The Monkees' debut album: What's Left?

Thanks to the many, many issuings of The Monkees’ catalogue, 90% of everything interesting in their vaults from 1966 have been scrutinized, hyperanalized, plasticized, and released on various box sets. So the question remains: what’s left? 

Whatever’s Right (Artist Recording)

Cut on October 10th, 1965. This demo will be used as inspiration for the Good Times arrangement in 2015, rather than the later “country” version. 

Gonna Buy Me A Dog (Artist Recording)

recorded on June 20th, 1966.

(Theme From) The Monkees (Artist Recording)

recorded on June 20th, 1966. This arrangement is the one used for the album and apparently uses different lyrics at times.

This Just Doesn’t Seem To Be My Day (Artist Recording)

recorded on June 20th, 1966.

Sweet Young Thing (Artist Recording)

played by Carole King

acoustic demo tape (Micky Dolenz)

• Paper Prince
• Let’s Walk
• Puff The Mighty Dragster
• Barbary Coast
• Doomed To War
• Laurie My Love
• It’s Awful Easy
• Leaving Erin
• Money [not that one]
• The Indigestion Blues
• Little Girl [yes that one]
• Kelly
• Midnight Train [titled Movin’ On]
• Guess I’ll Just Tell Her Goodbye
• Get Out Of My Life
• Unfinished Diary [longest of all of these]

acoustic demo tape [Mike Nesmith]

• Different Drum
• Two Different Roads
• Hollywood
• Some Of Shelly’s Blues

among others. These songs are from the same source as the Papa Gene’s Blues & Propinquity demos, and would feature John London on upright bass. no date has been confirmed but it’s assumed to be from either late 1965 or early 1966. 

I Wanna Be Free (Version 2, Take 12)

this take is labelled as the master, and is the different instrumental arrangement heard on the debut SDE. However, the track featured on the box set is take 6.

Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day (Take X)

early takes of the backing track feature an alternate drumming pattern.

Papa Gene’s Blues (Alternate Vocals)

A harmony vocal by Micky was recorded and then scrapped when the song was released on the debut album. It can only be heard on an alternate mix from Come To The Sunshine.

Of You (Alternate Vocals)

Similar to the above, a vocal session in 1969 gave the track slightly revised lyrics. Micky’s harmony part was muted during the mixing process and can only be heard on Come To The Sunshine.

The Kind Of Girl I Could Love (1966 Backing Track Mix)

A reduction mix made by Mike to ensure a better balance of instrumentation.  A similar, but different reduction mix was utilized to make the 2014 remix of this song.