It's no exaggeration to state that the entertainment world was shaken by the sudden passing of Davy Jones on February 29 of this year, responding not only with an outpouring of grief, but with genuinely fond memories of the actor, singer and Monkee. Friday Music is joining Rhino Entertainment in keeping Jones' rich legacy of music alive, with two new releases slated for April 24. After having recently reissued Jones' pre-Monkees debut, the label turns its attention to Jones' 1971-1972 recordings for the Bell Records label, featuring the hit "Rainy Jane" as well as "Girl," the song immortalized on The Brady Bunch. But that's not all. On the same day as Davy's The Bell Recordings 1971-1972, Friday will reissue The Monkees' 1987 reunion album Pool It! in an expanded edition boasting two bonus tracks and a DVD.

The first twelve tracks on The Bell Recordings represent the complete 1971 Davy Jones album, from which Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield's "Rainy Jane" became a No. 52 hit for the singer. (Sedaka's own 1969 version achieved some measure of popularity in Australia in the period between his early RCA hits and Rocket Records comeback.) The Bell era is also notable for Jones' appearance on the Brady Bunch episode "Getting Davy Jones," but Jones also kept a high profile via television guest spots on Love American Style, Here Come the Brides and even The New Scooby-Doo Movies! Davy Jones was arranged and conducted by Al Capps, who also worked with Bobby Sherman, Andy Williams and Cher, and carried on the lighter sound of the Monkees' repertoire rather than that band's later sonic explorations. The twelve tracks from Davy Jones are augmented by six bonus tracks: the mono singles "Girl" b/w "Take My Love" and "I'll Believe in You" b/w "Road to Love," plus album tracks "How About Me" and "I Really Love You," also both in mono.

UPDATE 5/16/12: Rhino Records announced today that a limited edition green vinyl single of Davy's "Girl" and "Rainy Jane" will be released as a double A-side 7-inch single!  Only 1,000 copies of this limited edition release have been pressed!  "Girl/Rainy Jane" is available exclusively at Rhino.com and can be pre-ordered here!  It's set to arrive on May 29 at Rhino.com.

Hit the jump to join Davy, Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork as we dive into The Monkees' Pool It! on Friday Music!

1987's Pool It! marked the reunion of The Monkees, or at least three quarters of the group. As with the final 2011 reunion tour, Michael Nesmith sat out of Pool It!. Even sans Nesmith, the album managed to reach No. 72 on the Billlboard album charts. Its lead single, "Heart and Soul," cracked the Hot 100 at No. 87, driven by a video which depicted the three Monkees being thawed out after a nearly 20-year freeze. A companion VHS, Heart and Soul, was billed as "The Official Monkee Videography," promising "a behind-the-scenes look featuring music videos from their current album 'Pool It!,' interviews and a barrelful of special surprises." Pool It! will be paired with Heart and Soul for Friday's CD/DVD edition. The album itself drew primarily on material from outside writers, including Bobby Hart on "Long Way Home," but Jones contributed "(I'll) Love You Forever" and Peter Tork offered "Gettin' In." Similarly, session musicians (including Elvis Costello associates Roger Bechirian and Davey Faragher) handled most of the instrumental work on the album.

One more reunion album would follow, 1996's Justus, which even enticed Nesmith back into the fold. But Pool It! remains a fun excursion back to the time when Monkeemania almost swept the 1980s! The new CD/DVD edition is expanded by two bonus tracks, the single remix of "Every Step of the Way" and the B-side of "Heart and Soul," the live concert favorite "MGBGT." Curiously, the live version of "(I'll) Love You Forever," the B-side of "Every Step of the Way" on Rhino single RNOR 74410/11 is absent.

Friday Music is promising that 2012 will be another big year for The Monkees, with a two-on-one CD release of Micky Dolenz' Micky Puts You to Sleep and Broadway Micky, as well as 180-gram vinyl releases of Instant Replay and Justus all planned for summer release. Watch this space for more updates, and don't miss Davy Jones' The Bell Recordings 1971-1972 and The Monkees' Pool It! in stores on April 24. You can pre-order below!

Davy Jones, The Bell Recordings 1971-1972 (Friday Music, 2012)

1. Road To Love
2. How About Me
3. Singin' To The Music
4. Rainy Jane
5. Look At Me
6. Say It Again
7. I Really Love You
8. Love Me For A Day
9. Sitting In An Apple Tree
10. Take My Love
11. Pretty Little Girl
12. Welcome To My Love
13. Girl (Mono)
14. Take My Love (Mono)
15. I'll Believe In You (Mono)
16. Road To Love (Mono)
17. How About Me (Mono)
18. I Really Love You (Mono)

Tracks 1-12 from Davy Jones, Bell LP 6067, 1971
Tracks 13-14 from Bell single 45-159, 1971
Tracks 15-16 from Bell single 45-178, 1972
Tracks 17-18 are mono bonus tracks

The Monkees, Pool It! Deluxe Edition (Rhino RNCD 70706, 1987 - reissued Friday Music, 2012)

CD: The Original Album plus 2 Bonus Tracks

1. Heart and Soul
2. (I'd Go The) Whole Wide World
3. Long Way Home
4. Secret Heart
5. Gettin' In
6. (I'll) Love You Forever
7. Every Step of the Way
8. Don't Bring Me Down
9. Midnight
10. She's Movin' In With Rico
11. Since You Went Away
12. Countin' on You
13. MGBGT (Live) (B-side of "Heart and Soul," Rhino single RNOR 74408, 1987)
14. Every Step of the Way (45 Remix) (A-side of Rhino single RNOR 74410, 1987)

DVD

1. Heart and Soul: The Official Monkees Videography