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Changes | ||||
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Released | June 30, 1970 | |||
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Length | 32:05 | |||
Label | Colgems | |||
Producer | Jeff Barry, Micky Dolenz, Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart | |||
The Monkees chronology | ||||
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Singles from Changes | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Changes is the ninth studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1970 by Colgems Records. The album was issued after Michael Nesmith's exit from the band, leaving only Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones to fulfill the recording contract they had signed in the mid-1960s. Changes was their last new album for Colgems Records and the group's last album of all new material until Pool It! , released in 1987.
The album's title had originally been considered for the Monkees' movie (released in 1968), and a song with that title (co-written by Davy Jones with Steve Pitts) had been recorded. The movie was retitled Head , however, and the song was subsequently shelved, remaining unreleased until 1990, when it appeared on the archival compilation album Missing Links Volume Two .
Changes reunited Jones and Micky Dolenz with producer Jeff Barry, who now had his own successful record label, Steed Records. As with the earliest Monkees recordings, Jones and Dolenz provided only their vocals, despite the album cover featuring them playing percussion, while the backing tracks were provided by session musicians. Several of the songs selected for the album were outtakes from previous album sessions: Barry resurrected his own produced outtake of his composition "99 Pounds" from the final Don Kirshner-supervised Monkees sessions in January 1967 that also yielded the hit single "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You"; Micky's "Midnight Train" was recorded during sessions for The Monkees Present and had been featured in CBS-TV reruns of The Monkees television show (most notably in "The Chaperone"); "I Never Thought It Peculiar," with vocals by Jones, was written by frequent Monkees collaborators Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart and was recorded during the sessions for More of the Monkees (1967).
Jones later stated that Changes was his least favorite Monkees effort, going so far as to comment in the 1994 Rhino Records CD version's liner notes that the album "was Jeff Barry and Andy Kim doing an Andy Kim album," adding that he had terrible memories of the recording sessions. Dolenz, while not lavishing praise on Changes, said that he was pleased to be invited to record new material. "I was quite happy to do it as long as somebody wanted to record me. It was simple as that." Dolenz added, "By that time, it was pretty obvious that the Monkees were over. Davy and I were still getting along, but we were mainly fulfilling a contractual obligation to a record company — that's what Changes is all about". [4]
"Oh My My" became the first single from the album and made the Top 100 in the Billboard charts. Written by Barry and Kim, it is unrelated to the later 1973 Ringo Starr single of the same name. In addition to being the album's opening track and lead-off single, "Oh My My" was also accompanied by a rare promo film directed by Dolenz, showing him and Jones riding their motorcycles and horses. "Acapulco Sun" was released as a single in Mexico, becoming a minor hit there.
Changes appeared in June 1970 and initially failed to make the charts. Consequently, its initial pressing (COS-119) was limited and has become one of the more valuable Monkees albums. Jones announced shortly after its release that he was resuming his solo career, but he and Dolenz would release one more single together before reuniting with Boyce and Hart in 1976 as Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart. In the wake of the success of the Monkees' television show being rebroadcast on Saturday mornings by CBS (in which all but two tracks from Changes were featured in the reruns), the duo recorded "Do It in the Name of Love" and "Lady Jane" in September 1970. Instead of appearing under the "Monkees" name on Colgems Records, however, the single was released on Bell Records, the successor label to Colgems, and was credited to "Mickey Dolenz [ sic ] and Davy Jones". This was due to the prohibitive costs of licensing the Monkees name in the US; however, in Japan, the record was issued under the name "the Monkees".
Like all of the original Monkees albums from 1966 to 1970, Changes was reissued in September 1986 by Rhino Records (RNLP-70148) and made a belated entry into the Billboard album charts, reaching No. 152. The Rhino vinyl reissue was transferred from a vinyl copy of the album, the master tape having been lost over the years. For the 1994 CD reissue on Rhino, a first-generation master tape was used, which had been found at the Screen Gems publishing division.
"Time and Time Again", a track written by Jones and Bill Chadwick and recorded in 1969, was originally slated to be on the album but was ultimately not chosen. The track later surfaced on the 1987 Monkees rarities collection Missing Links and again in remixed form as a bonus track on the 1994 CD release of Changes. [4]
Another song, "Steam Engine", was recorded in 1969 and was written and produced by Chip Douglas, featuring Dolenz on vocals. The song was not released at the time, due to a disagreement between Screen Gems and Douglas over session costs, and only saw the light of day via a Saturday morning rerun of the Monkees' TV series episode "Monkees on Tour". In 1979, it was finally issued on the semi-official Australian compilation album Monkeemania - 40 Timeless Hits, and in 1982 it was issued in the USA on the Rhino picture disc compilation Monkee Business . [5]
Two known outtakes from the sessions—"Ride Baby Ride" and "Which Way Do You Want It"—were thought to be lost as of the release of the 1994 Rhino CD. [4] On February 17, 2023, the latter was unveiled during the "Jeff Barry & The Monkees" event in Los Angeles, featuring Barry in conversation with Monkees historian Andrew Sandoval and broadcast online over Zoom. [6]
"Shake 'Em Up", a 1968 outtake from the sessions for The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees , written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and sung by Dolenz, was offered up for consideration to be included on Changes but was ultimately rejected by Barry in favor of new material. It was first issued in 1996 on another Monkees rarities collection, Missing Links Volume Three . [7]
No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
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1. | "Oh My My" (Jeff Barry, Andy Kim) | Micky Dolenz | 3:02 |
2. | "Ticket on a Ferry Ride" (Barry, Bobby Bloom) | Dolenz | 3:30 |
3. | "You're So Good to Me" (Barry, Bloom) | Davy Jones | 2:34 |
4. | "It's Got to Be Love" (Neil Brian Goldberg) | Dolenz | 2:25 |
5. | "Acapulco Sun" (Ned Albright, Steven Soles) | Dolenz | 2:54 |
6. | "99 Pounds" (Barry) | Jones | 2:29 |
No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
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1. | "Tell Me Love" (Barry) | Dolenz | 2:38 |
2. | "Do You Feel It Too?" (Barry, Kim) | Jones | 2:37 |
3. | "I Love You Better" (Barry, Kim) | Dolenz | 2:28 |
4. | "All Alone in the Dark" (Albright, Soles) | Dolenz | 2:52 |
5. | "Midnight Train" (Dolenz) | Dolenz | 2:07 |
6. | "I Never Thought It Peculiar" (Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart) | Jones | 2:29 |
No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
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13. | "Time and Time Again" (Jones, Bill Chadwick) | Jones | 2:40 |
14. | "Do It in the Name of Love" (Bloom, Goldberg) | Jones, Dolenz | 2:08 |
15. | "Lady Jane" (Bloom, Goldberg) | Jones, Dolenz | 2:45 |
The Monkees
Additional musicians
Note: unknown for tracks 1–5, 7–8, 10
Unconfirmed personnel and duties
Technical
Chart (1986) | Peak position |
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US Billboard Top Pop Albums [10] | 152 |
The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of TV series The Monkees, the Monkees were one of the most successful bands of the late 1960s. With international hits, four chart-topping albums and three chart-topping songs, they sold more than 75 million records worldwide.
Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. is the fourth album by the Monkees. It was released on November 6, 1967, during a period when the band exerted more control over their music and performed many of the instruments themselves. However, although the group had complete artistic control over the proceedings, they invited more outside contributions than on their previous album, Headquarters, and used session musicians to complement their sound. The album also featured one of the first uses of the Moog synthesizer in popular music. Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. sold over three million copies. It was the band's fourth consecutive album to reach No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
Headquarters is the third studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1967 by Colgems Records. It was issued after the first season of their television series had concluded and was the first album on which the group members made substantial songwriting and instrumental contributions, rather than relying on session musicians and professional songwriters. After a struggle for creative autonomy with their record label, the group had been allowed, to a degree, to record by themselves. Headquarters became the group's third consecutive No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified double platinum in the United States with sales of more than two million copies within the first two months of release. It also peaked at No. 2 on the UK charts. It is included in the 2006 book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
More of the Monkees is the second studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1967 on Colgems Records. It was recorded in late 1966 and displaced the band's debut album from the top of the Billboard 200 chart, remaining at No. 1 for 18 weeks, the longest run of any Monkees album. Combined, the first two Monkees albums were at the top of the Billboard chart for 31 consecutive weeks. More of the Monkees also went to No. 1 in the UK. In the U.S., it has been certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA, with sales of more than five million copies. More of the Monkees is also notable for being the first pop/rock album to be the best-selling album of the year in the U.S.
The Monkees is the debut studio album by the American band the Monkees. It was released on October 10, 1966 by Colgems Records in the United States and RCA Victor in the rest of the world. It was the first of four consecutive U.S. number one albums for the group, taking the top spot on the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks, after which it was displaced by the band's second album. It also topped the UK charts in 1967. The Monkees has been certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA, with sales of over five million copies.
The Monkees Present is the eighth studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1969 by Colgems Records. It was the second Monkees album released after the departure of Peter Tork and the last to feature Michael Nesmith until 1996's Justus.
The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees is the fifth studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1968 by Colgems Records. It was the first album released after the cancellation of their TV show and subsequently was their first not to reach No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, peaking at No. 3, and their first not to chart in the UK, with their four previous efforts all having reached the top ten. The album has sold over a million copies.
Instant Replay is the seventh studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1969 by Colgems Records. Issued 11 months after the cancellation of the group's NBC television series, it is also the first album released after Peter Tork left the group and the only album of the original nine studio albums that does not include any songs featured in the TV show.
"Valleri" is a song written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart for the Monkees. The single peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent two weeks at #1 on the Cash Box chart in early 1968, and reached #1 in Canada and #12 in the UK.
Missing Links Volume Three is a compilation album of rare and previously unreleased songs by the American pop rock band the Monkees, issued by Rhino Records in 1996. It is the third and final volume of a three-volume set, preceded by Missing Links in 1987 and Missing Links Volume Two in 1990.
The Monkees' discography spans over 50 years, from the release of their first single, "Last Train to Clarksville" in August 1966 to their final live album The Mike and Micky Show in April 2020. Their discography is complicated due to the large volume of unique releases in many international markets, the release of many recordings not credited to the Monkees for lack of rights to the trademark, and the existence of many bootleg, promotional, and novelty recordings that are beyond the scope of this article.
Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart was a supergroup, consisting of songwriting/performing duo Boyce and Hart and two members of the Monkees, Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones. Boyce and Hart had written many of the Monkees' biggest hits, such as "Last Train to Clarksville" and "(Theme From) The Monkees". The group existed only for a short time in 1976, recording one eponymous album.
Summer 1967: The Complete U.S. Concert Recordings is a four-CD compilation of live recordings by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 2001 by Rhino Handmade. Recorded during the band's summer 1967 tour, the CD was a limited edition release, with 3,500 copies being made available. 16 of these tracks had previously been compiled by Rhino and released as Live 1967 in 1987.
"Good Clean Fun" is a song by The Monkees from their 1969 album The Monkees Present. Recorded on June 1, 1968, it was released on Colgems single #5005 on September 6, 1969. Written and sung by Michael Nesmith, the song's title is never heard in the lyrics.
Tear Drop City is a single by the Monkees released on February 8, 1969 on Colgems #5000 recorded on October 26, 1966. The song reached No.56 on the Billboard chart, no.37 on cash box. The lyrics are about a man who feels low because his girlfriend has left him. Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, it was the first single The Monkees released as a trio. Micky Dolenz performed the lead vocal. Boyce and Hart produced and arranged the song.
"Listen to the Band" is a song by American pop rock band the Monkees, released on Colgems single 5004 on April 26, 1969. Written by Michael Nesmith, it is the first time Nesmith sang lead vocals on a Monkees single A-side.
Good Times! is the twelfth studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 2016 by Rhino Records. Produced primarily by Adam Schlesinger, the album was recorded to commemorate the band's 50th anniversary. It was the first Monkees studio album since Justus (1996), marking the longest gap between releases to date, and the first since the death of band member Davy Jones. The album features surviving Monkees Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork, as well as a posthumous contribution from Jones.
Christmas Party is the 13th and final studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released on October 12, 2018, by Rhino Records. Produced mainly by Adam Schlesinger, the album is the Monkees' first to focus on Christmas themes. It follows on the success of their 2016 album Good Times! The album features surviving Monkees Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith, and Peter Tork, as well as two posthumous contributions from Davy Jones. It is the final Monkees studio album to be released prior to Tork and Nesmith's deaths in 2019 and 2021, respectively.
"Do It in the Name of Love" is a song written by Bobby Bloom and Neil Brian Goldberg.
"Words" is a song written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart and released by the Monkees. An early version by the Leaves appeared on their 1966 album Hey Joe. The Monkees first recorded the song for their second album, More of The Monkees, in August 1966 under the supervision of Boyce and Hart. While this version went unreleased until the 1990 compilation Missing Links Volume Two, it was featured in the 10 April 1967 episode of The Monkees "Monkees, Manhattan Style". A new version of the song was made to be the B-side of "Pleasant Valley Sunday" in 1967, now produced by Chip Douglas.