Then & Now... The Best of The Monkees

Then & Now... the Best of The Monkees is a compilation album of songs by the 1960s American pop group the Monkees, released by Arista Records in 1986.

Then & Now... The Best of The Monkees
Compilation album by
ReleasedJune 1986[1]
Recorded1966–1969; 1986
GenrePop rock
LabelArista
ProducerVarious
The Monkees chronology
Hit Factory
(1985)
Then & Now... The Best of The Monkees
(1986)
20th Anniversary Tour 1986
(1987)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic [2]

With the 1986 revival of "Monkeemania", Arista Records issued a new Monkees "best of" collection, including three new recordings featuring vocals by Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork: "That Was Then, This Is Now", "Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere" and a remake of the Paul Revere and the Raiders hit, "Kicks". Neither Michael Nesmith nor Davy Jones participated in the new recordings. Nesmith also did not join the 1986 tour with the reassembled Monkees (aside from joining them for an encore in one show), while Jones did. However, Jones would leave the stage when the new songs were performed.

"That Was Then, This Is Now" was issued as a single and charted at No. 20 in the U.S. during that year. Its follow-up, a remix of "Daydream Believer" (featuring a modern drum sound), hit No. 79. At the end of the print run of Then and Now..., Arista inadvertently replaced the original version of "Daydream Believer" with this updated remix on the records and cassettes. The second vinyl version is denoted by an "RE-1" etched into the LP's inner groove.

The track listings for the LP and CD releases differed greatly, with the LP version featuring 14 tracks and the CD version expanded to 25. At the time of its release, the CD version was the most comprehensive career-spanning Monkees compilation to date in the U.S.

Originally, Arista had decided to release a 2-LP set with only classic material. After the decision was made to include new material, the 2-LP set got released as a mail-order collection from Silver Eagle Records. This album contains the same front and back images as the later release, but the title is simply The Best of the Monkees (missing the Then & Now) and there are no liner notes. This rare version of the album has 24 tracks, closer to the lineup on the Then & Now CD but with a slightly different order and song selection. "Mary, Mary", "Good Clean Fun" and "Tear Drop City" are all unique to this variation, while "Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)" would not be added until the Then & Now CD release.[3]

Track listing

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Arista CD

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No.TitleSourceLength
1."(Theme From) The Monkees" (Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart)From The Monkees (1966)2:21
2."Last Train to Clarksville" (Boyce, Hart)Single A-side; from The Monkees2:44
3."Take a Giant Step" (Gerry Goffin, Carole King)B-side of "Last Train to Clarksville"; from The Monkees2:36
4."(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone" (Boyce, Hart)B-side of "I'm a Believer"; from More of the Monkees (1967)2:25
5."She" (Boyce, Hart)From More of the Monkees2:39
6."A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" (Neil Diamond)Single A-side (1967)2:52
7."I'm a Believer" (Diamond)Single A-side; from More of the Monkees2:46
8."(Look Out) Here Comes Tomorrow" (Diamond)From More of the Monkees2:15
9."Sometime in the Morning" (Goffin, King)From More of the Monkees2:30
10."The Girl I Knew Somewhere" (Michael Nesmith)B-side of "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You"2:32
11."Randy Scouse Git" (Micky Dolenz)Single A-side in the U.K.; from Headquarters (1967)2:35
12."You Just May Be the One" (Nesmith)From Headquarters2:03
13."For Pete's Sake" (Peter Tork, Joey Richards)Closing theme for season 2 of the TV show; from Headquarters2:12
14."Pleasant Valley Sunday" (Goffin, King)Single A-side; from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. (1967)3:13
15."What Am I Doing Hangin' Round?" (Michael Martin Murphey, Owens Castleman)From Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.3:06
16."Words" (Boyce, Hart)B-side of "Pleasant Valley Sunday"; from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.2:55
17."Goin' Down" (The Monkees, Diane Hildebrand)B-side of "Daydream Believer" (1967)4:25
18."Daydream Believer" (John Stewart)Single A-side; from The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees (1968)2:58
19."Valleri" (Boyce, Hart)Single A-side; from The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees2:18
20."D.W. Washburn" (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller)Single A-side (1968)2:50
21."Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)" (Goffin, King)Single version; from Head (1968)4:13
22."Listen to the Band" (Nesmith)Single A-side; from The Monkees Present (1969)2:45
23."That Was Then, This Is Now" (Vance Brescia)Previously unreleased4:02
24."Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere" (Hart, Dick Eastman)Previously unreleased3:53
25."Kicks" (Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil)Previously unreleased3:00
  • "Take a Giant Step" runs at a different speed than the original version on the album The Monkees.
  • "A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You" is the original stereo version, missing handclaps.
  • "Valleri" marks the first appearance of the song with a "cold ending" as opposed to a fade-out.
  • "Porpoise Song" is the extended single version.
  • "Listen to the Band" is the full-length mono album version.

Arista LP

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Side one
No.TitleSourceLength
1."(Theme From) The Monkees" (Boyce, Hart)From The Monkees2:21
2."Last Train to Clarksville" (Boyce, Hart)Single A-side; from The Monkees2:44
3."Take a Giant Step" (Goffin, King)B-side of "Last Train to Clarksville"; from The Monkees2:36
4."I'm a Believer" (Diamond)Single A-side; from More of the Monkees2:46
5."(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone" (Boyce, Hart)B-side of "I'm a Believer"; from More of the Monkees2:25
6."A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" (Diamond)Single A-side2:52
7."Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere" (Hart, Eastman)Previously unreleased3:53
Side two
No.TitleSourceLength
1."That Was Then, This Is Now" (Brescia)Previously unreleased4:02
2."The Girl I Knew Somewhere" (Nesmith)B-side of "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You"2:32
3."Pleasant Valley Sunday" (Goffin, King)Single A-side; from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.3:13
4."What Am I Doing Hangin' Round?" (Murphey, Castleman)From Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.3:06
5."Daydream Believer" (Stewart)Single A-side; from The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees2:58
6."Valleri" (Boyce, Hart)Single A-side; from The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees2:18
7."Kicks" (Mann, Weil)Previously unreleased3:00

Silver Eagle 2-LP

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Side one
No.TitleSourceLength
1."(Theme From) The Monkees" (Boyce, Hart)From The Monkees2:21
2."Last Train to Clarksville" (Boyce, Hart)Single A-side; from The Monkees2:44
3."Take a Giant Step" (Goffin, King)B-side of "Last Train to Clarksville"; from The Monkees2:36
4."(I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone" (Boyce, Hart)B-side of "I'm a Believer"; from More of the Monkees2:25
5."Mary, Mary" (Nesmith)From "More of the Monkees"2:16
6."A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" (Diamond)Single A-side2:52
Side two
No.TitleSourceLength
1."I'm a Believer" (Diamond)Single A-side; from More of the Monkees2:46
2."She" (Boyce, Hart)From More of the Monkees2:39
3."Sometime in the Morning" (Goffin, King)From More of the Monkees2:30
4."The Girl I Knew Somewhere" (Nesmith)B-side of "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You"2:32
5."You Just May Be the One" (Nesmith)From Headquarters2:03
6."Randy Scouse Git" (Dolenz)Single A-side in the U.K.; from Headquarters2:35
Side three
No.TitleSourceLength
1."Pleasant Valley Sunday" (Goffin, King)Single A-side; from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.3:13
2."What Am I Doing Hangin' Round?" (Murphey, Castleman)From Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.3:06
3."Words" (Boyce, Hart)B-side of "Pleasant Valley Sunday"; from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd.2:55
4."Goin' Down" (The Monkees, Hildebrand)B-side of "Daydream Believer"4:25
5."Valleri" (Boyce, Hart)Single A-side; from The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees2:18
6."Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)" (Goffin, King)Single version; from Head4:13
Side four
No.TitleSourceLength
1."Daydream Believer" (Stewart)Single A-side; from The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees2:58
2."D.W. Washburn" (Leiber, Stoller)Single A-side2:50
3."Good Clean Fun" (Nesmith)Single A-side; from The Monkees Present2:19
4."Tear Drop City" (Boyce, Hart)Single A-side; from Instant Replay1:59
5."Listen to the Band" (Nesmith)Single A-side; from The Monkees Present2:45
6."For Pete's Sake" (Tork, Richards)Closing theme for Season 2 of the TV show; from Headquarters2:12

References

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  1. ^ Sandoval, Andrew (2001). Music Box (CD box set liner notes). The Monkees. Los Angeles: Rhino Records. R2 76706.
  2. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000194909
  3. ^ ""The Best of the Monkees" on Silver Eagle Records".