The Monkees Greatest Hits (Colgems)

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Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits cover
Greatest hits by The Monkees
Released June 1969
Recorded 1966-1969
Genre Rock
Length mm:ss
Label Colgems
Producer various
The Monkees chronology
Instant Replay
(1969)		 Greatest Hits
(1969)		 The Monkees Present
(1969)

The first greatest hits album of The Monkees was issued by Colgems in June 1969.

Appearing in record stores a year after the cancellation of the Monkees's TV series, the black-and-orange-covered package remains one of the rarest pieces of vinyl in the band’s discography. After an unsuccessful movie, Head, from the previous winter, the record company tried to revive waning interest in the Monkees, but to no avail. The band was now down to a trio with the departure of Peter Tork, and The Monkees Greatest Hits climbed to a mediocre number 89 on the Billboard album charts before disappearing. With subsequent Greatest Hits releases, the album has been almost forgotten by the Monkee faithful.

True Monkees fans may find the track selection a bit curious. All six of the band’s first singles were chosen. The Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. stereo mix of "Pleasant Valley Sunday" was included, instead of the single mono mix. "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" appeared on a Monkees album for the first time as a new stereo version. As for the seven other tracks, only "Randy Scouse Git" made sense, since it was a Number Two single in England (as "Alternate Title").

Many Monkee songs were released as singles in different countries, such as "She" in Mexico and "Shades Of Gray" in the Philippines, however, they did not do as well as Mexico’s number one, "(Look Out) Here Comes Tomorrow" or Australia’s chart topper, "(Theme From) The Monkees," tracks that were left out of this package. Also missing were B-sides that charted in the Billboard Hot 100, such as "Words," and "Tapioca Tundra." Instead, "Cuddly Toy" and "Zor And Zam" were included without any explanation. All the tracks would reappear on Barrel Full of Monkees except for "Zor And Zam."

[edit] Track listing

Side One:

  1. "Daydream Believer" (Stewart)
  2. Pleasant Valley Sunday (Goffin & King)
  3. "Cuddly Toy" (Nilsson)
  4. "Shades of Gray" (Mann & Weil)
  5. "Zor and Zam" (Chadwick & Chadwick)
  6. "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You" (Diamond)
  7. "She" (Boyce & Hart)

Side Two:

  1. "Randy Scouse Git" (Dolenz)
  2. "I Wanna be Free" (Boyce & Hart)
  3. "I'm a Believer" (Diamond)
  4. "Valleri" (Boyce & Hart)
  5. "Mary Mary" (Nesmith)
  6. "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" (Boyce & Hart)
  7. "Last Train to Clarksville"

Prior to the eventual closing of the Colgems record label in 1971, the company made a test-pressing of yet another Monkees hits LP. A recent discovery of this record reveals that the title of this album was to be called "Greatest Hits, No. 2". Like its predecessor, it contained 14 songs. 4 of these songs were key album tracks; 5 songs were issued on both singles and albums; the remaining 5 selections were previously released only as singles and would have made their album debut on this collection, had it actually been released. While no official catalog number was ever assigned, the track listing was in place right from the start. Further documentation reveals that all 14 songs were in true stereo. The track line-up was as follows;

Side One: "(Theme From) The Monkees", "Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)", "Someday Man", "Good Clean Fun", "Oh My My", "What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?", and "D.W. Washburn". Side Two: "For Pete's Sake", "Listen To The Band", "It's Nice To Be With You", "The Girl I Knew Somewhere", "Tear Drop City", "Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again", and "Goin' Down".

[edit] References

  • The Monkees Tale, by Eric Lefcowitz, Last Gasp Press 1985, 1989 (ISBN 0867193786)