CoDoDo: My Countdown to Micky Dolenz, part 2

I thought about calling this series "CoDoDoSolo: My Countdown to the Micky Dolenz Solo Show," since he'll be the only Monkee playing at the Marquee this weekend in Tempe, but I thought that was a long title and opted for an edit.  Speaking of edits . . .

"Mommy And Daddy" is probably Micky's most controversial song.  It appeared on "The Monkees Present," the album I admit to enjoying the least as a kid.  Conversely, it has two of my favorite Papa Nez tunes -- "Listen to the Band" and "Good Clean Fun" -- and I remember really liking "Little Girl," but I didn't connect with the rest of the record.  If the Monkees had their way, these songs should've been a part of their ideal double-vinyl set, where each of the guys would've had a side all their own.  Especially sans Peter, I think "Present" was just a little too uneven for my young ears.

Of course, now I totally dig it -- especially Micky's "Mommy And Daddy."  He penned the tune with his Native American roots in mind (that's what he's said) before the song quickly skews into a wild social commentary.  Apparently his initial lyrics were so dark, producers strongly encouraged a re-write.  Here's the original, unreleased version -- if anyone dismisses the Monkees as kids' stuff, just play them this!

The version that was released isn't much brighter.  Micky perhaps wisely drops the references to JFK and outright murder, and the inquiry about Mommy's pills is a little less accusatory.  Of course, it's all over YouTube if you really want to hear it -- and so is a clip or two of Micky himself explaining the song's origins.  

Regardless, "Mommy And Daddy" really transcends its time, considering today's political climate.  As much as I love the tune, I'm saddened that none of its questions have been answered yet, but I'm grateful we'll always have this music to help the pill go down.

CoDoDo: My Countdown to Micky Dolenz, part 1

I love the Monkees.  Always have, always will.  And Micky Dolenz is performing live this Saturday at the Marquee in Tempe.

I'm counting the days this week with some of my favorite Micky songs from the Monkees' extensive catalog.  I thought I'd start with a bang: "Sometime In The Morning."  

"Sometime In The Morning" is from the Monkees' second album, aptly titled More of the Monkees. It was written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, a songwriting power couple that penned many amazing songs for the Monkees.  Thanks to the magic of YouTube, you can hear Carole's guiding vocal track for Micky here:

Of course, I grew up with Micky's rendition, so when I first heard Carole's, her vocals were a bit haunting.  At the time, I don't think this was meant for public consumption -- just in-studio, so Micky knew how to sing to the melody.  Now, the demo stands as a powerful example of great pop lyric writing, straight from the artist's lips.

The Monkees' songs often debuted in "romps" on their TV show -- a romp was a video montage of the guys messing around, usually in a sped-up cartoonish fashion, sometimes confronting the villain of that episode.  Those segments truly were the prototypical music video.  "Sometime In The Morning" played for two romps, though "romp" hardly describes this sweet sequence starring the beautiful Rose Marie.  By far one of my all-time favorite uses of a song in the Monkees' series:

"Sometime In The Morning" has become a staple for the Monkees' and Micky's solo concerts, and it took my breath away last year as the first half of a medley with their latest hit "Me & Magdalena."  If I were to pick an "ultimate" live version, though, I'd offer this, from the online reality show myRecordFantasy.  If the narrative is to be believed (and, ahem, I am a believer!) Micky didn't see this one coming.  You see him search for the "in" with the vocals at the beginning, starting quietly, then building to fill the cafe with that great last chorus.  I close the first installment of my countdown here, with the hopes that one day Micky will walk into the coffee shop where I'm drawing or whatever, to serenade.