And now for something completely different …
I know the 50th Anniversary posts a keep a comin’ but since there are so many fun anniversary releases that have come out in the past few years I just can’t resist posting photos and stories of them.
Since I didn’t have this blog two years ago, I thought it might be fun to do a quick overview of some of the special items that came out in 2016 for the 50th anniversary of The Monkees TV show and recordings!
And of course I, as usual, happened to snag quite a few of the record and memorabilia that came out that year and above and below you can take a gander a some of my favorite releases from that year-long Monkee fest (has it really been two years already?!!)
As you can see, record releases were full of color that year! One of my favorite releases was the box set of all colored vinyl called the Classic Album Collection. It came out as part of Record Store Day that year and was also released in a cool CD version that was available at independent record stores.
There was also a special blue vinyl copy of The Monkees first album available at FYE record stores as well as a special red vinyl copy of “Live 1967” that was sold through the Collector’s Choice Website (see photos of each).
Note: FYE also issued an exclusive version of the Monkees “Good Times!” CD which included Peter Tork’s song “A Better World” as a bonus track. You can see the rear of that CD in the photo of the FYE blue vinyl copy of “The Monkees.” lp.
There were some questionable releases like the cereal box reissues and dolls which were both fun but not necessary. As you see I did buy them – a sickness I know.
I guess you can also include the reproduction of Micky Dolenz’s, as he calls it table cloth, poncho that was sold with merchandise tables at tour stops on the Monkees 50th Anniversary Tour which hit my town earlier that summer.
I did also manage to interview Peter Tork for the second time and write a couple of articles about the “Good Times!” reunion album.
Click below if you want to read any of those articles or listen to my interviews with Peter Tork:
http://www.mulberrygrovebooks.com/id1.html
All in all it was a fantastic year and one of the best celebrations of The Monkees and truth be told maybe one of my favorite reunion years because the “Good Times!” album was so good and I got to help promote it through my work as a journalist.
Oh, and the mother of all Monkees releases (IMHO) also came out that year – the Blu-Ray box set of all the Monkees TV episodes which included their movie HEAD and 1968 TV special 33 and 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee! I just included a small photo of the discs as I plan to do a later post highlighting the box by itself.
So feast your eyes on some groovy 2016 Monkees items!
Items include
50th Anniversary Classic Album Collection – vinyl and CD box sets
Four cereal box records
Monkees Logo shaped picture disc of “Saturday’s Child” / “You Just May Be the One” – TV versions
Instant Replay – Friday Music re-release CD
Live 1967 – red vinyl release
Two Monkees dolls
Reproduction of Micky Dolenz 1967 poncho worn on the TV show several times.
Discs covers from the Monkees Blu-Ray TV show collection
Records, CDs and Music: 