Instant Replay (The Monkees album)


Instant Replay is the seventh studio album by the Monkees. Issued 11 months after the cancellation of the group's NBC television series, it is also the first album released after Peter Tork left the group and the only album of the original nine studio albums that does not include any songs featured in the TV show from the original NBC run nor the CBS/ABC reruns.

History

Although the Monkees had recorded dozens of tracks between the time of their last studio album, spring 1968's The Birds, The Bees & the Monkees, several of the songs on Instant Replay actually dated from sessions up to two and a half years earlier.
The band's new music coordinator, Brendan Cahill, believed that releasing previously unused tracks recorded in 1966—prior to the group's seizing control of their own recording process—was the way for the group to regain commercial success. The album's lead single, "Tear Drop City," written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, was one of the songs taken from the vault and was identified by Michael Nesmith as their intended first single in 1966. Notably similar to the group's first hit "Last Train to Clarksville", the song was sped up around 9 percent from the original recording, changing the song's key from G to A-flat. The track was not a major hit, only managing to reach No. 56 on the U.S. charts, while reaching No. 34 in Australia. Despite the single's poor chart performance, the album charted on the Billboard Top 40 Albums chart at No. 32.
Micky Dolenz's "Just a Game" had originally been written during the sessions for the album Headquarters, while Nesmith's "Don't Wait for Me" was the first released product of his 1968 sessions with Nashville studio musicians. Davy Jones' "You and I" featured guitar work from Neil Young.

Production notes

Two songs from these sessions, "A Man Without a Dream" and "Someday Man", were produced by Bones Howe and recorded at Wally Heider's Studio. Howe brought in Wrecking Crew musicians, including Tommy Tedesco, Joe Osborn and Hal Blaine, and a nine-piece horn section. Despite having already quit the group, Peter Tork makes an appearance on this album by playing guitar on the 1966 outtake "I Won't Be the Same Without Her."

Track listing

Original 1969 Colgems vinyl issue

;Side 1
;Side 2

1995 Rhino CD reissue

Tracks 1-12: Original album

2011 Rhino Handmade deluxe CD reissue

In 2011, Rhino Handmade released an 89-track deluxe edition of Instant Replay. Disc 1 features stereo versions and various remixed versions. Disc 2 features mono released and unreleased versions. Disc 3 features alternate takes, backing tracks, and tapes from the television special 33⅓ Revolutions per Monkee. The 7-inch vinyl single has two songs sourced from acetate: alternate mixes of "I Go Ape" and " Do Not Ask for Love".
;Disc 1
Tracks 1-12: Original album in stereo
  2. "Someday Man" - 2:42
  3. "Carlisle Wheeling" - 3:17
  4. "Mommy and Daddy" - 1:59
  5. "Look Down" - 2:51
  6. "If I Ever Get to Saginaw Again" - 2:44
  7. "Me Without You" - 2:10
  8. "Smile" - 2:19
  9. "Nine Times Blue" - 2:11
  10. "Shorty Blackwell" - 6:14
  11. "St. Matthew" - 2:43
  12. "Some of Shelly's Blues" - 1:51
  13. "Hollywood" - 2:17
  14. "Don't Wait for Me" - 2:34
  15. "Propinquity" - 3:20
  16. "The Crippled Lion" - 2:50
  17. "How Insensitive" - 2:31
;Disc 2
  1. "Through the Looking Glass" - 2:50
  2. "Don't Listen to Linda" - 2:50
  3. "I Won't Be the Same Without Her" - 2:41
  4. "Just a Game" - 1:51
  5. "Me Without You" - 2:10
  6. "Don't Wait for Me" - 2:33
  7. "You and I" - 2:19
  8. "While I Cry" - 2:59
  9. "Tear Drop City" - 2:04
  10. "A Man Without a Dream" - 3:05
  11. "Someday Man" - 2:49
  12. "Hollywood" - 2:16
  13. "Mommy and Daddy" - 2:26
  14. "You and I" - 2:25
  15. "Carlisle Wheeling" - 3:15
  16. "Rosemarie" - 2:31
  17. "Changes" - 2:35
  18. "Good Clean Fun" - 2:18
  19. "Through the Looking Glass" - 2:49
  20. "All the Grey Haired Men" - 2:23
  21. "War Games" - 2:50
  22. "Propinquity" - 3:19
  23. "My Share of the Sidewalk" - 2:51
  24. "Party" - 3:06
  25. "The Crippled Lion" - 2:50
  26. "If I Ever Get to Saginaw Again" - 2:50
  27. "Some of Shelly's Blues" - 2:30
  28. "Smile" - 2:23
  29. "Nine Times Blue" - 2:06
;Disc 3
  1. "Through the Looking Glass" - 2:49
  2. "Don't Listen to Linda" - 4:22
  3. "I Won't Be the Same Without Her" - 3:58
  4. "Carlisle Wheeling" - 3:36
  5. "Nine Times Blue" - 2:21
  6. "Look Down" - 3:27
  7. "Just a Game" - 3:09
  8. "You and I" - 2:32
  9. "That's What It's Like Loving You" - 3:03
  10. "Smile" - 2:31
  11. "A Man Without a Dream" - 3:21
  12. "A Man Without a Dream" - 3:55
  13. "Someday Man" - 3:23
  14. "Someday Man" - 3:25
  15. " Do Not Ask for Love" - 3:05
  16. "I Go Ape" - 2:21
  17. "Wind Up Man - 1:09
  18. "String for My Kite" - 1:09
  19. "Naked Persimmon" - 2:03
  20. "Goldie Locks Sometime" - 3:29
  21. "String for My Kite" - 1:13
  22. "Darwin" - 0:52
  23. "St. Matthew" - 2:47
  24. "Don't Wait for Me" - 2:39
  25. "Rosemarie" - 2:36
  26. " Do Not Ask for Love" - 2:24
  27. "Naked Persimmon" - 2:36
  28. "Goldie Locks Sometime" - 2:17
  29. "Darwin" - 0:41
  30. "I Go Ape" - 2:12
;7" Vinyl 45
Side 1: I Go Ape - 2:53

Side 2: Do Not Ask for Love - 2:24

Session information

Through the Looking Glass
Don't Listen to Linda
I Won't Be the Same Without Her
Just a Game
Me Without You
Don't Wait for Me
You and I
While I Cry
Tear Drop City
The Girl I Left Behind Me
A Man Without a Dream
Shorty Blackwell
Someday Man
Carlisle Wheeling
Rosemarie
Smile
St. Matthew
Me Without You
Through the Looking Glass

Album

Single