Hey hey, a live album from the latest tour from Mike Nesmith and Micky Dolenz of The Monkees is coming from Rhino Records - and more live dates are on the way, too!
The triumphant third (but who's counting?) act of The Monkees has been a treat for classic pop and rock fans. In 2016, the three surviving members of the beloved group - Dolenz, Nesmith and Peter Tork - came together for Good Times!, an improbably great record to mark their 50th anniversary. Part archival exercise (with songs based on outtakes penned by Harry Nilsson and Neil Diamond, with a vocal performance from the recently deceased Davy Jones to boot) and part sunshine pop celebration (featuring songs penned by Monkee fans like Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, XTC's Andy Partridge, and co-producer Adam Schlessinger of Fountains Of Wayne and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend fame), Good Times! was the group's first Top 20 record since 1968, reigniting calls for the group's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 2018 saw the aptly-titled The Monkees Present: The Mike & Micky Show tour (Tork focused on solo work that year, and sadly passed away earlier this year), as well as Christmas Party, another new/old album featuring Schlesinger, Cuomo and Partridge as well as more vocals from Jones and Tork. (An EP of bonus material from the holiday sessions and other archival material is coming this Record Store Day Black Friday.)
As Nez and Dolenz prep a new tour, An Evening With The Monkees, to travel largely across the American southwest in April 2020, Rhino's releasing The Mike & Micky Show Live, a new album recorded on tour in March 2019 that features concert versions of hits across their entire catalogue, from hits like "Last Train To Clarksville" and "I'm a Believer" to deep cuts like "St. Matthew" and "Auntie's Municipal Court," both of which made their live debuts on this tour. Andrew Sandoval, celebrated reissue guru/archivist and keeper of The Monkees' flame, produced the album; Mike's eldest son Christian Nesmith handles mixing.
Those who purchase tickets for An Evening With The Monkees will receive the new album free on either CD or digitally. Those tickets go on sale Friday, and the album is available everywhere April 3. Keep an eye on this post for pre-order links when available, and check out the track list below!
The Mike & Micky Show Live (Rhino, 2020) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
- Last Train To Clarksville
- Sunny Girlfriend
- Mary, Mary
- You Told Me
- For Pete's Sake
- The Door Into Summer
- You Just May Be The One
- A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
- The Girl I Knew Somewhere
- Birth Of An Accidental Hipster
- St. Matthew
- As We Go Along
- Circle Sky
- Pleasant Valley Sunday
- Papa Gene's Blues
- Randy Scouse Git
- Tapioca Tundra
- Me and Magdalena
- Auntie's Municipal Court
- Goin' Down
- Sweet Young Thing
- (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone
- Daydream Believer
- Listen To The Band
- I'm a Believer
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The tour isn't coming anywhere near me, but I'm very interested in the live album. Now if they could just find it in their hearts to release recordings from the 2011 and 2012 tours....
Yeah, for the fourth go-around for The Mike & Micky Show they are once again not coming near me (Michael, Micky & Andrew Sandoval — Maybe another leg later this year, with a Milwaukee stop PLEASE??).
Since I’m apparently never going to see this show live, I am glad this live album is happening (Blu-Ray at all? I’ve read the Sydney Opera House as filmed).
I am disappointed at some song omissions: “Good Clean Fun” was the opener each night of the tour, I believe, yet it’s not on the album? Leaving off a classic stomper like “Sweet Young Thing” is inexcusable too.
Still, it’s a great setlist (Even if “Daydream Believer,” which is neither a “Mike” or “Micky” song, could’ve been cut in favor of one of the aforementioned tunes) and I am glad I’ll finally get to hear some of this show, which was focused on the music over spectacle of previous reunion shows.
Also, more Nez songs and that is NEVER a bad thing!
Surprisingly this new tour is doing something I never would have believed in in all my sixty years: it’s opening in my hometown (Vancouver)! I saw them last year in Los Angeles and figured that was it for my Monkees concert going experience . . and now this. A very happy camper indeed!
Regarding the live CD, I too am disappointed/surprised that Sweet Young Thing was omitted. That said, I know I’ll love what I get. It’s a good time (pardon the pun) to be a Monkeeshead. Hey hey!
Just one correction to the above: There was no "first nomination for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". The hall continues to shut out The Monkees, on purpose...Rolling Stone's Jann Wenner considers them unworthy, and won't even consider allowing them to be nominated and up for a vote.
I saw Mike and Micky on this tour...The Mike and Micky Show...when they played in Toronto back in June 2018. It was a fantastic show, it was great to see them, and they played all the hits. I was, and still am, a big fan of their music.