Hey all,
Sorry for the lack of posts. I’ve been busy compiling a document of ginormous volume, and that has been taking up all of my time this past month or so.
While doing said document, I found (well, noted) many, many things The Monkees recorded in the 60s that we still haven’t heard yet. I figure it would be nice to post some here!
That’s What Your Leaving Did To Me [1966 Demo]
No, you aren’t hallucinating. That is an exclusive song, from the very first year of Monkee recordings! And get this. It’s also a Boyce/Hart song! It was recorded on July 20th, 1966. I’m not sure at all what it could sound like, only the title is noted. Other demos made on that day were the theme song, Gonna Buy Me A Dog, and This Just Doesn’t Seem To Be My Day.
I Don’t Think You Know Me [Davy & Peter Vocals]
Recorded onto the second version of the song produced by Carole King. Davy and Peter attempted to sing it (whether in unison or individually is unknown to me) but the key was far too high for them to sing it comfortably. Because of this, the studio engineer slowed down the tape, and Davy stepped back to let Peter do the singing. The rest is… well, shelved history.
I Had A Dream Last Night [1967 Demo]
Recorded and written by Chip Douglas in the midst of the Headquarters sessions. It’s been noted several times as existing in perfect quality, but keeps getting passed over for any deluxe box sets due to the fact that Chip is the only one on it. While I understand the reasoning, this IS the man who wrote Forget That Girl, The Door Into Summer, and Steam Engine. So it can’t be that bad.
Come On In [1967 Version]
“What??” I hear you say. “A version of Come On In from 1967? And it has vocals?” Why yes it does! Also, how did you get into my closet? Get out of there!
Recorded during the Pisces sessions on May 1st, 1967. Peter did 6 takes of it, changed his mind, and then immediately remade the track in 5 takes. The final one was the master onto which he overdubbed some more guitar and vocals onto. It would likely sound like the “early” version of Lady’s Baby, if we do hear it on a future Pisces super deluxe.
Peter Tork’s 1967 Sessions
Couldn’t think of a title. In 1967, Peter was actually quite busy compared to the year prior. He taped the following songs, of which exist in various states of completion/quality:
-Tear The Top Right Off My Head
-The Bells Of Rhymeny
-Untitled
-Crow On The Cradle
-Unknown #1
-The Dolphins
-The Water Is Wide
-Who Will Buy
-You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover
-Two Part Invention In F Major
-Do Not Ask For Love {unique arrangement}
-Seeger’s Theme {unique arrangement}
Nashville
Recorded on December 30th, 1967. This Boyce & Hart tune wasn’t actually intended for The Monkees, but they used a Monkees studio session to record the track anyways. This frivolous practice was already done on the song Jokes just a year prior, and was part of the reason they got fired in the first place… and yet, mere days after being re-hired, Nashville.
The Lost Mike Nesmith 1968 Recordings
I don’t have a proper name for these. In early 1968, Mike was in a recording frenzy, producing sessions left and right. Along the way, he had songs he either didn’t get around to finishing, or simply left behind. These include the following titles:
-Empire
-No Title
-Seasons
-Impack
-Tears Of Joy
-St Matthew {with a unique arrangement}
and an experimental reel consisting of machine effects from a pinball machine, of all things.
The Shadow Of A Man
Recorded on March 9th, 1968, during a marathon session for songs which were slowly released through the decades. Shadow Of A Man is the only one from this date which hasn’t been released, however.
HEAD [concert rehearsals]
The famous HEAD concert from May 17th, 1968 already has its share of unreleased material, but what’s worse is that there’s a whole reel of jams & rehearsals! These definitely wouldn’t have the technical issues that plagued the concert, as they’d be in a quieter room with less chance for distortion.
A Man Without A Dream [1968 Version]
No, i’m not talking about the lost version from Pisces. Or the Peter Tork demo. OR the piano version which only partially exists. Folks, this is yet another variant of the song, done during the “Instant Replay” period of mid-68.
Mommy And Daddy [Studio Outtakes]
This was a recent find, from Micky’s personal archive. Some rehearsals as well as an alternate take exist, and (presumably) a lot more than what was known to exist only a few years prior. Finally! No more mixes.
Long Title [Studio Outtakes]
Peter was just as busy, if not busier in 1968 than he was in 1967. Long Title went through MANY sessions, most of which are lost. The ones that do exist seem to have been found recently, and consist of lots of jams. There’s a slow version of Long Title, a fast version, an early version, and a take where he somehow meanders into a Rolling Stones song!
St Valentine’s Angel
I get it, I get it. You don’t want anything boring like unfinished tracks, rehearsals, jams, or alternate versions of existing songs. You want real tracks that were left behind, with vocals! I do too. We’re both in luck, because there is one left. Unfortunately, there’s ONLY one. St Valentine’s Angel.
Written in early 1969 by famous singer/songwriter Donovan. By this point The Monkees had been reduced to a trio because of Peter’s departure from the group, and they were pushing for some real quality work on their next single so they don’t fade into obscurity.
A demo was recorded with Donovan on guitar and Davy on lead vocals. A week later, a backing track was recorded, but work continued no further. It would be entirely possible in the modern day to sync both of these recordings up and present the “last Monkees song”, a la Valleys Of Neptune by Jimi Hendrix. Donovan’s own version of the track can be heard on YouTube, if you’re curious.
Talking To The Wall
Well, I was technically right about the prior entry, since this song was done by Mike for his Tantamount To Treason album, and thus has been officially released. However, this version in particular is from the Present era. It also has vocals by Davy, and actually seems to have a little bit more work done than Angel. A reel exists in the hands of Bill Chadwick, and unfortunately none of the recordings on it have been released because no dates have been verified with documentation. Regardless, i’d still love to hear it!
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