets baseball game.  The Monkees’ concert at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California on August 18, 2001 saw the band perform “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B,” which featured a duet with Micky and his sister, Coco, accompanied by Peter on piano and featuring a special arrangement by Albright, Biondo and Briggler of the horn section.   The end of the North American summer tour was promoted with an appearance by the Monkees and their band on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” in late August, their second appearance on Leno’s show since 1996.  A new live album, 2001: Live in Las Vegas! (recorded at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada in March 2001), was made available only at the summer concerts.

Midway through the critically acclaimed summer tour, Peter Tork announced to his bandmates that he would honor his contractual commitments to the Monkees through the end of the summer schedule, but then would leave the tour in an effort to rejoin his solo project band, Shoe Suede Blues.  Internal tensions mounted greatly.  The Monkees’ concerts in the United Kingdom, scheduled for the fall of 2001, had already seen tickets go on sale with the promise of the full trio appearing.  Subsequently, on September 2, 2001, Peter received a phone call from tour manager David Fishof informing him that Micky and Davy were insisting that Tork not show up at the Monkees’ remaining North American dates in September, citing irreconcilable differences as the cause of his termination.  The Monkees’ last performance as a trio was on August 31, 2001, at the Sun Theatre in Anaheim, California.  The Anaheim concert just happened to be recorded and filmed.  The subsequent release, Live Summer Tour, was made available on DVD and compact disc in stores and online.

Dolenz and Jones appeared as the Monkees on the last four dates of the 2001 North American tour in Illinois (9/7/01), Texas (9/8/01), Pennsylvania (10/13/01) and Arkansas (12/1/01).  The set list was rearranged and Peter’s songs removed, with the exception of “For Pete’s Sake,” which was played at the first Dolenz/Jones show with Micky singing the lead vocal as he had done on the album version.   These final shows began with the introduction, “Welcome to the Monkees Show, featuring the stars of the Monkees, Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones.”

The set list for the first North American summer concert in Illinois featuring Dolenz and Jones only:

• Last Train To Clarksville *
• Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)
• For Pete’s Sake  (Micky lead vocal)
• The Girl I Knew Somewhere *
• Valleri *
• Randy Scouse Git  (featuring Micky playing the tympani drum) *
• Mary, Mary *
• It’s Nice To Be With You
• Circle Sky
• I Wanna Be Free / * I’ll Love You Forever
• Goin’ Down *
• Girl *
• No Time *
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You *
• She Hangs Out *
• Purple Haze bit  (Micky)
• Since I Fell For You  (Micky solo)
• Oliver medley  (Davy solo)
• That Was Then, This Is Now *
• Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)*
• Listen To The Band *
• Daydream Believer *
• Encore:
• I’m A Believer *
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone*
• Pleasant Valley Sunday
• (*) denotes the songs played at the second duo concert in Texas on 9/8/01 (shortened due to bad weather)

Dolenz and Jones performed an abbreviated third show as a duo in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 10/13/01 at Veteran’s Stadium:

• That Was Then, This Is Now
• Pleasant Valley Sunday
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• Last Train To Clarksville
• Valleri
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• I’m A Believer
• Daydream Believer

The fourth concert as a duo and the last in 2001 occurred on 12/1/01 in Arkansas.  The set list was similar to the 9/7/01 Illinois show, except “For Pete’s Sake,” “Mary, Mary” and “Circle Sky” were all dropped, as was the “Oliver medley” and “It’s Nice To Be With You.”

Dolenz and Jones were scheduled to appear as the Monkees in United Kingdom arenas in the fall of 2001. The UK tour was rescheduled for March 2002 after the tragic events in New York City, Pennsylvania and Washington, DC in the United States on September 11, 2001.

“These men have made it safely from the Tiger Beat era to the Tiger Woods era, unlike many of their scoffing contemporaries who didn’t.  Reinventing themselves this time around as grand old men of American pop, The Monkees are more than a nostalgia trip.  They’ve evolved into legitimate rock legends whose concerts still make a joyful noise.”

“As for genuine rockers who called the Monkees a joke, well, the jokes’ on them.  Somewhere along the way Dolenz and Jones have made a musical run at Tork and become fine musicians.”
–The Portland Press Herald review of the Monkees’ performance in Portland, Maine, 7/10/01.

2002 NORTH AMERICAN / UNITED KINGDOM
‘MONKEEMANIA’ TOUR

The Monkees featuring Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones

(January, March – September 2002)

“The group billed as the Monkees now contains only two original members…What Wembley got was singer Davy Jones, looking as boyish as any graying fifty-something in black leather strides has a right to, and Micky Dolenz, drummer/singer—tastefully balding, similarly trousered.  Accompanying them was a highly efficient eight-piece band…The Monkees possess some of the most innocently thrilling tunes in pop…”
–The London Times review of the Monkees’ performance at Wembley Arena in London, 3/28/02

The set list for the concerts performed in North America in January:

• Last Train To Clarksville
• Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)
• The Girl I Knew Somewhere
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• Randy Scouse Git  (featuring Micky playing the tympani drum)
• It’s Nice To Be With You
• Goin’ Down
• Girl
• That Was Then, This Is Now
• Is You Is…?  (or)  the Oliver medley  (or)  I’ll Love You Forever  (Davy solo)
• No Time
• She Hangs Out
• Since I Fell For You  (Micky solo)
• Valleri
• Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)
• Listen To The Band
• Daydream Believer
• Encore:
• Pleasant Valley Sunday
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• I’m A Believer

The year 2002 began with Dolenz and Jones and the backing band performing concerts on scattered dates in North America, which included two shows in Toronto, Canada and two in Minnesota in the month of January. The Canadian shows, in particular, were a huge success, with the duo attracting 10,000 people over two nights during their stay.  CBS Television had a camera crew in attendance at the Minnesota concerts filming a segment they included on “48 Hours” on May 1, 2002.

The set list for the concerts performed in the United Kingdom in March:

• Last Train To Clarksville
• Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)
• The Girl I Knew Somewhere
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• Randy Scouse Git  (featuring Micky playing the tympani drum)
• Mary, Mary  (Micky on drums)
• It’s Nice To Be With You
• Goin’ Down
• That Was Then, This Is Now
• Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby?  (Davy solo)
• Papa Gene’s Blues
• No Time
• Circle Sky
• I Wanna Be Free / I’ll Love You Forever
• For Pete’s Sake
• Valleri
• Since I Fell For You  (Micky solo)
• Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)
• Listen To The Band
• Daydream Believer
• Encore:
• Pleasant Valley Sunday
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• I’m A Believer
• Also played on various nights were “She Hangs Out,” “Girl” and the “Oliver medley.”  Davy’s solo song “Manchester Boy” was played on 3/26/02 in Manchester, England.

Micky and Davy embarked on a short arena tour of Scotland, England and Ireland during the month of March.  The duo arrived early to promote the shows on British television and radio.  The opening act for the UK tour was Murmurs of Irma, a group discovered by Davy Jones.

The 2001 backing band once again accompanied the duo, who are now advertised as “The Monkees…featuring Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones.”  The set list remained generally the same as the 2001 summer shows, with Peter Tork’s material removed.  New on-stage banter was also featured.  Micky played rhythm guitar and on occasion, the drums, and Davy supplied percussion work and also played electric acoustic guitar.  A new live recording, Monkeemania 2002 Live in Toronto, was sold at merchandise booths during the UK tour and at subsequent North American dates.

The set list for the concerts performed in the United States in April:

• Last Train To Clarksville
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• The Girl I Knew Somewhere
• Randy Scouse Git  (featuring Micky playing the tympani drum)
• Mary, Mary  (Micky on drums)
• It’s Nice To Be With You
• Goin’ Down
• Papa Gene’s Blues
• No Time
• Circle Sky
• Girl  (Davy solo)
• That Was Then, This Is Now
• Valleri
• Since I Fell For You  (Micky solo)
• Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)
• Listen To The Band
• Daydream Believer
• Encore:
• Pleasant Valley Sunday
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• I’m A Believer
• Also played on various nights were “Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow),” “I Wanna Be Free” and “I’ll Love You Forever.”

The set list for the May – September 2002 North American concerts:

• Last Train To Clarksville
• A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
• The Girl I Knew Somewhere
• Randy Scouse Git  (featuring Micky playing the tympani drum)
• Mary, Mary  (Micky on drums)
• It’s Nice To Be With You
• Goin’ Down
• Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)
• Papa Gene’s Blues
• You And I  (Justus version)
• No Time
• Circle Sky
• Girl  (Davy solo)
• That Was Then, This Is Now
• Valleri
• Since I Fell For You  (Micky solo)
• I Wanna Be Free / I’ll Love You Forever
• Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)
• Listen To The Band
• Daydream Believer
• Encore:
• Pleasant Valley Sunday
• (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• I’m A Believer
• Also played on various nights were “For Pete’s Sake” and “She Hangs Out.”

Some of the new bits added during the UK tour earlier in 2002 became a regular part of the North American concerts, including Davy challenging Micky to sing the “Monkees Theme” in various foreign languages, of which Micky readily complied.

Micky played guitar and joined Davy during “I Wanna Be Free” and “I’ll Love You Forever,” traditionally done solo by Jones on recent Monkees tours.  Micky continued to play rhythm guitar throughout the entire show (except during his solo spot and “Mary, Mary”) while Davy provided percussion work and occasionally played guitar.  Barry Williams was the opening act for select dates between April and July 2002.

The duo performed “Hey Ra Ra, Happy Birthday, Mickey Mouse” during the concerts at Disneyland in California in late August.  Released as a solo single by Davy in 1978, it was the official theme song for the fiftieth-birthday celebration of Mickey Mouse that year.  Micky’s sister Coco joined Micky and Davy for two songs during these shows as well, performing “Bye Bye Blackbird” and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B.”

2003 – Present

The individual members of The Monkees have spent the last several years advancing their solo careers.  Micky Dolenz accepted a prestigious offer to tour in the Elton John/Tim Rice musical AIDA, playing the character “Zoser.”  Dolenz toured the United States with the National Company throughout 2003 and took over the role on Broadway in January 2004.  Dolenz and the show itself received very positive reviews, and he remained on Broadway until the last performance on September 5, 2004.  Dolenz then became the morning show host on the WCBS-FM Morning Radio Show in New York City until the station changed formats in the summer of 2005.  Micky returned to the stage in Pippin in 2006.  Peter Tork continues to work and perform with his band Shoe Suede Blues.  David Jones continues to perform solo concerts and occasionally makes television appearances.  “Living in TV Land,” which airs on the American cable channel TV Land, profiled his life and career in an episode that aired in 2006.  Finally, Michael Nesmith released a new solo album in 2006 entitled Rays.  Nesmith is reportedly finishing work on his second novel, American Gene.

The first and second season of “The Monkees” television series is now available on DVD.  In April 2003, Rhino Records released a new compact disc collection, The Best of the Monkees, featuring 25 Monkees classics.  The collection debuted with strong sales and landed at #51 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart in its first week of release.

The long-awaited book by Monkees historian Andrew Sandoval, The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation, studying the band’s career from 1965-1970, was released in 2005.   Updates and further details on its publication can be found at his website.

In celebration of the 40^th anniversary of The Monkees in 2006, Rhino Records will once again reissue the recording catalog of The Monkees, this time as 2-CD deluxe editions.  The first two albums were released in August 2006.

The official Monkees website was opened by Rhino Records in August 2006.

To see if The Monkees are currently performing, or for individual member solo dates, visit Monkees News Updates or Pollstar.

CREDITS

Written and compiled by Mark Thompson, Copyright©, 2001-Present.  Please do not reproduce without permission.  This page was featured on The Monkees Home Page for the first time in March 2001.  The above information comes from my many personal experiences and knowledge of Monkees concerts through the years, and from the numerous amounts of reviews, articles and interviews I have collected pertaining to the shows.

Many thanks go to Chris Coyle who has played a large role in gathering information and who constantly assists me when I update this page.

Thank you to Bill Shinn as well for his help in gathering variations of individual concert tour set lists.

Special thanks to Maggie McManus, former editor-in-chief of the most respected source of Monkees information,  Monkee Business Fanzine.  Thank you, Maggie, for 25 years of hard work!  Maggie’s book, The Monkees: A Manufactured Image, has been referenced in this Set List page.  Past issues of MBF were also referenced.  Andrew Sandoval’s book, The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation, was also referenced.

*ANY PICTURES LINKED FROM THIS SITE ARE THE SOLE PROPERTY OF THE OWNER OF THE WEB PAGE LINKED TO, AND MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED OR USED WITHOUT THEIR WRITTEN PERMISSION.*  Thanks to these sites for allowing me to link their photos in the tour summaries:  The Monkees Home Page, Rhino Records and the Official Davy Jones Website.

Visit The Ultimate Tour to learn even more specifics regarding the 1969 North American tour, and Dolenz Jones Boyce & Hart for more information on this era in Monkees concert history.

Thanks to Brad Waddell for maintaining The Monkees Home Page and for hosting this Monkees Set List page.

Monkees fans like myself would also like to thank Andrew Sandoval at Rhino Records, the mastermind of research behind the music of The Monkees.  His contributions and quality of work for the music box sets, DVD’s, CD reissues and other Monkees items are second to none.  The entire Monkees catalog is available on Rhino Records compact discs and is downloadable on iTunes.

And last but certainly not least, thank you to Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork for countless years of entertainment and enjoyment.

This page is not officially affiliated with The Monkees or Rhino Records.