Run Out Groove Releasing Kevin Gray Cut AAA More of The Monkees

Run Out Groove Records Announce today the upcoming release of More of The Monkees (Deluxe Edition) cut by Kevin Gray and Andrew Sandoval from the original analog tapes, complete with gatefold "tip on" jacket, expanded to a double LP with the addition of "debut vinyl" rarities.

A limited 180g transparent green vinyl edition will be available that can only be purchased exclusively on the Run Out Grooves wbsite while supplies last. There is also a standard black vinyl edition available. More Of The Monkees (Deluxe Edition) will be available to preorder through August 17, 2021 and then will get a one-time limited and numbered pressing.

For those who forget or who are too young to know, despite the band being labeled as the "pre-fab four", this album was 5X platinum certified in the United States and includes Neil Diamond's "I'm a Believer" and "I'm Not Your Stepping Stone", among other great tracks.

If you're unfamiliar with Run Out Grooves Records and its fan voting policy (open and not Greg Abbott suppressed) visit the Run Out Grooves.

COMMENTS
Mike Mangold's picture

I ordered the minute this came up on my Facebook newsfeed. My favorite Monkees album since it's release. Knowing how Kevin made Paul Revere & The Raiders GH sound, I'm all in. Kevin always does a superior job, but he makes the 60 s sound like it was recorded last week.

mrl1957's picture

No go if it's only in stereo, not my preferred mix.

Tom L's picture

...six of the bonus tracks in mono.

Anton D's picture

Which album, when it is remixed and gets an audiophile pressing, will be the definitive sign that vinyl has jumped the shark?

I'd guess either "The Archies," or "Everything's Archie" on One Step 45 RPM mamba vinyl.

I feel like it's getting close. I can almost see Fonzie about to hit the ramp.

Analog Scott's picture

But only if it's the original mixes.

Alan Abentrod's picture

It is from original analog master tape.

Tom L's picture

This album did spend 18 weeks at #1 on the Billboard charts and some of the songs-notably (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone, Mary Mary, and I'm A Believer-are really good pop tunes.
I've never been a fan of the "made for TV" methodology behind the Monkees, where a producer takes some photogenic singer/actors and builds their music using studio musicians and a lot of outside-written songs, but a ton of successful "bands" and "singers" have been created the same way since then. Perhaps their fans deserve a good representation on vinyl as much as any other music.
At least Mike Nesmith turned out to be a talented guy who went on to pioneer the Country Rock genre long before it became commercially viable.

Arvo Palm-Leis's picture

When they start gluing them to the back of boxes of Captain Crunch.

DJ Huk's picture

Great songwriting, great backing tracks by the Wrecking Crew and eventually the group itself, the epitome of sixties pop. I didn't care for them back in the day, but boy, these days, they sound like a revelation.

Alan Abentrod's picture

Can't Wait! Got the first album which is excellent! Run Out Groove is doing a wonderful job. I know of no one back in '67 listening to this in mono. The first album had a really nice touch of laminated cover and back like original Beatles albums from UK a very welcome addition.

RVG Edition's picture

Honest question for those that dismiss The Monkees out of hand due to their:
A. Having been put together by producers
B. Recording songs not written by them
C. Not playing instruments on their recordings

Are you similarly dismissive about artists like The Four Tops, The Supremes, or the Temptations? By and large the above points also apply to many of those early Motown artists. Does the criticism still apply to those Motown acts, or are there special rules for The Monkees because they were cast in the mold of The Beatles for a TV show?

Analog Scott's picture

was nothing short of brilliant. One of my three all time favorite sitcoms along with Get Smart and The Adams Family. It was very inovative and ever so slightly subversive.

DJ Huk's picture

And the movie? One of the finest of the sixties.

Anton D's picture

Did the Motown artists pretend to play instruments at shows, or did the band play them? Maybe it's a presentation thing...where does an act fall on the Milli Vanilli Scale. ;-D (Hmmm. Has that had a 180 gram remaster edition yet? Maybe that could be one for jumping the shark week, too.)

I did read that Bingo of The Banana Splits was a real drummer, though.

Analog Scott's picture

weren't on a sitcom. Funny thing though, The Monkeys, unlike most of those Motown acts actually went out on tour and played their own instruments live. Ironically it was the two singers who had to learn to play. Milli Vanilli? The Monkeys, like the Motown acts always did actually do their own singing.

timorous's picture

Up until the British Invasion, circa '64, most American recording acts were vocalists or vocal groups. There were very few self-contained groups that wrote and played their own songs, at least in pop music. The producers typically used studio musicians. The backup musicians were quite often a close bunch of regulars, who could quickly get the right feel, and the perfect take. Time was always money, after all. In the case of Motown, it was generally Earl Van Dyke & his Soul Brothers.

Many of the popular groups of the day, like the Monkees, Gary Lewis & the Playboys, and others too numerous to mention, were typically not allowed to play their instruments on most of their recordings. For these, the producers typically called upon a group of studio musicians collectively known as The Wrecking Crew, who were also a close-knit bunch.

You should check out this interesting documentary about these cats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt24w-L-1c8

Several segments feature commentary by Mickey Dolenz, and Peter Tork.

essmeier's picture

...nearly every other artist who recorded in Los Angeles between 1965 and 1973 or so.

The Monkees caught a lot of flak for not playing on their own records.

It's to their credit that the didn't point out that hardly anyone else did, either. That's a secret that they were under no obligation to keep.

Mark Evans's picture

when we were kids and had all the monophonic releases. This remains a fun listening session. I recently found a mint minus monophonic LP of More of the Monkees at a suburban Chicago record store for $2. Excellent sound as the engineer was Hank Cicalo. Even Bruce Gallanter of NYC's Downtown Music Gallery recently cited the Monkees' music with fond memories. BTW, get the entire Colgems catalog of soundtracks too as they all have good sound. Especially, Quincy Jones' In Cold Blood.

DJ Huk's picture

The band itself, Mike Nesmith in particular, didn't like the way it was released, ironically, because it turned out to be an excellent album. They didn't like the cover with the JC Penney promotional "groovy" wear and they didn't like not being told it was out there on the market. It eventually led to their conflict with Don Kirshner and broke off their relations with him.

Tom L's picture

The book is just as good as the film, lots more detail. Quite a bunch of talented musicians, and characters as well.

xtcfan80's picture

New Monkees release = 17 comments so far...New Zappa release 3 comments so far...symbolic ...

Anton D's picture

I bet Keith Partridge alone will beat The Monkees + Frank Zappa for post count.

___

I actually don't mind any of these reissues. I mean, Elvis wrote (actually, co-wrote) exactly one song in his life. So, who wrote it is no big deal.

DJ Huk's picture

... never wrote songs for Keith Partridge. So there's that, in spades.

xtcfan80's picture

Without the Holland-Dozier-Holland songwriting team Motown would have had less success becoming the the "Sound of Young America" ...in pop music ya gotta have the tunes for long staying power...

Intermediate Listener's picture

Chad and Jeremy as “The Redcoats” on the Dick Van Dyke Show.

mrl1957's picture

..."Nigel & Patrick" on the Patty Duke Show (1965).

DJ Huk's picture

I do believe, where they lost their voices.

OldschoolE's picture

I grew up with this band. I have original pressings of their LPs, so no need to buy the reissues for me, but that is just personal preference. This is from the original analog tapes, so it should be good. I can't help but wonder what kind of shape those tapes are in?
As for the band being fabricated, I agree, but there are some additional historical facts:
1) Both Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork were real musicians.
2) After the second LP the boys started firmly requesting they become a real band in many an argument with producers.
3) They in fact did eventually become a real band and did write a handful of their own songs. They were never the level of other long term bands of course, but at least they tried it for the sake of legitimacy. Of course, they broke up shortly after becoming a real band, so there was not much time to develop into something more refined.

DJ Huk's picture

All four were very talented. Nesmith particularly: he wrote a song Mary, Mary that was covered by the Paul Butterfield Blues Band on their important East/West album and Different Drum for the Stone Poneys. Nesmith also produced a couple songs on the first two albums. As for being a real band, hell, from the start they toured as a real band, albeit with backing musician helping ... but since when is that any different from any other band? Their bad rep comes from their being formed during a time of the singer/songwriter as both solo artists and in bands, a very very fruitful time in American pop music. The Monkees sound damn good now, in retrospect, because people, man, are we in the doldrums.

TSOP's picture

Quibbles over who played the instruments miss the fact that the Monkees had their names on some great records. Sure, the studio musicians, songwriters and producers deserve she of the credit. But there's some good singing in there too.

xtcfan80's picture

Micky Dolenz is a very "REAL" musician and was a child actor as well...Saw the group in 1997 (minus Michael as was the case several times over the years) and Micky, Peter and Davy were all good musicians...Micky could flat-out sing and after Michael, was IMO the best musician of the lot.

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