Davy Jones ‘Incredible!’ 7a Records Release Presale

 

Davy Jones – Incredible!

7A Records are proud to present Davy Jones’ “Incredible!”. A deluxe reissue of Jones’ “lost” ‘80s album, remastered and expanded with bonus tracks. The limited edition gatefold Vinyl release is limited to 1,000 copies. Pressed on 180g transparent blue vinyl, it features extensive liner notes from Monkees historian Mark Kleiner and rare and previously unseen pictures by photographer Henry Diltz.

The CD comes with a big 36 page colour booklet, extensive liner notes from Monkees historian Mark Kleiner and rare and previously unseen pictures by photographers Henry Diltz and Michael G. Bush.

Fuelled by MTV’s re-runs of the original Monkees TV series, “Incredible!” was recorded at the height of mid-‘80s Monkees comeback-euphoria. Given the flurry of activity happening on multiple fronts for the Monkees throughout 1986, especially the grueling demands of their touring schedule, the fact that Davy Jones managed to record a full album amid the chaos is somewhat staggering. “Incredible!” features several songs that could well have reached the Billboard charts, had things played out differently. However, Jones decided to hang on to the album and it ended up being self-released on cassette on his own mail order label. The minimalistic promotion and treatment of the original release belie the considerable studio and artist firepower behind these recordings. This deluxe repackaging allows this chapter in Jones’ fascinating journey to finally more fulsomely shine.

US Customers

LP PURCHASE FROM DEEP DISCOUNT

UK Customers

LP PURCHASE FROM AMAZON

Categories: Davy Jones, New Releases, Pop, Single LPs, Vinyl

LP TRACK LISTING & INFO

Side One

1. Look Inside Yourself
2. Make The Woman Love Me
3. Only Dreaming
4. Black And White
5. Valleri
6. After Your Heart
7. Incredible
8. I’ll Love You Forever

Side Two

1. Hippy Hippy Shake
2. She Believes In Me
Bonus Tracks:
3. King Lonely The Blue (Later, Alt. Ver.)
4. Hangin’ By A Thread (Studio Ver.)
5. Don’t Go
6. Fallen Hero
7. Can You Whistle?
8. Free (The Greatest Story Ever Told)

• Remastered With 6 Bonus Tracks
• Rare & Previously Unseen Photos
• Extensive Liner Notes
• Limited to 1,000 copies

US Customers

CD PURCHASE FROM DEEP DISCOUNT

UK Customers

CD PURCHASE FROM AMAZON

For all other countries, please check out Amazon worldwide

CD Track Listing:

1. Look Inside Yourself
2. Make The Woman Love Me
3. Only Dreaming
4. Black And White
5. Valleri
6. After Your Heart
7. Incredible
8. I’ll Love You Forever
9. Hippy Hippy Shake
10. She Believes In Me

Bonus Tracks:
11. King Lonely The Blue (Later, Alt. Ver.)
12. Hangin’ By A Thread (Studio Ver.)
13. Don’t Go
14. Fallen Hero
15. Can You Whistle?
16. Hangin’ By A Thread (Live)
17. Free (The Greatest Story Ever Told)

• Remastered With 7 Bonus Tracks
• Rare & Previously Unseen Photos
• Big 36 Page CD Colour Booklet
• Extensive Liner Notes

REVIEW: DAVY JONES 1971 BELL ALBUM 7A RECORDS REMASTER

7a Records continues to honor the memory and legacy of Davy Jones with the vinyl and cd reissue of his 1971 self-titled album, his first post Monkees LP and solo record since the 1965 ‘David Jones’ release. Remastered from the original Japanese Bell Records master tapes supplied by Sony, the album has an early 70’s Pop sheen courtesy of producer Jackie Mills who was also producing Bobby Sherman and the Brady Kids at the time. Davy worked with Mills on the record which included a minor hit with ‘Rainy Jane’ written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield that reached number 32 on the Cashbox charts.

While Jones had hoped to move on from his “teen idol” image, recording some more mature demos (a collection found on the self released ‘Just For The Record” box set and 7a Records ‘Manchester Boy – Personal File’ 2022 release), Davy was guided by Mills and Bell Records for the 1971 sessions. While the album has some good tunes tailored towards Jones Pop and Broadway background, the album was a commercial disappointment which Davy later disowned.

The extensive liner notes found on the 7a Records cd release, written by Monkees expert the Rev. Mark Kleiner, goes into the low status of Davy Jones post Monkees career leading up to the Bell sessions. It’s a fascinating read of where Davy was at as an artist during this down period and how, despite his later dissatisfaction, approached the project with professionalism which shows on how he tackled some of the songs with a theatrical flair. Songs that really benefit include ‘Rainy Jane’, David Gates ‘Look At Me’, the album’s second single ‘I Really Love You’, ‘Road To Love’, ‘Welcome To My Love’, ‘Pretty Little Girl’ and ‘Take My Love’. The Jackie Mills production is fine, though Kleiner does note that Mills himself was not very happy to find himself producing recordings for teen idols like Davy Jones and Bobby Sherman.

Six Mono bonus tracks have been included on the cd and vinyl editions of this 7a Records release. (Note: the 2012 Friday Music cd, released after Davy’s passing, includes the same bonus tracks). They include the original single mix for ‘Girl’ from the movie ‘Star Spangled Girl’ and later featured prominently in the famous Brady Bunch episode ‘Getting Davy Jones’. While it flopped commercially at the time, ‘Girl’ is today considered Jones’ most popular solo song after The Monkees. The non-LP single ‘I’ll Believe In You’ is a beautiful song that should have gotten a big push from Bell Records. The remaining bonus tracks are Mono mixes of the album cuts ‘Take My Love’, ‘Road To Love’, ‘How About Me’ and ‘I Really Love You’.

Besides Mark Kleiner’s incredibly informative and detailed liner notes, the 36-page cd booklet is packed with rare 70’s era photos of Davy Jones, singles picture sleeves, a promotional ad for ‘Rainy Jane’, Davy in clown makeup from the 1972 ‘Pop!’ special and a beautiful centerfold of Davy that should make stars shine in the eyes of many fans! The LP edition come in a gatefold sleeve and is pressed on 180g transparent green vinyl.

While not a commercial success at the time, this remastered reissue of the 1971 ‘Davy Jones’ album is deserving of a reassessment of a nice slice of 70’s Pop that Davy was so good at. 7a Records has done an excellent job in the production and presentation of these recordings. Even if you have an original copy of the 1971 album and singles or the 2012 Friday Music cd, Monkees and especially Davy fans should have the 7a Records edition of the ‘Davy Jones’ album in their collection, the historic liner notes alone are worth it. To paraphrase the ad for the 1972 ‘Pop!’ special, rediscover ‘Davy Jones’, you may end up falling in love with him again!

Track listing:

1. Road To Love
2. How About Me
3. Singin’ To The Music
4. Rainy Jane
5. Look At Me
6. Say It Again
7. I Really Love You
8. Love Me For A Day
9. Sitting In The Apple Tree
10. Take My Love
11. Pretty Little Girl
12. Welcome To My Love

Bonus Tracks:

13. Girl (Mono)
14. I’ll Believe In You (Mono)
15. Take My Love (Mono)
16. Road To Love (Mono)
17. How About Me (Mono)
18. I Really Love You (Mono)

• Remastered With 6 Bonus Tracks
• Rare & Previously Unseen Photos
• Big 36 Page CD Colour Booklet
• Extensive Liner Notes

7a Records Link: https://www.7arecords.com/?s=Davy+jones&post_type=product&type_aws=true&aws_id=1&aws_filter=1

Fred Velez, 2024.

Fred Velez is the author of the books ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’ and ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 2: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives’.

Freddy Pop Shop Book Link: https://freddypop.wordpress.com/freddy-pop-shop/

7a Records Davy Jones Bell Album Reissue

7A Records is proud to present Davy Jones “The Bell Records Story”. A lavish reissue of Davy Jones’ self-titled album remastered with 6 bonus tracks. Released on February 23rd, the CD version comes with a big 36 page colour booklet, extensive liner notes from Monkees historian Mark Kleiner and rare and previously unseen pictures. The vinyl version comes in a gatefold sleeve and is pressed on 180g transparent green vinyl. This reissue gives fans the opportunity to reassess an album that was unfairly neglected by record buyers at the time of its initial release in the fall of 1971. Pre-order your copy now from:

USA:

CD: https://www.deepdiscount.com/bell-records-story/5060209950563

Vinyl: https://www.deepdiscount.com/bell-records-story-180gm-vinyl/5060209950570

United Kingdom:

CD: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bell-Records-Story-Davy-Jones/dp/B0CRF868PS/ref=tmm_acd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1704589054&sr=8-1

Vinyl: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Records-Story-Green-Vinyl-VINYL/dp/B0CRF7Y348/ref=tmm_vnl_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1704589054&sr=8-1

More territories and pre-order links to follow soon.

Prior to entering the studio with producer Jackie Mills, Jones had recorded a batch of more somber and adult contemporary-sounding demos than the eventual Bell recordings of big band sunshine pop. While the latter played quite squarely into Jones’ established image; the former suggested another path that may (or may not) have launched Jones into a more fecund musical and commercial direction. Who can say? At the end of the day, we have these recordings and their manifold (and for too long overlooked) pleasures to enjoy, a worthy entry in the broad category of early seventies sunshine pop and in the specific canon of Davy Jones and Monkees-related recordings. Here is primetime Davy Jones, singing like an angel, and pointing to a love that leads to joy for all mankind.

Track listing:

1. Road To Love
2. How About Me
3. Singin’ To The Music
4. Rainy Jane
5. Look At Me
6. Say It Again
7. I Really Love You
8. Love Me For A Day
9. Sitting In The Apple Tree
10. Take My Love
11. Pretty Little Girl
12. Welcome To My Love

Bonus Tracks:

13. Girl (Mono)
14. I’ll Believe In You (Mono)
15. Take My Love (Mono)
16. Road To Love (Mono)
17. How About Me (Mono)
18. I Really Love You (Mono)

For more information and for our full catalogue please visit http://www.7arecords.com.

Review- Davy Jones ‘Manchester Boy:Personal File’ 7a Records Release

After the initial popularity of The Monkees waned by 1970, the Colgems label was swallowed up by Bell Records which by that time was issuing recordings by the Partridge Family featuring the new teen sensation David Cassidy. After releasing one final “Monkees” single ‘Do It In The Name Of Love” with Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones intended to continue as a solo artist tackling the more mature music he had developed on the last couple of Monkees album. The Powers That Be at the time however wanted Davy to continue in his ‘Teenybopper Idol’ image. For his first Bell album Davy had submitted several demos that showcased his mature side. These were rejected by Bell Records who teamed Jones with Bobby Sherman’s producer Jackie Mills, the result being the bubblegum heavy 1971 ‘Davy Jones’ album, which featured the Top 60 hit ‘Rainy Jane’. The album itself didn’t chart and Davy continued to record demos, most of which were self-released on the 1990’s ‘Just For The Record’ box set in both cd and cassette editions, now a rare collector’s item.

7a Records has remastered and released 15 songs from the box set in a new compilation ‘Manchester Boy: Personal File’ on cd and for the first time on vinyl. The songs in this collection have a more warm, brighter sound and intimacy due to the sparse instrumentation that Davy incorporated that bring out the mature feel he had originally intended. A digital single featuring “Man We Was Lonely” b/w “King Lonely The Blue” was released on all digital platforms on September 16.

There are so many highlights on the album, such as covers of Paul McCartney’s ‘Man We Was Lonely’, James Taylor’s ‘Fire And Rain’ and ‘Blossom’, Bobbie Gentry’s ‘I Saw An Angel Die (Was It A Dream)’, Nina Simone’s ‘Feeling Good (Dragonfly)’. Jones also wrote and co-wrote eight of the songs on the album; the title track ‘Manchester Boy’, ‘If I Knew’ with Bill Chadwick, ‘Please Believe Me’, ‘Can’t Believe You’ve Given Up On Me’, I’m Coming Home’, ‘Proud Proud Man’, ‘Leavin’ It Up To You’ and ‘Goodbye Old Friends’.

The acoustic nature of the music adds a powerful intimacy to the lyrics, this is basically Davy Jones unplugged.

The cd edition contains a 28 page booklet filled with many rare photos and an excellent essay by Joe Alterio on Davy’s solo period. The vinyl edition comes in a gatefold sleeve and is pressed on 180g black and white vinyl, the cd replicates the splatter design.

If Davy Jones had had his say, this is the solo album he would have released instead of the more bubblegum 1971 Bell album. This collection truly showcases Jones as a serious artist and it’s a shame things didn’t turn out as he had intended. Thanks to 7a Records, fans can now hear the more serious side of Davy Jones. For those who don’t have the ‘Just For The Record’ box set, ‘Manchester Boy: Personal File’ is a fine sampler of the set. Hopefully, 7a Records will release more gems from the Davy Jones vault on future releases.

1. Manchester Boy
2. King Lonely the Blue
3. Man We Was Lonely
4. If I Knew
5. Feeling Good (Dragonfly)
6. Blossom
7. I Saw An Angel Die (Was It a Dream?)
8. Bluebird (In My Garden)
9. Fire and Rain
10. Please Believe Me
11. Proud Proud Man
12. Can’t Believe You’ve Given Up on Me
13. I’m Coming Home
14. Leavin’ It Up to You
15. Goodbye Old Friends

For more information and to sign up to the 7a Records mailing list, please visit: www.7arecords.com

Fred Velez, 2022.

Fred Velez is the author of the books ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’ and ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 2: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives’.

New Davy Jones 7a Records Release: Manchester Boy/Personal File

7a Records are proud to announce the release of Davy Jones’ “Manchester Boy – Personal File” on October 14, 2022. Available on CD and Vinyl, the album features rare demos, outtakes and self-penned songs made between the 1960s-1980s. 7a Records has spent a lot of time and effort on remastering the recordings and all songs make their first ever appearance on vinyl. You can pre-order now from:

US Customers:

CD: https://www.deepdiscount.com/manchester-boy…/5060209950433

Vinyl: https://www.deepdiscount.com/manchester-boy…/5060209950440

UK Customers:

CD: https://www.amazon.co.uk/…/B0B8…/ref=tmm_acd_swatch_0…

Vinyl: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Manc…/dp/B0B8R6JW4N/ref=sr_1_3…

Scandinavia:

CD: https://www.amazon.co.uk/…/B0B8…/ref=tmm_acd_swatch_0…

Vinyl: https://imusic.dk/…/davy-jones-2022-manchester-boy…

More links for all other territories will be announced soon.

The Album

In the 1970s, Jones was looking to continue to showcase the matured aspect of his music, most recently presented on The Monkees’ “Instant Replay” and “Present” albums in 1969. Jones went to work recording demos to present to Bell Records, two of which are included in this collection (Paul McCartney’s “Man We Was Lonely” and the mid-60s “King Lonely the Blue”. The resulting demos had an earthy and gritty feel, akin to a style made popular by Creedence Clearwater Revival, with a unique presentation that Jones felt best suited him as an artist. The majority of the tracks feature minimal musical accompaniment – in some cases nothing more than just an acoustic guitar. Most impressive is Jones’ ability to carry the songs far beyond their narrow arrangements, with vocals that convey the raw emotion of the lyrics. In fact, Jones himself wrote or co-wrote over half the songs on this collection,

including the autobiographical “Manchester Boy” and the passionate “Can’t Believe You’ve Given Up On Me.” Jones also took difficult vocal material and proved his abilities to powerfully recast established songs in a different light, including James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain,” Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” (aka “Dragonfly”) and Bobbie Gentry’s “I Saw An Angel Die” (aka “Was It A Dream?”).

The songs on this album went unreleased until the mid-1990s when Jones self-issued them as part of a four-volume set called “Just For The Record”, a mail-order only collection that is exceedingly rare today. 7A Records has spent a lot of time and effort on remastering the recordings and they are available for the first time ever on Vinyl. The vinyl comes in a gatefold sleeve and is pressed on 180g black and white Splatter Vinyl. Also available on CD, which comes with a 28 page colour booklet including extensive liner notes.

Track listing:

1. Manchester Boy

2. King Lonely The Blue

3. Man We Was Lonely

4. If I Knew

5. Feeling Good (Dragonfly)

6. Blossom

7. I Saw An Angel Die (Was It A Dream?)

8. Fire And Rain

9. Bluebird (In My Garden)

10. Please Believe Me

11. Proud Proud Man

12. Can’t Believe You’ve Given Up On Me

13. I’m Coming Home

14. Leavin’ It Up To You

15. Goodbye Old Friends

Digital Single:

A digital single featuring “Man We Was Lonely” b/w “King Lonely The Blue” will be released on all platforms on September 16.

For more information and to sign up to our mailing list, please visit: www.7arecords.com

7a Records To Reissue Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart Albums!

7A Records announces the release of Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart’s original studio and live albums. In the mid-1970s promoters were trying to reunite the Monkees, but with Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork unavailable, it was suggested that Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones team up with Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart to tour as ‘The Golden Great Hits Of The Monkees Show – ‘The Guys Who Wrote ‘Em & The Guys Who Sang ‘Em’. The group signed a deal with Capitol Records to record a self-titled studio album of new material. They later released a live album from their tour of Japan. Both albums have been unavailable and out of print for many years. 7A Records have tracked down the original master tapes, that were presumed missing for at least 27 years, and remastered both albums for this release. Available as deluxe 2CD and 2LP sets, the CD version will include a big 40 page colour booklet featuring extensive liner notes and previously unseen photos. The 2LP version comes in a gatefold sleeve and is pressed on special 180g Green, Black and Yellow Quad Vinyl.

The LP & CD will be released on July 15th, 2022.

Deep Discount Preorder Links:

LP: https://www.deepdiscount.com/dolenz-jones-boyce-hart-180gm-green-yellow-and-black-vinyl/5060209950365

CD: https://www.deepdiscount.com/dolenz-jones-boyce-hart/5060209950358

Micky Dolenz is also making available on his website Signed vinyl copies of the D, J, B & H reissue. The release date for the signed album is July 8th, 2022.

Micky Dolenz Signed DJBH LP Link: https://micky-dolenz.myshopify.com/products/dolenz-jones-boyce-hart-vinyl-lp-the-guys?fbclid=IwAR2Jmw-GT8nGz9Gc9qZ-31KQiObP92QibBJCflqygJmi7aB3iCw1qR9ndB4

 

Vinyl Track listing:

LP 1 (the Studio Album)

Side One

1. Right Now
2. I Love You (And I’m Glad That I Said It)
3. You And I
4. Teenager In Love
5. Sail On Sailor
6. It Always Hurts The Most In The Morning 

Side Two

1. Moonfire
2. You Didn’t Feel That Way Last Night (Don’t You Remember)
3. Along Came Jones
4. Savin’ My Love For You
5. I Remember The Feeling
6. Sweet Heart Attack 

LP 2 (Concert in Japan)

Side One

1. Last Train To Clarksville
2. Medley:
Valleri/Daydream Believer/A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
3. I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight
4. (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
5. I Wanna Be Free
6. Savin’ My Love For You
7. Pleasant Valley Sunday 

Side Two

1. I Remember The Feeling
2. A Teenager In Love
3 Cuddly Toy
4. Medley:
Come A Little Bit Closer/Pretty Little Angel Eyes/Hurt So Bad/
Peaches ‘N’ Cream/Something’s Wrong With Me/Keep On Singing
5. I Love You (And I’m Glad That I Said It)
6. Action

Fred Velez, 2022.

A Journey With Michael Nesmith: 1942 – 2021

 

Michael Nesmith has passed away on December 10th, 2021 at the age of 78, just a few weeks short of his birthday on December 30th which he shared with fellow Monkee, the late Davy Jones. I’ve been a fan of the Monkees for 55 years, and I’ve been rewarded by the incredible music and art I’ve been exposed to during those years by the four individuals, especially Papa Nez.

When I began watching the Monkees television show after I discovered it in 1967, I loved the series which was like watching The Beatles every week on a regular basis, except with a different foursome of comic musicians. Each member stood out: Micky Dolenz was the wild, crazy one. Peter Tork was the sweet and naive goofy one. Davy Jones was the cute, Paul McCartney type heartthrob. And Mike, the one in the green wool hat, well he was Mike, the group leader, the cool one with the laconic, sly sense of humor. As much as I liked the other three, there was something special about Nesmith. You couldn’t quite put your finger on it, but you just couldn’t take your eyes off him. When he entered a scene he captured your full attention. There was just a mystique about him.

This wasn’t just true about the television show. This carried over into the group’s recordings. As good as some of the other songs might have been, Nesmith’s tracks immediately stood out. They were well written and had an edge to them that demanded further attention. They weren’t frivolous Pop tunes, they were songs that carried a bit more weight and maturity than a typical 1960’s Pop song. And they sounded different than the other songs that shared the albums. The songs had a distinct Country flavor to them that made them sound much more unique. Even the songs he didn’t write benefited from his touch.

After the whole Monkee trip ended, Nesmith continued onward on a path of his own making. His solo recordings, starting with the First National Band albums, saw Papa Nez following his muse, branding his songs with the Country tinge first heard in his Monkees recordings, but with the help of musical partner Red Rhodes, the songs went into a whole other stratosphere. The imagery the songs evoked were much more cosmic and other worldly, it’s no wonder that he earned the nickname of the ‘Cosmic Cowboy’. His records may not have been as big sellers as artists like Gram Parsons, The Byrds or the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band who played in a similar style, but they were just as creative, if not more-so.

https://youtu.be/9ZiHjmE-5BI

 

As a growing artist, Nesmith was not content to remain in one style for long. He continued to push himself forward with unusual concepts like ‘The Prison’, a book with a soundtrack, that saw his writing style become much more visual in execution. This naturally led to the next step in Nez’s artistic evolution, a new way to visually present musical ideas, the Music Video. Where there had been ‘promotional films’ issued by artists to help sell their records, Nesmith’s approach with his video ‘Rio’ was much more cinematic, presenting the music in a non-linear visual style, at times with a story that wasn’t a virtual representation of the song lyrics, but carried their own storyline apart from the actual song.

https://youtu.be/WnpcTsy10dE

 

Continuing to move forward with these concepts, Nesmith produced the long form video ‘Elephant Parts’ which combined his music with his unique sense of humor, winning a Grammy Award in the brand new category of Music Video, becoming the first music artist to win in the field. Nesmith branched out and became a movie producer for films like ‘Time Rider’, and the acclaimed ‘Repo Man’ and ‘Tape Heads’. He later became a published author of fiction and most recently with his autobiography ‘Infinite Tuesday’.

I followed Michael Nesmith through all these phases of his career, and I was rewarded by the exposure of the art that he was creating. From the Monkees television series, the records, the movie ‘Head’, the ’33 & 1/3 Revolution per Monkee’ tv special, his solo music career and his entry into the field of Music Video, each was a stepping stone where he kept going forward and rarely if ever looked back.

While I had seen and met Davy, Micky and Peter at concerts from 1976 into the 1980’s, I didn’t meet Nesmith until 1981 when he launched ‘Elephant Parts’ at a special party event at Tavern on the Green in New York City. I was invited to the event through my friend, animation expert Jerry Beck. Finally meeting the man, we shook hands and I told him how much I admire his work and that I wished him great success with his new video venture. He smiled and humbly thanked me. I was immediately struck by the full attention he gave, paying total attention to me as I spoke, his eyes kind and friendly. Whatever nervousness I may have had before, Nesmith wiped it away with his gentle demeanor. To this day, the memory of that first meeting has stuck with me.

 

I fortunately had other occasions in meeting Nez. In 1986 when the incredible Monkees 20th anniversary tour had ended it’s successful run, I was able to attending the taping of MTV Christmas Video that would feature all four Monkees, Nez disguised as Santa Claus as the big surprise ending of the video. I had already made friends with Davy Jones and Peter Tork and they both said hello to me when I entered the studio. It was Peter who introduced me to Mike who was all decked out in the Santa suit and makeup. As on our first meeting, Nez was friendly and he gave me his full attention as we spoke. All four Monkees signed the latest copy of Maggie McManus’s Monkee Business Fanzine that I brought with me which had a cover illustration featuring all four of them. When the taping had finished to reveal the big surprise of Nesmith as Santa Claus, I was able to have pictures taken with Davy Jones and Michael Nesmith whose eyebrows were still white from the Santa makeup.

The next time our paths crossed was in 1989 when the Monkees were going to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which would be proceeded by a concert at the Universal Amphitheater with all four members, Nesmith’s first fully rehearsed Monkees concert since 1968. (He had made a surprise guest appearance when Micky, Davy and Peter played the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles in 1986).

A Monkees convention took place the weekend of the events. Having never seen any of the 1967 concerts, seeing all four Monkees sharing the same stage together allowed me to cross off this major event from my bucket list. When Mike came on stage the entire theatre broke out in major shrieks of excitement from the fans which raised the roof. There was not a dry eye in the house as tears of joy were shed by the time the show ended.

There was even more excitement the following day when the Monkees were to receive their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in a special ceremony held in front of the Vogue Theatre where the movie ‘Head’ premiered in 1968. Helen Pantuso, who spearheaded the campaign for the Monkees to receive their star, called on me to help with fan security. Inside the Vogue Theatre the Monkees were finishing up a press conference prior to the ceremony when Helen brought me in. Peter saw me first and then Davy and they both said hi. Peter then introduced me to Nesmith, telling him that I was major booster of the group. As in our previous meetings Nez was friendly and attentive as we spoke. As we were speaking, our mutual friend photographer Michael G. Bush who was taking pictures of the group, politely told me that I was in the shot. I quickly apologized and started to move away when I felt someone tug at my elbow. It was Peter Tork who was pulling me back into the group and said “Fred, you’re IN the picture!!!” So I had a photo taken with myself and all four Monkees as well as musician Lawrence Haley who was part of the Monkees backup band. In the picture it looks like I’m thinking “I can’t believe that I’m in this picture!!!”. The photo is a treasured piece of my Monkees collection, and I’ll always thank the kindness of Peter Tork for helping to make it happen.

 

I’ve had other occasions where I met Nesmith, including a solo concert he performed at the Lone Star Cafe in New York City during the promotional tour of his album ‘Tropical Campfires’. Seeing Nez in a solo show was another check off my bucket list, as he performed from his classic catalog as well as selections from his new album. After the show there was an informal meet & greet where Mike said hello to the fans. I had another opportunity to speak with him and he was just as friendly and attentive as he was at our previous meetings. As we talked I told him that my favorite Monkees song that he wrote was ‘While I Cry’ and I said that I hope he would one day consider performing it live in concert. He gave me a small smile and thanked me and said that he’d think about it.

The years passed. The Monkees with Davy Jones went on a major tour in 2011 which was one of the best tours they had done in years. I caught them at the Beacon Theatre in New York City and was able to attend the after show meet & greet and had a picture taken with Peter, Davy and Micky along with my future wife Linda. Sadly, it turned out to be the last picture of me and Davy together as he passed away from a heart attack on February 29th, 2012. The devastation of that loss was somewhat alleviated by the joy of finding out that Micky and Peter would be joined by Michael Nesmith for a tour to celebrate the Monkees ‘Headquarters’ album. The tour was in the planning stages with Davy before his untimely passing. Linda and I attended two of the shows on that tour, which became both a celebration of the Monkees and the life of Davy Jones.

In 2013 Michael Nesmith embarked on his first solo tour in years with his ‘Movies of the Mind’ shows. Me and Linda attended the tour stop at Town Hall in New York City, and I was also able to score tickets for the after show meet & greet with Nez. Nesmith and his band gave incredible renditions of his classic songs, which were accompanied by stories that gave a visual flair to the numbers. I was surprised to learn later that Elvis Costello was also in attendance at the show. After the performance, everyone who had meet and greet tickets lined up as we waited for Nez. He finally appeared and met each fan, autographing Monkees and solo items, giving each fan time to talk with him. Finally it was mine and Linda’s turn as we stepped up and Nesmith smiled and shook our hands and signed our items, which included a ‘Elephant Parts’ DVD, a cd box set of Nesmith’s Pacific Arts catalog, and for our friend musician Gary Owen, the cover of his ‘The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees’ album that had already been signed by Davy, Peter and Micky and just needed Mike’s signature. As on previous occasions, Nez gave his full attention to us as we spoke to him. I mentioned that the last time we saw each other that I had suggested if he would please consider performing ‘While I Cry’ live as it was my favorite Monkees song of his. He again smiled and seem to say “we’ll see”.

In 2014, Linda and I attended the Monkees Convention being run by Jodi Ritzen and Phyliss Paganucci, a year after the successful Davy Jones Memorial Convention that was also co-produced by Charles Rosenay who had co-produced some of the 1980’s Monkees Conventions along with Maggie McManus and Ed Reilly. 2014 saw the publication of my first book ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’, and I brought along copies of my book which sold out by the end of the weekend. This years’ convention had as special guests Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith in his first full convention appearance since his brief appearance at the 1989 Hollywood Monkees Convention. Nesmith was not only appearing as a guest, he would also be performing one of his ‘Movies of the Mind’ shows at the convention. I saved three books to give signed copies to each member of the attending Monkees. At a special breakfast, I was in the company of fans and the families of the individual Monkees. I gave my inscribed copies to Micky and Peter who graciously accepted them. I was pleased to see the members of Micky’s family looking at the book and passing it amongst themselves.

Michael Nesmith was seated with his family at their table, saying hello to fans who dropped by, playing with a little baby one fan brought along. I waited till a more opportune moment when Nez was free and finally came up to say hello, saying what a pleasure it was to see him again. He thanked me and I offered him the copy of my book as my gift to him and asked him how I should address the inscription, as Mike, Michael or Nez? He smiled and said “Nez would be fine”, and I signed it that way. We had a couple of more minutes before he needed to leave and I again addressed our previous conversations about ‘While I Cry’ and that I hoped one day he would consider performing it. He smiled and thanked me for liking the song and gave me a “we’ll see” look. Later that night he performed his ‘Movies of the Mind’ show which knocked out everyone who attended. Nez was surprised and pleased by the incredible crowd response, grinning so wide you could see him glow from the other side of the room. Many in the audience who had never seen a solo Nesmith show before became instant converts. It was one of the best solo Michael Nesmith concerts that I ever had the pleasure of attending.

 

Over the years Nesmith did a few more Monkees tours with Micky and Peter as well as some solo shows. He sat out most of the 2016 50th Anniversary Monkees tour, making a special Skype appearance at the New York Town Hall concert performing ‘Papa Gene’s Blues’.

 

Nez did commit himself to perform live at the September Monkees Pantages Theatre concert in Hollywood. Linda and I quickly got tickets for this show and made hotel arrangements to stay in Hollywood for the weekend of the concert. Peter Tork, who had been diagnosed with throat cancer, was unable to do the two shows prior to the Pantages concert, and Nesmith stood in for him on those dates.

There was a buzz of excitement the night of the Pantages concert. Fans came from all around the world for this major event. As Linda and I entered the theatre we saw old friends like Monkees friend and actress Valerie Kairys Venet, and I was surprised and pleased to see Marty Ross of the New Monkees was there for the show too.

The concert was fantastic, with a mixture of the classic Monkees songs plus selections from the 2016 album ‘Good Times!’, the first album of new Monkees material since the 1996 ‘Justus’ album, the last album with Davy Jones. The songs from the new album that went over the best were the beautifully haunting ‘Me and Magdalena’ written by Ben Gibbard and ‘Birth Of An Accidental Hipster’ written by Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller.

 

Towards the end of the show, Michael Nesmith took the stage alone with his guitar as he spoke his introduction to the song ‘Tapioca Tundra’, explaining that the inspiration for it was the first concert the Monkees performed in Hawaii in 1966 when with the wild fan adulation, all four members strangely felt the presence of another person sharing the stage with them. After that concert Mike asked the others if they too had felt that presence and Peter said that he thought he knew what it was. Mike pressed him and Peter answered “that was The Monkees”. Nez agreed with the assessment, acknowledging that with the group and the audience together, that they were all collectively ‘The Monkees’, which were expressed in the lyrics, “it can not be a part of me, but now it’s part of you”.

 

The entire show was emotional for the group and the fans attending, especially later when it sadly became the final Monkees concert Michael, Micky and Peter would perform together before Peter Tork succumbed to his cancer on February 21st, 2019.

 

Nesmith and Dolenz would tour together in 2018 as ‘The Mike and Micky Show’ with Michael planning another solo tour with his First National Band Redux band, having already performed a special show at the Troubadour Club in Los Angeles earlier that year.

The ‘Mike & Micky’ tour was at the mid-way point when it was reported that Nesmith was ill and the rest of the tour was cancelled to be rescheduled as Mike had to go for a triple bypass. After an amazingly short recovery period, Nez was again on the road for his First National Band Redux tour. The man’s stamina was incredible as he was in good spirits and fine voice for the shows. We saw the show in New York and we were astounded by how strong Nez was.

Later in the year the new dates for the Mike and Micky Show were announced and Linda and I were able to obtain reasonably priced VIP tickets for the pre-show rehearsal at the Beacon Theatre in New York in March 2019. The informality was illuminating as the band went through several numbers, including a couple that they performed only at the rehearsal. The main concert itself had a sad bittersweetness to it as it took place just several weeks after the passing of Peter Tork. Peter was acknowledged in a special video of him performing the classic standard ‘Till Then’ on acoustic guitar. It was a moving tribute and received an emotional ovation.

The main show contain a great selection of classic Monkees tunes, many of them penned by Nesmith with rarities like ‘St. Matthew’ and ‘Auntie’s Municipal Court’ thrown into the mix. Further tributes to the missing Monkees Peter and Davy included ‘For Pete’s Sake’, ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’ and the emotionally charge ‘Daydream Believer’. The show concluded with Nesmith on stage alone starting an a cappella version of ‘Listen To The Band’ which segued into a full band rendition and ending with the group’s biggest hit ‘I’m A Believer’.

The ‘Mike and Micky Show’ was to continue with new dates into 2020. And then the Covid 19 pandemic happened with many events canceled throughout the remainder of the year. The concerts were rescheduled for late 2021 with additional dates added. These shows were going to be different as it was announced that this would be the Monkees Farewell tour. When the early dates of the tour began, while Micky was in good form, there were concerns for the health of Michael Nesmith. He appeared very fragile and unsteady during the early shows, not playing guitar and sitting on a stool for the majority of the show. His voice was a little shaky with him speak-singing for most of the show. Even with the strong support of Micky and the rest of the band, it was hard to ignore Nez’s condition. As the tour progressed, it appear the Mike was getting stronger and more engaged from the emotional energy being given off by the fans. He sang a little more strongly and seemed to feed off the love coming from the audience. As with the tour previous many Monkees classics were performed, several of them written by Nez.

Linda and I attended the October 22nd show in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. We saw many familiar faces like Jodi Ritzen, Scott Erickson and Micky’s wife Donna. By this time I had written my second book ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 2: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives’. I had brought along three signed copies for Micky, Mike and their manager and Monkees archivist and author Andrew Sandoval. Security were able to get my books backstage and Andrew contacted me afterwards to assure me that he, Mike and Micky had gotten the books.

The show soon began and everyone cheered as Micky and Mike entered from separate sides of the stage. Micky looked great and energized. Nesmith however looked a bit frail and walked steadily to his chair. He smiled and waved to the fans and thanked them for coming. As they performed the opening number of Nez’s ‘Good Clean Fun’, Mike spoke/sang the song as Micky sang to keep the tempo up. Despite early concerns, Nesmith’s spirit seemed to rise as he fed off the love generated by the fans. At times his vocals were a bit shaky, and other times his voice was as strong as it had been just a few years earlier. He waved and clowned with Micky on stage to the delight of the audience. When a song associated with Micky was being performed, Nez would duck into the wings on his side of the stage to rest before coming back.

After the intermission came the part of the show I was waiting for as I learned about the set list prior to the show. Nesmith haltingly explained the song he was about to sing and how it expressed sentiments felt by many. Then Mike began to sing ‘While I Cry’ from the 1969 Monkees ‘Instant Replay’ album, the song I had been waiting for years to hear him perform. While the vocals were shaky at times, Nez’s emotions reflected those in the lyrics, as the audience sat silently listening. The band played beautifully and with Micky’s sister Coco, sang lovely backup vocals. As the song came to its emotional conclusion with Mike tearfully singing the last lines, there was not a dry eye in the house. When the song ended I along with the rest of the audience gave Nesmith a well deserved standing ovation, which pleasantly surprised Mike who graciously thanked the fans as Micky came forward and gave Nez a big hug.

There were many highlights in the show, with Mike beaming at the enthusiastic response from the audience. The show came to an end with ‘I’m A Believer’ with Micky, Mike, Coco and the rest of the band bowing to a standing ovation from the fans. Micky and Mike soon exited to separate sides of the stage, with every eye on Nesmith as he disappeared into the wings.

A few weeks later the tour would end at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on November 14th, the official last stop on the tour. It was fitting that the tour would conclude on the historic stage that all four Monkees reunited on in 1986. Mike and Micky were to perform on a couple of makeup shows that had to be rescheduled plus a cruise show co-headlining with The Beach Boys in 2022.

 

Sadly, barely three weeks after that final show at the Greek, Michael Nesmith passed away from natural causes.

Following the man’s career for nearly 55 years, we are blessed by the music and art Nez gave to the world. Words are inadequate for everything I feel about his passing. His loss is as devastating as those of Davy Jones, Peter Tork and earlier Elvis Presley, John Lennon and George Harrison. For many fans, they all had the impact of a death in the family.

It’s been a long journey, and we should feel privileged that in a small way, we were able to tag along on Michael Nesmith’s journey.

Thanx for the ride, Nez.

Fred Velez, 2021.

Fred Velez is the author of the books ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’ and ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 2: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives’.

 

Video: Davy Jones Last NYC Concert at B.B. King’s 2-18-2012

 

Johnny J. Blair has posted a YouTube video of Davy Jones last New York City concert at B.B. King’s on February 18, 2012, nearly 10 days before Davy’s passing.

 

 

 

7a Records Digital Release of Live Davy Jones Album

Report by Fred Velez

7a Records will drop a digital release of ‘Davy Jones Sings The Best of The Monkees’ on November 14th, 2020. This is the same album that was issued in 1983 in Australia and are the same bonus tracks that are on 7a Records recent ‘Davy Jones Live In Japan’ set. These are the alternate live tracks with the audience noise lowered down in the mix. Davy Jones had also released this collection on his Bandcamp page. The digital version of ‘Davy Jones Sings The Best of The Monkees’ will be available for streaming and download purchase on Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Music/iTunes. Check other streaming services for availability.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/1OGRHo7GtZk1caRMqvjryP

Amazon Music: https://www.amazon.com/Sings-Best-Monkees-Davy-Jones/dp/B08MFKN7P8/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Davy+Jones+sings+the+best+of+the+monkees&qid=1605279878&s=dmusic&sr=1-1

Apple Music/iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/album/sings-the-best-of-the-monkees/1538403395

1. (Theme From) The Monkees
2. Daydream Believer 
3. A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
4. I Wanna Be Free
5. Star Collector
6. How Do You Know
7. I’m A Believer
8. Cuddly Toy
9. Last Train To Clarksville
10. Valleri
11. (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
12. It’s Now
13. (Theme From) The Monkees (Alternate Version)

Fred Velez, 2020. 

Fred Velez is the author of the books ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’ and ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 2: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives’.

Book Links: 

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Bit-Me-You-Perspective/dp/1496112288/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1605280198&sr=1-2

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Bit-You-International-Perspectives/dp/B08L41BBJ7/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1605280272&refinements=p_27%3AFred+Velez&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Fred+Velez

 

Davy Jones Christmas Album Now Available On Digital Services!

 

Report by Fred Velez

Not Too Late Records has re-released Davy Jones album ‘It’s Christmas Time Once More’ to digital music platforms Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, Amazon Music for streaming, purchase and downloads. Originally issued as ‘Christmas Jones’, the album was compiled by long time Monkees producer Chip Douglas with a new production remix of the songs featuring additional vocals from Micky Dolenz and Coco Dolenz and a new cover by longtime Monkees friend and photographer Henry Diltz. Among the album highlights is a duet between Davy and his youngest daughter Annabel Jones on ‘White Christmas’. According to the recent Zilch! Monkees podcast with Annabel, a physical version of the album should be following.

Zilch Podcast Link – Annabel Jones: https://zilchmonkeescast.blogspot.com/2020/11/zilch-159-annabel-jones-anita-williams.html

Davy Jones ‘It’s Christmas Time Once More’ can be streamed, purchased and downloaded at the following digital streaming platforms. Check other digital platforms for availability.

Links:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/7ecSSAmqpZPm0wFCXc9km4?si=AoV8rYptSR-KEaBi73djNA

Amazon Music: https://www.amazon.com/Its-Christmas-Time-Once-More/dp/B08NBG3YKC/ref=pd_ybh_a_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XQF5QT640BJV283YZN13

Apple Music/iTunes: https://music.apple.com/us/album/its-christmas-time-once-more/1539316939

Davy Jones ‘It’s Christmas Time Once More

1. Winter Wonderland
2. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
3. Silver Bells
4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
5. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
6. White Christmas (featuring Annabel Jones)
7. Mele Kalikiaka
8. This Day In Bethlehem
9. Silent Night
10. Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree
11. It’s Christmas Time
12. White Christmas (Laurel Canyon Guitar Vocal)
13. White Christmas (Laurel Canyon Demo)

Fred Velez, 2020.

Fred Velez is the author of the books ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’ and ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You 2: The Monkees From International Fan Perspectives’.

Book Links: 

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Bit-Me-You-Perspective/dp/1496112288/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&qid=1605271001&refinements=p_27%3AFred+Velez&s=books&sr=1-3&text=Fred+Velez

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Bit-You-International-Perspectives/dp/B08L41BBJ7/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1605271001&refinements=p_27%3AFred+Velez&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Fred+Velez

 

Davy Jones Christmas Album To Be Reissued

From KZ104.3 website

Link to KZ104.3 website with sound clip: https://www.kz1043.com/2020/11/03/new-davy-jones-christmas-album-coming-this-month/#

Set for release on November 13th is It’s Christmas Time Once More  — the posthumous holiday collection from the Monkees‘ late-frontman, Davy Jones. Compiled by Monkees producer Chip Douglas, the set features Davy’s bandmate Micky Dolenz, his sister Coco Dolenz, folk musician and legendary rock photographer Henry Diltz — who shot the album cover– along with Davy’s youngest daughter, Annabel Jones, on a duet of “White Christmas.”

One of the two bonus tracks is an original recording of Davy singing “White Christmas” with Chip Douglas on guitar, recorded in 1967 in Douglas’ home in L.A.’s Laurel Canyon.

The tracklisting for Davy Jones’ ‘It’s Christmas Time Once More’ is:

“Winter Wonderland,” “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Silver Bells,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Hark The Gerald Angels Sing,” “White Christmas” – with Annabel Jones, “Mele Kalikimaka,” “This Day In Bethlehem,” “Silent Night,” “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree,” “When I Look Back On Christmas,” “White Christmas (1967 Laurel Canyon version).”

 

Review: Davy Jones Live In Japan

The early 1980’s were an unique period for the Monkees prior to the 1986 20^th anniversary reunion tour. The individual members were reemerging into the cultural consciousness, Micky Dolenz as a successful television director in England, Peter Tork coming back to the concert stage and Michael Nesmith emerging as an important figure in the early days of Music Video.

Davy Jones, after a rough patch in the late 1970’s, found his star shining again in a most unexpected place, Japan.

Monkeemania was blooming again thanks to a Kodak commercial which used the song ‘Daydream Believer’ as part of the ad, and Arista Records reissued the original Monkees albums in Japan, putting the group back on the Japanese charts as well as providing desirable imports for overseas fans. Davy Jones was the first Monkee to taste the fruits of this newfound popularity with a series of sold out concerts between 1981 and 1982 that brought back the heady days of hysterical fans screaming out his name between songs. Jones also released a few solo singles of new songs that not only charted in Japan but became highly sought imports among Monkees collectors. (An interesting footnote in the sets’ liner notes is that The Who’s Pete Townshend supervised the sessions for Davy Jones solo singles at his Eel Pie Studios). A couple of the concerts were recorded for the Japanese market, two released as LP’s, with one of the shows also issued in high quality laser disc video. What the Japanese fans, Jones (and later Micky and Peter when they followed Davy with their solo tours) experienced was a foretaste of the excitement that would occur with the 20^th anniversary Monkees reunion tour just a few years later.

 

Those exciting moments in Japan can be experienced again through the brand new 7a Records release ‘Davy Jones Live In Japan’. The three disc set includes the two concert albums ‘Live In Japan’ and ‘Hello Davy’ released on cd for the first time, plus an all regions DVD of the ‘Hello Davy’ live laser disc video. Spread over the two CD’s are 22 bonus tracks of thirteen live alternate mixes on disc one and the nine singles Davy released in Japan and in England on disc two.

https://www.facebook.com/7aRecords/videos/291435718297906/

The sounds of Monkeemania is extremely evident on these recordings, the screams of the Japanese fans adding an extra level of excitement to the shows. The sound quality is excellent with Davy in great voice and Ricky & Revolver, the Japanese band that backed him at these shows, showing great musicianship, faithfully reproducing the Monkees hits.

Hearing the shows is one thing, actually seeing one of them is a whole different visual experience. For years I had a bootleg video tape which I later digitized of the ‘Hello Davy’ laser disc in adequate quality. The DVD of this show is a major revelation. The picture quality and the sound is fantastic, nearly flawless for a video over three decades old. Davy, with his hair cut short in early 80’s style, looks like he’s having the time of his life, leaping and bouncing around the stage as the streamers tossing Japanese fans scream in hysterical delight. The video alone is worth the price of admission.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7x7fZWGd1iY

The packaging for the set is beautifully done with a great Henry Diltz photo of Davy on the cover with an Obi sash design as seen on Japanese releases. The booklet has great photos of Davy during his appearances in Japan, with informative liner notes by 7a Records producer Iain Lee, Davy’s musical director Doug Trevor and Monkees historian Mark Kleiner. What really adds to the notes are the recollections of some of the Japanese fans who were fortunate enough to go to these concerts. Iain wisely allowed fans Misoro Hare, Akiko Ikada and Kyoko Hosokawa to tell their stories in their own words, giving the stories the unique perspective of those who attended the shows. The inside back cover of the booklet features photos of the Japanese releases of the two Live Davy Jones albums, the ‘Hello Davy’ laser disc and two of the Japanese singles.

7a Records have really done a fantastic job on this release. For those interested in vinyl, there’ll be a three record set in red, white and blue colored vinyl of the two live albums, a separate record of all the bonus tracks, and a larger version of the booklet. The vinyl set will be minus the dvd, but for a special incentive, a full reproduction of one of the concert programs sold at Davy’s concerts in Japan will be included with the vinyl version.

 

 

7a Records has put out great releases before, but this set is really outstanding, two years in the making with the quality evident from cover to cover, Iain Lee and Glenn Gretlund deserve great credit for giving this special collection the care it deserves.

This is a perfect time capsule souvenir of an exciting period in Davy Jones’ career and an essential addition to any Davy Jones/Monkees collection.

Tanoshii! – Enjoy!

Pre-Order Link for Davy Jones Live In Japan CD/DVD Set: https://www.deepdiscount.com/live-in-japan-includes-dvd-ntsc-reg-0/5060209950181

Pre-Order Link for Davy Jones Live In Japan Three Record Vinyl Set: https://www.deepdiscount.com/live-in-japan-red-white-and-blue-vinyl/5060209950242

• – CD 1 –
• 1 Last Train to Clarksville
• 2 I’m a Believer
• 3 Cuddly Toy
• 4 How Do You Know
• 5 (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
• 6 Star Collector
• 7 I Wanna Be Free
• 8 A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You
• 9 Valleri
• 10 It’s Now
• 11 Daydream Believer
• 12 (Theme from) the Monkees
• 13 (Theme from) the Monkees (Alt. Mix)
• 14 Daydream Believer (Alt. Mix)
• 15 A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You (Alt. Mix)
• 16 I Wanna Be Free (Alt. Mix)
• 17 Star Collector (Alt. Mix)
• 18 How Do You Know (Alt. Mix)
• 19 I’m a Believer (Alt. Mix)
• 20 Cuddly Toy (Alt. Mix)
• 21 Last Train to Clarksville (Alt. Mix)
• 22 Valleri (Alt. Mix)
• 23 (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone (Alt. Mix)
• 24 It’s Now (Alt. Mix)
• 25 (Theme from) the Monkees (Outro)
• – CD 2 –
• 1 Dance, Gypsy
• 2 Last Train to Clarksville
• 3 I’m a Believer
• 4 Star Collector
• 5 I Wanna Be Free
• 6 Rainy Jane
• 7 You’re a Lady
• 8 Can She Do It (Like She Dances)
• 9 Cuddly Toy
• 10 (I’ll) Love You Forever
• 11 Daydream Believer
• 12 Baby, You’ll Soon Be Sixteen
• 13 It’s Now
• 14 Baby, Holdout
• 15 It’s Now (Single Ver.)
• 16 How Do You Know (Single Ver.)
• 17 Dance, Gypsy (Single Ver.)
• 18 Can She Do It (Like She Dances) (Single Ver.)
• 19 Baby, You’ll Soon Be Sixteen (Single Ver.)
• 20 Baby, Holdoul (Single Ver.)
• 21 (Hey Ra Ra Ra) Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse
• 22 You Don’t Have to Be a Country Boy to Sing a Country Song
• 24 Rainbows (All CD Bonus Tracks on third disc, vinyl version)
• – DVD –
• 1 Intro
• 2 Dance, Gypsy
• 3 Last Train to Clarksville
• 4 I’m a Believer
• 5 Star Collector
• 6 I Wanna Be Free
• 7 Rainy Jane
• 8 You’re a Lady
• 9 Cuddly Toy
• 10 (I’ll) Love You Forever
• 11 Daydream Believer
• 12 Baby, You’ll Soon Be Sixteen
• 13 It’s Now
• 14 Baby, Holdout

Fred Velez, 2019

Fred Velez is the author of the book ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fans Perspective. 

Amazon Link for Fred Velez Monkees Book: https://www.amazon.com/Little-Bit-Me-You-Perspective/dp/1496112288/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1561677120&ref_=tmm_pap_title_0&sr=8-1

POP! The Lost 1972 Davy Jones TV Special

1. By Fred Velez

Davy Jones performing ‘Clowns’ on the ABC Television Special ‘POP’.

A few years after The Monkees officially called it a day, the individual members pursued their solo careers. Michael Nesmith followed his muse into Country Rock. Micky Dolenz resumed his acting career and dabbled in his solo music, which despite showing a lot of promise, was sadly ignored. Peter Tork, the first to leave the group, tried to launch his solo career with his group Release. The project failed to get off the ground and Peter disappeared from the scene for a few years.

Next to Michael Nesmith, Davy Jones was the most publicly prominent ex-Monkee in the early 70’s. He had some success with his first solo single on Bell Records ‘Rainy Jane’ which went Top 60 on Billboard and Top 40 in Cashbox. It did better in Canada where it charted in the Top 20. His self titled solo album for Bell didn’t do as well in the charts. He re-pursued his theater acting career and recreated his Tony nominated role of the Artful Dodger in the Los Angeles revival of ‘Oliver!’ which starred Sir Ron Moody recreating his celebrated role of Fagin from the 1968 movie musical version.

Davy Jones and Ron Moody in the Los Angeles revival of ‘Oliver!’

 

During the 70’s Davy made various TV appearances on shows like Laugh In, Merv Griffin, Make Room For Grand Daddy with Danny Thomas, and most memorably on The Brady Bunch.

Davy Jones guest starring in ‘Make Room For Grand Daddy’.

In 1972 the ABC Television Network developed a Saturday afternoon special aimed at pre-Teens that would showcase some of the biggest Teen Stars as well as featuring educational segments that would appeal to young people.

Davy Jones was signed to be the host of the special which was titled ‘POP!’. Davy’s guests included The Osmonds, The Mike Curb Congregation, the female musical group Sunday’s Child, actor Michael Gray and comics Hudson & Laurie. The special was a pilot for a proposed regular series that was to start in September, 1972.

‘POP!’ Special Break Down Transcripts given to Judith Supple Hadlock from Davy Jones as a gift. By permission of Judith Supple Hadlock, 2019. 

 

It was extensively promoted in many of the Teen magazines at the time like Tiger Beat and 16. ABC also ran a promo of ‘POP!’ with pictures of Davy and a female voice saying “Davy Jones, you’ll fall in Love with him All Over Again!”.

Davy Jones in ‘POP!’

ABC Television Studios, Hollywood.

The special aired on ABC, Saturday July 15th, 1972 right after ‘American Bandstand’. It only aired once. If there was any intention of making it a regular series, ABC never followed up on it. After it’s initial airing ‘POP!’ vanished and was long forgotten except by the fans who watched it, some who recorded the show on primitive cassette tape recorders and who’ve held onto their clippings from the Teen mags.

 

Davy Jones hosting ‘POP!’

Davy with the group Sunday’ Child

Davy with Ilene Anderson of Sunday’s Child

Davy with the Mike Curb Congregation 

1. 

Davy with a young audience member in ‘POP!’

Davy Jones In ‘POP!’

Recently on a couple of Monkees Facebook pages, some fans found and posted photos of Davy hosting the ‘POP!’ special. Soon, more photos and clippings from the Teen magazines were posted, sparking interest in this long forgotten artifact of Monkees history. A lot of fans saw the special and remembered it. Others didn’t even know it aired at the time and missed it. Many more, especially recent fans, didn’t even know that it even existed!

 

While going through the Facebook postings, a memory jogged itself. I recall back in the pre-home video/smartphone era of the 1970’s, I was a 8mm/Super 8 film enthusiast with my own movie camera and projector. I used to film Saturday morning rerun episodes of The Monkees off my old black & white TV set, and after developing the film, watch my results from my projector to a screen. The quality was never great, but it was the best one could do in those pre-VCR days. So, on July 15th, 1972, I was aiming my trusty little movie camera on my black & white TV screen and filmed what I could of the ‘POP!’ Special, trying to capture as much footage of Davy Jones as the little roll of film had room for. I also got a brief couple of seconds of the Osmonds and Mike Curb and a snatch of a Partridge Family TV promo. I was able to film some bits of Davy in clown makeup as he performed the song ‘Clowns’, looking very sad as he held out a flower to an imaginary girl. After getting the developed film back and watching it, I recalled the quality being not as good as I would have liked, but it was watchable. After a few more viewings of it, I placed the little roll of film into a drawer and as life went on, I soon forgot about it.

Flash forward to the present, and the memory of that little roll of film jogged forth with the recent Facebook interest in the special. Since then I’ve made several major moves and I had gotten married to my Lovely Linda. Did I still have that little roll of film or did it get lost in one of my many moves?

I proceeded to go through a few boxes in our basement that I knew still had some of my old home movie films in them. After going through a couple of boxes and coming up zero, I opened up one more that contained a few family movies in them which I wanted to check out too.

I soon came across one little roll of film on which I had long ago hand written the title: POP!

Photo: Fred Velez

I found it! But, was it still in good enough condition to be run on a projector?

Linda and I went through a comical search for a working regular 8mm movie projector. The light bulb on my old dual 8 projector no longer worked and getting a replacement would be very expensive. Linda then remembered her dad’s old 1940’s 8mm projector and was able to locate it. She knew how to run it, and after a few test tries with a different film roll which I recorded with my iPhone, we then proceeded to carefully thread the ‘POP!’ reel on the projector. We turned on the projector and on a little screen we set up, my phone started recording the images being projected.

Fuzzy images of The Monkees came up and I remembered that I must have filmed bits of the Monkees episode ‘Ghost Town’ on it. After a couple of more images of the 1967 Davy with the Monkees ran, suddenly, an image of Davy wearing a shorter 70’s haircut flashed on the screen, and I knew it was the ‘POP!’ Special. I managed to have filmed about a minute of the special and I captured as much of the images as best I could on my iPhone. Re-watching the results showed that the footage quality was still not the best and the iPhone recording was even more wonky. Still, it was better than nothing. I was able to apply as a soundtrack Davy’s demo of the song ‘Clowns’ which he had performed on the special. (The song can be found on Davy’s album ‘Wild Ponies: Lost & Found Rarities Vol.1’).

‘POP!’ “Clowns” Break Down Transcripts. With permission of Judith Supple Hadlock, 2019.

Davy Jones performing ‘Clowns’. 

Link: https://davyjones.bandcamp.com/album/wild-ponies-lost-found-rarities-volume-1

I uploaded the video of the footage on YouTube so that other fans could get a small glimpse and a taste of this rare and almost forgotten piece of Monkees/Davy Jones history.

A better transfer of my home movie of ‘POP!’. Many thanks to Mark Nelson.

Hopefully, with fan interest growing for the special, a full and complete copy of Davy Jones ‘POP!’ Special will turn up for original fans to watch again and later generations of Monkees/Davy fans to enjoy too.

Someday, someday. 😉

(Many thanks to Judith Supple Hadlock, Esther Fitzpatrick and other fans on Facebook for sharing their photos, clippings and memories of the ‘POP!’ Special). 

Fred Velez, 2019.

Fred Velez is the author of the book ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You: The Monkees From A Fan’s Perspective’

Book Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1496112288/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1557613313&sr=8-1

Monkees To Release Christmas Album

Link: Rolling Stone – Monkees Christmas Album

Rolling Stone Magazine reports that Rhino Records will be issuing a Monkees Christmas album titled ‘Christmas Party’ which will be released on October 12th, 2018. The album is produced by Adam Schlesinger of Fountains Of Wayne with new songs written by Rivers Cuomo, Andy Partridge, Peter Buck and Scott McCaughey following the formula of The Monkees successful 2016 album ‘Good Times’. Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork provide vocals on the songs with archival songs added from the late Davy Jones.

https://youtu.be/JeiG3eGOnxU

The latest Zilch podcast talks about the new Monkees Christmas album with Andrew Sandoval and John Hughes:

Link: Zilch Podcast on Monkees Christmas Album

The Davy Jones Facebook page posted additional information:

Hey hey! (Or should that be “ho-ho-ho?”)

Just this very second, Rhino announced that it will be releasing The Monkees’ Christmas Album on October 12! It’ll be available in stores and for download and streaming on that date.

The first worldwide single from the album, “Unwrap,” will be released in October (hey, that’s next month!), along with a “lyric video” similar to “She Makes Me Laugh.” Here are some additional things to know:

*** Target stores will be offering a special edition CD with bonus tracks

*** You’ll also be able to purchase the CD at your favorite Walmart

*** The album won’t be released on vinyl until 2019 (it’s OK, we can survive this though, because CHRISTMAS ALBUM!)

And keep your eyes on rollingstone.com today for an exclusive article on The Monkees’ Christmas Album—it’s a great day to be a Monkees fan!

This will be a great Christmas gift for Monkees fans!

Christmas Party Track List

“Unwrap You At Christmas”
“What Would Santa Do”
“Mele Kalikimaka”
“House Of Broken Gingerbread”
“The Christmas Song”
“Christmas Party”
“Jesus Christ”
“I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day”
“Silver Bells”
“Wonderful Christmastime”
“Snowfall”
“Angels We Have Heard On High”
“Merry Christmas, Baby”

Target Bonus Tracks:

“Riu Chiu”
“Christmas Is My Time Of Year”

Target version will be available October 19, 2018.

Preorder Link: Target Exclusive with Bonus Tracks

Preorder Link: iTunes

Preorder Link: Amazon

Monkees live 1969 bootleg – I’m a Believer

After the departure of Peter Tork, The Monkees conducted a tour across North America throughout 1969. They were backed by the seven-piece R & B band Sam & The Goodtimers. One concert from this tour (thought to be the May 10, 1969 performance in Wichita, Kansas at the Century II Convention Center) exists as bootleg, and “I’m a Believer” can be heard here. It’s an absolutely horrible recording that I’m only posting for the historical curiosity of it. For years there have been rumors that the band recorded a show on this tour, but no tapes have ever turned up. Please visit my website at www.monkeesconcerts.com.

Monkees 1969 concert bootleg

This audio comes from the only known bootleg recording of The Monkees’ 1969 tour, thought to be the May 10, Read more

Monkees “Someday Man” (Live on The Joey Bishop Show 1969)

The Monkees, backed by Sam and The Goodtimers, perform their single “Someday Man” on The Joey Bishop Show in April Read more

Monkees “Reunion Blues” (1987)

During a publicity photo shoot for the band’s 1987 album Pool It!, someone at Cherokee Recording Studios in Los Angeles Read more

Monkees Live in Philadelphia PART 1/2 (1989)

The Monkees open up their concert in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Valley Forge Music Fair on July 29, 1989. Songs included Read more

Monkees live in Philadelphia PART 2/2 (1989)

The Monkees perform in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at Valley Forge Music Fair on July 29, 1989. Songs included are As We Read more

The Monkees on Rated K (1986)

The Monkees win the award for Favorite Music Group on the Nickelodeon show Rated K: For Kids, By Kids in Read more

Monkees “Don’t Bring Me Down” (Live 1987)

The Monkees perform “Don’t Bring Me Down” (from their 1987 album Pool It!) live in Jackson, New Jersey on September Read more

Monkees Public Service Announcement

Circa 1987. Please visit my website at www.monkeesconcerts.com.

The Monkees on Nick Rocks 1987 (#2)

The Monkees open up Nickelodeon’s music video countdown show, Nick Rocks, in November 1987. Please visit my website at www.monkeesconcerts.com.

The Monkees- I Wanna Be Free [Live in Holland]

Here is an another piece of this wonderful concert. The Monkees live concert [21-04-1989] in the Netherlands. Featuring Davy Jones, Peter Tork & Micky Dolenz

1966 TV Show Intros Part 2 of 3

(1)The Monkees (2)That Girl (3)Dark Shadows (4)THE Cat (5)Family Affair (6)The Road Runner Show (7)The Newlywed Game