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Last year, 7a Records – the label dedicated to all things Monkees – chronicled the early 1980s rise of Monkeemania in Japan with the release of Davy Jones’ Live in Japan. On May 8, 7a will celebrate another Monkee solo tour from that era with Micky Dolenz’s own Live in Japan. Like Davy’s entry, Micky’s release will be available in CD/DVD and vinyl LP formats.

Early 1982 saw Dolenz make the trip to Japan where he embarked on his first tour as a solo artist. Much as Jones had adopted the Japanese group Ricky and Revolver as his backing band, Dolenz took on a band there with the rather American name of Marlboro. Naturally, his setlist featured all of the expected Monkees classics – “I’m a Believer,” “Last Train to Clarksville,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” “(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone,” and “Daydream Believer” – but Micky also dug deep for his Japanese fans. He played a couple of Michael Nesmith favorites from Headquarters (“Sunny Girlfriend” and “You Just May Be the One”), his mother’s song “Pillow Time” from 1969’s The Monkees Present, and even “Zor and Zam” from 1968’s The Birds, The Bees, and The Monkees. The rocking “Mary, Mary,” “Goin’ Down,” and “Randy Scouse Git” were all part of the setlist, and in addition to “Daydream Believer,” Micky also filled his friend Davy’s shoes for the touching “I Wanna Be Free.” The concert ends with his then-current Japan-exclusive single “To Be or Not to Be” b/w “Beverly Hills.”

7a’s release has the full concert in audio and video formats on CD and Region 0 DVD (playable on all DVD players everywhere in the world), respectively, as well as a complement of five rare bonus tracks on CD. These include the single versions of “Beverly Hills” and “To Be or Not to Be” (both of which were included on Dolenz’s 2016 The MGM Singles Collection from 7a) as well as two renditions of “I’m Your Man” from 1978’s World Popular Song Contest and the 1983 U.K. single of “Tomorrow” from the London stage version of Paul Williams’ Bugsy Malone. (Dolenz adapted and directed the musical’s West End premiere at Her Majesty’s Theatre, today the home of The Phantom of the Opera.) Both versions of “I’m Your Man” and “Tomorrow” are making their CD debuts here.

In every respect, these packages promise to be up to the same high standards of Davy Jones’ Live in Japan complete with cover art incorporating the look of an OBI strip. The CD/DVD set boasts a 24-page color booklet.  The vinyl version, to be issued on 180-gram splatter-colored vinyl, drops the introductory “(Theme From) The Monkees” and the bonus tracks but otherwise has the same content as the CD and DVD.

Both the CD/DVD and LP iterations are due from 7a Records on May 8 in the U.K. and May 15 in North America. You’ll find pre-order links and the full track listings below!

Micky Dolenz, Live in Japan (7a Records, 2020)

CD/DVD (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Deep Discount)

1. (Theme From) The Monkees
2. Sunny Girlfriend
3. Last Train to Clarksville
4. You Just May Be the One
5. I’m a Believer
6. Randy Scouse Git
7. Zor and Zam
8. Mary, Mary
9. I Wanna Be Free
10. Pillow Time
11. Shades of Gray
12. No Time
13. Daydream Believer
14. (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
15. Goin’ Down
16. Pleasant Valley Sunday
17. Beverly Hills
18. To Be or Not to Be

CD-Only Bonus Tracks:

19. I’m Your Man (Semi-Final) (from the World Popular Song Contest, Tokyo, 1978)
20. I’m Your Man (Final) (from the World Popular Song Contest, Tokyo, 1978)
21. Tomorrow (from Bugsy Malone) (A&M (U.K.) single BUGSY 1, 1983)
22. To Be or Not to Be (Single Version) (Japan All-Round Music Company single J-8112-A, 1982)
23. Beverly Hills (Single Version) (Japan All-Round Music Company single J-8112-B, 1982)

Splatter-Colored LP (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Deep Discount)

Side One

1. Sunny Girlfriend
2. Last Train to Clarksville
3. You Just May Be the One
4. I’m a Believer
5. Randy Scouse Git
6. Zor and Zam
7. I Wanna Be Free
8. Pillow Time
9. Shades of Gray

Side Two

10. Mary, Mary
11. No Time
12. Daydream Believer
13. (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
14. Goin’ Down
15. Pleasant Valley Sunday
16. Beverly Hills
17. To Be or Not to Be