Who's ready to have some fun with The Monkees as they celebrate their 50th anniversary? With a tour kicking off in May and the group’s first new album in 20 years, GOOD TIMES!, due June 10th, Monkee-mania will be taking 2016 by storm!
GOOD TIMES! features all three surviving band members – Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. The unmistakable voice of the late Davy Jones is also included with a vintage vocal featured on one song. To produce the new album, the band found the perfect musical co-conspirator in Grammy® and Emmy®-winning songwriter Adam Schlesinger (Fountains Of Wayne, Ivy). GOOD TIMES! will be available on CD and digitally June 10, with a vinyl version coming out on July 1.
Much like The Monkees’ early albums, GOOD TIMES! features tracks written specifically for the band by some of the music world’s most gifted songwriters, including Rivers Cuomo (Weezer), Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie), Andy Partridge (XTC), and Zach Rogue (Rogue Wave) as well as a song co-written by Noel Gallagher and Paul Weller. The album also includes songwriting contributions by Nesmith (“I Know What I Know”) and Tork as well as producer Schlesinger.
To help bring the anniversary full circle, The Monkees completed songs for GOOD TIMES! that were originally recorded and written for the group during the 60s, including “Love To Love” by Neil Diamond, which features a vintage vocal by Jones. Harry Nilsson wrote the title track “Good Times,” which he recorded at a session with Nesmith in January 1968. The production was never completed, so the band returned to the original session tape (featuring Nilsson’s guide vocal) and have created a duet with his close friend Dolenz. “Good Times” will mark the first time Dolenz and Nilsson have sung together since Dolenz’ May 1973 single “Daybreak.” Other vintage 1960’s tracks included on GOOD TIMES! feature L.A.’s famed “Wrecking Crew” of session musicians.
“This is one of the most exciting Monkee projects I’ve been involved in for decades!” says Dolenz. “Working with Adam Schlesinger has been a pure delight and the opportunity to sing a duet with my old buddy, Harry Nilsson, is just beyond cool!”
GOOD TIMES! Partial Track Listing (with songwriters noted) Final Version To Be Announced Soon
“Good Times!” (Harry Nilsson) “You Bring The Summer” (Andy Partridge) “Terrifying” (Zach Rogue) “Me & Magdalena” (Ben Gibbard) “She Makes Me Laugh” (Rivers Cuomo) “Love To Love” (Neil Diamond) “I Know What I Know” (Michael Nesmith)
