Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.

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Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.
Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. cover
Studio album by The Monkees
Released November 14, 1967
Recorded 1967
Length 33:00
Label Colgems Records
Producer(s) Chip Douglas
Professional reviews
The Monkees chronology
Headquarters
(1967)		 Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.
(1967)		 The Birds, The Bees & the Monkees
(1968)


Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. was the fourth album by The Monkees, released on November 14, 1967. At this point in their career, The Monkees were exerting more control over their music and actually playing many of the instruments themselves, something their record company had previously forbidden. The group did employ studio musicians to a greater extent than their previous album, Headquarters, which the four musicians played almost entirely on their own. Guitarist Michael Nesmith is heard vocally on this album more than ever before, contributing several strong songs here, including "What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?" The album's single, "Pleasant Valley Sunday"/"Words," was a double-sided hit. Along with Headquarters, Pisces constitutes what both critics and supporters alike believe to be the ultimate Monkees recordings, as they continued to distance themselves from their manufactured pop beginnings.

The album is particularly interesting for the pioneering use of the Moog Synthesizer, which Micky Dolenz introduced to the group and played in the studio; he owned one of the first twenty ever sold.[1] Pisces is believed to be the first rock or pop album to feature the Moog; not even The Beatles had experimented with one before this point. (George Harrison would obtain a Moog late the next year, employing it on his second solo album, Electronic Sound, and the Beatles used it on Abbey Road.) In any event, Pisces is one of the first handful of commercially issued recordings in any musical genre to feature the instrument. Electronic musician Paul Beaver plays the Moog on another track.

Two additional songs, which eventually became the single "Daydream Believer"/"Goin' Down," were recorded during the album sessions. Released in October 1967 as a prelude to the Pisces album, it would be the group's last number one single.

The album's title stems from each band member's respective astrological sign. However, since Nesmith and Davy Jones share the same sign (and the same birthday), Davy's last name was placed at the end of the title to avoid confusion. Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. sold over 2 million copies as Colgems #104.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

"Salesman"

  • Written by Craig Vincent Smith
  • Lead vocal by Mike Nesmith
  • Craig Vincent Smith was a friend of Nesmith's who later appeared in the band Penny Arkade, which Nesmith produced
  • Featured on the TV show in the episode "The Devil and Peter Tork"

"She Hangs Out"

  • Written by Jeff Barry
  • Lead vocal by Davy Jones
  • Used on episode #41, without the horns (the hornless master has unfortunately disappeared with time)
  • Trumpet: Pete Candoli, Robert Helfer, Al Porcine and Manuel Stevens
  • Trombone: Richard Leith, Richard Noel, Philip Teele
  • Arrangement: Shorty Rogers

"The Door Into Summer"

"Love Is Only Sleeping"

  • Written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil
  • Lead vocal by Mike Nesmith
  • Not originally intended to be included on Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. as the song was to be issued as a single instead
  • After a manufacturing error caused some delays, Colgems rethought the strategy and released the more commercial "Daydream Believer" as the single instead, with "Goin' Down" as its B-side

"Cuddly Toy"

  • Written by Harry Nilsson
  • Lead vocal by Davy Jones
  • Harmony vocal by Micky Dolenz
  • This song and "The Door Into Summer" are the only songs featuring Micky behind the drums on the album
  • Demo was under the name "By Any Boy"
  • Selected by the band after Nilsson auditioned several songs for the group
  • Strings, Horns: unknown

"Words"

  • Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart
  • Lead vocals by Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork
  • Originally recorded for More of The Monkees in August 1966, but re-recorded for this album under the group's direction
  • Organ used in the song is a Hammond B-3
  • Reached number 11 on the pop charts

"Hard To Believe"

  • Written by David Jones, Kim Capli, Eddie Brick, and Charlie Rockett
  • Lead vocal by Davy Jones
  • Recorded at the end of their tour on August 23, 1967
  • Trumpet: Oliver Mitchell, Anthony Terran
  • Bass Trombone: Robert Knight
  • French Horn: Vincent DeRosa
  • Baritone Sax: Jim Horn
  • Violin: Leonard Aitkins, Arnold Belnick, Nathan Kaproff, Wilbert Nuttycombe, Jerome Reisler and Darrel Terwilliger
  • Orchestrator: George Tipton
  • Arrangement: Roger Farris
  • Kim Capli and Davy Jones recorded this song alone, with multi-instrumentalist Capli laying the basic tracks

"What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?"

  • Written under the pseudonyms Travis Lewis and Boomer Clark, but actually the work of Michael Martin Murphy and Owens Castleman
  • Lead vocal by Mike Nesmith
  • Chosen by Mike for the country feel it gave off; Murphy was an old friend of Nesmith's

"Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky"

  • Written by Peter Tork
  • Spoken words by Peter Tork
  • Taught to Peter by Judy Mayhan, whom he was managing at the time
  • Peter admits that it was public domain, but when Screen Gems asked who wrote it he gave his name (which he could do, as 'arranger' of the piece)

"Pleasant Valley Sunday"

  • Written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King
  • Lead vocal by Micky Dolenz
  • Harmony vocal by Mike Nesmith
  • Backing vocals by Peter Tork and Davy Jones
  • Released as a single before the album on July 10, 1967
  • Recorded on June 10 and 11, 1967 after their Hollywood Bowl performance
  • Reached number 3 on the pop charts

"Daily Nightly"

  • Written by Michael Nesmith
  • Lead vocal by Micky Dolenz
  • Nesmith's inspiration for this song stemmed from the infamous Sunset Strip riots and the misinformation that the media reported about the event
  • First use ever of a Moog Synthesizer on a pop record, which was played by Dolenz

"Don't Call On Me"

  • Written by Michael Nesmith and John London
  • Lead vocal by Mike Nesmith
  • A reworked version of a pre-Monkees Nesmith song
  • Not actually recorded at Chicago's Palmer House, but during two Hollywood sessions

"Star Collector"

[edit] CD bonus tracks

"Special Announcement"

  • Originally intended to be the kick-off to the album
  • Spoken words by Peter Tork

"Goin' Down" (alt. mix)

  • Written by Diane Hilderbrand, Peter Tork, Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz and David Jones
  • Lead vocal by Micky Dolenz
  • Electric Guitars: Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork
  • Bass: Chip Douglas
  • Drums: Eddie Hoh
  • Trumpets: Bud Brisbois, Virgil Evans, Uan Rasey and Thomas Scott
  • Trombones: Louis Blackburn, Richard Leith, Richard Nash and Philip Teele
  • Sax: William Collette, William Hood, Plas Johnson and John Lowe
  • Arrangement by Shorty Rogers
  • Produced by Chip Douglas
  • B-side of "Daydream Believer"
  • Intended to be on the album, but deleted after including "Love Is Only Sleeping" on the album

Salesman (alt. version)

  • Features a goofy sales pitch by Nesmith over the fade

"The Door Into Summer" (alt. version)

  • Features a different background vocal arrangement and an altered lead vocal

"Love Is Only Sleeping" (alt. version)

"Daily Nightly" (alt. mix)

  • Lacks Dolenz's synthesizer part

"Star Collector" (alt. longer version)

  • Features a longer Moog solo and an altered beginnning & ending

[edit] Main personnel

  • Drums: Micky Dolenz, Eddie Hoh, Kim Capli
  • Guitars: Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz, Bill Chadwick
  • Piano, Organ and Clavinet: Peter Tork, Chip Douglas, Bill Martin, Harry Nilsson, Bob Rafelson
  • Bass: Chip Douglas, Larry Taylor
  • Percussion: Davy Jones, Bill Martin
  • Banjo: Douglas Dillard
  • Moog Synthesizer: Micky Dolenz, Paul Beaver
  • Vocals, Backing Vocals: Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Mike Nesmith & Peter Tork

[edit] Original Single

"Love Is Only Sleeping"/ "Daydream Believer"

The original single to precede the album was canceled due to fears that the title of the A-side might be too risqué.

[edit] Original Album

The track line up for the album, complied on October 9, included the following songs:

Side 1:

  1. "Special Announcement"
  2. "She Hangs Out"
  3. "Salesman"
  4. "Cuddly Toy"
  5. "Words"
  6. "Don't Call On Me"
  7. "Goin' Down"

Side 2:

  1. "The Door Into Summer"
  2. "Hard To Believe"
  3. "What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?"
  4. "Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky"
  5. "Pleasant Valley Sunday"
  6. "Daily Nightly"
  7. "Star Collector"

[edit] References

  • All information can be found in the Rhino reissue of Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.
  • The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation by Andrew Sandoval
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