Featured Album:
This is a series of articles looking at albums from 1960 to whatever year we end up in.
I will select a featured album for each year and the link for the whole album, Plus list the songs on it.
As before, it is not just about the songs and tunes, it is very much about memories, and good ones, I hope.
Not everyone will like my choices of course, and you may remember some from each particular year that you feel should have been included, so do please post a link to the song.
Before we go on. Everyone, please hold the line. His Donaldness is getting things sorted, it takes time. People are starting to laugh at TPTB. Brexit, who knows, let us wait and see. If you are feeling down and out, there is always this site to vent your anger and receive support.
It would be extremely easy to have picked Sgt Pepper, one the few albums, like Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water album which could be found in most everyone’s collection. This year though The Monkees, loved their telly show and the music.
The Monkees is the first album by the band the Monkees. It was released in October 1966 by Colgems Records in the United States and RCA Victor in the rest of the world. It was the first of four consecutive U.S. number one albums for the group, taking the top spot on the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks, after which it was displaced by the band’s second album. It also topped the UK charts in 1967. The Monkees have been certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA, with sales of over five million copies.
It is possible that their second album was even better, but I wanted a place in my featured albums for them.
More writings on this album here: The Monkees
Track listing
Original 1966 Colgems vinyl issue
Side 1
All tracks are written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
| 1. | “(Theme From) The Monkees“ | Micky Dolenz | 2:18 |
| 2. | “Saturday’s Child” (David Gates) | Micky Dolenz | 2:43 |
| 3. | “I Wanna Be Free“ | Davy Jones | 2:39 |
| 4. | “Tomorrow’s Gonna Be Another Day” (Tommy Boyce, Steve Venet) | Micky Dolenz | 2:39 |
| 5. | “Papa Gene’s Blues” (Michael Nesmith) | Michael Nesmith | 1:57 |
| 6. | “Take a Giant Step” (Gerry Goffin, Carole King) | Micky Dolenz | 2:33 |
Side 2
| No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
| 1. | “Last Train to Clarksville“ | Micky Dolenz | 2:44 |
| 2. | “This Just Doesn’t Seem to Be My Day” | Davy Jones | 2:09 |
| 3. | “Let’s Dance On” | Micky Dolenz | 2:30 |
| 4. | “I’ll Be True to You” (Gerry Goffin, Russ Titelman) | Davy Jones | 2:50 |
| 5. | “Sweet Young Thing” (Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Michael Nesmith) | Michael Nesmith | 1:56 |
| 6. | “Gonna Buy Me a Dog” | Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones | 2:41 |
The Top 10 Albums with a You Tube hyperlink on the title:
Top Tip: Right-click and open in new tab
| Top Albums of 1967 | ||
| 1 | The Beatles | Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band |
| 2 | Original Soundtrack | The Sound Of Music |
| 3 | The Beach Boys | Best Of The Beach Boys |
| 4 | Original Soundtrack | Doctor Zhivago |
| 5 | Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass | Going Places |
| 6 | The Monkees | Monkees |
| 7 | Original London Cast | Fiddler On The Roof |
| 8 | The Seekers | Come The Day |
| 9 | The Four Tops | Four Tops Live |
| 10 | Tom Jones | Green Green Grass Of Home |
I love the 60’s! First time in 5 years only one Beatles album in the top ten, first place of course! Sound of Music still there! Love the Seekers of course, but The Monkees for me deserve a place in our little hall of fame.
The Monkeys were a manufactured band, made to rival The Beatles, their Saturday show on the telly was unmissable. All the mums on the street would call all of us kids in for this, and of course Dr Who. Fairly sure that was the only time we got called in before the usual time.
I was getting ready for secondary school. I was good enough for the middle of 3 options, Gladstone Boys for the not so academically brightest, Hallcroft school, where I went, for those with more than 2 brain cells, I was certainly not good enough for the grammar school where my best mate qualified for. Over the next 5 years, I knew, that compared to me he was so much cleverer than me, not that it bothered us.
The top 10 albums for 1967, like the previous 6 years were all awesome, though the musicals were a bit boring as I was young. However, some more are below that I would say are well worth a listen. In my view the best albums of the year, after the featured one, and the top tunes from each, are:
The Monkees – Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. – Includes Pleasant Valley Sunday
The Monkees – Headquarters – it is nice, no big hitters though.
Small Faces – There Are But Four Small Faces – Includes Itchycoo park
Small Faces – Small Faces – as I like them
Buffalo Springfield – Buffalo Springfield Again – Gilgamesh keeps posting, got a bit hooked on this band.
The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour – It’s The Beatles, what more can I say.
The Kinks – Something Else by The Kinks – Includes Death of a Clown and Waterloo Sunset. Awesome band.
The Rolling Stones – Between the Buttons – Good, but not my favourite yet.
Pink Floyd – The Piper at the Gates of Dawn – Just love this band. Bit too phycodelic for me though
The Moody Blues – Days Of Future Passed – Includes one the greatest pop tunes of all time, Nights in White Satin.
Herman’s Hermits – Blaze – I often sing their songs, much to the annoyance of those that can hear me.
One not to play:
Leonard Nimoy – Mr. Spock’s Music From Outer Space – It is utter shite of course, though not quite as bad as a Morrissey, but just goes to show what will sell on the back of a great TV show.
Scoring:
As you know I like to review your “tunes” that you post. Scoring this week will be as per my first comment you will not read:
*Note. Anyone scoring a Morrissey (lowest score possible) will be reported and blocked.
Hat tips to:
https://www.albumoftheyear.org/ratings/8-all-music-highest-rated/1967/1 these give the top 100 selling charts for each year
http://www.everyhit.com/chart1.html these give the top 10 songs for each year
https://www.youtube.com/ you know them.
Next Time: 1968
Featured image: NBC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
© Phil the ex test manager 2020
