The Headquarters Sessions
Available only at Rhino
(Note:  My copy has Micky's signature on it because I got Micky to sign it.  It doesn't come that way.  Bellyband not pictured.)


Disc One | Disc Two | Disc Three
Disc One
Highlights

Nine Times Blue Demo Vocal, track 12
Also found on the CD reissue of Headquarters.  I really like this song, with Mike's fabulous voice and only an acoustic guitar as accompaniment.  In my opinion, superior to the finished version found on Missing Links.

Until It's Time For You To Go Demo Vocal, track 13
Oh, wow.  Great studio chatter at the beginning.  This is a.. uh, Michael Blessing tune.  (Mike recorded this as a single in his pre-Monkee days.  He did not write it.)  Mike sings this one is a higher than normal register, which I find just groovy.  I just melt when I listen to this song.  Who wouldn't? *eg*  Also, only an acoustic guitar as accompaniment.

She'll Be There Demo Vocal, track 14 & Midnight Train Demo Vocal, track 15
Featured on Missing Links Volume Three.  I like the Micky/Coco harmonies, so these two are favorites of mine on both albums.  Again, only acoustic guitar accompaniment, which is cool.  I also tend to like the big production, horn numbers.  Go figure.

Sunny Girlfriend Acoustic Remix of Master Vocal, track 16
Very interesting.  Not as thumpingly rock and roll as the original, so it sounds a little more folksy.  Almost subdued.  Gives a different mood to the song, in my opinion.

Sunny Girlfriend Tracking Session with Scratch Vocal, track 17
Interesting because the lyrics are incomplete, and "regular" cymbal crashes at the beginning instead of the "gaspy" ones.  (I'm so technical, aren't I?)  You can hear Mike's twang a little more here, I think.  I really dig his "natural" voice, so that's one of the big draws for me.  I like to hear him talk, and the vocals here aren't so polished.

Setting Up the Studio For Randy Scouse Git Studio Dialogue, track 20
It's a little hard to hear Micky without sitting next to the speaker, but worth it.  He swears at his drums.  Plus, Mike talks to Micky a lot from the control room.  *Swoon*  I just adore when he says "It's goin' taka."  It's so cute I can barely stand it.

Monkee Chat Studio Dialogue, track 24
*snicker* Davy swears.  It's almost cute, though.  Mike does, too.  The guys and Chip are talking about new albums.  Studio chatter is fun!
 


Disc One | Disc Two | Disc Three
Disc Two
Highlights

Zilch Separated Vocals, tracks 2-5
Neat because you can hear each Monkee's individual mantras and where they screw up.  If you swoon over one Monkee's voice like I do, then you'll probably listen to that Monkee's track a few times like I did.  It's cool, you hear them screw up in places you can't quite tell in the regular Zilch.  Davy says "Elephants"  and "Chickens" in the part where they're all messing up.  Micky says bits of other peoples'.  It's so awesome!

Forget That Girl Rehearsal & Master Backing Track, tracks 8 & 9
Pleasant to listen to.  I like the song better without the vocals, surprisingly.  I guess I don't like the breathy Davy-vocals.  I've never really liked the song much, except for on these two tracks.

Where Has it All Gone Tracking Session Take 1, track 10
Mysteriously never recorded, so no lyrics are known.  A Mike tune with a thumping beat and twangy banjo and guitar.  I think this would have been a great song if it hadn't been abandoned.

Forget That Girl Rough Backing Vocals, track 15
Great for Micky calling Hank Cicalo "Hankypoo", and Peter, Micky, and Davy goofing off.  The main vocals and backing music continue on while the three lapse into conversation.

Forget That Girl Rejected Overdub Session, track 18
The source of the infamous "What, you kidding me?  Psychojello."!!!  Mike and Peter talk about Mike flying to London and talking to Mama Cass on the plane.  She was despairing over how to remain anonymous in England, and when they got off the plane, the reporters "swarmed the hell around [Mike] and left her very hurt and disappointed and alone."  Apparently, "psychojello" is Cass's bit.

Micky in Carlsbad Caverns track 20
Micky and Hank experimenting with echo effects, and goofing off.  Really funny.

Shades of Gray Master Backing Track, track 22
Really incredible because you can hear all the subtleties of the instruments.  It's so pretty.
 


Disc One | Disc Two | Disc Three
Disc Three
Highlights

Cripple Creek track 3
Lyricless, unlike the version on Live 1967.  I like this song, although I'm not sure why.

Six-String Improvisation track 4
Groovy little Nez lead guitar piece.

The Story of Rock and Roll Tracking Session Take 23 and Tracking Session Take 5A, tracks 5 & 8
Thumpy.  I think it would have been a good song.  Shame there aren't any versions with vocals available.
**12/13/01- You can hear The Story of Rock & Roll on some Turtles Greatest Hits albums.  It is a very good song, a Nilsson tune.  The Turtles released it as a single in the late sixties after they brought Chip Douglas back to produce them.**

Two-Part Invention in F Major Informal Recording, track 7
Peter's Bach bit from 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee.  According to the liner notes, after Peter played this piece on 33 1/3, the group played their last performance as a foursome in the '60s.  (I can only assume they mean that Listen to the Band freakout at the end.)

For Pete's Sake Master Backing Track, track 10
All I can say is, did you know that Mike is the one playing organ in this song?  I didn't!!!  According to the liner notes, this mix "reveals more of Mike's organ playing than the finished master."  Okay, on second thought, I'm really dumb.  Mike plays all the organ on Headquarters.  Guess I didn't think about that one at all.  Still, groovy.

Just a Game Demo Takes 1 to 3, track 13
I like this song.  Instant Replay is one of my fave albums.  This wasn't put on Headquarters since Micky had just started writing it and didn't have "enough words" to take a vocal on it.

No Time Master Take 7A with Backing Vocals, track 16
Called the ultimate Karaoke version of this song.  I believe it.

All of Your Toys Mono Master, track 17
&
The Girl I Knew Somewhere (First Version) Mono Master, track 18
The Mike sung version that would have been acceptable as an album track, but Micky or Davy had to sing for a single.  (Kirshner!)
These two tracks had been mixed down as masters to be released as a single before Kirshner doomed himself with his power play by releasing A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You and She Hangs Out in Canada.  What might have been, eh?
I just love the song All of Your Toys.

The remaining songs on the album are the mono masters of the songs on Headquarters and The Girl I Knew Somewhere (Second Version) (i.e. the Micky version) as the original track lineup.

For Pete's Sake
I'll Spend My Life With You
Forget That Girl
You Just May Be the One
Shades of Gray
Band 6
Sunny Girlfriend
Mr. Webster
You Told Me
The Girl I Knew Somewhere (Second Version)
Zilch
Early Morning Blues and Greens (I love this song!)
Randy Scouse Git
I Can't Get Her Off My Mind
No Time
 

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