| "Take a Giant Step" | |
|---|---|
 US single | |
| Single by The Monkees | |
| from the album The Monkees | |
| A-side | "Last Train to Clarksville" |
| Released | 16 August 1966 |
| Recorded | 9 July 1966 |
| Studio | RCA Victor (Hollywood, California) |
| Genre | Pop rock |
| Length | 2:31 |
| Label | Colgems 1001 |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) | |
"Take a Giant Step" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, and first released by American pop rock band the Monkees in 1966.
The song was released as the B-side to the band's first single, "Last Train to Clarksville", and later appeared as the closing track on side one of their debut album. [1] Micky Dolenz performed lead vocals. [1]
The song is presented as a plea to a heartbroken girl to move on from her past romantic disappointments, and to "learn to live again at last", by "taking a giant step outside your mind". Critic Eric Lefcowitz describes the song as "proto-psychedelic". [2] The song features a main lyric and a counterpoint, both of which Micky sang; Davy Jones later repeated that on "When Love Comes Knockin' (At Your Door)".
Fountain of Youth released a version of the song in June 1968 on the Monkees' own Colgems label, featuring a different arrangement. [3] [4]
The song was later covered by singer Taj Mahal, in a significantly rearranged version, and included as the title track to his 1969 double album release Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home . [5] It was also recorded by Rising Sons—featuring Mahal and Ry Cooder—in 1966, but not released until 1992 on their self-titled album. [6]
The song was also covered by Bobby Sherman in the March 20, 1970, episode of the television series Here Come the Brides , titled "Absalom".
In 1994, Monkees member Peter Tork released a folk version on his debut solo album Stranger Things Have Happened . Nina Hagen released a German version of the song (titled "Riesenschritt") on her 1995 album FreuD euch . [7]
