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The names of Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart have long been inextricably linked with that of The Monkees.  The duo penned many of the band’s most familiar songs including “(Theme From) ‘The Monkees,'” “I Wanna Be Free,” “(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone,” “Valleri,” and the chart-topping “Last Train to Clarksville.”  So when promoters were seeking a Monkees reunion in the mid-1970s, and with Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork unavailable, it’s unsurprising that Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz turned to Boyce and Hart – hitmakers in their own right with “I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight,” “Out and About,” and “Alice Long (You’re Still My Favorite Girlfriend)” – to form a new foursome.  Dolenz, Jones, Boyce and Hart released two albums, one studio set and one live album.  Now, both of those albums are returning to print on July 8 as a new 2-CD or 2-LP deluxe edition simply titled Dolenz, Jones, Boyce and Hart from the Monkees specialists at 7a Records.

Bobby Hart told Monkees historian Andrew Sandoval in 1996 that the seeds of the project were planted by publisher-producer Christian DeWalden.  In his travels to Southeast Asia, DeWalden met a local promoter who wanted to reunite The Monkees.  Soon, American promoter Tony Rico had the same request.  Dolenz, Jones, Boyce, and Hart was born: “The first place we went was Six Flags outside of St. Louis [on July 4, 1975], and 23,000 kids showed up.  We saw that ten years later [after the formation of The Monkees] there was this audience.  So, we started playing every amusement park known to man (and other venues in between) while we were waiting for this Southeast Asia tour to come up.”   The tour was billed as “the great golden hits of The Monkees – the guys who wrote ’em and the guys who sang ’em.”

Coming aboard for the ride was guitarist-songwriter-producer Keith Allison of Paul Revere and The Raiders.  Keith, who died in 2021, had a long history with Boyce and Hart and had recorded a lone solo album, In Action, in 1967 on the Columbia label.  (It was reissued in an expanded edition in 2014 on the Real Gone Music label.)  He served as lead guitarist for the band on their lone studio album, a 1976 self-titled set for Capitol Records which is presented as Disc One of 7a’s new set.  Dolenz, Jones, Boyce, and Hart featured original songs from Tommy and Bobby including the nostalgic single “I Remember the Feeling” as well as choice covers (“Along Came Jones,” “Teenager in Love”) and even a pair of Micky/Davy co-writes, “Savin’ My Love for You” and “You and I” (which would gain new life twenty years later on The Monkees’ Justus).  Jimmie Haskell provided the string charts and veteran session singer Ron Hicklin handled the vocal arrangements.  Longtime Monkees associate Chip Douglas was among the A-team of musicians who brought the enjoyable album to life.  It’s appeared once previously on CD, from Cherry Red’s El imprint in 2005.

In summer 1976 – after a July 4 gig at Disneyland which saw Peter Tork jump onstage with the band – Dolenz, Jones, Boyce, and Hart embarked on their long-anticipated tour of Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.  A live album was recorded at Tokyo’s Yubin Chokin Hall on July 20 featuring the quartet supported by Keith Allison, bassist Rick Tierney, keyboardist Steve Johnson, and drummer Jerry Summers.  The live album was heavy on the Monkees favorites the audiences came to hear, among them the opening “Last Train to Clarksville,” “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” “Cuddly Toy,” and “I Wanna Be Free” as well as cuts from the studio album, an oldies medley of Boyce and/or Hart tunes (“Come a Little Bit Closer,” “Pretty Little Angel Eyes,” “Hurt So Bad,” and more), and classics from the Boyce and Hart (“I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight”) and Keith Allison discographies (“Action”).

Unfortunately, the slow sales of the Capitol LP resulted in the shelving of the live album.  But when a new wave of Monkeemania hit Japan spurred on by a Kodak commercial featuring “Daydream Believer” – a period vividly chronicled on 7a’s past releases from Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones – EMI-Toshiba dug out the live release, issuing it in August 1981 as Concert in Japan.  Varese Sarabande brought it to CD in its premiere outside of Europe in 1996; 7a brings it back for the first time since then as the second disc of its deluxe package.

7a’s release is remastered from the original tapes and will be available in 2CD and 2LP formats.  The 2CD set will include a 40-page booklet with new liner notes and previously unpublished photos, while the 2LP version will be housed in a gatefold sleeve and pressed on 180-gram green, black, and yellow “quad” vinyl.

Look for this long-awaited release from 7a Records on July 8.  You’ll find the track listing and pre-order links (some of which aren’t yet active) below!

Dolenz, Jones, Boyce and Hart (7a Records, 2022)

CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Deep Discount
LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada / Deep Discount
Signed Copies: Coming to Micky Dolenz Official Store

CD 1/LP 1: Dolenz, Jones, Boyce and Hart (Capitol LP ST-11513, 1976)

1. Right Now
2. I Love You (And I’m Glad That I Said It)
3. You And I
4. Teenager In Love
5. Sail On Sailor
6. It Always Hurts the Most in the Morning
7. Moonfire
8. You Didn’t Feel That Way Last Night (Don’t You Remember)
9. Along Came Jones
10. Savin’ My Love for You
11. I Remember the Feeling
12. Sweet Heart Attack

CD 2/LP 2: Concert in Japan (EMI-Toshiba/Capitol (Japan) LP ECS-91018, 1981)

1. Last Train to Clarksville
2. Medley: Valleri/Daydream Believer/A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You
3. I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight
4. (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
5. I Wanna Be Free
6. Savin’ My Love for You
7. Pleasant Valley Sunday
8. I Remember the Feeling
9. A Teenager in Love
10. Cuddly Toy
11. Medley: Come A Little Bit Closer/Pretty Little Angel Eyes/Hurt So Bad/Peaches ‘N’ Cream/Something’s Wrong with Me/Keep On Singing
12. I Love You (And I’m Glad That I Said It)
13. Action