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The Monkees discography
Cataloging of published recordings by The Monkees From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Monkees' discography spans over 50 years, from the release of their first single, "Last Train to Clarksville" in August 1966[1][2][3] to their final live album The Mike and Micky Show in April 2020.[4][5][6][7] 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.
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The Monkees' record releases were originally conceived as tie-ins with their eponymous television series about a fictitious band struggling to make ends meet as rock musicians.[8] Columbia Pictures (the parent company of the series' production company Screen Gems) created Colgems Records in 1966 with a focus on releasing records by the Monkees along with other music connected with the film and television productions of Columbia‒Screen Gems. RCA Victor handled manufacturing and distribution of Colgems records, and released the Monkees' recordings on the RCA label outside the United States.[9] From 1966 to 1971 the Monkees released 12 singles,[10] nine studio albums (including the soundtrack to their film Head), and three compilation albums in the United States.[11][9].
After the band's initial breakup and the dissolution of Colgems Records in 1971, control of the Monkees' catalogue moved to Bell Records,[12] who issued the single "Do It in the Name of Love" (credited to "Mickey Dolenz & Davy Jones"),[13][14] a compilation album,[15][16] and reissues of Colgems-era songs as singles on their Flashback Records imprint.[17][18]
In 1975 and 1976, band members Dolenz and Jones reunited with longtime Monkees songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart to record new music and perform live as Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart.[19] Capitol Records signed the quartet and released one studio album and two singles in the United States, plus a third single and a live album in Japan.[20] Dolenz and Jones also reunited with fellow Monkee Peter Tork for the 1976 Christmas single "Christmas Is My Time of Year", released on a vanity press by producer Chip Douglas.[21][22]
In 1974, the Monkees' catalogue was transferred to Arista Records,[23] who continued Monkees reissues on the Flashback imprint.[17] In 1986 Dolenz and Tork recorded three new songs for Arista as "Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork (of the Monkees)".[24] On the Arista label (in the U.S.) the Monkees released three charting singles,[25] three compilation albums,[26] three compilation EPs,[27] and reissues of some of the band's albums, including for the first time on compact disc.[28] Arista Records in Australia and New Zealand released the double-LP compilation Monkeemania in 1979, which included three previously unreleased recordings,[29] marking the beginning of a flood of previously unreleased Monkees material to be released over the next few decades.
From 1982 to 1991, Rhino Entertainment licensed and issued Monkees recordings on their own label,[30] including the Monkees' first live album,[31] reissues of all nine of the Monkees' Colgems studio albums,[32][33] the reunion album Pool It![34] and its two associated singles,[35] and the first two volumes of Missing Links, compilations devoted entirely to previously unreleased music from the Colgems era.[36]
By 1994, Rhino Records gained control of the Monkees' catalogue and trademark[37] and it continues to release Monkees recordings as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group.[38] Since 1994 Rhino has released in the United States three Monkees studio albums[39] with five associated digital singles[40] and two associated EPs,[41][42] two box sets,[43][44] 20 compilation albums,[45][46] two digital compilation EPs,[47][48] and several album reissues. Mail-order imprint Rhino Handmade released multi-disc expanded editions of seven of the Monkees' studio albums and of their 1967 live recordings.[49]
For the purposes of this article, all major mass-market recordings released in the United States and credited to The Monkees are included, along with some of the more notable international and niche-market releases. Also included are recordings credited to at least two of the Monkees as the main artists when use of the Monkees trademark was unavailable. Recordings listed are from the United States and credited to The Monkees, unless indicated otherwise.
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Albums
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Studio albums
This table includes the Monkees' nine original Colgems studio albums, including the soundtrack to the film Head, the Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart album released on Capitol, and the four reunion albums released on Rhino. Compilations of previously unreleased archival recordings, such as the Missing Links series, live albums, compilations that include new songs, and minor international variations of these albums are not included.
A: ^ Changes initially failed to chart upon release in 1970, but made the Billboard 200 when reissued in 1986.
B: ^ Released as Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart.
C: ^ Justus was released initially only on cassette and CD, but not on vinyl. It was issued on limited edition vinyl on October 30, 2012.
Live albums
This table includes official releases of live albums. These are derived from the Monkees' 1967 summer tour, the 1976 Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart tour, the 1986 "20th Anniversary" tour, the 1995 "Together Again" tour, the 2001 summer tour, the 2002 "MonkeeMania" tour, and the 2015 "Mike & Micky Show" tour. Not included are bootleg recordings or compilations that include live tracks.
Live recordings made on 21 January 1967 at Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona for The Monkees episode "The Monkees on Tour" appear on the Rhino Handmade "super deluxe" More of the Monkees box set.[82]
Live recordings made on 17 May 1968 at Valley Music Hall, North Salt Lake, Utah for the film Head appear on the Rhino Handmade "super deluxe" Head box set.[83][84]
D: ^ Released as Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart.
E: ^ Released as Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork.
F: ^ Released as Micky & Davy.
G: ^ Released as Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Peter Tork.
H: ^ Released as Micky Dolenz & Davy Jones.
Compilation albums
A large volume of compilation albums for the Monkees have been released internationally. This list primarily focuses on United States releases, and it does not include live albums, compilation EPs with six or fewer tracks, box sets where the individual parts are primarily albums or singles that were previously released, expanded editions of the band's studio albums, or collections of songs by various artists that include Monkees songs.
The North American releases in this list include the two mass-market compilations released by Colgems Records between 1969 and 1971; the 1972 Bell compilation Re-Focus; the 1985 Pair double-LP Hit Factory; the three mass-market compilations released by Arista Records between 1976 and 1986; two compilations of album cuts and rarities licensed by Rhino Records between 1982 and 1984; ten mass-market single-disc hits compilations released in the U.S. by Rhino Records between 1995 and 2018; the three Missing Links compilations of previously unreleased material from Rhino Records between 1987 and 1996; Kid Rhino's 1996 children's compilation; the three compilations released on Rhino's Flashback imprint between 1997-2007; four mass-market multi-disc compilations released in the U.S. by Rhino Records between 1991 and 2016; seven compilations offered primarily through mail order or other promotions; and four compilations of session recordings and outtakes from the Headquarters and Head albums.
Also included are ten international compilations notable for their chart performance or for containing rare tracks.
I: ^ Greatest Hits did not appear on the Billboard 200 chart, but reached #21 on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog Albums chart on 22 July 2000.[191] Prior to December 2009 albums over 18 months old were ineligible to appear on the Billboard 200 chart.[192]
Box sets
This list does not include expanded editions of the Monkees' albums or multi-part compilations where the individual parts were not previously released separately.
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EPs
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Colgems Records did not release extended-play records for the mass market, but this list includes the two "little LP" versions of the Monkees' first two albums for use in jukeboxes. Internationally, RCA issued many EPs. This list includes those released in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico during the Colgems era, where they were most popular. This list also includes EPs released in the UK in the 1980s, some of which charted; American 3-inch CDs released by Arista Records; Rhino Hi-Five EPs released only for download or streaming; and EPs issued by Rhino Records expanding on their final two albums.
EPs are listed by their title in italics. Untitled EPs are listed by their leading track without italics.
J: ^ This EP initially charted as a whole, reaching #3 in Australia.[274] The leading track went on to reach #1.[220]
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Singles
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The following table includes all major singles released in the United States, including the 12 issued by Colgems Records from 1966–70; the 1971 Bell single "Do It in the Name of Love"; two Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart singles released on Columbia Records; the Christmas singles released in 1976 and 2018; the three charting Arista singles released in conjunction with the 1976 and 1986 compilation albums The Monkees Greatest Hits and Then & Now... The Best of The Monkees; both Rhino singles released in conjunction with the 1987 album Pool It!; the three digital singles issued in conjunction with Good Times! in 2016, and the 1983 release of the Chip Douglas-produced "Steam Engine", which featured in reruns of the TV series.
The Monkees, wanting more involvement in recording and selecting their songs, hoped to release "All of Your Toys" as their third single, but due to Colgems' policy of only releasing songs published by Screen Gems–Columbia Music, a compromise was reached to allow the Monkees to choose a B-side for "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You" that the company owned publishing rights to. Their music supervisor, Don Kirshner, displeased with the arrangement, rushed to release the single with his preferred B-side, "She Hangs Out", having sleeves printed and masters shipped to RCA Victor Canada featuring the song. This led to his firing, and the offending single was canceled and replaced with one featuring the Nesmith-penned tune "The Girl I Knew Somewhere".[275] While none of the tracks from the 1967 album Headquarters were issued as singles in North America, "Randy Scouse Git" was widely released elsewhere (often under the title "Alternate Title").
RCA issued a large number of other singles internationally that were not released in the United States. This table only includes some noteworthy charting singles released in Europe, Japan, the Philippines, and Australia. A number of EPs charting as singles, non-charting reissues, withdrawn singles, cereal box records, archival recordings, and single-like novelties are not included.
K: ^ Released in Japan as The Monkees, and as Mickey Dolenz & Davy Jones elsewhere. The Japanese single failed to chart in 1971, but a 1981 reissue reached #93.
L: ^ Released as Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart.
M: ^ Released in 1976 as Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones and Peter Tork. A remixed reissue was released in 1986 as We Three Monkees.
N: ^ Private pressing. Released at the 1983 Chicago Monkees Convention. Steam Engine was recorded in 1969.
O: ^ Released as Micky Dolenz & Peter Tork of The Monkees due to a trademark dispute.[344]
P: ^ Digital-only single.
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