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7 Songs Micky Dolenz Crushed with The Monkees

The Monkees aped the Beatles in more ways than one.

Four madcap boys. Music backed by zany videos. Power pop personified. And each of the four musicians took turns singing lead vocals.

Drummer Micky Dolenz handled the bulk of those duties with The Monkees. Davy Jones and Michael Nesmith followed, with Peter Tork getting the occasional chance to shine. (Tork’s vocals on “Shades of Gray” are a particular highlight)

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Jones nailed the ballads that made girls swoon. Nesmith’s twang lent The Monkees an early nod to “flyover country” long before the term hit the mainstream.

Dolenz gave the group its signature rock sound.

FAST FACT: George Michael “Micky” Dolenz gained fame as a child actor on the TV series “Circus Boy” (under the stage name Micky Braddock).

So, in honor of Dolenz’s birthday, let’s recall seven Monkees songs that became classics thanks to his signature vocals.

“Goin’ Down” – On stage, Dolenz channeled soul legend James Brown. He never came closer to Brown’s legacy than with this jazzy number, one of the group’s more sophisticated romps. Dolenz sings like the lyrics are burning his tongue, giving them vibrancy and, yes, soul.

Unfamiliar with The Monkees but skeptical of the group’s “PreFab” roots? This should change your mind.

The Monkees - Goin' Down (Official Live Video)

“Pleasant Valley Sunday” – It’s a perfect pop song. There’s no better way to describe it. And it’s perfectly suited for Dolenz’s voice, from the surreal lyrics to the soaring chorus. His voice made ’60s radio better, stronger. This particular track shows us why. And the song holds up so well it could be covered today without anyone blinking.

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Maybe we have a “tablet or PC” in every room now instead of a TV. The message is more of less the same.

The song appeared in two episodes of “The Monkees'” second season – “Mayor Monkee” and “The Picture Frame (The Bank Robbery).”

“Sometime in the Morning” – Jones could crush a ballad, but Dolenz delivered here in ways the lovable Brit couldn’t duplicate. This Goffin-King gem is plain gorgeous, and Dolenz cradles the tender lyrics with a delicacy that belied his years.

Once more, a television product proved its plastic roots weren’t to be trusted.

“Randy Scouse Git” – Dolenz sang and co-wrote this number, which packs the kind of free association lyrics typical of the Flower Power age. Yes, it’s a scat-powered mash note to the singer’s time in England.

So where did the song’s name come from? Dolenz was watching the British sitcom that inspired “All in the Family,” “‘Til Death Do Us Part,” and the father called his son a “Randy Scouse Git.”

The Monkees - Randy Scouse Git (Official Live Video)

“She Makes Me Laugh” – The surviving Monkees reassembled last year for “Good Times!” The album could have been a nostalgia cash grab. Not even close.

The 2016 project proved a fine combination of old and new, with some of today’s best pop songwriters (Rivers Cuomo, Adam Schlesinger) enhancing the group’s legacy.

RELATED: 7 Underrated Monkees Songs

This track captured the shimmery pop stylings of the band in its heyday. That meant Dolenz stood front and center, turning simple choruses into something far more substantial.

The Monkees - She Makes Me Laugh (Official Lyric Video)

“Porpoise Song” – This unlikely track from the “Head” soundtrack shows Dolenz’s range at at time when the band appeared desperate to reboot its image. It’s a dreamy slab of psychedelia that didn’t move as much product as past Monkees recordings. Still, it fared better than the film which proved a bona fide flop.

The song endures thanks partly to Dolenz’s interpretation (with some help from Jones). It hit all the right notes then … and now.

Dolenz notes it’s one of his favorite songs to play live.

“The Girl I Knew Somewhere”Michael Nesmith brought a country frisson to some early Monkees tracks, like “Papa Gene’s Blues” (which featured a guitar solo by James Burton). Here, Nesmith simply goes for the harmonies, and he nails it in another blast of pop beauty.

FAST FACT: Micky Dolenz’s daughter, Ami Dolenz, headlined the 1989 comedy “She’s Out of Control” co-starring Tony Danza.

You can find a version with Nesmith singing lead, but it’s Dolenz’s version which got wider distribution. That’s smart. Once more, the drummer brings his pop sensibilities to the number, a portrait of longing sparked by sublime bass lines.

Plus, the track featured Monkees both singing and playing instruments, a first for the band at that time.

THE MONKEES - THE GIRL I KNEW SOMEWHERE

Photo credit: John Wisniewski via Foter.com / CC BY-ND

13 Comments

  1. Micky didn’t co-write ‘Randy Scouse Git’ he wrote it on his own. Nice list but the fact that you left out ‘As We Go Along’ from the ‘Head’ soundtrack is criminal. That is some of the most beautiful singing ever recorded. Look it up. It will blow you away.

    1. i’ve read micky has said he loves to sing “as we go along”. it has such momentum. beautiful.

      1. It was a tricky to to learn. Unusual time signatures. But he brought it home and made it a gem. One of my favorite Monkees tracks.

        1. yes sir VERY unusual time signatures-but once you fall into it-WOW ! another of the many songs carol king wrote-she wrote a lot of monkees material.

    1. he was right up there in legit show biz-but when the show went off the air-they lost credibility. the most tragic thing about the monkees. they all have more than legit show biz & real rock credibility-but now they’re more underground. “good times” was the best monkees LP they could’ve done-and they did it. micky’s voice has aged better than a fine wine. all the old stuff holds up. it’s like buried treasure people are discovering every day.

    1. “steppin’ stone” yes ! but they got “goin’ down” in there. “shorty blackwell” is a whole ‘nother term paper-as is the original uncut “mommy & daddy”. our little “circus boy” turned out pretty incredible !

  2. You need a much longer list! Add “As We Go Along” and “(I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone”. Plus the unreleased “(Do Not Ask For Love) Prithee”. BEST VOICE EVER! FAVORITE SINGER EVER! LOVE YOU MICKY! 🙂

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