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The Birds, The Bees
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The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees
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1. DREAM WORLD (3:21)
(David Jones/Steve Pitts)
DAVY JONES: vocal
MICHAEL DEASY, AL HENDRICKSON & GERRY McGEE: guitar
DON RANDI: piano
MAX BENNETT: bass
EARL PALMER: drums
BRENDAN CAHILL, TERESA HELFER, MILT HOLLAND & JERRY WILLIAMS: percussion
SAM FREED, NATHAN KAPROFF, MARVIN LIMONICK, ALEXANDER MURRAY & ERNO NEUFELD: violin
MARIE FERA, EDGAR LUSTGARTEN, JACQUELINE LUSTGARTEN & FREDERICK SEYKORA: cello
BUDDY CHILDERS & JACK SHELDON: trumpet
GEORGE ROBERTS: trombone
JOHN CAVE, DAVID DUKE & ARTHUR MAEBE: horn
SHORTY ROGERS: arrangement
Recorded at Western Recorders Studio 2, Hollywood, February 6, 1968,
and RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, February 8, 1968
2. AUNTIE’S MUNICIPAL COURT (4:05)
(Michael Nesmith/Keith Allison)
MICKY DOLENZ: vocal
MICHAEL NESMITH: vocal, guitar
KEITH ALLISON & BILL CHADWICK: guitar
HARRY NILSSON: keyboards
RICHARD DEY: bass
EDDIE HOH: drums
Other personnel unknown
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, January 6, 15 & 16, 1968
3. WE WERE MADE FOR EACH OTHER (2:25)
(Carole Bayer/George Fischoff)
DAVY JONES: vocal
JAMES BURTON, MICHAEL DEASY, AL HENDRICKSON & GERRY McGEE: guitar
MICHAEL MELVOIN: piano
MAX BENNETT: bass
EARL PALMER: drums
BRENDAN CAHILL, MILT HOLLAND & JERRY WILLIAMS: percussion
SAM FREED, NATHAN KAPROFF, GEORGE KAST, MARVIN LIMONICK, ALEXANDER MURRAY & ERNO NEUFELD: violin
MARIE FERA, JACQUELINE LUSTGARTEN, KURT REHER & ELEANOR SLATKIN: cello
BUDDY CHILDERS & JACK SHELDON: trumpet
LEWIS McCREARY: trombone
VINCENT DeROSA, DAVID DUKE & RICHARD PERISSI: horn
SHORTY ROGERS: arrangement
Recorded at Western Recorders Studio 2, Hollywood, February 6, 1968,
and RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, February 7 & 9, 1968
4. TAPIOCA TUNDRA (3:07)
(Michael Nesmith)
MICHAEL NESMITH: vocal
Other personnel unknown
Recorded November 11, 1967
Also issued as Colgems single #1019, March 2, 1968; #34
5. DAYDREAM BELIEVER (3:00)
(John Stewart)
DAVY JONES: vocal
MICKY DOLENZ: backing vocal
MICHAEL NESMITH: guitar
PETER TORK: piano
CHIP DOUGLAS: bass
EDDIE HOH: drums
BILL MARTIN: percussion
NATHAN KAPROFF, GEORGE KAST, ALEX MURRAY & ERNO NEUFELD: violin
PETE CANDOLI, AL PORCINO & MANUEL STEVENS: trumpet
RICHARD NOEL: trombone
RICHARD LEITH & PHILIP TEELE: bass trombone
SHORTY ROGERS: arrangement
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, June 14 & August 9, 1967
Also issued as Colgems single #1012, October 25, 1967; #1
6. WRITING WRONGS (5:08)
(Michael Nesmith)
MICHAEL NESMITH: vocal
RICHARD DEY: bass
EDDIE HOH: drums
Other personnel unknown
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, December 3, 1967
7. I’LL BE BACK UP ON MY FEET (2:26)
(Sandy Linzer/Denny Randell)
MICKY DOLENZ: vocal
DENNIS BUDIMIR, AL CASEY & MICHAEL DEASY: guitar
MICHAEL MELVOIN: harpsichord
MAX BENNETT: bass
EARL PALMER: drums
BRENDAN CAHILL, MILT HOLLAND & STAN LEVEY: percussion
WILLIAM HOOD: sax
BUDDY CHILDERS, OLIVER MITCHELL: trumpet
LOUIS BLACKBURN & LEW McCREARY: trombone
SHORTY ROGERS: arrangement
Unknown backing vocals
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, March 9 & 14, 1968
8. THE POSTER (2:21)
(David Jones/Steve Pitts)
DAVY JONES: vocal
AL CASEY, MICHAEL DEASY & HOWARD ROBERTS: guitar
DON RANDI: piano
MAX BENNETT & LYLE RITZ: bass
HAL BLAINE: drums
BRENDAN CAHILL, GARY COLEMAN & GENE ESTES: percussion
BUDDY CHILDERS, CLYDE REASINGER, JACK SHELDON & ANTHONY TERRAN: trumpet
MILT BERNHARDT, RICHARD LEITH, LEW McCREARY & FRANK ROSOLINO: trombone
JOHN LOWE: sax
NATHAN KAPROFF, GEORGE KAST, ALEXANDER MURRAY, ERNO NEUFELD & AMBROSE RUSSO: violin
SHORTY ROGERS: arrangement
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, February 15 & 17, 1968
9. P.O. BOX 9847 (3:16)
(Tommy Boyce/Bobby Hart)
MICKY DOLENZ: vocal
GERRY McGEE, LOUIE SHELTON: guitar
JOE OSBOURNE: bass
BILLY LEWIS: drums
VICTOR ARNO & JACK PEPPER: violin
PHILIP GOLDBERG: viola
RAYMOND KELLEY: cello
DON McGINNIS: arrangement
Recorded at United Recorders, Hollywood, December 26, 1967 & February 10, 1968
10. MAGNOLIA SIMMS (3:48)
(Michael Nesmith)
MICHAEL NESMITH: vocal & guitar
PAUL T. SMITH: piano
MAX BENNETT: bass
EARL PALMER: drums
JIM HORN: sax
JACK NIMITZ: baritone sax
OLIVER MITCHELL & SHORTY ROGERS: trumpet
LEW McCREARY: trombone
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, December 2, 1967
11. VALLERI (2:15)
(Tommy Boyce/Bobby Hart)
DAVY JONES: vocal
GERRY McGEE & LOUIE SHELTON: guitar
JOE OSBOURNE: bass
BILLY LEWIS: drums
JIM HORN & JAY MIGLIORI: sax
ROY V. CATON & OLIVER MITCHELL: trumpet
LEW McCREARY: trombone
DON McGINNIS: arrangement
Recorded at United Recorders, Hollywood, December 26 & 28, 1967
Also issued as Colgems single #1019, March 2, 1968; #3
12. ZOR AND ZAM (2:10)
(Bill Chadwick/John Chadwick)
MICKY DOLENZ: vocal
KEITH ALLISON & BILL CHADWICK: guitar
MAX BENNETT & CHIP DOUGLAS: bass
HAL BLAINE, EDDIE HOH, MILT HOLLAND & STAN LEVEY: drums & percussion
NATHAN KAPROFF, GEORGE KAST, ALEXANDER MURRAY, ERNO NEUFELD & AMBROSE RUSSO: violin
JOHN LOWE: sax
BUDDY CHILDERS, CLYDE REASINGER, JACK SHELDON & ANTHONY TERRAN: trumpet
MILT BERNHARDT, RICHARD LEITH, LEW McCREARY & FRANK ROSOLINO: trombone
RICHARD DEY & HENRY DILTZ: unknown
SHORTY ROGERS: arrangement
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, January 7, 13 & 18, 1968,
and February 14 & 17, 1968
Bonus Selections:
13. ALVIN (Previously unissued)
(Nicholas Thorkelson)
PETER TORK: voice
Recorded at Western Recorders, Hollywood, January 20, 1968
14. I’M GONNA TRY (Previously unissued)
(David Jones/Steve Pitts)
DAVID JONES: vocal
AL CASEY, MICHAEL DEASY & HOWARD ROBERTS: guitar
DON RANDI: harpsichord
MAX BENNETT & LYLE RITZ: bass
HAL BLAINE: drums
BRENDAN CAHILL, GARY COLEMAN & GENE ESTES: percussion
MARION CHILDERS, CLYDE REASINGER, JACK SHELDON & ANTHONY TERRAN: trumpet
MILT BERNHARDT, RICHARD LEITH, LEW McCREARY & FRANK ROSOLINO: trombone
JOHN LOWE: sax
NATHAN KAPROFF, GEORGE KAST, ALEXANDER MURRAY, ERNO NEUFELD & AMBROSE RUSSO: violin
Unknown vibes
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, February 15 & 17, 1968
15. P.O. BOX 9847 (Previously unissued alternate mix)
(Tommy Boyce/Bobby Hart)
MICKY DOLENZ: vocal
GERRY McGEE, LOUIE SHELTON: guitar
JOE OSBOURNE: bass
BILLY LEWIS: drums
Unknown Moog synthesizer
Recorded at United Recorders, Hollywood, December 26, 1967
16. THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME (Previously unissued early mix)
(Neil Sedaka/Carole Bayer)
DAVID JONES: vocal
KEITH “RED” MITCHELL: piano
RED CALLENDER: bass
MILT HOLLAND: drums
ISRAEL BAKER, ROBERT BARENE & ELLIOT FISHER: violin
FREDERICK SEYKORA: cello
VINCENT DeROSA, JOHN GROSS & RICHARD NOEL: French horn
CHARLIE SMALLS: arrangement
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, October 31, and November 7 & 21, 1968
17. LADY’S BABY (Previously unissued alternate mix)
(Peter Tork)
PETER TORK: vocal, guitar
STEPHEN STILLS & LANCE WAKELEY: guitar
BUDDY MILES: drums
DAVID GETZ: unknown
DWAYNE MIDKIFF: unknown
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, December 1, 17 & 21, 1967; January 14, 19, 24 & 25, and February 2 & 7, 1968
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NOTE: Numbers in italic (following original single release information) denote peak positions on Billboard’s “Hot 100” chart – courtesy BPI Communications and Joel Whitburn’s Record Research Publications.
Editor’s Note on “Magnolia Simms”:
Warning! Your instrument has not stripped a gear. The “surface noise” and skipping effect are “built in” to more realistically capture the sound of the 1920-30 yippies.
The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees (tracks 1-12) was originally issued as Colgems #109, April 22, 1968
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“Why are we forever weaving new ties to bind us to the earth.” – Edith Sidebottom
David
Love
Peter Tork
Blue is blue and must be that but yellow is none the worse for it:
hearing only with ears, seeing only with eyes, feeling only with fingertips
and this and that creeps away never having been known by men
to whom it would not have mattered anyway.
Stand easy children for God is good and speaks softly to all men.
Carlisle Wheeling
MIJACOGEO
Micky Dolenz
Our special thanks to the many talented musicians who performed with us and under our supervision on this album.
The Monkees
All selections published by Screen Gems-Columbia Music Inc. BMI
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The sessions that produced The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees were the most extensive ever undertaken by the original Monkees. Beginning at the end of October ‘67 and going roughly through March ‘68, these sessions yielded a large amount of material that would turn up on The Monkees’ next two album releases – Head and Instant Replay – while countless other tracks remained in the can. The reason for this burst of productivity was a new policy set forth by Screen Gems stating that each Monkee was allotted a certain amount of time in the studio every week. Additionally, the album’s deceptive back-cover credit, “Produced by The Monkees,” had much to do with this studio proliferation. Micky Dolenz explains that The Monkees’ efforts as producers were less collective than the credit made it sound: “By that time we had all decided that we were going to do our own brand of music – three tracks each on the album. We just went away and got our own songs and arrangers and produced, as it were, our own sessions.”
This new situation meant that on any given day each one of The Monkees could be holding a session in a different studio around the city. Although they were essentially in charge of the final product, The Monkees were often ably assisted in the studio by longtime supervisor Lester Sill, veteran jazzman Shorty Rogers, or future manager Brendan Cahill. “At that point their contract read that they were to be credited as producers on any product of theirs that came out,” Rogers remembers. “Brendan Cahill and I really did all the studio work and production with Lester Sill. When we finished the album, Lester said, ‘We’ll put you down as producers,’ but The Monkees didn’t want it, so that went by the wayside.”
Another point of contention during the album’s production was the cover. The sleeve for The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees was a collage-like display created by Alan Wolsky, but as Lester Sill explains, it was not to the group’s liking: “There was a terrible argument about the cover. I got a lot of heat from them. They wanted it to be their record from beginning to end. On the sleeve their faces are all over in small shots – they didn’t want it. So I called back the guy who ran the whole operation in New York, Jerry Hime, and he said, ‘That’s the cover, that’s the way it stands.’ I said, ‘OK, boss.’”
Released on April 22, 1968, The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees was the band’s final gold album of the ‘60s and their first to miss the top spot on the album chart. It is no coincidence that The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees was also the group’s first release after the show’s second season had ended. While the preceding single, a new version of “Valleri” (released March 2, 1968), received a few plugs in the final episodes of the second season, The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees did not enjoy the same television exposure as the previous three albums. Furthermore, unlike the summer of 1967’s Monkees repeats, little attempt was made to redub the older shows with new music from the new album. Although the album did not reach the artistic or commercial heights of its predecessor (Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.) it is memorable for being one of the group’s most eclectic and challenging works.
“Dream World” was composed by Davy Jones with a new collaborator, the previously unknown Steve Pitts. In an interview conducted for this reissue, Jones recalled how he met Pitts and got the inspiration behind this song: “Steve Pitts was a musician from Austin, who was a friend of Mike Nesmith’s. He and I sat down to write some tunes originally for the movie Head. But we had also written some other tunes during that particular session, including this one. The idea of ‘Dream World’ I think was a bit of a steal in the sense that I had done an album years before with Colpix, and I had a song called ‘Dream Girl.’ I wanted to try and incorporate some of the violins and all that early ‘60s stuff into ‘Dream World.’ It was actually one of the first things I’d gone in to do and produce myself. However, we were very restricted in our studio time and budget availability.”
“Auntie’s Municipal Court” was probably Nesmith’s most accessible offering on The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees. Recorded and composed with future Paul Revere & The Raiders member Keith Allison, the song grew out of a studio jam in which Nesmith fit one of his poems with Allison’s improvised riffs. Later in the same session, Micky was called in to add his vocals to the track, making this the only “new” recording on the album to feature more than one Monkee.
(Collector’s Note: A noticeably different mix of this song originally appeared on the monaural version of The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees. The album’s mono pressing was so limited that it is currently one of the rarest original Monkees records, valued at more than $100 in excellent condition.)
This recording of Carole Bayer and George Fischoff’s “We Were Made For Each Other” was actually The Monkees’ second attempt at cutting the song. An earlier version was produced at the tail end of the Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. sessions with producer Chip Douglas at the reins. That earlier attempt was particularly notable for featured players Douglas and Rodney Dillard, whose country-bluegrass releases as The Dillards were highly influential within the West Coast rock community. Sadly, the take was never completed and survives as an instrumental backing track only.
“Tapioca Tundra” was recorded at a single session on November 11, 1967, originally appearing as the B-side of “Valleri.” This song, another of Nesmith’s forays into Latin music, gives an interesting insight into his earliest songwriting inspirations, as well as his vision for the future. “I have always enjoyed writing poetry – stand alone poetry,” Nesmith says. “As a matter of fact, one of the ways I got into songwriting was to find poems and see if I could put them to music. I did that in high school and college – in English class I would set some of the poems we were studying to music. By the time that ‘Tapioca Tundra’ came along, I had been writing my own poetry for a while. The poems tended to be fairly complex, because I realized I couldn’t continue to write pop tunes of the type that Neil Diamond, Gerry Goffin, Carole King, and Boyce & Hart were writing. I thought I probably ought to go ahead and put my own imprimatur on things.”
“Daydream Believer” was The Monkees’ second biggest seller of all time, as well as their fifth gold single. However, “Daydream Believer” might never have been a single if not for a bizarre twist of fate. The song “Love Is Only Sleeping” (a track from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.) was originally slated for release on October 13, 1967, but when the overseas masters did not arrive in time to make the scheduled date, this release was postponed. Eleven days later, Screen Gems officially scrapped the planned single, deciding that the more commercial flipside, “Daydream Believer” should be placed on the A-side. The revamped record was issued on October 25, 1967, and it became The Monkees’ third and final chart-topping single a few weeks later.
In November 1967, Mike Nesmith held the much talked-about sessions that resulted in his all-instrumental release, The Wichita Train Whistle Sings (Dot Records #25861; July 1968). Essentially a vanity project, this album explored the more idiosyncratic aspects of ten Nesmith originals, many of which would not be available in vocal versions until after his departure from The Monkees in 1970. Similarly, the four Nesmith-produced tracks on The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees capture Mike during this highly experimental, if somewhat indulgent, phase of his creativity. The most obvious example of Nes’ progressive direction was “Writing Wrongs,” an especially lengthy recording, which was the result of two separate performances being edited together to create the final track.
“I’ll Be Back Up On My Feet” was originally recorded during the sessions for More Of The Monkees. However, that version was shelved when the group gained their musical independence from Don Kirschner in early 1967. Although a remake of “I’ll Be Back Up On My Feet” was attempted during the sessions for Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., no finished takes were completed. Ironically, by the time a completely new version was cut for The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees, the group had returned to utilizing session men for their musical backing. (Collector’s Note: The original Jeff Barry-produced version of this song appears on Missing Links, Vol. 2.)
“The Poster” was a wholesome Davy Jones ditty that beat a similar, albeit less sinister, lyrical path to The Beatles’ “Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite.” The song’s origins were related to the poetic sleeve note Davy chose for the album’s back cover. “On that particular one I collaborated with Steve once again – he was the guy who put down the notes that went along with me singing the tune, and my lyrics,” Jones recalls. “Once somebody writes one line, then they’re part of the tune. I was in Manchester, and I went to see this woman called Edith Sidebottom. She was an old lady of 85 or 86 years old, and we discussed some things. She showed me this one song that she had about a circus. I think the only line I took from her was ‘The circus is coming to town’ – that was the end of her song. She also said, ‘Why are we forever weaving new ties to bind us to the earth?’: it wasn’t hers – it was some person’s from yester decade – but I put that on the back of the album. When the album came out in America, I actually sent her a copy. Then all of a sudden I got a letter from her lawyer! Not to make an old lady unhappy, I think I sent her about three thousand bucks, which is probably more than she’d seen in a long, long time. I like to write stories, and ‘The Poster’ is just a story. I try to paint a picture with my lyrics. If you can’t go to the circus, read the lyrics; you’ll feel as if you’re there.”
Boyce & Hart’s involvement in the sessions for The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees was particularly heavy, considering the duo were by then recording artists in their own right. In fact, Boyce & Hart released their own version of “P.O. Box 9847” on the flipside of the mid-‘68 hit “Alice Long (You’re Still My Favorite Girlfriend)” (A&M single #948). Although the song’s arrangement was almost identical, Boyce & Hart’s single credited another writer, Monkees show producer Bob Rafelson, as co-author. Hart explains the story behind this difference: “It was Bob Rafelson’s idea to do a song about a classified ad. It wasn’t his title or anything, but he did say, ‘I have a great idea for a song worded the way a classified ad would read – in abbreviated style.’ So when Tommy and I wrote ‘P.O. Box 9847’ we gave him a third of the writing credit for his inspiration and original idea. Later, when The Monkees released it, the powers that be would not let him have a writer’s credit. I guess it was some kind of conflict of interest, because he was the producer of the television show. He never cashed his first royalty check, and they took his name off it, subsequently.”
“Magnolia Simms” was Nesmith’s fourth and final off-the-wall inclusion on The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees. Reportedly, the song was inspired by Mike’s purchase of $100 worth of shellac 78s dating back to the Roaring ‘20s. Incidentally, The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees would be the last Monkees album made available in monaural sound. Nesmith’s sly tip of the hat to this fact was this song’s low-fi production, which intentionally canceled out any stereo effect by placing all the sound on one channel only.
“Valleri” was The Monkees’ final Top 10 placing, and like many of their recordings, the song was featured on the group’s show far in advance of its official release. Notably, “Valleri” achieved near-legendary status when regional DJs who pirated the song from the television show, aired their homemade recordings, creating public demand for the song’s release. The main reason the song was not originally issued was The Monkees’ concern that all future tracks bear their collective production credit. Bobby Hart recalls the circumstances behind the song’s inspiration and eventual release: “‘Valleri’ was specifically written for them. We actually came up with that in a car on the way over to see Don Kirschner, who had asked us to write a song with a girl’s name in it. Donnie was always making these lists with his formulas, and writing a song with a girl’s name was one of them. We originally cut ‘Valleri’ just prior to the point when we were dismissed as producers. Over a year later Lester Sill came back to us and said that they wanted to recut ‘Valleri,’ but we couldn’t use the original track because we were the credited producers on it. They wanted us to go back in and make it sound as close to the original as possible and not take producer’s credit on it.”
(Historical Note: Boyce & Hart’s original version of “Valleri” would not be released for another 22 years. It finally appeared on Rhino’s January 1990 Missing Links, Vol. 2 collection.)
“Zor And Zam” was composed by longtime Monkees confidant Bill Chadwick in tandem with his late brother, John. Interestingly, the song was actually conceived prior to the Monkees project. “Originally, my brother John and I had written a treatment for a television series that was to be called The Friendship,” Chadwick recalls. “John was a former Disney animator, and the show was to incorporate live action into the animation. It was a very fantasy-oriented project – like Yellow Submarine but with live action, and about two or three years earlier. The story featured these two kings – Zor and Zam – and the pilot for the show was to include the song. Unfortunately, we never did anything with it – we got bogged down by the creative end of things.”
(Collector’s Note: An alternate mix of “Zor And Zam” was aired during The Monkees’ season finale, “The Frodis Caper,” on March 25, 1968. Unfortunately, that early version – which featured different vocals and a longer fade – could not be located for inclusion on this reissue.)
“Alvin” is a spoken-word performance by Peter that was penned by his younger brother Nick Thorkelson. This piece is similar in style to the Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. cut “Peter Percival Patterson’s Pet Pig Porky,” and it was originally intended to serve a similar function on this album, as a brief prelude to “Daydream Believer.” Nonetheless, this recording and two others were pulled from the finished album master just four weeks prior to release, for reasons unknown. While the other two songs, “Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again” and “Through The Looking Glass,” turned up a short time later on Head and Instant Replay, respectively. “Alvin” makes its very first appearance on this reissue.
(Collector’s Note: If you would like to replicate the original line-up for The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees [excluding “Long Title” and “Through The Looking Glass”], program your CD player to play this disc in the following sequence: 3, 6, 7, 11, 1, 9, 4, 8, 13, 5, 12.)
“I’m Gonna Try” also appears for the very first time on this collection. This song was recorded during the sessions for “The Poster” and the similar-sounding “Party” (featured on Rhino’s Missing Links). Davy is notably humble about this song, which was another collaborative effort with Steve Pitts: “All this stuff was just sitting around. I think you’ll know by listening to it that it was written in about four minutes, along with ‘War Games’ and a couple of other things that Steve and I did at the time. Things like ‘I’m Gonna Try,’ ‘The Poster,’ and ‘Dream World’ are the first songs I’d ever written. They’re not very sophisticated, but they’re very youthful and Monkee-oriented. I wasn’t technical about it, I just wrote what came out at the time.”
This early working version of “P.O. Box 9847” gives an interesting insight into the production techniques of Boyce & Hart. The most obvious difference between this and the final version of the song is that the string section is replaced here by a wild Moog synthesizer part. The Monkees’ groundbreaking use of the Moog is well documented, but it is not clear whether Paul Beaver or Micky is playing the instrument on this mix. It is known that Boyce & Hart were unhappy with the initial results and recorded over these parts on the original multi-track tape during a string overdub session arranged by Don McGinnis on February 10, 1967. This never-before-heard rarity survives as a rough mix only and is just one example of the multitude of variations on file in the Monkees vault.
“The Girl I Left Behind Me” was one of the earliest recordings made for possible inclusion on The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees. Originally, this track was envisioned as a medley with another unreleased song, “Girl Named Love,” which Jones had introduced on episode #56 of The Monkees’ second season. Unfortunately, Davy never finished his vocal for this track, and only the first half of the song remains intact. The co-writer of “Girl Named Love” and co-conspirator on this session, was the late Charlie Smalls, a friend of Jones’ from his pre-Monkee days on Broadway.
“I met Charlie back in New York when I was doing Oliver years and years before,” Jones fondly remembers. “He used to go to improvisation class, and I used to hang out with him – he was a good buddy. He came to see me in ‘66, and he said he had this idea for a show called The Wiz – a black Wizard Of Oz – and I said, ‘It’s an incredible idea.’ At that particular point we were getting black radio, separate charts, Ebony magazine was taking over from Life, and all that kind of stuff. So he sat down at the piano, and we taped him at my house singing all the songs from The Wiz. I said, ‘Charlie, you’ve got to do something with this.’ So, he took the tape and my 1967 convertible black Cadillac – which I think did the job – and he pulled into A&M Records to see Herb Alpert.
“When Charlie Smalls made it – it was a heartbreaker really – Quincy Jones put his name to a lot of the songs. There again, it’s the old story, as fame takes over the man, he indulged in drugs, or he did too much of something. He ran into difficulties, and he had a very short-lived career because he died unexpectedly. It was a heartbreaker for me, but I’ve got the memories, and I’ve still got a picture of Charlie Smalls and me sitting here on my desk in Pennsylvania.”
(Collector’s Note: “The Girl I Left Behind Me” was recut a short time after this version was shelved. The remake can be found on the Instant Replay album.)
“Lady’s Baby” is probably The Monkees’ most famous outtake. Stories of the ten recording sessions it took to produce this track are legend among participants in the Monkees project. The cause of this notoriety was Peter’s insistence on using real baby sounds for the song’s intro and fade, as opposed to the less costly practice of using a pre-recorded special effects disc. Tork’s plan entailed studio engineers following the song’s infant subject, Justin Hammer, around the studio floor with a microphone in order to capture these unique sounds, hence the prolonged production.
Although Peter’s unorthodox recording techniques were the source of much amusement for some members of the Monkees camp, Davy Jones is Tork’s staunchest supporter: “They laugh and joke about that – it cost as much to do as ‘Good Vibrations,’ that record. But that was a true-to-life thing. He was living with a woman at the time, and she had a little baby, and that changed his life, you know? That gave him something to think about. He was being downtrodden by the studio in regards to his recording, his playing, his songs, and everything else. But Peter Tork was the salt of the earth. It wasn’t just Hare Krishna, waterbeds, and brown rice – that guy was a very accomplished musician. It’s a nice song, it’s true, it’s got the warmth and everything of what he was living. I remember it so well – it’s a real tune. I love it!”
(Collector’s Note: A different mix of “Lady’s Baby” minus the baby effects, appears on Rhino’s Missing Links.)
– Andrew Sandoval
__________________________________________________
Produced by THE MONKEES
CHIP DOUGLAS (track 5)
Recording Engineers: PETE ABBOTT & HANK CICALO
Music Supervision: LESTER SILL
Original Cover Design: ALAN WOLSKY & FRIENDS
Produced for Reissue by ANDREW SANDOVAL & BILL INGLOT
Research: PATRICK MILLIGAN
Remastering: BILL INGLOT & KEN PERRY
Reissue Art Direction: MONSTER X
Design: RACHEL GUTEK
Special Thanks: DAVY JONES, MICKY DOLENZ, PETER TORK, MICHAEL NESMITH, KEITH ALLISON, DAVID JENKINS, GARY STROBL, PAUL WILLIAMS, CARLISLE WHEELING
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THE COMPLETE MONKEES CATALOG AVAILABLE ON RHINO:
The Monkees (R2 71790)
More Of The Monkees (R2 71791) [available late 1994]
Headquarters (R2 71792) [available early 1995]
Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. (R2 71793) [available early 1995]
The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees (R2 71794)
Head (R2 71795) [available late 1994]
Instant Replay (R2 71796) [available early 1995]
The Monkees Present (R2 71797) [available late 1994]
Changes (R2 71798)
Listen To The Band [box set] (R2/R4 70566)
Live (1967) (R2/R4 70139)
Missing Links (R2/R4 70150)
Missing Links, Vol. 2 (R2/R4 70903)
Pool It (R2/R4 70706)
AND FROM RHINO HOME VIDEO:
Heart & Soul (R3 1601)
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The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees
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1. DREAM WORLD (3:21)
(David Jones/Steve Pitts)
DAVY JONES: vocal
MICHAEL DEASY, AL HENDRICKSON & GERRY McGEE: guitar
DON RANDI: piano
MAX BENNETT: bass
EARL PALMER: drums
BRENDAN CAHILL, TERESA HELFER, MILT HOLLAND & JERRY WILLIAMS: percussion
SAM FREED, NATHAN KAPROFF, MARVIN LIMONICK, ALEXANDER MURRAY & ERNO NEUFELD: violin
MARIE FERA, EDGAR LUSTGARTEN, JACQUELINE LUSTGARTEN & FREDERICK SEYKORA: cello
BUDDY CHILDERS & JACK SHELDON: trumpet
GEORGE ROBERTS: trombone
JOHN CAVE, DAVID DUKE & ARTHUR MAEBE: horn
SHORTY ROGERS: arrangement
Recorded at Western Recorders Studio 2, Hollywood, February 6, 1968,
and RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, February 8, 1968
2. AUNTIE’S MUNICIPAL COURT (4:05)
(Michael Nesmith/Keith Allison)
MICKY DOLENZ: vocal
MICHAEL NESMITH: vocal, guitar
KEITH ALLISON & BILL CHADWICK: guitar
HARRY NILSSON: keyboards
RICHARD DEY: bass
EDDIE HOH: drums
Other personnel unknown
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, January 6, 15 & 16, 1968
3. WE WERE MADE FOR EACH OTHER (2:25)
(Carole Bayer/George Fischoff)
DAVY JONES: vocal
JAMES BURTON, MICHAEL DEASY, AL HENDRICKSON & GERRY McGEE: guitar
MICHAEL MELVOIN: piano
MAX BENNETT: bass
EARL PALMER: drums
BRENDAN CAHILL, MILT HOLLAND & JERRY WILLIAMS: percussion
SAM FREED, NATHAN KAPROFF, GEORGE KAST, MARVIN LIMONICK, ALEXANDER MURRAY & ERNO NEUFELD: violin
MARIE FERA, JACQUELINE LUSTGARTEN, KURT REHER & ELEANOR SLATKIN: cello
BUDDY CHILDERS & JACK SHELDON: trumpet
LEWIS McCREARY: trombone
VINCENT DeROSA, DAVID DUKE & RICHARD PERISSI: horn
SHORTY ROGERS: arrangement
Recorded at Western Recorders Studio 2, Hollywood, February 6, 1968,
and RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, February 7 & 9, 1968
4. TAPIOCA TUNDRA (3:07)
(Michael Nesmith)
MICHAEL NESMITH: vocal
Other personnel unknown
Recorded November 11, 1967
Also issued as Colgems single #1019, March 2, 1968; #34
5. DAYDREAM BELIEVER (3:00)
(John Stewart)
DAVY JONES: vocal
MICKY DOLENZ: backing vocal
MICHAEL NESMITH: guitar
PETER TORK: piano
CHIP DOUGLAS: bass
EDDIE HOH: drums
BILL MARTIN: percussion
NATHAN KAPROFF, GEORGE KAST, ALEX MURRAY & ERNO NEUFELD: violin
PETE CANDOLI, AL PORCINO & MANUEL STEVENS: trumpet
RICHARD NOEL: trombone
RICHARD LEITH & PHILIP TEELE: bass trombone
SHORTY ROGERS: arrangement
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, June 14 & August 9, 1967
Also issued as Colgems single #1012, October 25, 1967; #1
6. WRITING WRONGS (5:08)
(Michael Nesmith)
MICHAEL NESMITH: vocal
RICHARD DEY: bass
EDDIE HOH: drums
Other personnel unknown
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, December 3, 1967
7. I’LL BE BACK UP ON MY FEET (2:26)
(Sandy Linzer/Denny Randell)
MICKY DOLENZ: vocal
DENNIS BUDIMIR, AL CASEY & MICHAEL DEASY: guitar
MICHAEL MELVOIN: harpsichord
MAX BENNETT: bass
EARL PALMER: drums
BRENDAN CAHILL, MILT HOLLAND & STAN LEVEY: percussion
WILLIAM HOOD: sax
BUDDY CHILDERS, OLIVER MITCHELL: trumpet
LOUIS BLACKBURN & LEW McCREARY: trombone
SHORTY ROGERS: arrangement
Unknown backing vocals
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, March 9 & 14, 1968
8. THE POSTER (2:21)
(David Jones/Steve Pitts)
DAVY JONES: vocal
AL CASEY, MICHAEL DEASY & HOWARD ROBERTS: guitar
DON RANDI: piano
MAX BENNETT & LYLE RITZ: bass
HAL BLAINE: drums
BRENDAN CAHILL, GARY COLEMAN & GENE ESTES: percussion
BUDDY CHILDERS, CLYDE REASINGER, JACK SHELDON & ANTHONY TERRAN: trumpet
MILT BERNHARDT, RICHARD LEITH, LEW McCREARY & FRANK ROSOLINO: trombone
JOHN LOWE: sax
NATHAN KAPROFF, GEORGE KAST, ALEXANDER MURRAY, ERNO NEUFELD & AMBROSE RUSSO: violin
SHORTY ROGERS: arrangement
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, February 15 & 17, 1968
9. P.O. BOX 9847 (3:16)
(Tommy Boyce/Bobby Hart)
MICKY DOLENZ: vocal
GERRY McGEE, LOUIE SHELTON: guitar
JOE OSBOURNE: bass
BILLY LEWIS: drums
VICTOR ARNO & JACK PEPPER: violin
PHILIP GOLDBERG: viola
RAYMOND KELLEY: cello
DON McGINNIS: arrangement
Recorded at United Recorders, Hollywood, December 26, 1967 & February 10, 1968
10. MAGNOLIA SIMMS (3:48)
(Michael Nesmith)
MICHAEL NESMITH: vocal & guitar
PAUL T. SMITH: piano
MAX BENNETT: bass
EARL PALMER: drums
JIM HORN: sax
JACK NIMITZ: baritone sax
OLIVER MITCHELL & SHORTY ROGERS: trumpet
LEW McCREARY: trombone
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, December 2, 1967
11. VALLERI (2:15)
(Tommy Boyce/Bobby Hart)
DAVY JONES: vocal
GERRY McGEE & LOUIE SHELTON: guitar
JOE OSBOURNE: bass
BILLY LEWIS: drums
JIM HORN & JAY MIGLIORI: sax
ROY V. CATON & OLIVER MITCHELL: trumpet
LEW McCREARY: trombone
DON McGINNIS: arrangement
Recorded at United Recorders, Hollywood, December 26 & 28, 1967
Also issued as Colgems single #1019, March 2, 1968; #3
12. ZOR AND ZAM (2:10)
(Bill Chadwick/John Chadwick)
MICKY DOLENZ: vocal
KEITH ALLISON & BILL CHADWICK: guitar
MAX BENNETT & CHIP DOUGLAS: bass
HAL BLAINE, EDDIE HOH, MILT HOLLAND & STAN LEVEY: drums & percussion
NATHAN KAPROFF, GEORGE KAST, ALEXANDER MURRAY, ERNO NEUFELD & AMBROSE RUSSO: violin
JOHN LOWE: sax
BUDDY CHILDERS, CLYDE REASINGER, JACK SHELDON & ANTHONY TERRAN: trumpet
MILT BERNHARDT, RICHARD LEITH, LEW McCREARY & FRANK ROSOLINO: trombone
RICHARD DEY & HENRY DILTZ: unknown
SHORTY ROGERS: arrangement
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, January 7, 13 & 18, 1968,
and February 14 & 17, 1968
Bonus Selections:
13. ALVIN (Previously unissued)
(Nicholas Thorkelson)
PETER TORK: voice
Recorded at Western Recorders, Hollywood, January 20, 1968
14. I’M GONNA TRY (Previously unissued)
(David Jones/Steve Pitts)
DAVID JONES: vocal
AL CASEY, MICHAEL DEASY & HOWARD ROBERTS: guitar
DON RANDI: harpsichord
MAX BENNETT & LYLE RITZ: bass
HAL BLAINE: drums
BRENDAN CAHILL, GARY COLEMAN & GENE ESTES: percussion
MARION CHILDERS, CLYDE REASINGER, JACK SHELDON & ANTHONY TERRAN: trumpet
MILT BERNHARDT, RICHARD LEITH, LEW McCREARY & FRANK ROSOLINO: trombone
JOHN LOWE: sax
NATHAN KAPROFF, GEORGE KAST, ALEXANDER MURRAY, ERNO NEUFELD & AMBROSE RUSSO: violin
Unknown vibes
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, February 15 & 17, 1968
15. P.O. BOX 9847 (Previously unissued alternate mix)
(Tommy Boyce/Bobby Hart)
MICKY DOLENZ: vocal
GERRY McGEE, LOUIE SHELTON: guitar
JOE OSBOURNE: bass
BILLY LEWIS: drums
Unknown Moog synthesizer
Recorded at United Recorders, Hollywood, December 26, 1967
16. THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND ME (Previously unissued early mix)
(Neil Sedaka/Carole Bayer)
DAVID JONES: vocal
KEITH “RED” MITCHELL: piano
RED CALLENDER: bass
MILT HOLLAND: drums
ISRAEL BAKER, ROBERT BARENE & ELLIOT FISHER: violin
FREDERICK SEYKORA: cello
VINCENT DeROSA, JOHN GROSS & RICHARD NOEL: French horn
CHARLIE SMALLS: arrangement
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, October 31, and November 7 & 21, 1968
17. LADY’S BABY (Previously unissued alternate mix)
(Peter Tork)
PETER TORK: vocal, guitar
STEPHEN STILLS & LANCE WAKELEY: guitar
BUDDY MILES: drums
DAVID GETZ: unknown
DWAYNE MIDKIFF: unknown
Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, December 1, 17 & 21, 1967; January 14, 19, 24 & 25, and February 2 & 7, 1968
__________________________________________________
NOTE: Numbers in italic (following original single release information) denote peak positions on Billboard’s “Hot 100” chart – courtesy BPI Communications and Joel Whitburn’s Record Research Publications.
Editor’s Note on “Magnolia Simms”:
Warning! Your instrument has not stripped a gear. The “surface noise” and skipping effect are “built in” to more realistically capture the sound of the 1920-30 yippies.
The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees (tracks 1-12) was originally issued as Colgems #109, April 22, 1968
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Original 1968 Liner Notes
“Why are we forever weaving new ties to bind us to the earth.” – Edith Sidebottom
David
Love
Peter Tork
Blue is blue and must be that but yellow is none the worse for it:
hearing only with ears, seeing only with eyes, feeling only with fingertips
and this and that creeps away never having been known by men
to whom it would not have mattered anyway.
Stand easy children for God is good and speaks softly to all men.
Carlisle Wheeling
MIJACOGEO
Micky Dolenz
Our special thanks to the many talented musicians who performed with us and under our supervision on this album.
The Monkees
All selections published by Screen Gems-Columbia Music Inc. BMI
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The sessions that produced The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees were the most extensive ever undertaken by the original Monkees. Beginning at the end of October ‘67 and going roughly through March ‘68, these sessions yielded a large amount of material that would turn up on The Monkees’ next two album releases – Head and Instant Replay – while countless other tracks remained in the can. The reason for this burst of productivity was a new policy set forth by Screen Gems stating that each Monkee was allotted a certain amount of time in the studio every week. Additionally, the album’s deceptive back-cover credit, “Produced by The Monkees,” had much to do with this studio proliferation. Micky Dolenz explains that The Monkees’ efforts as producers were less collective than the credit made it sound: “By that time we had all decided that we were going to do our own brand of music – three tracks each on the album. We just went away and got our own songs and arrangers and produced, as it were, our own sessions.”
This new situation meant that on any given day each one of The Monkees could be holding a session in a different studio around the city. Although they were essentially in charge of the final product, The Monkees were often ably assisted in the studio by longtime supervisor Lester Sill, veteran jazzman Shorty Rogers, or future manager Brendan Cahill. “At that point their contract read that they were to be credited as producers on any product of theirs that came out,” Rogers remembers. “Brendan Cahill and I really did all the studio work and production with Lester Sill. When we finished the album, Lester said, ‘We’ll put you down as producers,’ but The Monkees didn’t want it, so that went by the wayside.”
Another point of contention during the album’s production was the cover. The sleeve for The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees was a collage-like display created by Alan Wolsky, but as Lester Sill explains, it was not to the group’s liking: “There was a terrible argument about the cover. I got a lot of heat from them. They wanted it to be their record from beginning to end. On the sleeve their faces are all over in small shots – they didn’t want it. So I called back the guy who ran the whole operation in New York, Jerry Hime, and he said, ‘That’s the cover, that’s the way it stands.’ I said, ‘OK, boss.’”
Released on April 22, 1968, The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees was the band’s final gold album of the ‘60s and their first to miss the top spot on the album chart. It is no coincidence that The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees was also the group’s first release after the show’s second season had ended. While the preceding single, a new version of “Valleri” (released March 2, 1968), received a few plugs in the final episodes of the second season, The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees did not enjoy the same television exposure as the previous three albums. Furthermore, unlike the summer of 1967’s Monkees repeats, little attempt was made to redub the older shows with new music from the new album. Although the album did not reach the artistic or commercial heights of its predecessor (Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.) it is memorable for being one of the group’s most eclectic and challenging works.
“Dream World” was composed by Davy Jones with a new collaborator, the previously unknown Steve Pitts. In an interview conducted for this reissue, Jones recalled how he met Pitts and got the inspiration behind this song: “Steve Pitts was a musician from Austin, who was a friend of Mike Nesmith’s. He and I sat down to write some tunes originally for the movie Head. But we had also written some other tunes during that particular session, including this one. The idea of ‘Dream World’ I think was a bit of a steal in the sense that I had done an album years before with Colpix, and I had a song called ‘Dream Girl.’ I wanted to try and incorporate some of the violins and all that early ‘60s stuff into ‘Dream World.’ It was actually one of the first things I’d gone in to do and produce myself. However, we were very restricted in our studio time and budget availability.”
“Auntie’s Municipal Court” was probably Nesmith’s most accessible offering on The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees. Recorded and composed with future Paul Revere & The Raiders member Keith Allison, the song grew out of a studio jam in which Nesmith fit one of his poems with Allison’s improvised riffs. Later in the same session, Micky was called in to add his vocals to the track, making this the only “new” recording on the album to feature more than one Monkee.
(Collector’s Note: A noticeably different mix of this song originally appeared on the monaural version of The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees. The album’s mono pressing was so limited that it is currently one of the rarest original Monkees records, valued at more than $100 in excellent condition.)
This recording of Carole Bayer and George Fischoff’s “We Were Made For Each Other” was actually The Monkees’ second attempt at cutting the song. An earlier version was produced at the tail end of the Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. sessions with producer Chip Douglas at the reins. That earlier attempt was particularly notable for featured players Douglas and Rodney Dillard, whose country-bluegrass releases as The Dillards were highly influential within the West Coast rock community. Sadly, the take was never completed and survives as an instrumental backing track only.
“Tapioca Tundra” was recorded at a single session on November 11, 1967, originally appearing as the B-side of “Valleri.” This song, another of Nesmith’s forays into Latin music, gives an interesting insight into his earliest songwriting inspirations, as well as his vision for the future. “I have always enjoyed writing poetry – stand alone poetry,” Nesmith says. “As a matter of fact, one of the ways I got into songwriting was to find poems and see if I could put them to music. I did that in high school and college – in English class I would set some of the poems we were studying to music. By the time that ‘Tapioca Tundra’ came along, I had been writing my own poetry for a while. The poems tended to be fairly complex, because I realized I couldn’t continue to write pop tunes of the type that Neil Diamond, Gerry Goffin, Carole King, and Boyce & Hart were writing. I thought I probably ought to go ahead and put my own imprimatur on things.”
“Daydream Believer” was The Monkees’ second biggest seller of all time, as well as their fifth gold single. However, “Daydream Believer” might never have been a single if not for a bizarre twist of fate. The song “Love Is Only Sleeping” (a track from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.) was originally slated for release on October 13, 1967, but when the overseas masters did not arrive in time to make the scheduled date, this release was postponed. Eleven days later, Screen Gems officially scrapped the planned single, deciding that the more commercial flipside, “Daydream Believer” should be placed on the A-side. The revamped record was issued on October 25, 1967, and it became The Monkees’ third and final chart-topping single a few weeks later.
In November 1967, Mike Nesmith held the much talked-about sessions that resulted in his all-instrumental release, The Wichita Train Whistle Sings (Dot Records #25861; July 1968). Essentially a vanity project, this album explored the more idiosyncratic aspects of ten Nesmith originals, many of which would not be available in vocal versions until after his departure from The Monkees in 1970. Similarly, the four Nesmith-produced tracks on The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees capture Mike during this highly experimental, if somewhat indulgent, phase of his creativity. The most obvious example of Nes’ progressive direction was “Writing Wrongs,” an especially lengthy recording, which was the result of two separate performances being edited together to create the final track.
“I’ll Be Back Up On My Feet” was originally recorded during the sessions for More Of The Monkees. However, that version was shelved when the group gained their musical independence from Don Kirschner in early 1967. Although a remake of “I’ll Be Back Up On My Feet” was attempted during the sessions for Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., no finished takes were completed. Ironically, by the time a completely new version was cut for The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees, the group had returned to utilizing session men for their musical backing. (Collector’s Note: The original Jeff Barry-produced version of this song appears on Missing Links, Vol. 2.)
“The Poster” was a wholesome Davy Jones ditty that beat a similar, albeit less sinister, lyrical path to The Beatles’ “Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite.” The song’s origins were related to the poetic sleeve note Davy chose for the album’s back cover. “On that particular one I collaborated with Steve once again – he was the guy who put down the notes that went along with me singing the tune, and my lyrics,” Jones recalls. “Once somebody writes one line, then they’re part of the tune. I was in Manchester, and I went to see this woman called Edith Sidebottom. She was an old lady of 85 or 86 years old, and we discussed some things. She showed me this one song that she had about a circus. I think the only line I took from her was ‘The circus is coming to town’ – that was the end of her song. She also said, ‘Why are we forever weaving new ties to bind us to the earth?’: it wasn’t hers – it was some person’s from yester decade – but I put that on the back of the album. When the album came out in America, I actually sent her a copy. Then all of a sudden I got a letter from her lawyer! Not to make an old lady unhappy, I think I sent her about three thousand bucks, which is probably more than she’d seen in a long, long time. I like to write stories, and ‘The Poster’ is just a story. I try to paint a picture with my lyrics. If you can’t go to the circus, read the lyrics; you’ll feel as if you’re there.”
Boyce & Hart’s involvement in the sessions for The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees was particularly heavy, considering the duo were by then recording artists in their own right. In fact, Boyce & Hart released their own version of “P.O. Box 9847” on the flipside of the mid-‘68 hit “Alice Long (You’re Still My Favorite Girlfriend)” (A&M single #948). Although the song’s arrangement was almost identical, Boyce & Hart’s single credited another writer, Monkees show producer Bob Rafelson, as co-author. Hart explains the story behind this difference: “It was Bob Rafelson’s idea to do a song about a classified ad. It wasn’t his title or anything, but he did say, ‘I have a great idea for a song worded the way a classified ad would read – in abbreviated style.’ So when Tommy and I wrote ‘P.O. Box 9847’ we gave him a third of the writing credit for his inspiration and original idea. Later, when The Monkees released it, the powers that be would not let him have a writer’s credit. I guess it was some kind of conflict of interest, because he was the producer of the television show. He never cashed his first royalty check, and they took his name off it, subsequently.”
“Magnolia Simms” was Nesmith’s fourth and final off-the-wall inclusion on The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees. Reportedly, the song was inspired by Mike’s purchase of $100 worth of shellac 78s dating back to the Roaring ‘20s. Incidentally, The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees would be the last Monkees album made available in monaural sound. Nesmith’s sly tip of the hat to this fact was this song’s low-fi production, which intentionally canceled out any stereo effect by placing all the sound on one channel only.
“Valleri” was The Monkees’ final Top 10 placing, and like many of their recordings, the song was featured on the group’s show far in advance of its official release. Notably, “Valleri” achieved near-legendary status when regional DJs who pirated the song from the television show, aired their homemade recordings, creating public demand for the song’s release. The main reason the song was not originally issued was The Monkees’ concern that all future tracks bear their collective production credit. Bobby Hart recalls the circumstances behind the song’s inspiration and eventual release: “‘Valleri’ was specifically written for them. We actually came up with that in a car on the way over to see Don Kirschner, who had asked us to write a song with a girl’s name in it. Donnie was always making these lists with his formulas, and writing a song with a girl’s name was one of them. We originally cut ‘Valleri’ just prior to the point when we were dismissed as producers. Over a year later Lester Sill came back to us and said that they wanted to recut ‘Valleri,’ but we couldn’t use the original track because we were the credited producers on it. They wanted us to go back in and make it sound as close to the original as possible and not take producer’s credit on it.”
(Historical Note: Boyce & Hart’s original version of “Valleri” would not be released for another 22 years. It finally appeared on Rhino’s January 1990 Missing Links, Vol. 2 collection.)
“Zor And Zam” was composed by longtime Monkees confidant Bill Chadwick in tandem with his late brother, John. Interestingly, the song was actually conceived prior to the Monkees project. “Originally, my brother John and I had written a treatment for a television series that was to be called The Friendship,” Chadwick recalls. “John was a former Disney animator, and the show was to incorporate live action into the animation. It was a very fantasy-oriented project – like Yellow Submarine but with live action, and about two or three years earlier. The story featured these two kings – Zor and Zam – and the pilot for the show was to include the song. Unfortunately, we never did anything with it – we got bogged down by the creative end of things.”
(Collector’s Note: An alternate mix of “Zor And Zam” was aired during The Monkees’ season finale, “The Frodis Caper,” on March 25, 1968. Unfortunately, that early version – which featured different vocals and a longer fade – could not be located for inclusion on this reissue.)
“Alvin” is a spoken-word performance by Peter that was penned by his younger brother Nick Thorkelson. This piece is similar in style to the Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. cut “Peter Percival Patterson’s Pet Pig Porky,” and it was originally intended to serve a similar function on this album, as a brief prelude to “Daydream Believer.” Nonetheless, this recording and two others were pulled from the finished album master just four weeks prior to release, for reasons unknown. While the other two songs, “Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again” and “Through The Looking Glass,” turned up a short time later on Head and Instant Replay, respectively. “Alvin” makes its very first appearance on this reissue.
(Collector’s Note: If you would like to replicate the original line-up for The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees [excluding “Long Title” and “Through The Looking Glass”], program your CD player to play this disc in the following sequence: 3, 6, 7, 11, 1, 9, 4, 8, 13, 5, 12.)
“I’m Gonna Try” also appears for the very first time on this collection. This song was recorded during the sessions for “The Poster” and the similar-sounding “Party” (featured on Rhino’s Missing Links). Davy is notably humble about this song, which was another collaborative effort with Steve Pitts: “All this stuff was just sitting around. I think you’ll know by listening to it that it was written in about four minutes, along with ‘War Games’ and a couple of other things that Steve and I did at the time. Things like ‘I’m Gonna Try,’ ‘The Poster,’ and ‘Dream World’ are the first songs I’d ever written. They’re not very sophisticated, but they’re very youthful and Monkee-oriented. I wasn’t technical about it, I just wrote what came out at the time.”
This early working version of “P.O. Box 9847” gives an interesting insight into the production techniques of Boyce & Hart. The most obvious difference between this and the final version of the song is that the string section is replaced here by a wild Moog synthesizer part. The Monkees’ groundbreaking use of the Moog is well documented, but it is not clear whether Paul Beaver or Micky is playing the instrument on this mix. It is known that Boyce & Hart were unhappy with the initial results and recorded over these parts on the original multi-track tape during a string overdub session arranged by Don McGinnis on February 10, 1967. This never-before-heard rarity survives as a rough mix only and is just one example of the multitude of variations on file in the Monkees vault.
“The Girl I Left Behind Me” was one of the earliest recordings made for possible inclusion on The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees. Originally, this track was envisioned as a medley with another unreleased song, “Girl Named Love,” which Jones had introduced on episode #56 of The Monkees’ second season. Unfortunately, Davy never finished his vocal for this track, and only the first half of the song remains intact. The co-writer of “Girl Named Love” and co-conspirator on this session, was the late Charlie Smalls, a friend of Jones’ from his pre-Monkee days on Broadway.
“I met Charlie back in New York when I was doing Oliver years and years before,” Jones fondly remembers. “He used to go to improvisation class, and I used to hang out with him – he was a good buddy. He came to see me in ‘66, and he said he had this idea for a show called The Wiz – a black Wizard Of Oz – and I said, ‘It’s an incredible idea.’ At that particular point we were getting black radio, separate charts, Ebony magazine was taking over from Life, and all that kind of stuff. So he sat down at the piano, and we taped him at my house singing all the songs from The Wiz. I said, ‘Charlie, you’ve got to do something with this.’ So, he took the tape and my 1967 convertible black Cadillac – which I think did the job – and he pulled into A&M Records to see Herb Alpert.
“When Charlie Smalls made it – it was a heartbreaker really – Quincy Jones put his name to a lot of the songs. There again, it’s the old story, as fame takes over the man, he indulged in drugs, or he did too much of something. He ran into difficulties, and he had a very short-lived career because he died unexpectedly. It was a heartbreaker for me, but I’ve got the memories, and I’ve still got a picture of Charlie Smalls and me sitting here on my desk in Pennsylvania.”
(Collector’s Note: “The Girl I Left Behind Me” was recut a short time after this version was shelved. The remake can be found on the Instant Replay album.)
“Lady’s Baby” is probably The Monkees’ most famous outtake. Stories of the ten recording sessions it took to produce this track are legend among participants in the Monkees project. The cause of this notoriety was Peter’s insistence on using real baby sounds for the song’s intro and fade, as opposed to the less costly practice of using a pre-recorded special effects disc. Tork’s plan entailed studio engineers following the song’s infant subject, Justin Hammer, around the studio floor with a microphone in order to capture these unique sounds, hence the prolonged production.
Although Peter’s unorthodox recording techniques were the source of much amusement for some members of the Monkees camp, Davy Jones is Tork’s staunchest supporter: “They laugh and joke about that – it cost as much to do as ‘Good Vibrations,’ that record. But that was a true-to-life thing. He was living with a woman at the time, and she had a little baby, and that changed his life, you know? That gave him something to think about. He was being downtrodden by the studio in regards to his recording, his playing, his songs, and everything else. But Peter Tork was the salt of the earth. It wasn’t just Hare Krishna, waterbeds, and brown rice – that guy was a very accomplished musician. It’s a nice song, it’s true, it’s got the warmth and everything of what he was living. I remember it so well – it’s a real tune. I love it!”
(Collector’s Note: A different mix of “Lady’s Baby” minus the baby effects, appears on Rhino’s Missing Links.)
– Andrew Sandoval
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Produced by THE MONKEES
CHIP DOUGLAS (track 5)
Recording Engineers: PETE ABBOTT & HANK CICALO
Music Supervision: LESTER SILL
Original Cover Design: ALAN WOLSKY & FRIENDS
Produced for Reissue by ANDREW SANDOVAL & BILL INGLOT
Research: PATRICK MILLIGAN
Remastering: BILL INGLOT & KEN PERRY
Reissue Art Direction: MONSTER X
Design: RACHEL GUTEK
Special Thanks: DAVY JONES, MICKY DOLENZ, PETER TORK, MICHAEL NESMITH, KEITH ALLISON, DAVID JENKINS, GARY STROBL, PAUL WILLIAMS, CARLISLE WHEELING
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THE COMPLETE MONKEES CATALOG AVAILABLE ON RHINO:
The Monkees (R2 71790)
More Of The Monkees (R2 71791) [available late 1994]
Headquarters (R2 71792) [available early 1995]
Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. (R2 71793) [available early 1995]
The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees (R2 71794)
Head (R2 71795) [available late 1994]
Instant Replay (R2 71796) [available early 1995]
The Monkees Present (R2 71797) [available late 1994]
Changes (R2 71798)
Listen To The Band [box set] (R2/R4 70566)
Live (1967) (R2/R4 70139)
Missing Links (R2/R4 70150)
Missing Links, Vol. 2 (R2/R4 70903)
Pool It (R2/R4 70706)
AND FROM RHINO HOME VIDEO:
Heart & Soul (R3 1601)
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This Reissue/Compilation (P) & © 1994 Rhino Records Inc., 10635 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025-4900.
