'' is the first album by the band
The Monkees . It was released in
September 1966 by Colgems Records.
The Monkees' debut was the first of four consecutive US number one albums for the group, and it also topped the UK charts. Assembled by television producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider to portray a
Beatles -type pop band on a new series, the quartet recorded vocals only between rehearsals for the weekly show.
While subsequent albums would improve on its quality, largely due to the group's increased participation, ''The Monkees'' remains an appealing mix of pop songs and performances.
Micky Dolenz delivers a rousing lead on the brisk "Last Train to Clarksville," a US number one single and one of several tunes written by veteran hitmakers
Boyce And Hart , while
Davy Jones handles the ballad "I Wanna Be Free."
Michael Nesmith , the member with the most extensive musical background, sings lead on his own country-flavored compositions, "Papa Gene's Blues" and "Sweet Young Thing" (co-written with the legendary songwriting team
Gerry Goffin and
Carole King ).
Though critics disparaged The Monkees as the 'Pre-Fab Four', the TV show was a hit. The symbiotic relationship between the show and radio play enabled ''The Monkees'' to hold down the top-selling album slot for 13 weeks, eventually selling over 5 million copies.
#"
(Theme From) The Monkees " (Boyce/Hart)
#"Saturday's Child" (Gates)
#"
I Wanna Be Free " (Boyce/Hart)
#"Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day" (Boyce/Venet)
#"Papa Gene's Blues" (Nesmith)
#"Take a Giant Step" (Goffin/King)
#"Last Train to Clarksville" (Boyce/Hart)
#"This Just Doesn't Seem to Be My Day" (Boyce/Hart)
#"Let' Dance On"(Boyce/Hart)
#"I'll Be True" (Boyce/Hart)
#"Sweet Young Thing" (Goffin/King/Nesmith)
#"Gonna Buy A Dog" (Boyce/Hart)
#"I Can't Get Her Off My Mind" (Boyce/Hart)
#"I Don't Think You Know Me" (Goffin/King)
#"(Theme from) The Monkees" (Boyce/Hart)
- Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
- Lead vocal by Micky Dolenz
- Backing vocals: Tommy Boyce, Guitar: Wayne Erwin, Gerry McGee, and Louie Shelton, Bass: Larry Taylor, Drums: Billy Lewis, Percussion: Gene Estes
- Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, July 5, 1966 (2-7:30 pm)
- Produced by Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart and Jack Keller
- Written by David Gates (later a member of the band Bread)
- Lead vocal by Micky Dolenz
- Backing vocals: Tommy Boyce, Guitar: Wayne Erwin, Gerry McGee and Louis Shelton, Bass: Larry Taylor, Drums: Billy Lewis, Tambourine: Gene Estes
- Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, July 9, 1966 (2-9 pm)
- Produced by Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart and Jack Keller
- Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
- Lead vocal by Davy Jones
- Acoustic guitar: Gerry McGee and Louis Shelton, Harpsichord: Michael Rubini, Violin: Bonnie Douglas and Paul Shure, Viola: Myra Kestenbuam, Cello: Fred Seykora
- Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, July 19, 1966 (2-7:30 PM)
- Produced by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
- Written by Tommy Boyce and Steve Venet
- Lead vocal by Micky Dolenz
- Acoustic guitar: Tommy Boyce, Electric guitar: Wayne Erwin, Gerry McGee and Louis Shelton, Bass: Larry Taylor, Drums: Billy Lewis, Harmonica: Keith Allison, Tambourine: unknown
- Produced by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
- Written by Michael Nesmith
- Lead vocal by Michael Nesmith
- Harmony Vocal by Micky Dolenz
- Guitar: , Frank DeVito, and Jim Gordon, Percussion: Gary Coleman
- Recorded at Western Recorders Studio 2, Hollywood, July 7, 1966 (8-11:30 pm)
- Produced by Michael Nesmith
- Written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King
- Lead vocal by Micky Dolenz
- Acoustic guitar: Tommy Boyce, Electric guitar: Wayne Erwin, Gerry McGee and Louie Shelton, Bass: Larry Taylor, Drums: Billy Lewis, Percussion: Gene Estes, Glockenspiel: Bobby Hart, Piano: Jack Keller, Harpsichord: Michael Rubini
- Recorded at RCA Victor Studio C, Hollywood, July 9, 1966 (2-9 pm)
- Produced by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
- Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
- Lead vocal by Micky Dolenz
- Acoustic guitar: Tommy Boyce, Electric Guitar: Wayne Erwin, Gerry McGee and Louie Shelton, Bass: Larry Taylor, Drums: Billy Lewis, Percussion: Gene Estes and David Walters
- Recorded at RCA Victor Studio A, Hollywood, July 25, 1966 (7 pm-3 am)
- Released as a single, reached number 1 on the pop music charts
- Produced by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
- Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
- Lead vocal by Davy Jones
- Guitar: Wayne Erwin, Gerry McGee and Louie Shelton, Bass: Larry Taylor, Drums: Billy Lewis, Percussion: Gene Estes, Cello: Joseph Ditullio
- Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, July 6, 1966 (2-7:30 pm)
- Produced by Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart and Jack Keller
- Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
- Lead vocal by Micky Dolenz
- Backing Vocals by Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, Tommy Boyce and Ron Hicklin
- Guitar: Wayne Erwin, Gerry McGee and Louie Shelton, Organ: Bobby Hart, Drums: Billy Lewis
- Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, July 6, 1966 (2-7:30 pm)
- Produced by Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart and Jack Keller
- Written by Gerry Goffin and Russ Titelman
- Lead vocal by Davy Jones
- Guitar: Wayne Erwin, Gerry McGee and Louie Shelton, Bass: Larry Taylor, Drums: Billy Lewis, Glockenspiel: Bobby Hart, Percusssion: Gene Estes, Unknown Backing Vocals
- Recorded at RCA Victor Studio C, Hollywood, July 9, 1966 (2-9 pm)
- Produced by Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart and Jack Keller
- Written by Michael Nesmith, Gerry Goffin, Carole King
- Lead vocal by Michael Nesmith
- Backing vocals by Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork
- Guitar: Peter Tork, James Burton, Glen Campbell , Al Casey and Mitchell Deasey, Fiddle: Jimmy Bryant, Bass: Bob West, Drums: Hal Blaine, Frank DeVito, and Jim Gordon, Percussion: Gary Coleman
- Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, July 18, 1966 (8 pm-12 am)
- Produced by Michael Nesmith
- Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
- Lead vocals by Mickey Dolenz and Davy Jones
- Guitar: Wayne Erwin, Gerry McGee and Louie Shelton, Organ: Bobby Hart, Bass: Larry Taylor, Drums: Billy Lewis
- Recorded at RCA Victor Studio #1, Hollywood, July 23, 1966 (2-8 pm)
- Produced by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
- Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
- Lead vocal by Davy Jones
- Guitar: Wayne Erwin, Gery McGee, and Louie Shelton, Piano, autoharp: Bobby Hart, Bass: Larry Taylor, Drums: Billy Lewis, Percussion: Gene Estes and David Walters
- Recorded at RCA Victor studios, Hollywood, July 25, 1966 (7 pm-3 am)
- Produced by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
- Later re-recorded by The Monkees and used on '' Headquarters ''
- Written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King
- Lead vocals by Micky Dolenz and Michael Nesmith
- Guitar: James Burton, Glen Campbell , and Al Casey, Organ: Larry Knechtel, Drums: Hal Blaine and Jim Gordon, Unknown backing vocals
- Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, July 25, 1966 (7:30 pm- 12:15 am)
- Produced by Michael Nesmith
- Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
- Vocals by Micky Dolenz, Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
- Other personnel unknown
- Produced by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
- In another key than the album version
- Recording info unknown
- Early pressings of the album's cover featured a misspelling of "Papa Gene's Blues" as "Papa Jean's Blues"
- Only one song on the album, "I'll Be True To You", was not featured on the TV show. The song had originally been recorded by The Hollies under the title "Yes I Will".
- Engineered by Hank Cicalo and David Hassinger
- Music Supervisor: Don Kirshner
- Music Coordinators: Lester Sill and Emil LaViola
- Cover Photo by Bernard Yeszin
- All information can be found on the reissue of ''The Monkees''
- ''The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation'' by Andrew Sandoval
