Alternate/Fantasy MONKEES albums

Did you mean to say Frodis instead of Folliage?
That cover looks great!

 

It's great; I get relaxed just looking at it. And quite hungry, come to think of it.

 

Michelle, you are THE best. What a fantastic cover!!! Ron

 

Welcome back Michelle!

 

Thanks, but I never really completely left.

As I've written before, I don't care for the software they're now using to power the forum. The new search function is beyond useless and the whole look and feel of the site is lacking (IMO).

So, I now just pop in from time to time, get my fill (which takes about a minute), and leave.

I remembered this thread from before so I could add the post above. (Oh, and thanks to everyone for their kind words about the sleeve! )

 

AMAZING work, Michelle! Thanks for sharing with us!

 

Ah, I figured maybe you and Mr. Schneider had joined an Alternate Reality Steve Hoffman forum someplace. Fantastic job on the cover, once again!

 

Not having Mr. Schneider and Michelle66 around made me appreciate how much they contributed. Just not the same anymore. That's an awesome cover from Michelle.

I wound up using the Tan color scheme and dimming my monitor a tad, which helped a lot (not that you, especially, the graphics queen, would need any graphic advice from me ), but otherwise....yeah...you're right. Not as nice as the old place. It's too bad that the software seems to have driven you and maybe Mr. Schneider away (well, I guess, since he hated it too judging by his comments). Thanks for the Pisces contribution.

 

I'm actually listening to the Micky Moog album she whipped up ("Mellow Psycho-Jello From That Fuzzy-Headed Fellow").... this is actually one of the coolest things I've heard in a while.

It's funny how a fan's tossed-together fantasy album is so much more entertaining than, say, "Electronic Sound."

 

When I first started doing my "alternate reality", I hadn't planned on doing the first album.

But, having that hole in the collection bugged me, so after pondering things for some time, two ideas came to mind.

Up first is the "lost" album that Colpix did the art for (and made a mockup) right after the series was sold. It was to be a straight soundtrack LP, with the Monkees clearly being depicted as actors.

Micky and Mike are still using their respective pseudonyms, and Mike is still referred to as "Wool Hat".

Since this was well before the group recorded any tracks, the Colpix art department left the area for the song list open.

Eventually, Colpix was wound down, so their version of the Monkees' first LP never got past the prototype stage.



The group's first album finally saw release on the new Colgems label.

Like the Colpix LP, the first album on Colgems was still presented as a soundtrack to the TV series.

And like other soundtrack albums of the day, the Monkees' first album featured clips of dialogue with the music. Some of the clips were funny bits from the show, while others segued into the songs as seen on TV.



Anyway, I think this now finishes my alternate reality LP series. (Now, it's time to do the sleeves from the group's 45s.)

 

Wonderful as usual, Michelle66

And next we are going to get 45 sleeves!

 

Awesome Michelle, it's funny I was just having a discussion with a fellow fan about the rear jacket of the 1st album and how I thought it was a mistake to present the Monkees as a band (ie: Davy plays guitar) rather than a singing cast, I think that led to the subsequent negative press and ridiculous "fake" issue. Your new one with their short bios is smashing!

 

More great stuff! I wonder how The Monkees would be viewed today if their initial album was presented as such.

 

I love your PAC&J cover Michelle. Another amazing creation.

 

If their initial album had been done that way, with no controversy over their legitimacy, and no way to fool the fools, would Headquarters have happened at all? If it would, then would it have been viewed as an innocent "we're gonna try this ourselves as a real band for 1 album to see how it turns out", then, "this didn't work as well as we'd hoped, so let's go back to the old way with us having more say in the music", but with about the same amount of controversy as someone as innocent as The Archies or The Partridge Family?

The active haters would be almost non-existent, right? Just indifference among those who don't care for them.

 

If the first album presented them like a Broadway cast, similar to Michelle's concept, and the 2nd album just had rear photos instead of that ass**** ego-trip by Kirshner, Headquarters would have been viewed for what it was, four entertainers so committed to the concept, they were willing to work much harder than necessary to make their project as authentic as possible. They should have been congratulated for their efforts instead of (still) putting up with the "fake band" non-sense, absolutely ridiculous.

 

I love that cover!

 

The thing about that is, I think the people who call them a "fake band" not only have no idea they even did an album as a "real band," but (in my experience talking to some people) they "know" the Monkees were not musicians because they remember it being reported that way at the time. So (the reasoning goes) anyone claiming Headquarters was actually performed by the four Monkees must be mistaken or delusional. What is Headquarters anyway? They don't know any of those songs. Davy Jones once said in some interview that Neil Sedaka sings background vocals on "Daydream Believer," therefore Neil Sedaka sings background vocals on "Daydream Believer." Don't even bother offering to play Headquarters Sessions for them. Not interested, no point, since the Monkees never "played their own instruments" and everyone knows it.

Of course, you are correct in your comments above. The fact that these guys from the cast of a TV sitcom actually got together and made a real album is pretty cool and impressive. Except that "everyone knows" there's no way they could have really done it.

 

I thought I'd share these photo's of the mock up album design by Neko Cholis (from the inspired idea of Micky) he was working on for an elaborate greatest hits design. Naturally it was rejected as this would have been way over budget and extremely difficult to manufacture. This is an original and one of a kind mock up. Enjoy

 

Here are a few more.

 

Nice pics of your prototype! (But, one of the illustrations of Mike sure is creepy!) Thanks for sharing!

Now, that's one wacky line-up of tracks! (Greatest "hits"....? )

Is this right?:

Side One
1. Daydream Believer
2. She
3. You and I
4. Just a Game
5. Salesman
6. You Told Me

Side Two:
1. Circle Sky
2. Zor & Zam
3. While I Cry
4. Mary, Mary
5. Tear Drop City
6. I'm A Believer

"Just a Game"...? Honestly? (The track listings must have been compiled by the same person who put "The Day We Fall In Love" on the "Golden Hits" compilation....! )

 

That is one bizarre track list! I think I need to try that one out.

 

That's great stuff Ed! Thanks! Neko also did the Tear Drop City cover and Monkees Present. Too bad The Monkees didn't have a elaborate release like that for one of their albums.

Someone had posted mock ups for the original Pisces around here too awhile back:

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/attachments/pisces-alt-cover-2-jpg.51109/
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/attachments/pisces-alt-cover-1-jpg.51108/

 

Listing Davy on 'guitar' is about as honest as "Vocals by the Brothers of Soul: Rob and Fab"....

 

That would have been a smashing way to do the 1st album. "The Kids" would have loved the snippets of dialogue. Colgems could have used you back in the day!