Friday Music is pleased to announce the stellar first time vinyl release of THE MONKEES “HEADQUARTERS – STACK O’ TRACKS” this November 3rd. This stunning album was one of the first Lp’s to begin the Summer Of Love in May 1967, (1 week before the Beatles Sgt. Pepper) and it was also the first album to prove once and for all that Micky, Davy, Peter and Michael could actually play their own instruments well and collectively assemble a righteous chart topping album.
This groundbreaking album takes another dimension now with the entire album being instrumental, the original backing tracks, which show the master musicians excelling in the studio, along with producer Chip Douglas (The Turtles) and engineer Hank Cicalo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuywT7qNpPc
On a personal note, going through the final run down of the master of this album at Capitol Studios in Hollywood was a real thrill for me. A lot of Monkees fans grew up on this album, and that great feeling of hearing the opening chords of “You Told Me” takes on a whole new level of excitement, knowing that there are many more great surprises in store on this re-imagined collection of The Monkees masterpiece.
To hear the Northern Soul vibe of Davy Jones’ signature “Forget That Girl” with Peter Tork’s keys, Mike’s acoustic guitar, and Micky’s drum acumen, proved that the quartet could handle a new direction in sound like this with no problem.
Same goes for Peter Tork’s classic “For Pete’s Sake” A lot of us remember this as the closing credits track for their dynamic TV show, but instrumentally, it just roars..“Listen To The Band” . One of the key go to tracks for fans is “You Just May Be The One.” How great this sounds……how stellar the guitar work, the drumming, percussion, its all there….simply resonates as one of the greatest moments in this masterwork.
Micky gets some really great moments here…..a drummer’s drummer, he showcases some classic riffs here like his garage rock vibe on “Sunny Girlfriend” or his hard rocking fills on ‘No Time” and his powerful workout on “Randy Scouse Git” We’ve included all four “Zilch” tracks in separate voicing from the quartet, making this another unique listen.
“Early Morning Blues and Greens” showcases tremendously here, as a progressive new sound for the band. Micky and Davy trade off percussive skills along with Peter and Mike’s keyboard work, it takes on a whole new appreciation. The powerful balladry of “Shades Of Gray” is second to none, with the string work, Michael’s pedal steel, Peter’s piano work, its pretty amazing stuff…..and it all is here, once again, to be heard in a excitingly different way…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7isI8FvdE8
The Fat Angel Sings 