Less than a year and a half after Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz brought The Monkees' original discography to a close with the release of Changes, actor-singer Jones was back on Bell Records with a new studio album.  His second solo LP, 1971's Davy Jones, was in a sunshine pop-meets-bubblegum vein, but it carried on the spirit of the early Monkees with strong tunes including some from songwriters who had written for the group (David Gates, Neil Sedaka).  On February 23, 7a Records will release Davy Jones: The Bell Records Story, a deluxe single CD or 180-gram vinyl LP, celebrating Jones' first released post-Monkees endeavor in expanded form.

The first twelve tracks on The Bell Records Story represent the complete 1971 Davy Jones album, from which Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield's irresistibly catchy "Rainy Jane" became a moderate 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.)  David Gates' "Look at Me" was plucked from his band Bread's 1969 debut record.  Tunesmith Danny Janssen (The Partridge Family, Bobby Sherman) supplied "Singin' to the Music" while prolific background singer Carol Carmichael penned "Road to Love."  Bell brought on Bobby Sherman's team of producer Jackie Mills and arranger-conductor Al Capps for Davy Jones, ensuring a tried-and-true bubblegum sound.

The Bell era is also notable for Jones' appearance on the Brady Bunch episode "Getting Davy Jones," on which he sang Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel's "Girl."  (The song was memorably reprised by Jones decades later in 1995's The Brady Bunch Movie.)  The Brady Bunch appearance was one of a number of high-profile television appearances by Jones, also including guest spots on Love American Style, Laugh-In, and even The New Scooby-Doo Movies.  The twelve tracks on Davy Jones are augmented on the CD by six non-LP bonus tracks: the mono singles "Girl" b/w "Take My Love" and "I'll Believe in You" b/w "Road to Love," plus mono versions of the album tracks "How About Me" and "I Really Love You."  (This same track sequence was featured on Friday Music's 2012 reissue of Davy Jones, now long out-of-print.)

The Bell Records Story has been newly remastered from master tapes in the Sony vaults, and the CD edition includes a deluxe, 36-page booklet with liner notes by Monkees historian Mark Kleiner.  The vinyl version, with the same expanded track listing, is pressed on 180-gram transparent green vinyl housed in a gatefold sleeve.  Both CD and LP versions are due on February 23 from 7a Records, and you'll find pre-order links below!  As an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Davy Jones, The Bell Records Story (7a Records, 2024)

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

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 originally unreleased