Maps of Music

The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees (1968)

Where the lyrics of The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees take you, and where it was really made.

This album was the first Monkees record not to reach No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, yet its single "Daydream Believer" did reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Key places

Recorded at United Recorders (1968)

Recording site Ocean Way Recording — The album was recorded at United Recorders in Hollywood, one of the studios used during the band's separate sessions. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Recorded at RCA Victor, Hollywood (1968)

Recording site RCA Studio B — RCA Victor in Hollywood is listed as a recording location for the album, one of several studios used as the members recorded separately. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• 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; US release on April 22, 1968
• Issued in both stereo and mono formats in the US
• The first album released after the cancellation of the group's TV show
• Has sold over a million copies

Background

• 1968 setbacks: the TV series was canceled, and the debut feature film Head performed poorly at the box office
• Peter Tork left the group in December 1968
• Two singles: "Daydream Believer" by John Stewart reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100; "Valleri" became the group's sixth million-selling single
• After Headquarters and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., the group gained creative control over its music and was allowed to play its own instruments in the studio
• After Pisces, the collaborative studio dynamic began to dissolve; members recorded their own material independently with different producers, musicians, and studios
• Producer Chip Douglas, who had overseen the band's previous two albums, noted the decline in collaborative spirit

Recording

• All tracks except "Daydream Believer" were credited as "Produced by the Monkees," but many sessions were supervised by others
• Others who supervised sessions included Colgems president Lester Sill, jazz arranger Shorty Rogers, and Brendan Cahill
• According to Rogers, the band kept formal producer credit under its contract, while most technical and organizational work was done by the staff
• Davy Jones wrote songs in a Broadway pop style; Michael Nesmith explored country rock and psychedelic sounds; Micky Dolenz drew on soul and rock
• Peter Tork's compositions were not included; his only contribution was piano on "Daydream Believer"
• Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart returned with a revised "Valleri" and the psychedelic "P.O. Box 9847"

Cover

• The front cover is a shadow box holding nostalgic items from the 1940s to the 1960s
• The cover was designed by the agency of Alan Wolsky, who placed his own photograph in the bottom center compartment
• The back cover includes the acronym "MIJACOGEO" near Micky Dolenz's photo, standing for the names of his family members

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org · it.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s.
• The group was conceived in 1965 by television producers Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the NBC sitcom of the same name, which aired from 1966 to 1968.
• Casting drew 437 applicants; Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Micky Dolenz were chosen.

Members

• Micky Dolenz: lead and backing vocals, drums, guitar, keyboards.
• Davy Jones: lead and backing vocals, percussion, bass; died in 2012.
• Michael Nesmith: lead and rhythm guitars, keyboards, vocals; died in 2021.
• Peter Tork: bass, guitars, keyboards, banjo, vocals; died in 2019.

Career

• Early music was largely performed by session musicians such as the Wrecking Crew under Don Kirshner's supervision.
• The band had four consecutive No. 1 albums in 1966–1967: The Monkees, More of the Monkees, Headquarters, and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.
• They had three No. 1 singles: "Last Train to Clarksville", "I'm a Believer", and "Daydream Believer".
• The members gained control over their recordings in 1967 after a conflict with Kirshner.
• The film Head (1968) was a commercial failure; the group broke up in the early 1970s.
• A revival in 1986 led to intermittent reunions, new albums, and tours until 2021.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• The first album released after the TV show was canceled
• Did not reach No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200, peaking at No. 3
• The first Monkees album not to chart in the UK; the four previous albums had all reached the top ten
• "Daydream Believer" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 as a single
• "Valleri" became the group's sixth million-selling single
• The B-side "Tapioca Tundra", written by Michael Nesmith, spent six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at No. 34 in late March 1968
• The album was released in the US on April 22, 1968, in stereo and mono

Records

• The album has sold over a million copies
• The US mono edition was pressed in limited quantities as mono LPs were being phased out
• The UK release followed on July 5, 1968, through RCA Victor, and its mono LP was a fold-down of the stereo version
• Canada: RCA Victor issued the album in April 1968 under the same catalogue numbers

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The US mono edition was pressed in limited quantities as mono LPs were being phased out, and its dedicated mixes differ from the stereo versions, so it became a collector's item.
• Michael Nesmith's back cover portrait is captioned "Carlisle Wheeling", the title of an unreleased song that was later re-recorded as "Conversations" on his 1970 solo album Loose Salute.
• Peter Tork submitted several compositions for the album, but none were included; his only contribution was piano on "Daydream Believer".
• In 2010 Rhino Handmade issued a three-CD box set with more than 60 demos, rehearsals, and outtakes; the first 1,000 orders included a bonus vinyl single.
• The 2014 Friday Music mono box edition carries etchings in the runout grooves, including "In memory of Davy Jones" on side two.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org

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