The Monkees I'm A Believer, Good Times! Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz Live 2016
For the first time since Davy Jones died in 2012 of a heart attack, The Monkees original members Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork sing on live TV. I'm A Believer and She Makes Me Laugh was performed on GMA the morning of June 1, 2016.
In 1967, The Monkees sold more records than The Beatles and The Rolling Stones combined. Jimi Hendrix Experience was the opening act on The Monkees sixties national tour.
‘I’m A Believer’ from ‘More of the Monkees’ (1967) is The Monkees biggest and most enduring hit, staying at Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 for seven weeks. The Monkees most identifiable song was written by a young Neil Diamond, but the group made it their own thanks to the dynamic vocals of Mickey Dolenz. As the featured single from the band's second album, 'More Of The Monkees' was one of the biggest selling pop/rock albums of the '60's, sitting atop the Billboard 200 album charts for 18 weeks.
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the launch of The Monkees, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith released Good Times, the band's first album in 20 years. If I had known I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself, Mickey Dolenz joked.
The Monkees' first studio album in 20 years was released May 27, 2016. Good Times! celebrates the band's 50th anniversary and features new contributions from surviving members Michael Nesmith, Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork. CD also includes tunes written especially for the project by various respected modern-rock artists.
Mike Nesmith said he was pleasantly surprised with Good Times! I thought it came out great, and the songs that people have been writing for it I thought were great, noted Nesmith. It just came together like an ordinary record, but because it was our 50th [anniversary], we knew it was gonna be kind of a touchstone, so everybody had high hopes for it, he continued. And then when it came out like it did, it was like, 'Holy smokes, this actually…sounds good!' And so, we were thrilled.
The album includes tunes written by Weezer's Rivers Cuomo, Oasis' Noel Gallagher, The Jam's Paul Weller, XTC's Andy Partridge and Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard. Nesmith said he especially liked Gibbard's contribution, Me and Magdelana, as well as a track that Weller and Gallagher co-wrote, Birth of an Accidental Hipster.
On Me and Magdelana, Nesmith trades lead vocals with Dolenz. He said that working with his old band mate on the parts for that song, and other tracks, was one of the things he most enjoyed about making the album. It was very easy 'cause we worked together for so long, he pointed out, adding that having the different writers gave us so many more things to say and so many more opportunities at a good time. Ha! No pun intended.
Good Times! certainly shares many elements with The Monkees' classic 1960s material, including infectious melodies and jangly guitars. Still, Nesmith feels that the new album is more than a trip down memory lane. The thing that I think works so good about the new record is that it really is in the moment, he insisted. It's happening right now. These are real people, right now, singing it in this real time.
The Monkees 50th Anniversary 2016 North America Tour Dates:
May 18 - Fort Myers, FL @ Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall
May 19 - Melbourne, FL @ King Center for the Performing Arts
May 20 - Tampa, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
May 21 - Atlanta, GA @ Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater
May 24 - Charlotte, NC @ Blumenthal PAC - Belk Theater
May 26 - Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre
May 27 - Boston, MA @ The Wilbur Theatre
May 28 - Philadelphia, PA @ Keswick Theatre
May 29 - Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Theatre
June 1 - New York, NY @ The Town Hall
June 3 - Toronto, ON @ Casino Rama
June 4 - Windsor, ON @ The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor
June 5 - Cleveland, OH @ Hard Rock Live Northfield Park
June 7 - Fort Wayne, IN @ Foellinger Theatre
June 10 - Louisville, KY @ Louisville Palace Theatre
June 11th - Hammond, IN @ The Venue at Horseshoe Casino
June 12 - Indianapolis, IN @ Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
June 14 - Dayton, OH @ Rose Music Center at The Heights
June 28 - Dallas, TX @ AT&T PAC – Winspear Opera House
June 30 - Tulsa, OK @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
July 1 - Mayetta, KS @ Prairie Band Casino & Resort
July 16 - Hampton Beach, NH @ Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
July 22 - Hot Springs, AR @ Oaklawn Racing and Gaming
September 14 - Tucson, AZ @ Fox Tucson Theater
September 15 - Phoenix, AZ @ Mesa Arts Center
September 16 - Los Angeles, CA @ Pantages Theatre
September 17 - Las Vegas, NV @ Primm Valley Casino Resorts
September 20 - San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
September 21 - Modesto, CA @ Gallo Center For The Arts
September 23 & 24 - Lincoln City, OR @ Chinook Winds Casino Resort
September 25 - Seattle, WA @ The Moore Theatre
October 1 - Biloxi, MS @ Hard Rock Live
October 22 - Paso Robles, CA @ Vina Robles Amphitheatre
October 29 - Shippensburg, PA @ H. Ric Luhrs PAC