The Monkees "More of the Monkees" Rhino Handmade Deluxe Box Set

I'm a print production manager, and the above makes little sense to me.

Anyway, we're getting off-topic...

 

Ordered and waiting for December!

 

I just did a mock playlist of Missing Links tracks, bonus tracks, stragglers (like Celiing In My Room From the Flashback CD or the I Wanna Be Free backing track from the Japanese karaoke disc), unique Arista and LTTB mixes, and the exclusive 45 tracks, and surprisingly, and with a little compromise, there’s about 90 good selections for a Missing Links box set. There’s no way to collect all the unique mixes on one box, but there’s definitely a possible box set there......and a really neat one to boot. I would like/want to squeeze 10 or so “new” bits on there to make it even more interesting. I would like Andrew to consider Love Bandit, I’m A Man with Chip’s guide, Mr. Richland’s with Harry’s guide.....things like that.....and maybe a few of Mike’s backing tracks/projects from the BB&Ms era.

 

Yup. Why put it on the CD when they can just include version #17 of the alternate vocal instead?

There is a "free" bootleg floating around called "Monkee Madness" that is far better than this and much closer to a Missing Links volume, if you know where to look.

 

I dunno... maybe it's me rationalizing why I don't want to learn yet another complicated piece of Adobe software.

I understand Photoshop and it serves my needs well.

 

I've always found that amazing too. I think that speaks volumes to the casting - they knew what they were doing. Of course it led to their unraveling as well because they didn't have a singular focus. If they hadn't 'revolted' and kept things going the way they were originally conceived, they maybe could have gotten another solid year or maybe two of production. However, we then wouldn't have this cool little story and not have been blessed with all the great music that they came up with by themselves. So many layers to the story.

 

As a former graphic designer, I’m with you.

 

I know the Missing Links discussion is a bit off topic, but it perplexes me that with all the variations of "Rosemarie" on the box sets, the version with the most fleshed-out lyrics has only appeared on Missing Links (and even then, only as a CD bonus track).

 

Spot on.

Of course, like you suggest, if they had "stuck with the program" and not tried to wrestle it into becoming something real, then yes, it might have last a bit longer. But then the Monkees would be regarded today on par with the Partridge Family - and no one's clamoring for a Partridge Family reunion.

 

I don't think there's one bad song on Changes !

 

It's also on www.monkees.com and www.rhino.com site.

 

I agree. "Changes" is a thoroughly enjoyable piece of ear candy. But that said, I like "Shorty Blackwell" too. Except for the spoken "Shorty Blackwell, Shorty Blackwell" parts.... could have done without those. Otherwise, very interesting. Kind of Micky's "Writing Wrongs"!

 

Right, there's lots of bad songs on Changes!

Seriously, the songs are not that bad, it's just that the whole album sounds so half-hearted.

 

Andrew said that they never held anything back for the reissues, it's just tapes turn up after they finish a project usually.

 

I agree. I mentioned this at the very beginning of this thread. I am just hoping its a hidden track.
If they really didnt include it on one of the cds thats insane.

 

That would be a departure - the 45s with the Super Deluxe boxes have always been vinyl-exclusive. And has Rhino ever put a hidden track on a Monkees CD?

 

Not sure if I care if they 'ever' have. Not putting a great new stereo mix of one the Monkees biggest songs on the CDs of an expensive deluxe set is inexcusable.

 

Has I’m a Believer ever been remixed? Arista CD? Listen to the Band box?

 

I'm sad we didn't get a remix of She. If all the good songs from the album got a remix, I'd be able to compile an Ukraine MOTM, but we got Grizelda and The Day instead. Sigh.

 

Who needs a remix of "She", when we've already got the following?

 

My one quibble with the Present box is that they didn't include "I Didn't Know You Had It In You Sally," which was the bonus 45 from the 2-disc PAC&J. Andrew's book showed that Micky didn't lay the vocal down until they started trawling the vaults in 1969 for Present. To me, that's no different than the version of "Of You" with Michael's 1969 vocal, i.e. an old backing track with a new vocal. Granted, it's not a great song by any stretch, but given how many alternate mixes/versions of some unreleased tracks (and some of them also not so great) have cropped up over the years, it was a curious omission.

Since I've ordered my MOTM, I went back and paid attention to the track times. I wish some of the session extracts were longer, though I'm glad to see a good chunk of the "Mary, Mary" vocal overdub attempt. It recalls the full "Ditty Diego" session on the Head super deluxe which was one of the highlights of the whole Handmade exercise.

Considering how frequently tapes were left running at other Monkees sessions - which Andrew culled copious examples of in his book - I find it odd that none of Michael's attempts to try the lead vocal for "I'm A Believer" were recorded. It's almost as much of a glaring blindspot as the missing session tapes from the first session on 6/10/66.

 

No, the multi-track with finished vocals was only found fairly recently. There have been remixes with an alternate lead vocal.

 

I have Andrew's book, but I don't recall: Did Nez actually attempt to sing it, or is that an urban legend? If it did happen, IINM it would stand as the sole example of Nesmith involvement in a Jeff Barry session.

 

Until 2016!!

 

To be perfectly honest, Mark: I'm not sure. I could be conflating it with another source, possibly Eric Lefcowitz's first edition of The Monkees Tale. I don't have Andrew's book at hand right now, but I'll definitely check later...if some other Monkeemaniac hasn't beaten us to it by later today.

I would think that Michael made SOME kind of attempt to sing SOMETHING with Barry there simply because (1) he was pictured with "cans" on and (2) he's on a separate microphone in the sessions photos, including the one on the rear sleeve of the original album - which implies he was singing lead. No doubt it could have been done purely for a photo op a la the "session" for "If I Ever Get To Saginaw Again" in 1969.

Much the same could be said about the first session on June 10. Andrew obviously has the musician logs and Snuff Garrett anecdotally revealed that Micky and Davy were tapped to sing lead - but Michael and Peter were photographed at the session, with at least the former at a microphone.