The Monkees at a press conference in England (June 1967)
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1967 AMERICAN & BRITISH TOUR (June - August 1967) |
Wembley Pool on July 2, 1967
"With noise and screams, I suddenly realized The Monkees were actually freaking out properly, and much better than many of the much vaunted psychedelic groups."
-Melody Maker review of one of The Monkees' concerts at Wembley in England, July 1967
THE SET LIST
Davy Jones performs at Wembley Pool
- Last Train to Clarksville
- You Just May Be the One
- The Girl I Knew Somewhere
- I Wanna Be Free
- Sunny Girlfriend
- Your Auntie Grizelda
- Forget That Girl
- Sweet Young Thing
- Mary, Mary
- Cripple Creek (Peter solo) [Pick a Bale of Cotton was performed by Peter during his solo segment at the Hollywood Bowl only]
- You Can’t Judge a Book By the Cover (Mike solo)
- Gonna Build a Mountain (Davy solo)
- I Got a Woman (Micky solo)
- I’m a Believer
- Randy Scouse Git
- (I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone
- Shades of Gray (apparently only performed at the Hollywood Bowl in June 1967)
THE TOUR SCHEDULE
June 9: Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, California
June 30: Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England
July 1: Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England (2 shows)
July 2: Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England (2 shows)
July 8: The Coliseum, Jacksonville, Florida *
July 9: Convention Hall, Miami Beach, Florida *
July 11: The Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina *
July 12: Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina *
July 14: Forest Hills Stadium, New York, New York *
July 15: Forest Hills Stadium, New York, New York *
July 16: Forest Hills Stadium, New York, New York *
July 20: Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York
July 21: Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland
July 22: Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
July 23: Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
July 27: War Memorial, Rochester, New York
July 28: Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio
July 30: Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
August 4: St. Paul Auditorium Arena, Minnesota, Minnesota
August 5: Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri
August 6: Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Des Moines, Iowa
August 9: Memorial Auditorium, Dallas, Texas
August 10: Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas
August 11: State Fair Coliseum, Shreveport, Louisiana
August 12: Municipal Auditorium, Mobile, Alabama
August 13: Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan
August 17: Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee
August 18: Assembly Center Arena, Tulsa, Oklahoma
August 19: Coliseum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
August 20: Denver Coliseum, Denver, Colorado
August 25: Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington
August 26: Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
August 27: The Coliseum, Spokane, Washington
* = with The Jimi Hendrix Experience
June 30: Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England
July 1: Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England (2 shows)
July 2: Empire Pool, Wembley, London, England (2 shows)
July 8: The Coliseum, Jacksonville, Florida *
July 9: Convention Hall, Miami Beach, Florida *
July 11: The Coliseum, Charlotte, North Carolina *
July 12: Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina *
July 14: Forest Hills Stadium, New York, New York *
July 15: Forest Hills Stadium, New York, New York *
July 16: Forest Hills Stadium, New York, New York *
July 20: Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, New York
July 21: Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland
July 22: Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
July 23: Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
July 27: War Memorial, Rochester, New York
July 28: Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, Ohio
July 30: Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois
August 4: St. Paul Auditorium Arena, Minnesota, Minnesota
August 5: Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri
August 6: Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Des Moines, Iowa
August 9: Memorial Auditorium, Dallas, Texas
August 10: Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas
August 11: State Fair Coliseum, Shreveport, Louisiana
August 12: Municipal Auditorium, Mobile, Alabama
August 13: Olympia Stadium, Detroit, Michigan
August 17: Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, Tennessee
August 18: Assembly Center Arena, Tulsa, Oklahoma
August 19: Coliseum, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
August 20: Denver Coliseum, Denver, Colorado
August 25: Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, Washington
August 26: Memorial Coliseum, Portland, Oregon
August 27: The Coliseum, Spokane, Washington
* = with The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Super rare 8mm footage taken during The Monkees' 1967 tour (courtesy of Monkees Bootlegs)
"Live 1967" album
The Monkees' 1967 summer tour occurred at the height of Monkeemania, visiting 28 different cities in the United States and England throughout July and August. Before the tour officially kicked off, the band played a triumphant show in front of a hometown crowd on June 9 in Hollywood, California at the Hollywood Bowl, in front of an audience of over 17,000. Just five days earlier, The Monkees had attended the 19th Primetime Emmy Awards where the group's television series took home two awards, including 'Outstanding Comedy Series.' Throughout the tour, The Monkees' third album, Headquarters, was at #2 on the charts behind The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The Monkees also traveled to England where they played five shows at Wembley's Empire Pool, and were later joined by The Jimi Hendrix Experience, who opened up several concerts in the United States. The instrumental lineup was similar to the regional tour completed throughout late 1966/early 1967 with Micky on drums and tympani, Mike on lead guitar, Peter on bass, keyboards and banjo, and Davy playing tambourine and maracas. Davy would also occasionally play bass when Peter moved to keyboards and he would relieve Micky on drums during "Randy Scouse Git" and towards the end of “Mary, Mary.”
Micky Dolenz
The 1967 summer concerts, which generally lasted around 65 minutes, included a psychedelic light show, one of the first concert tours to feature such techniques. Images of The Monkees performing and other footage, like civil rights marches in Montgomery, Alabama, were projected on large screens behind the band. The last three North American dates (Seattle, Washington on 8/25/67, Portland, Oregon on 8/26/67 and Spokane, Washington on 8/27/67) were recorded with the intent of releasing a live album. That album did not see the light of day until it was finally released as Live 1967 in 1987. The August 12 performance at the Municipal Auditorium in Mobile, Alabama is a widely circulated bootleg recording. Summer 1967: The Complete U.S. Concert Recordings features four complete concerts from this tour, and was previously available as a limited edition release from Rhino Handmade in 2001.
The Monkees in Paris, France
After the performance at the Hollywood Bowl on June 9, The Monkees spent their time in the studio recording songs for their next album. On June 23, the band departed Los Angeles for Paris, France. Over the next several days in the French capital, The Monkees filmed what would become the second season episode "Monkees in Paris." Leaving Paris for London on June 28, the band held their first 'group' press conference before the shows at Wembley. Five concerts were played there between June 30 and July 2 in front of audiences of 10,000 at each show. British star Lulu opened the Wembley performances and Epifocal Phringe (Dusty Springfield's regular backing band, originally dubbed The Echoes) supplied backup during the solo performances. The setlist for the British shows varied slightly from what would be performed in the United States, with "I'm A Believer" opening the concerts, followed by "Last Train to Clarksville." "Sunny Girlfriend" was only played at the July 2 Wembley show, and "Forget That Girl" wasn't played at all. During the Wembley shows, The Monkees showed their support for both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, members of The Rolling Stones who had just received stiff penalties on recent drug charges. Jagger's image appeared on the video screen during "I Wanna Be Free" while both Micky and Michael wore black armbands in sympathy. (Rolling Stone Brian Jones had visited with The Monkees during their stay in Britain.) Before leaving London, a party organized by Beatles manager Brian Epstein was held in honor of The Monkees. In attendance were such music luminaries like Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, The Who and Eric Clapton. The Monkees returned to the United States on July 6 to formally begin their summer tour of the United States.
Hendrix opening for The Monkees (July 1967)
In one of the strangest pairings in rock and roll history, The Jimi Hendrix Experience was the opening act for several cities during the U.S. summer tour. Hendrix joined The Monkees as the tour officially commenced on July 8 in Jacksonville, Florida, with Hendrix continuing to appear through dates in Miami, Florida on July 9, Charlotte, North Carolina on July 11 and Greensboro, North Carolina on July 12. He departed after three shows at Forest Hills Tennis Stadium in New York City on July 14, 15 and 16. Hendrix, a star in England but relatively unknown in his native United States, was trying to gain notoriety in America. As the New York Times noted in 2006, “The Monkees wanted respect, and Hendrix wanted publicity.” With the goal of attaining a mainstream hit in the United States, the Experience agreed to join the tour.
Michael Nesmith
The relationship between Hendrix and The Monkees started when Mike Nesmith, while attending a party in England with Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Eric Clapton in early 1967, overheard a tape Lennon had of Hendrix playing. Along with Micky and Peter, they became instant fans, and after Dolenz and Tork watched Hendrix perform at the Monterey Pop Festival in June 1967, The Monkees pushed for Hendrix to open their U.S. summer concerts. With The Monkees on the road to dispel the critical notion that they couldn't play live, adding an act as cutting edge and theatrical as the Jimi Hendrix Experience would further prove the seriousness of The Monkees as musicians and entertainers.
Jimi Hendrix and Peter Tork (Summer 1967)
The Monkees were thrilled to have Hendrix and company on the bill, even showing up early to watch his set. However, various members of the band have recounted in the years since that their audience was less than interested in the guitar virtuoso, often chanting 'Monkees!' or 'We want Davy!' while Hendrix performed. "Nobody thought, 'This is screaming, scaring-your-daddy music compared with The Monkees,' Tork later said. It didn't cross anybody's mind that it wasn't gonna fly. And there's poor Jimi, and the kids go, 'We want The Monkees, we want The Monkees.'"
Davy Jones
As the arrangement didn't work with the crowds coming to the concerts, Hendrix and company eventually left the tour amicably after the New York shows at Forest Hills Stadium. It was reported that both The Monkees and The Experience got along and even jammed. The exposure of being on tour with the hottest act in America propelled Hendrix to the next level as his music began to be noticed in the United States. There is no truth to the urban legend (originally reported by Australian rock critic Lillian Roxon, who traveled with the tour, as a tongue-in-cheek explanation for Hendrix's sudden departure) that Hendrix was dismissed after a complaint by the Daughters of the American Revolution of "lewd and indecent" conduct during his performances. (Reference the links at the bottom of this page for sources and more information about the Monkees/Hendrix partnership.)
The Monkees in London
Other opening acts on the U.S. summer tour included The Sundowners, who also provided instrumental backup during the solo segments, and Lynn Randell. Ike and Tina Turner preceded The Monkees at the Hollywood Bowl performance.
The 1967 summer concerts were a critical and commercial coup for The Monkees. The New York City shows were a particular highlight, grossing hundreds of thousands of dollars and playing to 36,000 people over three nights. This, combined with the previous success of gaining complete artistic control over the making of their music, solidified The Monkees as a musical force in 1967. The band channeled this energy in the studio (recording the "Pleasant Valley Sunday" single after the Hollywood Bowl concert and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd. during breaks on tour) and later resumed filming of their Emmy award-winning television show, now ready to enter into its second season.
The 1967 summer concerts were a critical and commercial coup for The Monkees. The New York City shows were a particular highlight, grossing hundreds of thousands of dollars and playing to 36,000 people over three nights. This, combined with the previous success of gaining complete artistic control over the making of their music, solidified The Monkees as a musical force in 1967. The band channeled this energy in the studio (recording the "Pleasant Valley Sunday" single after the Hollywood Bowl concert and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd. during breaks on tour) and later resumed filming of their Emmy award-winning television show, now ready to enter into its second season.
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"The Monkees demonstrated they could carry a
live show and maintain the level of excitement throughout."
-Billboard magazine review of one of The Monkees' concerts at Forest Hills Stadium in New York, July 1967
live show and maintain the level of excitement throughout."
-Billboard magazine review of one of The Monkees' concerts at Forest Hills Stadium in New York, July 1967
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Micky recalls his visit to Hyde Park in England in 1967
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Michael discusses the heights of 'Monkeemania' on tour
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THE MONKEES & JIMI HENDRIX
"The Jimi Hendrix Experience were the apotheosis of ’60s psychedelic ribbon shirts and tie-dye—they had pinwheels for eyes and their hair was out to here. I thought, 'Man, I gotta see this thing live.' So that night I stood in front of the stage and listened to Hendrix at soundcheck. And I thought, 'Well, this guy’s from Mars; he’s from some other planet, but whatever it is, thank heaven for this visitation.' And I listened to him play at the soundchecks and the concert. I thought, 'This is some of the best music I’ve heard in my life.'”
-Michael Nesmith, speaking about Jimi Hendrix
-Michael Nesmith, speaking about Jimi Hendrix
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Peter Tork discusses Jimi Hendrix and The Monkees
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Monkees & Jimi Hendrix radio announcement
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PHOTO GALLERY
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The Monkees arrive in Buffalo, New York for a performance at the Memorial Auditorium on July 20, 1967 |
Newsreel footage of The Monkees' visit to England during their 1967 tour |
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THE TOUR PROGRAM
The Monkees pictured with opening act The Sundowners
Courtesy of 60sgaragebands.com is an audio clip of The Sundowners opening for The Monkees in 1967
"They worked non-stop for well over an hour, which makes it the longest bill-topping performance I've yet seen. The Monkees give, in every way, absolute value for money. An unforgettable evening."
-Peter Jones of Record Mirror, reviewing one of The Monkees' concerts at Wembley in London
Sources used for information about the Jimi Hendrix Experience appearing with The Monkees in 1967:
This Day in Music Spotlight: Jimi Hendrix Opens for The Monkees
Hendrix and The Monkees
This Day in Music Spotlight: Jimi Hendrix Opens for The Monkees
Hendrix and The Monkees
