The Monkees: The Singles

Perhaps you all remember a few months ago within these cyber pages I wrote a whole big article about the 45, and what a lovely thing it was (the 45, not the article)? Well, one of my intentions was to then kick off a series of followups wherein I would examine a particular group and take a look at their run of 45's, one by one. I'm a few months late on that, but here's the first of what will be a recurring series, and we kick it off with...The Monkees. (The Beatles was too obvious a choice, and I already did the Rolling Stones singles examination for Goldmine back in 1997, so The Monkees were my next choice)

This piece concentrates on their releases from their original time together, 1966-1970. The four singles from the late 1980's are not included. For each coupling, I provide critique, charting information, and some degree of what was going on in their career at the time, but I keep such things basic. Instead, the emphasis is on the single itself.

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"Last Train To Clarksville" / "Take A Giant Step"
August 1966

The Colgems crew made a perfect choice in selecting which track to ship out to garner advance hype for the forthcoming series. Issued a few weeks before the NBC debut, Clarksville," a Boyce-Hart rocker which packs a catchy riff, memorable melody and heartfelt Dolenz vocals more snugly than a Monkees lunchbox, had the strength to succeed on its own merit without the NBC promotional push. Anyone doubting that need only know that the record saw some slight upward movement on the charts before the airing of the first episode (which didn't even feature "Clarksville.") By November, the single had climbed all the way to the top spot.

Some see the Goffin-King flip as a proto-psych tune, because of a recurring Indian melody and the lyrical implications of expanding the mind. To my ears, it's just a mediocre pop tune slightly marred by some unenthusiastic vocals (Micky again).

Both songs appeared on the debut album, The Monkees.

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"I'm A Believer" / "(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone"
November 1966

Some cite the A-side as one of Bubblegum's finest moments of the 1960's (others reserve that title for "Sugar Sugar" by the Archies). Some cite the B-side as one of garage rock's finest moments of the 1960's (nobody reserves that title for "Sugar Sugar" by the Archies). Whether or not these are valid accolades, one thing should be agreed upon by all: this single constitutes one of the finest double-punches of the decade.

From the pen of Neil Diamond comes the nothing-but-fun A-side, moved along by producer Jeff Barry's trademark claps-and-tambourine-on-the-two-and-four production ("Sugar Sugar," "Give Him A Great Big Kiss" by the Shangri-La's, and "Cherry Cherry" and many others he produced for Neil in 1966) and an organ riff that sticks stronger than ABC bubblegum. Yet again, Micky gets the main microphone, but little Davy can be heard singing with the backing vocalists on the chorus and fade. "I'm A Believer" not only hit Number One (in just about every country), but became their biggest selling and best remembered single of their entire career.

"(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone" is equally impressive. Authors Boyce and Hart kept this one a simple angst-driven rocker, and in the process assured The Monkees some garage credibility for the rest of their career (even though in truth, the Monkees' "garage" was the multi-level parking lot at NBC). Many prefer Paul Revere and the Raiders' take released four months earlier on their Midnight Ride, but an A/B comparison shows that The Monkees' rendition slams a bit harder to the point that the Raiders' version that, though recorded earlier, sounds like just another one of their second-rate covers from their Action days. Radio airplay helped take this B-side to #20 on the charts.

Both the A and B were stored for safekeeping on More Of The Monkees, released in January 1967.

ODDITY ALERT FOR THOSE WHO CARE ABOUT SUCH THINGS: Several Monkees songs sounded different on the mono single compared to the stereo album versions, and this is one such case:

On the single version of "Stepping Stone," just after the first keyboard solo, we hear an instrumental vamp of the main groove, leading into "When I first met you girl..." The mono album version has it like this as well. However, on the stereo album version, this vamp has the title line sung over it.

Additionally, the fadeout on the mono album version is noticeably longer than that of both the single version and the stereo album version.

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"A Little Bit Me A Little Bit You" / "The Girl I Knew Somewhere"
March 1967

It would take too long and too much Fufkin space to retell the oft-told long and bizarre story about how this 45 came to be (and almost didn't come to be) so I'll not attempt doing so, and instead focus on the songs themselves.

"A Little Bit Me" may very well be their weakest topside of the decade ("Oh My My" is weaker, but its early 1970 release just barely disqualifies it from the "of the decade" stipulation). Davy's soft vocal stiffles any excitement the backing, which borrows a bit from "I'm A Believer" (including author and producer), attempts to put forth.

The flipside, however, was nothing short of fabulous. A product of the earliest sessions in which The Monkees sought to play their own instruments, Mike Nesmith's own "The Girl I Knew Somewhere" was a better pop song than many of the ones that Don Kirshner, the man who was supposed to have a golden ear, was choosing. High energy, a logical structure, and a fabulous melody kept it interesting from start to finish. Peter Tork's harpsichord pleased the ear as well. Though relegated to the B-side, it earned a decent placing of #39 on the charts.

Neither side found its way onto a regular album, but both have appeared on many compilations.

ANOTHER ODDITY ALERT: Until 1991, all compilations that featured "A Little Bit Me A Little Bit You" featured a stereo mix of the song that omits the hand claps that helped give the single a little more punch. Rhino included the single version on the 1991 box set and all their compilations since.

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"Pleasant Valley Sunday" / "Words"
July 1967

The pop charts of 1967 had various types of songs. Among other things, there were bubblegum records, garage-rock records, psychedelic records, social commentary records and power-pop prototype records. Therefore, "Pleasant Valley Sunday" couldn't lose because it had ALL of those elements. The fast-paced Goffin-King number, driven by a killer guitar riff, was one of the best singles the Monkees ever released. It was also one of the few that truly felt like a group effort, as all four Monkees could be heard prominently, with Micky singing lead, Mike's and Davy's distinctive voices providing backing vocals, and Mike and Peter on guitar and piano respectively. The song builds and builds and then dissolves in psychedelic ripples.

"Words," which became their highest charting flipside when it peaked at #11, wasn't as intense but almost as impressive. The eerie minor-key verses, with Micky and Peter trading whispered lead vocals, gave off a slight psych feel before building up to the stronger choruses. The Leaves had tried this on an album the year previously, but The Monkees' version outshines them.

Both songs were collected that November for the Monkees' fourth album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd., their follow-up to the single-less Headquarters.

YET ANOTHER ODDITY ALERT: "Pleasant Valley Sunday," as heard on the single and mono Pisces album, is quite different from the more common stereo mix featured on the stereo copies of Pisces and just about all compilations through the 1980's. The first verse comes from a different vocal take, the single/mono mix omits some of the backing vocals (and puts heavy reverb on some of Micky's high notes that are dry in stereo) and the "psycho-jello" ending (as Peter has called it) comes in quicker in mono than on the stereo version, which dissolves more gradually.

Although Rhino Records has made a point of stating "Single version" for "Words" on its last few compilations that include the song, this longtime fan still cannot pick out any differences.

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"Daydream Believer" / "Goin' Down."
October 1967

Another classic, "Daydream Believer" may not be as "cool" as "Pleasant Valley Sunday," but few would deny it was a highly commercial song that was guaranteed a strong chart placing, in this case Number One. A bouncy ballad, it traded guitar riffs and psychedelia for strings, flutes and wistfulness. Like the previous single, this features all four Monkees: Davy sang the charming lead, Micky came in midway to add a harmony, Mike played some subtle guitar, and Peter played the piano foundation, providing his most prominent contribution ever to a 1960's Monkees single (even more so than his vocals on "Words").

Those who found "Daydream Believer" a tad too slow certainly wouldn't have voiced such a complaint about "Goin' Down." This incredibly fast improvisation based on the chord changes of the blues classic "Parchment's Farm" with a James Brown style vocal from Micky was four minutes of soul, fire, energy, pep and steam (quite a combination for a song about suicide.)

"Daydream Believer" eventually found a foster home in the April 1968 album The Birds The Bees and The Monkees, but "Goin' Down" never appeared on a regular album, though this fan-favorite resurfaced (no pun intended) on several compilations.

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"Valleri" / "Tapioca Tundra"
March 1968

Davy got another A-side, while Micky, for the first time, was nowhere to be found on either side of the single. "Valleri" had first been recorded by the Monkees in 1966 in a version used on the television series but never released on record (until the 1990's), presumably because the master tape was owned by Don Kirshner, fired before a release could be considered. This brass-enhanced remake wasn't as good as the fuzz-filled original (though session guitarist Louie Shelton, who played on both, thankfully transferred the same kind of speedy slick picking of the original over to the remake) but still worthy of chart success. It peaked at Number Three and represented the Monkees' last ever trip into the Top Ten.

Mike's "Tapioca Tundra" was an enjoyable uptempo psychedelic pop ditty with trippy lyrics but a clear sense of melody and direction. After its placing of #34, all future Monkee flips were denied entry into the Top 40.

Both sides appeared on The Birds The Bees and The Monkees.

MINOR ODDITY NOTE: "Tapioca Tundra" on the 45 and so-rare-you'd-damn-well-better-snag-it-if-you-see-it mono pressing of The Birds The Bees and The Monkees has some very slight differences in the mix...things like the whistling in the intro continues a tad longer, less reverb in places, etc.

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"D.W. Washburn" / "It's Nice To Be With You"
June 1968

This was their first single after the show had been axed. It was also their first to miss the Top Ten (and their last to enter the Top Forty until the 1986 reunion). Coincidence? Perhaps, but when one throws in the fact that the song itself wasn't all that impressive, one has to wonder which facet was more of a sales deterrent. Instead of issuing a fine pop rock single, the band gambled on a New Orleans style/good-timey song about a local bum. Still, in several countries, it charted almost as well as previous singles, including Australia. (where the Monkees were heading for a concert tour), but America did not permit it to go higher than #19.

On the flip was a charming but rather by-the-numbers Davy-sung ballad. If someone was looking for another "Daydream Believer" or "I Wanna Be Free," this wasn't it, but it was indeed pleasant, and did garner a modest position of #51.

Neither side of the single ever appeared on a regular album. "D.W. Washburn" turned up on a few compilations. "It's Nice To Be With You" shows up from time to time on compilations as well, but to a lesser extant.

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"Porpoise Song" / "As We Go Along"
October 1968

From the Monkees' critically slammed movie *Head* comes a pairing of two wonderful songs. "Porpoise Song," also known as the "Theme From Head" is certainly an excellent recording. Written by Goffin-King, the slow, dark, moody piece of piano, strings, Hammond organ and Moog synthesizer and sung by Micky (with Davy as a co-pilot) proved (as did other songs on the soundtrack album) that The Monkees, though generally regarded as a bubblegum group, could produce a genuine psychedelic record without sounding like a cash-in (like "Incense and Peppermints" or "Just Dropped In"). But while it was an impressive recording, it was not a wise choice for a pop single, particularly for a group that needed a big hit if they had any hopes of keeping sales alive. Unsurprisingly, "The Porpoise Song" only got as high as #62.

The flipside, "As We Go Along," was a gorgeous acoustic song with a soft and charming lead vocal from Micky.

Both songs appeared on the Head soundtrack album of late 1968.

ODDITY TIME: Countless times in rock history, songs have gotten cut shorter for the single version compared to the album. Well, here's a rare exception. The single version of "Porpoise Song" is actually about a minute longer than the Head LP version. The single has an instrumental coda completely missing from the album version. (one theory as to how that happened is that the legendary Jack Nicholson, who co-wrote Head and had a large role in its production and even assembled the soundtrack album by editing the songs and bits from the movie together, was thrown off by the pause in the music that precedes the coda and thought that was the end of the song. Frankly, that theory sounds rather homegrown). Additionally, a crossfade on the album obscures the very beginning of the song. The single has a full, clean introduction.

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"Tear Drop City" / "A Man Without A Dream"
February 1969

With two relative flops in a row, The Monkees needed to reconnect with the record buying public. It was agreed that in order to recapture previous success, they needed to issue a single that wasn't a departure from their sound as the last two singles were but something akin to their big hits. Perhaps they took that last part a little too literally, as "Tear Drop City" was a carbon-copy of "Last Train To Clarksville" (and was even recorded in 1966 by the same studio musicians). Though enjoyable, it was passed on by most, though it did chart a tad higher than "Porpoise Song," not that #56 was the recovery the group was hoping for.

Davy did an excellent job on the Mann-Weil flipside, "A Man Without A Dream," produced by successful producer Bones Howe and featuring members of The Wrecking Crew, Hal Blaine's drums and Joe Osborne's bass being unmistakable. Despite excellent production of a fine song, this was their first flip since 1966 not to either chart or bubble under.

Both sides came from the February 1969 album Instant Replay, their first LP released after Peter's late 1968 departure.

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"Someday Man" / "Listen To The Band"
April 1969

Perhaps it was Bones Howe's success with producing hits for The Fifth Dimension and The Association and others that faith was put into him for a hit A-side. Certainly, he gave "Someday Man," co-written by onetime Monkee-hopeful Paul Williams, its best possible production. Slightly like "Daydream Believer" but with plenty of its own charm, "Someday Man" placed one of Davy's finest vocals over a bouncy backing of horns and snappy bass. Almost fittingly, the song has a "finale" kind of feel, as if everyone involved knew the sun was setting on the Monkees. The song charted low, peaking at #81, but partially because many radio stations (of the relative few that were still giving the group a chance) decided there was something more impressive on the other side of the plastic. And when Colgems Records realized that a fair deal of the country was taking more interest in "Listen To The Band," they revamped their promotion for the single and marketed it as the topside. "Listen To The Band" was one of the finest examples of Mike's fascination with fusing rock and country music, an idea he had been experimenting with as early as the first Monkees album. The song has long since become their most popular of their latter day releases, and one of the few to be considered a Monkees "classic."

On the charts in 1969, however, it ran out of steam at #63.

"Listen To The Band" turned up on their next album, October 1969's The Monkees Present, while "Someday Man" did not. It has only surfaced on a scant few compilations, but Rhino did include it as a bonus cut on the Instant Replay CD.

LAST ODDITY NOTE: The quiet interlude heard on "Listen To The Band" just before the finale is cropped quite a bit shorter on the single compared to the album version. Rhino included the single version (actually a stereo remix approximating the single) on the 1991 box set and all their compilations with the song since then.

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"Good Clean Fun" / "Mommy And Daddy"
September 1969

Mike gets another A-side. Instead of being another country-rock milkshake, this one was pure down home no-rock-in-sight country with fiddles and banjo. The record lived up to its title. Unfortunately, that very title proved problematic for the single's chances of success, since it never appeared in the lyrics, making any potential buyer clueless as to what to ask for at the record store. This, combined with America's general disinterest in the Monkees growing day by day, resulted in an undeservedly dismal charting of #82.

In a song of his own composition (this was the only Monkees single with original material on both sides), Micky advises children to find out what their parents have to say about the plight of American Indians, pill-popping, and the killings in Vietnam. These, of course, were heavy-handed topics for a so-called bubblegum group, and in 1967 such a tune would have ended up in Colgems' dead letter office for being too hot for release. In late 1969, with a rapidly dwindling audience, Colgems allowing the release of this was either a last ditch effort to acquire some attention to their releases, or a decision along the lines of "Ah, what harm could it do? No one's listening anyway."

Both sides appeared on The Monkees Present.

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"Oh My My" / "I Love You Better."
April 1970

Mike bailed out in March of 1970. That left Micky and Davy with the name, though both knew it was only a matter of time before the plug was officially pulled. The May 1970 album Changes was the sound of a party with few attendees. Most of the songs were lifeless and forgettable, and sung like, well, like two guys who just want to finish up and move on with their lives. It did have some moments, but only an occasional spark here and there.

"Oh My My" was repetitious, using the same lyrics over and over, rarely straying from one chord. "I Love You Better" sounded like a rewrite of "Oh My My." But though these tracks were dull, it's hard to think of what other songs on *Changes* would have been better choices for a single. There must have been some copies of "Oh My My" sold in 1970 for it to spend two weeks at #98, but its falloff was the last amber of the fire fizzing out.

In the spring of 1970, the Monkees made a career move similar to that of their role models the very same season.

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