Andrew, I’ve been an admirer of your work for decades now. Thank you, I’ve spent many a great night enjoying your excellence in music with family and friends.
I was in preschool when The Monkees show started airing, so I didn't really catch it then. But it was in heavy rotation in reruns during most of the '70s, and I watched every episode multiple times. Everyone I knew in high school owned a copy of The Monkees Greatest Hits with the orange cover. This LP, along with the Beatles Rock'n'Roll Music compilation, was an instant party record. No-one ever complained about your record choice once they heard the opening "Here we come..." of the Monkees theme - they'd just bellow along. Sure, we were all into the latest music too, and could be very snobbish and cutting about it, but the Beatles, the Monkees and the Beach Boys all got a universal free pass. They were all a lot of fun.
This album is the FIRST album I was ever aware of. I was eight when my sister (10 years older than me) got it and played it constantly. I really liked it and asked her to play it a lot, which she did. Then the second Monkees album came out and she and I did the same thing. But as she was older than me, and a teenager, she knew a lot more about popular music than I did. Since she saw how much I like the Monkees, and music in general, one day she said, "there is another group you might like" and she handed me Revolver, and said it was by a band called... The Beatles. And I've been a huge Beatles fan ever since. - Paul, USA
Last Train To Clarksville, one of the finest pop songs ever recorded, I must have listened to it thousands of times since it's release and never tire of it, never will, they'll play it at my funeral.
The Monkees, their show and their music were viewed by many as escapism for those who were too young to worry about what was really happening to the world at the time, but the illusion was shattered for a few seconds at a time with the line "I don't know if I'm ever coming home." Fortunately for many of us who were regular viewers of the show, the draft had ended by the time we turned 18.
I’ve been a fan since I was 6! I mean, yeah, they were put together for a TV show, but their music is just really good. Catchy, fun pop songs. And they were talented musicians, even if it started as a project. What's cool is that they really grew into it, too. They fought for more creative control, started playing their own instruments more, and really became a "real" band over time. I just like their whole vibe. It's enjoyable, lighthearted, and sometimes that's exactly what I'm in the mood for.
First generation fan here. I love The Monkees music almost as much as I love The Beatles music. Well done, I learned some things I hadn't known before.
Great video. Thank you for taking the Monkees seriously. I bought their first three albums as they were released in 1967, and Peter autographed my original copy of Headquarters in the early 2000s. I was a dj at a radio station and he and his blues band came in to play live during my on-air shift. I got to interview him, finding him to be a warm, funny guy. AND...his band performed a smoking version of "Steppin' Stone" with Peter singing lead! What a day!
My mom was a Broadway fanatic back in the early to mid 60s and she was shocked as hell in 1966 to see the little boy who is playing the Artful Dodger in Oliver suddenly starring in the Monkees . She was also shocked that the guy in the TV series circus boy was now in the series too.
Love The Monkees! They should be in Rock'n'roll hall of fame! They have some great songs they were funny and Monkees TV show real cool! Love that Paul Clip singing Hey hey with the Monkees with his band! On TV Still comes on now on streaming channels! Great show Andrew always neat stories you give us! Have a cool day Thanks Andrew!
One of my all time favorite albums. I've been a huge fan of the Monkees since 66 and my loyalty had never wavered after all these decades later. Thanks!
Great stuff, thank you. This album was my first LP and it joined the 'I'm a Believer' single in my collection. Mum ordered the mono LP from the Kays catalogue and I paid for it over several weeks from my pocket money. This must have been around 1967. I still love their music. At the time I had little interest in The Beatles, oddly enough. (I grew up in Brighton, Sussex.)
I bought their first box set when it came out in the early ‘90’s and some of their albums on cd when Rhino rereleased them. I don’t care that they didn’t play on their early records. They proved their critics wrong by the time of “Headquarters”. They then put together one of the greatest albums of the 60’s - “Head” - their masterpiece, the soundtrack to their great movie of the same name. They were always a talented bunch of people in their own right. Enjoyed this, Thank you.
A big thank you, Andrew! I am looking forward to your reviews of the rest of the albums. Perhaps, you might also consider doing an episode where you select and talk only about their five or ten best singles based on US and UK charts. Cheers! 😊
LOVE “Sweet Young Thing.” James Burton on guitar, and the great country/jazz guitarist Jimmy Bryant on fiddle. Mike’s vocals strike just the right note. A right raver! Very cool fax about the cover shoot. Looking forward to more of the Monkees, starting with, of course …
Nice to see you spotlight The Monkees. I've always enjoyed the album for some fun, enjoyable tracks. My favorite by far is "Saturday's Child". Good job, Andrew. 👍
I am a very big fan of the Monkees. As well as a fan of you and the Beatles. It's nice to see you taking on the Monkees. Seems a perfect fit. I own a early copy of Day by Day and have read it cover to cover. I'm gonna stay tuned, and look forward to watching these albums get tackled. One by one.
One of my favourite groups, Andrew, thank you! As a 5 year old, seeing them playing every week on TV was a thrill to me. I had already fallen in love with music before I could speak (as my mum would often attest) so watching a 'real' band made them heroes to me. Happily, they followed Pinocchio and became a real band by their third album. If you listen again to Let's Dance On, you'll notice the total absence of a bass track. From several accounts I've read, the first album was rushed out so quickly no one noticed the lack of bass on that song until it was too late.
I was in elementary school when the Monkees began. Having three sisters, our Mom would most often have one of the Monkees albums playing as we woke up and readied for school. No surprise that I well know their whole library. When A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You made the charts I requested the 45 for a birthday present. Another fav was The Girl That I Knew Somewhere, but there were so many... Most of my life has been as a career musician, and though my influences have been broad, I am still fond of many Monkees tunes.
This is a very pleasing and informative video, and I'm glad I watched it. I especially look forward to the video you will make about "Headquarters," when they put their foot down and insisted on writing and playing the instruments. One song from those sessions that I particularly like (but left off the album) was "All of Your Toys."
great addition to your channel…I am a 66 year old musician who likes a lot of the Monkees material; I think my extensive Monkees playlist is very groovy spanning the Rhino box set (that includes the cleanest mix of Circle Sky) and the Justus album; I also think Micky, Davey, & Mike sang together as well as John, Paul, & George (and CSN!) every singer songwriter should be aware of & listen to Mike Nesmith solo material…oh yeah, I also found a copy of the 1992 Beatles mono EP box set for under $50; you’re absolutely right about the sound quality even beating my benchmark 2009 remasters
Yes! This is exactly I've been waiting for!! You'll find my name in the booklet included in the Rhino CD box "The Birds The Bees & The Monkees". I gave them the recordings I had!
I liked it. I've come to think that the Monkees music, particularly Nesmith's contribution, is where what came to be called "country rock" first started making itself heard and felt.
The Monkees were the second band that I got into (the first was the Beatles, of course). I remember watching the show when I was five and it taught me how to use a vcr! I do have all of the Monkees' mono albums, most of them are first pressings (including this album). It's a great fun album and the TV show is still my favorite to this day. Thanks for making this video! 🐵🐵🐵🐵
After having recently been turned on to the solo albums of Mike Nesmith, I decided to check out the Monkees albums and have been enjoying them very much. This video, as well as being highly informative, introduced me to some albums I was unaware of. Thank you for this excellent post!
I love the Monkees. Grew up watching the show, and Mike Nesmith inspired me to start playing guitar. Thanks for this. I love your Beatles videos and looking forward to the Monkees!
Incredible detail, I was wondering how you found out all this info. Funny how people went crazy when they found out they didn’t play on the records. The wrecking crew played on tons of bands records and no one seemed too fussed.
Glen Campbell of the Wrecking Crew was the guest host for the Smother Brothers Comedy Hour. During this show, Glen introduces Cream (Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker) and explains they were three of the finest studio musicians in England and they played on Beatles recordings as well as the Rolling Stones, Donovan, and other major acts. This is on video July 14, 1968, two months before George Harrison asked Eric Clapton to play on While My Guitar Gently Weeps (George asked Eric on Sept 6, 1968). So it looks like Beatles also did not play on many of their albums .
@ Mersey Beat 1962 On Tuesday, September 4th, The Beatles will fly to London to make recordings at E.M.I. Studios. They will be recording numbers that have been specifically written for the group, which they have received from their recording manager George Martin (Parlophone). 100% the Beatles also never wrote many of the tunes attributed to them .
It's nice to actually learn about their studio process. I unironically listen to their music still from time to time. I still remember watching them at my grandparents house when I was younger.
Andrew! It's so cool to know you are also a fan of The Monkees! Great job! I see you got the Rhino 50th anniversary vinyl box set! I love that set! I've been collecting The Monkees vinyl for about 50 years! Thdnks to my Mom's error in buying The Beatles '65 and thinking it was The Monkees! It exposed me to the fab 4 a bit later on but I never understood why people compared The Beatles with the Monkees! I thought they were two completely different sounding bands. And I love them both!
Thank you for bringing the Monkees to life as a real band. I hope you will continue to spotlight their other albums as well. As usual top shelf content for the best channel on UA-cam
Such a great album! Your channel has always gotten me interested in wanting to collect vinyl records, and after watching this video I just bought the first two Monkees albums! Thanks again!
Before I was a diehard Beatlemaniac, I was a diehard Monkeemaniac! (Third generation, mind you.) I take the Monkees VERY seriously and appreciate anyone else who does. THE MONKEES was always a solid debut for me. "Take A Giant Step" is my favourite track here, with its proto-psychedelic leanings. As it was mostly overseen by Boyce & Hart, there's a...sameness to the disc that works in its favour (uniformity) and against it (unchallenging). Four out of five stars. Can't wait for your MORE OF THE MONKEES review! Cheers! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love the Monkees! My mom & aunt were big fans & I was the right age when they made their 89s comeback. I saw them in concert for my 8th birthday & met Davy later that year. My mom & I met Micky decades later at a con. My mom, aunt, cousin & I used to have our Davy Jones Weekends in Disney when he’s play at Epcot. So many good memories 😊
A story about the debut. My Dad received this album as a Christmas gift in 1966, but he didn't care for the group and the series. He tried to give it to his two younger brothers and one of his sisters...my uncles and one of my aunts...they didn't want it. Eventually the youngest child...another one of my aunts, took it. I discovered it as a five year old in 1975, and I loved it. I became a big Monkees fan around that time, even though my Mom and my Dad weren't. I kind of took over as the owner of the album soon after.
Great one Andrew👍 Love The Monkees, its because of The Monkees I got heavily into The Beatles.as a kid (5- 6 years oldI would watch the TV show in re-runs in the early 70's) and loved the music without knowing that The Monkees were totally influenced by Tha Beatles. It wasnt until my father explained this to me that I got into The Beatles- Thank You Monkees!!!!
This is great! I've been a fan of the Monkees for almost 57 years, and each of their albums is very special to me. My late brother and I were glued to the TV whenever the show was on, and good old dad bought us the albums (Wow! I'm old enough to remember the last three of the original nine coming out). I saw them in concert, maybe four times, back when concert tickets didn't cost three-days pay. It's nice that someone with your level of professionalism take on this task. Thank you!
As a true Monkees fan since childhood I really enjoyed this interesting video. Of course I own the original debut LP and all others. I loved the group so much,even dressed as Davy Jones one Halloween. My Father did a lot of print photography work for Look magazine, Time-Life books, etc and he once lent me slides that he was working for on-headshots of all 4 of the Monkees, to show at school. Anyway, I am thankful I got to atleast see Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz live in concert. Their opening act that night was Barry Williams of the Brady Bunch! Great concert. They helped make my childhood that much better.
Thank you for this video! I love your Beatles videos but enjoy when you cover other areas. The Monkees are another one of my favorites. I enjoy the slow version of “I Wanna Be Free” but prefer the faster version. I love that first album!
The Monkees story is fascinating. I attended two concerts of theirs which turned out to both be ‘end of era’ concerts - their last ever show as a quarter (Wembley 1997) and the last ever Monkees concert in LA in 2021, just a few weeks before Michael Nesnith died. Both very good and fun shows.
I have Sandoval's Monkees Day by Day book. It's a great in depth read. I love Andrew's Parlogram videos and it's great to see him covering The Monkees.
9:48 I'm not surprised that Micky Dolenz got the nod as the lead vocalist on LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE. Davy was a beautiful balladeer, but his voice didn't have the pure commercial quality or rock n' roll vibe that Micky's had. For those that would like to hear Davy sing Last Train, he did record it as a solo artist, and did an admirable job as only the 'Manchester Cowboy' could.
Super fun! I watched the series as a really little kid and the first album was one of the first records I owned. I'm glad to see The Monkees included in your video projects. Thanks!
Great video, Andrew! I didn't know anything about how this album was made so this has really filled a gap in my knowledge of the Monkees! The tv show was a 'must' to watch every week!
Andrew - thank you so very much for FINALLY doing a video about the Monkees. I would have to say that it is about time, as well. After viewing this particular video this morning, I was rather surprised that you chose not to include a reference to the 2014 CD boxed set issued by Rhino Handmade. This most definitely would have been a most important topic to cover within this most excellent video presentation. Perhaps, you might want to consider focusing on this specific area of the Monkees albums, as these future videos making reference to the group's albums that would be eventually released as limited edition CD boxed sets from Rhino Handmade, as these CD sets deserve to be recognized in your future videos about the Monkees. Of all of the original albums that were originally issued between 1966 and 1970, 7 of the first 8 albums were all issued as Rhino Handmade deluxe CD boxed sets, the exception being the 1967 release of Pisces Aquarius Capricorn & Jones Ltd. Still anxiously awaiting this boxed set to be released as soon as possible. Although, Changes from 1970 might never get to be issued as a Rhino Handmade boxed set. Again, thanks.
Discovered The Monkees ,as a 13 yr old , in 1975 ,and a fan to this day.Ironically it was the Monkees that started me listening to the Beatles Last Train also leans heavily on the fade out on Run for Your Life
Same here but I was 11. And the only album in print at that time was the Arista Greatest hits album with the orange-ish background. I remember finding a UK RCA copy at a thrift store of More of.... for 10 cents, but that was it until Rhino released their entire catalog in the '80s. And that's when I became a true collector of everything Monkees.
Mersey Beat 1962 On Tuesday, September 4th, The Beatles will fly to London to make recordings at E.M.I. Studios. They will be recording numbers that have been specifically written for the group, which they have received from their recording manager George Martin (Parlophone). Beatles also never wrote many of the tunes attributed to them .
Also Glen Campbell of the Wrecking Crew was the guest host for the Smother Brothers Comedy Hour. During this show, Glen introduces Cream (Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker) and explains they were three of the finest studio musicians in England and they played on Beatles recordings as well as the Rolling Stones, Donovan, and other major acts. This is on video July 14, 1968, two months before George Harrison asked Eric Clapton to play on While My Guitar Gently Weeps (George asked Eric on Sept 6, 1968)
I grew up with the Beatles (via my dad’s vinyl/cassette collection) and the Monkees (thanks to MTV in the 80s) I only have one CD of the Monkees, unfortunately, and it’s a greatest hits. As a result, I know little about their music and barely remember the show. But, what little I recall is positive. The show was just what a ten year old would enjoy…silliness and catchy music.
As a militant Beatles fanatic, I hold my head high every time I proclaim my love and appreciation of the Monkees (especially Mike Nesmith). Looking forward to more content, and I will definitely search out the recommend books.
Andrew, thanks for this great overview of the band and their first record. Unless you lived in America at the time their series previewed, it is hard to believe what a phenomenon The Monkees were in 1966. And their first album was certainly a great one for the times. The Monkees are very under-appreciated. It may be because they didn't play the instruments on their records, but there are artists in the Rock Hall who didn't, either, including the Beach Boys, Mommas and Papas, The Byrds, and many others. I know you will eventually get to my favorite Monkees album, which is "Headquarters", where they did play the instruments on the tracks. To this day, it is on my all-time "Top Five" album list. The Beatles were big fans of the group, especially John Lennon. Well done edition today! Looking forward to the next one.
Thanks Andrew. At the time I thought The Monkees were just a knock off of The Beatles You have given me great insights to that first album. I'll find a copy and give it a listen with 'new ears'
This is great! I never understood why the Monkees got so much flack for using session players when half of the music coming out of the LA scene was ghosted by the "Wrecking Crew." Plus, they were hired to be TV personalities first, even though they were already musicians from the outset. Davey Jones had been on Broadway and Pete, Mickey, and Mike were all talented multi- instrumentalists. They proved they could play on later albums.
@@peppercub everything you say is true but I think what hurt them is when this fictional tv band started having hits and it was implied that they were playing the music.
Thanks Andrew for the great information on the Monkees first album. Loved learning all the in and outs behind the track recordings. Always wondered about the people playing on the sessions. Very interesting. Will check out the books by Andrew Sandoval. In the future please review more Monkee Albums. Take care!
Great job again, Andrew, summing up a very complex story in a concise manner. With so many issues and reissues of this LP out there, it's hard to clearly define a perfect sounding one, but the 2020 reissue from Run Out Groove is (to me) the best, and I have a couple of very clean original pressings. The ROG pressing is all analog (the second disc is not) and was cut by Kevin Gray. It's not that hard to locate (yet) and is an absolutely beautiful presentation. Gatefold, in-depth notes, glossy cover, the works.
growing up (and to this day) my top favorite bands are The Beatles then The Monkees then everyone else. i consider growing up i had eight musical uncles who also made great and funny movies and shows, and it really influenced how i would make art in collaboration, first as a musician and now as a comedy producer
Great video! I've been a Monkees fan since their first episode when I was 12 and I enjoyed your balanced appraisal of their first album. I have a big collection of their releases, box sets and books so I'm looking forward to your look at their subsequent albums. Steven
Andrew...2025 is the right time for this. Thanks!!! "More Of The Monkees" was the Monkees album that turned out the best. Somehow ...it just did. Can't wait for your documentary about it.
I still remember as though it were 60 years ago this one time when a reporter asked John Lennon what he thought about the rising popularity of cheese amongst the British youth, and John replied "Oh, we're more popular than cheese is." and that angered a lot of people for some reason.
😎👍 "Last Train To Clarksville" is the meter & tempo of "Paperback Writer" combined with the riff of "Run For Your Life." If it's of interest, "Saturday's Child" had previously been recorded by a group called "The Palace Guard" and released as a single on the Parkway label a week before The Monkees' debut album hit the stores. It's elsewhere on UA-cam. 😜
Thanks for covering The Monkees. I was in 4th Grade when they hit. We watched them on NBC, and it was a busy time for the pocket book around our house. My older brother and sister were not only buying all The Beatles albums and 45,s, but also The Monkees' 45s and albums. I look back now on those writers-Boyce & Hart, King-Goffin, Neil Diamond, Neil Sedaka, David Gates, " The Wrecking Crew-Hal Blaine, Glenn Campbell, Louie Sheldon, Carole Kaye, also session player the great James Burton. How could you go wrong?. They did eventually record their own instruments. Another great one.
Hi Andrew 👋 many thanks for a great video! I found Meet the Monkees (mono) in a local charity shop in good condition. Some great songs, but didn't realise the Monkees didn't play instruments on the songs! Always used to watch the Monkeeys on TV 📺 in the 1980s, and the Monkeeys greatest hits was one of my 1st cds (with Revolver) in the 1990s! I love the sound of Meet the Monkees on record! I will check out the books. Cheers 🍻
I was too young (i.e. not yet born) to be a Monkees fan when they had their 60s heyday. But my brothers found a copy of the Pleasant Valley Sunday (b/w Words) 45 in the town dump in the 70s and brought it home. I used to play it like crazy. It’s still my favorite Monkees 45 to this day. I later became a little more cynical about the Monkees, dismissing them for not writing their material or playing all of the instruments on those early albums. But eventually I came to the conclusion that it didn’t matter. If the songs were well written, well performed, and enjoyable, then why worry over how they were made? Plus, as the Monkees started to write and perform their own songs, I think the albums only got better… a testament to their underlying talent. A few years ago, I sought out mono copies of their first four albums… plus I now have the mono reissue of Birds, Bees, Monkees (probably one of the rarest US original mono albums out there). I think the stereo albums sound fine, but mono has a better cohesion… replicating the sound of those singles the way they were heard on the radio.
One of my favourite TV-moments when visiting my family in Holland: The Monkees. I was temporarily fooled into believing that the Beatles had a similar show going, but their cartonned contribution was not exactly the same value. Thanx for expanding on this legendary boy-group, pre-fab as it was then, but fun all the same.
One of the finest, most varied pop catalogs of the 1960s! Thank you for this video. I hope you cover all The Monkees studio albums, plus their three fantastic Missing Links compilations.
Thank you so much for this great Monkees video! As a longtime Parlogram follower, it was wonderful to see my book come to life in this way!
Off topic but the Bonzo Dog Band set is top notch! Only complaint is the DVD menues are way too loud
Andrew! Big fan of the Sunshine radio show(& your lifetime of work in the industry)
Andrew,
I’ve been an admirer of your work for decades now. Thank you, I’ve spent many a great night enjoying your excellence in music with family and friends.
@@derianimp thanks! I didn't work on the DVDs, but usually not a fan of menus.
@@markboyd9275 thank you!
I was in preschool when The Monkees show started airing, so I didn't really catch it then. But it was in heavy rotation in reruns during most of the '70s, and I watched every episode multiple times. Everyone I knew in high school owned a copy of The Monkees Greatest Hits with the orange cover.
This LP, along with the Beatles Rock'n'Roll Music compilation, was an instant party record. No-one ever complained about your record choice once they heard the opening "Here we come..." of the Monkees theme - they'd just bellow along.
Sure, we were all into the latest music too, and could be very snobbish and cutting about it, but the Beatles, the Monkees and the Beach Boys all got a universal free pass. They were all a lot of fun.
RIP, Davy, Peter & Mike!!!!!!
This album is the FIRST album I was ever aware of. I was eight when my sister (10 years older than me) got it and played it constantly. I really liked it and asked her to play it a lot, which she did. Then the second Monkees album came out and she and I did the same thing. But as she was older than me, and a teenager, she knew a lot more about popular music than I did. Since she saw how much I like the Monkees, and music in general, one day she said, "there is another group you might like" and she handed me Revolver, and said it was by a band called... The Beatles. And I've been a huge Beatles fan ever since.
- Paul, USA
Last Train To Clarksville, one of the finest pop songs ever recorded, I must have listened to it thousands of times since it's release and never tire of it, never will, they'll play it at my funeral.
I would have changed the lyrics to Last Train to New York to attract more attention
The Monkees, their show and their music were viewed by many as escapism for those who were too young to worry about what was really happening to the world at the time, but the illusion was shattered for a few seconds at a time with the line "I don't know if I'm ever coming home." Fortunately for many of us who were regular viewers of the show, the draft had ended by the time we turned 18.
I’ve been a fan since I was 6! I mean, yeah, they were put together for a TV show, but their music is just really good. Catchy, fun pop songs. And they were talented musicians, even if it started as a project. What's cool is that they really grew into it, too. They fought for more creative control, started playing their own instruments more, and really became a "real" band over time. I just like their whole vibe. It's enjoyable, lighthearted, and sometimes that's exactly what I'm in the mood for.
First generation fan here. I love The Monkees music almost as much as I love The Beatles music. Well done, I learned some things I hadn't known before.
Great video. Thank you for taking the Monkees seriously. I bought their first three albums as they were released in 1967, and Peter autographed my original copy of Headquarters in the early 2000s. I was a dj at a radio station and he and his blues band came in to play live during my on-air shift. I got to interview him, finding him to be a warm, funny guy. AND...his band performed a smoking version of "Steppin' Stone" with Peter singing lead! What a day!
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing your memories!
My mom was a Broadway fanatic back in the early to mid 60s and she was shocked as hell in 1966 to see the little boy who is playing the Artful Dodger in Oliver suddenly starring in the Monkees . She was also shocked that the guy in the TV series circus boy was now in the series too.
Love The Monkees! They should be in Rock'n'roll hall of fame! They have some great songs they were funny and Monkees TV show real cool! Love that Paul Clip singing Hey hey with the Monkees with his band! On TV Still comes on now on streaming channels! Great show Andrew always neat stories you give us! Have a cool day Thanks Andrew!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Everybody's got something to hide except (for) me and my Monkee.
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVED this deep dive of the Monkees! Keep them coming! Thank You!
One of my all time favorite albums. I've been a huge fan of the Monkees since 66 and my loyalty had never wavered after all these decades later. Thanks!
Great stuff, thank you. This album was my first LP and it joined the 'I'm a Believer' single in my collection. Mum ordered the mono LP from the Kays catalogue and I paid for it over several weeks from my pocket money. This must have been around 1967. I still love their music. At the time I had little interest in The Beatles, oddly enough. (I grew up in Brighton, Sussex.)
Some sources say Michael nesmith played rhythm guitar on last train to Clarksville btw cool video!
I bought their first box set when it came out in the early ‘90’s and some of their albums on cd when Rhino rereleased them. I don’t care that they didn’t play on their early records. They proved their critics wrong by the time of “Headquarters”. They then put together one of the greatest albums of the 60’s - “Head” - their masterpiece, the soundtrack to their great movie of the same name. They were always a talented bunch of people in their own right.
Enjoyed this,
Thank you.
A big thank you, Andrew! I am looking forward to your reviews of the rest of the albums. Perhaps, you might also consider doing an episode where you select and talk only about their five or ten best singles based on US and UK charts. Cheers! 😊
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for the insteresting suggestion!
FANTASTIC. As usual, you did not disappoint! Looking forward to seeing more Monkees.
Glad you enjoyed it, Kevin!
LOVE “Sweet Young Thing.” James Burton on guitar, and the great country/jazz guitarist Jimmy Bryant on fiddle. Mike’s vocals strike just the right note. A right raver!
Very cool fax about the cover shoot. Looking forward to more of the Monkees, starting with, of course …
@markcorcoran482 I love that song too!
My nana when she was a little girl got to meet them at an airport! They signed her album (being the debut one), and to this day we still have it.
lucky sods!
Your Nana? That makes me feel real old.. My Nana would have had more chance of meeting Rudolph Valentino or Charlie Chaplin 😅
@@petejones879 I wish Id met them though
Make sure the signed album is insured and providence recorded ! This will substantially add to it value !! (Lucky people) !!!!!
@@Bruce15485 some of us can only dream
Nice to see you spotlight The Monkees. I've always enjoyed the album for some fun, enjoyable tracks. My favorite by far is "Saturday's Child". Good job, Andrew. 👍
Thank you, Anthony!
@@Parlogram You're welcome!
I am a very big fan of the Monkees. As well as a fan of you and the Beatles. It's nice to see you taking on the Monkees. Seems a perfect fit. I own a early copy of Day by Day and have read it cover to cover. I'm gonna stay tuned, and look forward to watching these albums get tackled. One by one.
One of my favourite groups, Andrew, thank you! As a 5 year old, seeing them playing every week on TV was a thrill to me. I had already fallen in love with music before I could speak (as my mum would often attest) so watching a 'real' band made them heroes to me. Happily, they followed Pinocchio and became a real band by their third album.
If you listen again to Let's Dance On, you'll notice the total absence of a bass track. From several accounts I've read, the first album was rushed out so quickly no one noticed the lack of bass on that song until it was too late.
Can’t wait to see more of your videos on the Monkees.
I was in elementary school when the Monkees began. Having three sisters, our Mom would most often have one of the Monkees albums playing as we woke up and readied for school. No surprise that I well know their whole library. When A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You made the charts I requested the 45 for a birthday present. Another fav was The Girl That I Knew Somewhere, but there were so many... Most of my life has been as a career musician, and though my influences have been broad, I am still fond of many Monkees tunes.
This is a very pleasing and informative video, and I'm glad I watched it. I especially look forward to the video you will make about "Headquarters," when they put their foot down and insisted on writing and playing the instruments. One song from those sessions that I particularly like (but left off the album) was "All of Your Toys."
More Monkees, please!!! Great content, many thanks!!!
More to come!
great addition to your channel…I am a 66 year old musician who likes a lot of the Monkees material; I think my extensive Monkees playlist is very groovy spanning the Rhino box set (that includes the cleanest mix of Circle Sky) and the Justus album; I also think Micky, Davey, & Mike sang together as well as John, Paul, & George (and CSN!) every singer songwriter should be aware of & listen to Mike Nesmith solo material…oh yeah, I also found a copy of the 1992 Beatles mono EP box set for under $50; you’re absolutely right about the sound quality even beating my benchmark 2009 remasters
Mickey really had one of the best rock voices. Very underrated.
Yes! This is exactly I've been waiting for!!
You'll find my name in the booklet included in the Rhino CD box "The Birds The Bees & The Monkees".
I gave them the recordings I had!
I liked it. I've come to think that the Monkees music, particularly Nesmith's contribution, is where what came to be called "country rock" first started making itself heard and felt.
The Monkees were the second band that I got into (the first was the Beatles, of course). I remember watching the show when I was five and it taught me how to use a vcr! I do have all of the Monkees' mono albums, most of them are first pressings (including this album). It's a great fun album and the TV show is still my favorite to this day. Thanks for making this video! 🐵🐵🐵🐵
Thank you for the awesome video! For a long time, I love The Monkees albums：Head, Instant Replay and Present.🎸🎹🥁
Glad you enjoyed it!
After having recently been turned on to the solo albums of Mike Nesmith, I decided to check out the Monkees albums and have been enjoying them very much. This video, as well as being highly informative, introduced me to some albums I was unaware of. Thank you for this excellent post!
I love the Monkees. Grew up watching the show, and Mike Nesmith inspired me to start playing guitar. Thanks for this. I love your Beatles videos and looking forward to the Monkees!
Incredible detail, I was wondering how you found out all this info. Funny how people went crazy when they found out they didn’t play on the records. The wrecking crew played on tons of bands records and no one seemed too fussed.
Glen Campbell of the Wrecking Crew was the guest host for the Smother Brothers Comedy Hour. During this show, Glen introduces Cream (Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker) and explains they were three of the finest studio musicians in England and they played on Beatles recordings as well as the Rolling Stones, Donovan, and other major acts. This is on video July 14, 1968, two months before George Harrison asked Eric Clapton to play on While My Guitar Gently Weeps (George asked Eric on Sept 6, 1968). So it looks like Beatles also did not play on many of their albums .
@ or, more likely, Glenn’s facts weren’t correct.
@ Mersey Beat 1962 On Tuesday, September 4th, The Beatles will fly to London to make recordings at E.M.I. Studios. They will be recording numbers that have been specifically written for the group, which they have received from their recording manager George Martin (Parlophone). 100% the Beatles also never wrote many of the tunes attributed to them .
@ what? Are you serious? How do you conclude that?
It's nice to actually learn about their studio process. I unironically listen to their music still from time to time. I still remember watching them at my grandparents house when I was younger.
Andrew! It's so cool to know you are also a fan of The Monkees! Great job! I see you got the Rhino 50th anniversary vinyl box set! I love that set! I've been collecting The Monkees vinyl for about 50 years! Thdnks to my Mom's error in buying The Beatles '65 and thinking it was The Monkees! It exposed me to the fab 4 a bit later on but I never understood why people compared The Beatles with the Monkees! I thought they were two completely different sounding bands. And I love them both!
Yes, it's a great set!
Thank you for bringing the Monkees to life as a real band. I hope you will continue to spotlight their other albums as well. As usual top shelf content for the best channel on UA-cam
Thank you kindly.
Such a great album! Your channel has always gotten me interested in wanting to collect vinyl records, and after watching this video I just bought the first two Monkees albums! Thanks again!
Glad to hear it. Enjoy!
That was great. Look forward to future episodes on their other albums.
Yea! Thanks Andrew! The Monkees were my first band and lp. Love the video and insight!
Before I was a diehard Beatlemaniac, I was a diehard Monkeemaniac! (Third generation, mind you.) I take the Monkees VERY seriously and appreciate anyone else who does.
THE MONKEES was always a solid debut for me. "Take A Giant Step" is my favourite track here, with its proto-psychedelic leanings. As it was mostly overseen by Boyce & Hart, there's a...sameness to the disc that works in its favour (uniformity) and against it (unchallenging). Four out of five stars.
Can't wait for your MORE OF THE MONKEES review! Cheers! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I love the Monkees! My mom & aunt were big fans & I was the right age when they made their 89s comeback. I saw them in concert for my 8th birthday & met Davy later that year. My mom & I met Micky decades later at a con. My mom, aunt, cousin & I used to have our Davy Jones Weekends in Disney when he’s play at Epcot. So many good memories 😊
Still feel like Saturday’s Child is the highlight of the LP. Just has every element of a killer record.
A story about the debut. My Dad received this album as a Christmas gift in 1966, but he didn't care for the group and the series. He tried to give it to his two younger brothers and one of his sisters...my uncles and one of my aunts...they didn't want it. Eventually the youngest child...another one of my aunts, took it. I discovered it as a five year old in 1975, and I loved it. I became a big Monkees fan around that time, even though my Mom and my Dad weren't. I kind of took over as the owner of the album soon after.
Great video on the phenomenal debut by the Monkees!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great one Andrew👍 Love The Monkees, its because of The Monkees I got heavily into The Beatles.as a kid (5- 6 years oldI would watch the TV show in re-runs in the early 70's) and loved the music without knowing that The Monkees were totally influenced by Tha Beatles. It wasnt until my father explained this to me that I got into The Beatles- Thank You Monkees!!!!
This is great! I've been a fan of the Monkees for almost 57 years, and each of their albums is very special to me. My late brother and I were glued to the TV whenever the show was on, and good old dad bought us the albums (Wow! I'm old enough to remember the last three of the original nine coming out). I saw them in concert, maybe four times, back when concert tickets didn't cost three-days pay. It's nice that someone with your level of professionalism take on this task. Thank you!
Thanks Mark. Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you, Andrew. That was wonderful. Can’t wait till you start doing some of their other albums. Cheers!
Glad you enjoyed it. Stay tuned!
As a true Monkees fan since childhood I really enjoyed this interesting video. Of course I own the original debut LP and all others. I loved the group so much,even dressed as Davy Jones one Halloween. My Father did a lot of print photography work for Look magazine, Time-Life books, etc and he once lent me slides that he was working for on-headshots of all 4 of the Monkees, to show at school. Anyway, I am thankful I got to atleast see Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz live in concert. Their opening act that night was Barry Williams of the Brady Bunch! Great concert. They helped make my childhood that much better.
A fantastic video, Andrew. I really enjoy your excursions into the work of other artists. More please!
Thank you for this video! I love your Beatles videos but enjoy when you cover other areas. The Monkees are another one of my favorites. I enjoy the slow version of “I Wanna Be Free” but prefer the faster version. I love that first album!
The Monkees story is fascinating. I attended two concerts of theirs which turned out to both be ‘end of era’ concerts - their last ever show as a quarter (Wembley 1997) and the last ever Monkees concert in LA in 2021, just a few weeks before Michael Nesnith died. Both very good and fun shows.
I have Sandoval's Monkees Day by Day book. It's a great in depth read. I love Andrew's Parlogram videos and it's great to see him covering The Monkees.
Glad to see an interesting review and introduction to Monkee music, long overlooked.
Glad you enjoyed it!
9:48 I'm not surprised that Micky Dolenz got the nod as the lead vocalist on LAST TRAIN TO CLARKSVILLE. Davy was a beautiful balladeer, but his voice didn't have the pure commercial quality or rock n' roll vibe that Micky's had. For those that would like to hear Davy sing Last Train, he did record it as a solo artist, and did an admirable job as only the 'Manchester Cowboy' could.
Super fun! I watched the series as a really little kid and the first album was one of the first records I owned. I'm glad to see The Monkees included in your video projects. Thanks!
Great video, Andrew! I didn't know anything about how this album was made so this has really filled a gap in my knowledge of the Monkees! The tv show was a 'must' to watch every week!
Thanks Nick. Glad you enjoyed it!
Andrew - thank you so very much for FINALLY doing a video about the Monkees. I would have to say that it is about time, as well. After viewing this particular video this morning, I was rather surprised that you chose not to include a reference to the 2014 CD boxed set issued by Rhino Handmade. This most definitely would have been a most important topic to cover within this most excellent video presentation. Perhaps, you might want to consider focusing on this specific area of the Monkees albums, as these future videos making reference to the group's albums that would be eventually released as limited edition CD boxed sets from Rhino Handmade, as these CD sets deserve to be recognized in your future videos about the Monkees. Of all of the original albums that were originally issued between 1966 and 1970, 7 of the first 8 albums were all issued as Rhino Handmade deluxe CD boxed sets, the exception being the 1967 release of Pisces Aquarius Capricorn & Jones Ltd. Still anxiously awaiting this boxed set to be released as soon as possible. Although, Changes from 1970 might never get to be issued as a Rhino Handmade boxed set. Again, thanks.
Discovered The Monkees ,as a 13 yr old , in 1975 ,and a fan to this day.Ironically it was the Monkees that started me listening to the Beatles
Last Train also leans heavily on the fade out on Run for Your Life
Same here but I was 11. And the only album in print at that time was the Arista Greatest hits album with the orange-ish background. I remember finding a UK RCA copy at a thrift store of More of.... for 10 cents, but that was it until Rhino released their entire catalog in the '80s. And that's when I became a true collector of everything Monkees.
Mersey Beat 1962 On Tuesday, September 4th, The Beatles will fly to London to make recordings at E.M.I. Studios. They will be recording numbers that have been specifically written for the group, which they have received from their recording manager George Martin (Parlophone). Beatles also never wrote many of the tunes attributed to them .
Also Glen Campbell of the Wrecking Crew was the guest host for the Smother Brothers Comedy Hour. During this show, Glen introduces Cream (Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker) and explains they were three of the finest studio musicians in England and they played on Beatles recordings as well as the Rolling Stones, Donovan, and other major acts. This is on video July 14, 1968, two months before George Harrison asked Eric Clapton to play on While My Guitar Gently Weeps (George asked Eric on Sept 6, 1968)
I grew up with the Beatles (via my dad’s vinyl/cassette collection) and the Monkees (thanks to MTV in the 80s)
I only have one CD of the Monkees, unfortunately, and it’s a greatest hits. As a result, I know little about their music and barely remember the show. But, what little I recall is positive. The show was just what a ten year old would enjoy…silliness and catchy music.
I remember my baby-sitter had that album + Headquarters. She brought them every time to listen to on my fathers stereo
As a militant Beatles fanatic, I hold my head high every time I proclaim my love and appreciation of the Monkees (especially Mike Nesmith). Looking forward to more content, and I will definitely search out the recommend books.
Omg I’ve been waiting so long for you to make a monkees video
Andrew, thanks for this great overview of the band and their first record. Unless you lived in America at the time their series previewed, it is hard to believe what a phenomenon The Monkees were in 1966. And their first album was certainly a great one for the times.
The Monkees are very under-appreciated. It may be because they didn't play the instruments on their records, but there are artists in the Rock Hall who didn't, either, including the Beach Boys, Mommas and Papas, The Byrds, and many others. I know you will eventually get to my favorite Monkees album, which is "Headquarters", where they did play the instruments on the tracks. To this day, it is on my all-time "Top Five" album list. The Beatles were big fans of the group, especially John Lennon.
Well done edition today! Looking forward to the next one.
Thanks Mark. Much appreciated!
Thanks Andrew. At the time I thought The Monkees were just a knock off of The Beatles You have given me great insights to that first album. I'll find a copy and give it a listen with 'new ears'
This is great! I never understood why the Monkees got so much flack for using session players when half of the music coming out of the LA scene was ghosted by the "Wrecking Crew." Plus, they were hired to be TV personalities first, even though they were already musicians from the outset. Davey Jones had been on Broadway and Pete, Mickey, and Mike were all talented multi- instrumentalists. They proved they could play on later albums.
@@peppercub everything you say is true but I think what hurt them is when this fictional tv band started having hits and it was implied that they were playing the music.
I am so excited for this series! I have always loved the Monkees!
Fantastic video! Next to The Beatles, The Monkees are my favourite group. I look forward to more!
More to come!
Thanks Andrew for the great information on the Monkees first album. Loved learning all the in and outs behind the track recordings. Always wondered about the people playing on the sessions. Very interesting. Will check out the books by Andrew Sandoval. In the future please review more Monkee Albums. Take care!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.
Great job again, Andrew, summing up a very complex story in a concise manner. With so many issues and reissues of this LP out there, it's hard to clearly define a perfect sounding one, but the 2020 reissue from Run Out Groove is (to me) the best, and I have a couple of very clean original pressings. The ROG pressing is all analog (the second disc is not) and was cut by Kevin Gray. It's not that hard to locate (yet) and is an absolutely beautiful presentation. Gatefold, in-depth notes, glossy cover, the works.
Sooo glad to see you cover The Monkees! Such a rewarding catalogue with tons of fascinating backstories.
More to come!
Excellent episode. Love the Monkees. Need those books. 😊
Great video. For future reference, the stress is on the *first* syllable of Micky Dolenz's last name...
I’m currently living in Clarksville, Indiana. 😃
It’s amazing how popular The Monkees were when they came out.
YUSSS!!! Thank you so much! I didn't see any Monkees material coming! What a surprise! Love it! ❤
Excellent video Andrew! Looking forward to seeing more Monkees videos on this channel.
growing up (and to this day) my top favorite bands are The Beatles then The Monkees then everyone else. i consider growing up i had eight musical uncles who also made great and funny movies and shows, and it really influenced how i would make art in collaboration, first as a musician and now as a comedy producer
Great story , wow !
Great video! I've been a Monkees fan since their first episode when I was 12 and I enjoyed your balanced appraisal of their first album. I have a big collection of their releases, box sets and books so I'm looking forward to your look at their subsequent albums.
Steven
Thanks Steven. Glad you enjoyed it. More soon.
Andrew...2025 is the right time for this. Thanks!!! "More Of The Monkees" was the Monkees album that turned out the best. Somehow ...it just did. Can't wait for your documentary about it.
Ooh...challenging claim - I'd peg Headquarters or PAC&J or Birds, the Bees, etc over More of....🙂
Thought I was in parallel universe where you covered monkees music then Beatles music.
Great video !
Going to watch the video again
Great, Andrew! I am going to love this series of videos... (And I can second your recommendation of the other Andrew's extraordinary books!)
Great video! Thanks from Clarksville Michigan😎
I still remember as though it were 60 years ago this one time when a reporter asked John Lennon what he thought about the rising popularity of cheese amongst the British youth, and John replied "Oh, we're more popular than cheese is." and that angered a lot of people for some reason.
One of my favorite vinyl records I have is my copy of their debut album that I got signed by Micky Dolenz at a comic con
😎👍 "Last Train To Clarksville" is the meter & tempo of "Paperback Writer" combined with the riff of "Run For Your Life." If it's of interest, "Saturday's Child" had previously been recorded by a group called "The Palace Guard" and released as a single on the Parkway label a week before The Monkees' debut album hit the stores. It's elsewhere on UA-cam. 😜
Papa Gene’s Blues is my favorite song on that album!
Thanks for covering The Monkees. I was in 4th Grade when they hit. We watched them on NBC, and it was a busy time for the pocket book around our house. My older brother and sister were not only buying all The Beatles albums and 45,s, but also The Monkees' 45s and albums. I look back now on those writers-Boyce & Hart, King-Goffin, Neil Diamond, Neil Sedaka, David Gates, " The Wrecking Crew-Hal Blaine, Glenn Campbell, Louie Sheldon, Carole Kaye, also session player the great James Burton. How could you go wrong?. They did eventually record their own instruments. Another great one.
Glad you enjoyed it!
FINALLY!!! MY FAVORITE GROUP!!!
I was in high school from 1965-1969. I loved the Monkees. So many fun memories.
Hi Andrew 👋 many thanks for a great video! I found Meet the Monkees (mono) in a local charity shop in good condition. Some great songs, but didn't realise the Monkees didn't play instruments on the songs! Always used to watch the Monkeeys on TV 📺 in the 1980s, and the Monkeeys greatest hits was one of my 1st cds (with Revolver) in the 1990s! I love the sound of Meet the Monkees on record! I will check out the books. Cheers 🍻
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.
Fantastic love The Monkees
I was too young (i.e. not yet born) to be a Monkees fan when they had their 60s heyday. But my brothers found a copy of the Pleasant Valley Sunday (b/w Words) 45 in the town dump in the 70s and brought it home. I used to play it like crazy. It’s still my favorite Monkees 45 to this day.
I later became a little more cynical about the Monkees, dismissing them for not writing their material or playing all of the instruments on those early albums. But eventually I came to the conclusion that it didn’t matter. If the songs were well written, well performed, and enjoyable, then why worry over how they were made? Plus, as the Monkees started to write and perform their own songs, I think the albums only got better… a testament to their underlying talent.
A few years ago, I sought out mono copies of their first four albums… plus I now have the mono reissue of Birds, Bees, Monkees (probably one of the rarest US original mono albums out there). I think the stereo albums sound fine, but mono has a better cohesion… replicating the sound of those singles the way they were heard on the radio.
One of my favourite TV-moments when visiting my family in Holland: The Monkees. I was temporarily fooled into believing that the Beatles had a similar show going, but their cartonned contribution was not exactly the same value. Thanx for expanding on this legendary boy-group, pre-fab as it was then, but fun all the same.
If you like the Monkees, you have to see their movie "Head". It's a psychedelic gem.
I agree but its not the kind of movie they should have made in 1968
@ministermattocks7570 what do you mean ?
@ The 60s audience would have wanted what they did not, a 90 min version of the TV series, and that was never on the cards.
There's also a Clarksville in Michigan. I would think of that song often when driving through the town on my way to Grand Rapids.
Great change of pace with this Monkees video.
Grew up listening to these guys in the 90s ...
Very well done... It's a shame that there are so many uninformed comments here about The Monkees....
wonderful video as usual, i love the track by track style review
Glad you enjoyed it!
One of the finest, most varied pop catalogs of the 1960s! Thank you for this video. I hope you cover all The Monkees studio albums, plus their three fantastic Missing Links compilations.