The Monkees - The MGM Years

OK...so I was google searching on something else and came across this book that chronicles all of the recording sessions and releases at MGM in the '70s, where both Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones found a home in the early '70s.

Interesting finds!!!! Such as.....

STARSHIP
Who knew Starship recorded so much crap? On 07/26/72 Starship recorded two tunes in L.A., "Little Bitty Pretty One" and "Long Tall Sally" (72L 3855/72L 3866). On 08/13/72 Starship recorded two tunes in L.A., "Fool's Gold" and "Rock Medley" (which was noted in the liner notes to Monkeemania as being "Monkees Medley") (72L 4035/72L 4036). At some point in late '72 they recorded "Let's Go Where The Good Times Go" (which was noted in the liner note of Monkeemania as being "Let The Good Times Roll) (72L4188). On 02/26/73 Starship recorded two tunes in LA, "What Can I Do" and "When I'm With You" (73L 4888/73L 4889). Can't tell, but Starship may have also recorded "Love Is All I Have," "A Long Time" and Micky's favorite "Since I Fell For You" all in 1972.

Interestingly, there is no log in the book for "Johnny B. Goode" (71 L 3181), but It's Amazing To Me" (72 L 3651) is referenced and was recorded on 06/06/72. The 45 was released in October 1972.

MICKY DOLENZ
"Easy On You" (71L 2722) is listed as a "purchased title" and was either recorded or purchased on 09/14/71. "Oh Someone" (71L 2723) is only noted with its matrix number. The 45 was released in October 1971.

"Unattended in the Dungeon" (71L 2845) is only noted with its matrix number.

On 01/10/72 when Randy Newman's "A Lover's Prayer" was recorded (71L 3111), Micky also recorded an EARLIER version of "It's Amazing To Me" (71L 3112) and another song, "Family of Man" (71L 3113). Note that the "Unattended in the Dungeon"/"A Lover's Prayer" single was released in June 1972.

"Love War" was recorded in 1973 (73L 4900)

"Buddy Holly Tribute" and "Ooh She's Young" (73L 5815/73L 5817) were recorded on 10/24/73 in L.A. along with another song, "Long Way Since St. Louis."

And didja know that the unreleased and circulating "Purple People Eater," "Wing Walker" and "I Hate Rock and Roll" (74L 6381/74L 6382/74L 6383) were recorded for MGM in England in May 1974? And that there was a FOURTH track, "Splish Splash, I Was Taking A Back"...why hasn't that circulated?


DAVY JONES
Davy recorded Gilbert O'Sullivan's "Who Was It?" (72L 4324) on 10/05/72, likely in L.A., and it is listed as having been released with three MGM catalog numbers on 45, K14458, K14458-DJ and K14524....the latter being the later "Rubberene" single which HAS seen a listing in older 45 Goldmine Price Guides as being the B-side (though nobody seemingly has ever seen a stock copy of the "Rubberene" single....this is VERY interesting....)!!!!! On the same day, Davy also recorded "Tears On My Pillow" (72L 4325).

Davy recorded "Rubberene" (72L 4337) on 09/18/72...interesting this was before "Who Was It?"....and it is also listed with both the stock and promo 45 catalog number (K14524-DJ and K14524). It must exist?!?!?!? Note this single was released in January 1973.

 

From Corbis....Micky and Michael Lloyd (aka Starship) in October 1972

 

WHOA! Nice stuff!!!

 

I'm fairly certain I'm not missing that much, but I find it hard to believe that there has NEVER been an officially released compilation of all the odds and ends of solo Monkees stuff! You would have thought that in the 80's there would have been a cash in album done in at LEAST Japan! Who would own the MGM stuff now?

 

Forgot to add under Micky.....Nilsson's "Daybreak" (73L 4613) was recorded on 01/10/73 in L.A. along with another Micky favorite, "Mockingbird" (73L 4612).

And I forgot add under Davy....Peter Skellern's "You're A Lady" (72L 4295) was recorded on 10/11/72 in L.A.

I really wish you could edit posts after 15 minutes have passed.

 

MGM Japan did release a compliation Davy/Micky LP called "You're A Lady" during the 1981 Monkeemania cash-in. It features just the sides officially on MGM proper, and not the subsidiary label 45s (Romar, Lion). I think I'm recalling it just had the 7 songs on it...."Easy On You", "Oh Someone", "Unattended In The Dungeon", "A Lover's Prayer", "You're A Lady", "Who Was It" and "Rubberene".....but maybe it did have the Romar sides, too? I just don't seem to recall that the hard-to-find "Love War" was on there.

 

More Starship madness....

 

Cool stuff. I was hoping something like this would pop up.
But what about Peter?
Did he actually record anything during this time?
Even if it didn't get released.

Darryl

 

Fantastic stuff! This is totally uncharted territory for me, as far as the solo Monkees stuff goes. Hopefully, these rare recordings will see the light of day again in the digital age.

 

I'm more intrigued by those photos...where'd they take those?

 

Here are some pics from the '81 Japanese release (I had bought it with the idea of making a mini-LP of it. This was the plan until I heard it... This stuff is really bad...!)

Davy Jones & Micky Dolenz
You're A Lady

Side One (Davy Jones)
1. You're A Lady (in English)
2. You're A Lady (in Japanese)
3. Who Was It?
4. Rubberene

Side Two (Micky Dolenz)
1. Easy On You
2. Oh Someone
3. Unattended In The Dungeon
4. A Lover's Prayer

And not that I'm a professional graphic artist or anything, but the artwork for this LP is just as cheesy and bad as the tunes it contains... (The designer had about the same visual sense as this guy: )

 

I dunno, the jelly font is kind of appropriate for the music...The design won't win any awards...but I don't hate it...

 

Micky Dolenz and Michael Lloyd seemed to have a vast amount of technology at their fingertips.

But, did they have the machine that goes ping..?

 

Awesome detective work, Mr. Sam!!!!
Lotsa Starship tracks. Yowza!!

I quite like all of the Micky tracks and I'll even go as far as to defend Davy's Rubberene and Who Was It? (You're A Lady is a drag in any language). Who hasn't wanted to hear Davy sing about an inflatable sex toy?? I was gonna ask him about Rubberene on a mid 90's, Detroit TV talk show, but the guy that was on air asked a question that was too long and they never got to my question. GRRR. However, I can be heard off camera talking to Jones about his Bell label Girl single.


Here are 2 promotional stills from Dolenz' Romar year(s) that y'all have never seen. I have the negatives for both of these shots. Sorry for the 'sample' images- these are the only scans I have of these at the moment.

One would think that MGM/Romar would have spent a few bucks on a new photo session instead of using some shots from his Monkee years. Odd.

 

Now this is some good stuff...

 

THe pic on the right is a good one, even if it appears to be an old Monkees shot. The one of the left screams "I am a stuck up jerk"...Not a photo I'd use...

 

"No time for autographs, I'm spending time with my Koala."

 

Here's the same photo on a Dutch pic sleeve.

 

Never paid attention to the producer of this single. Interesting.
Anyone know who Bobby Jones is?

 

Looks like the set of some live action Saturday morning kids show about outer space. What was on Saturday mornings in 1972?

It certainly looks like they re-used that set for 1978's "Kiss Meets The Phantom" TV movie on NBC. See: bottom left.

 

If this picture is from a kid's show set, I am REALLY impressed. That's an awfully good control room mock up (the attention to detail with the lights that are on/off, the control panels, etc., plus the video screen).

 

Now I'm getting interested. Perhaps not in the questionable musical endeavors, as much as who what why was MGM willing to spend ANY money on Davy & Micky?!? Clearly, someone in a position of authority must have had a soft spot for the boys?

Here's a partial answer:

http://www.bmusic.com.au/links/industry/archives/ararchiv/mlloyd.html

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0516083/bio

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_West_Coast_Pop_Art_Experimental_Band

Michael Lloyd was VP of A&R at MGM? At age 20? Sheesh.

 

Michael Lloyd has had a very fine track record of hits in lightweight pop for years. He was very talented in that arena.

 

Here's an 8 minute mini-medley sample of all the released MGM/Romar Dolenz tracks. I've taken some liberties with edits within songs to shorten them up. It's just to give some an idea of the quality of material Micky The D was putting out in the early 70's.
I've omitted Johnny B. Goode because there's no Dolenz Involvement.

http://www.sendspace.com/file/kpfs6r

Here is the tracklisting within the 'medley' - KEY- (...) = song writer:
Easy On You (Dolenz)
Oh Someone (David Price [Monkee TV show stand in])
Unattended in the Dungeon (Bobby Jones) prod. Michael Lloyd
A Lover's Prayer (Randy Newman) prod. Michael Lloyd
It's Amazing to Me -as Starship (Dolenz) prod. Michael Lloyd
Daybreak (Harry Nilsson) arr. & cond. by Nilsson
Love War (Dolenz) arr. & cond. by Chip Douglas
Buddy Holly Tribute (Holly/Petty/Hardin et al.)
Ooh She's Young (Dolenz)

Note Micky's infamous Moog synthesizer on several tracks!

 

Your pics thus far are....ok....Mr. Schneider. How about something rare?

Like this.....