THE MONKEES

 ANNOUNCE FAREWELL TOUR DATES

 

Micky Dolenz And Michael Nesmith Will Commemorate

55 Years Of Monkeemania With Fall Tour

Concluding At The Greek Theater In Los Angeles On November 14

LOS ANGELES – Michael Nesmith and Micky Dolenz of The Monkees will embark on their farewell tour in September 2021. Commemorating 55 years of Monkeemania, the tour will embrace major markets in North America through the fall, launching on September 11 in Seattle and ending back where it all began in Los Angeles at The Greek Theater on November 14. Their critically acclaimed concerts feature the voice of Dolenz (who sang The Monkees’ biggest hits: “I’m A Believer,” “Last Train To Clarksville,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday” and “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone”) and the group’s primary songwriter, Nesmith (who wrote such classics as “Mary, Mary,” “Papa Gene’s Blues,” “You Just May Be The One” and “Listen To The Band,” to name but a few).

 

Tickets and VIP packages for some dates of “The Monkees Farewell Tour” are on sale now, with more going on sale later this week. More dates are expected to be announced soon.

 

“The Monkees Farewell Tour” will feature songs that span the band’s entire career – from their 1966 self-titled debut album to 2016’s Good Times! Their most recent release, The Monkees – The Mike & Micky Show Live, was issued in April 2020 and became their 17th Billboard charting album release. In addition to their hits, their farewell shows will spotlight songs featured on their Emmy-winning TV series (“The Girl I Knew Somewhere,” “You Told Me,” “Randy Scouse Git,” “Goin’ Down” and “For Pete’s Sake”) as well as music from their feature film Head (“Circle Sky” and “As We Go Along”). Plus some rarely performed deep cuts (such as “Auntie’s Municipal Court”) and tracks from their most-recent studio album, 2016’s Good Times! (“Me & Magdelena” and “Birth Of An Accidental Hipster”).

 

This farewell tour will mark the end of a unique project that began in 1965 when four young men were cast in a television show about a struggling rock band that was inspired by the Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night. Few could have predicted the impact The Monkees would have on music and pop culture at large, one that still reverberates more than 50 years later.

 

Formed in Los Angeles for the eponymous television series, the quartet of Dolenz, Nesmith, the late Peter Tork and the late Davy Jones brought a singular mix of pop, rock, psychedelia, Broadway and country to their music. The Monkees’ first single, “Last Train To Clarksville,” was released in August 1966 and quickly headed for the top spot of the Billboard charts in tandem with the band's self-titled debut album, which held the top slot for 13 of the 78 weeks it remained in the Top 200. (Two decades later, in the midst of a new burst of Monkeemania, The Monkees popped back onto the charts, bringing the total number of weeks to 102.)

 

By the time the series aired its final new episode on March 25, 1968, The Monkees had seen three further albums top the charts —More of the Monkees, Headquarters, and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. All were released in 1967, staggeringly enough, racking up several more hit singles, with “I’m A Believer,” “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone,” “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You,” “The Girl I Knew Somewhere,” “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” “Words,” “Daydream Believer,” “Valleri,” and “Tapioca Tundra” all finding their way into the Billboard Top 40. The final tally: 16 million albums and 7.5 million singles sold in a mere 2 1/2 years.

 

After the series’ two-season run, the group went on to star in the cult feature film, Head (co-written by Jack Nicholson) and a TV special (33 1/3 Revolutions per Monkee) while also continuing to record new material. But as the ’60s gave way to the ’70s, the members of The Monkees eventually gave in to their individual musical interests and went their separate ways.

 

In February 1986, after MTV broadcast a marathon of The Monkees series, Dolenz, Jones, and Tork reunited for a 20th anniversary tour, with Nesmith joining them onstage for the Los Angeles date of the tour. In 1996, all four members of the group reunited for a new album (Justus) and TV special (Hey, Hey, It’s The Monkees). In the wake of Jones’s death on February 12, 2012, the surviving members of the Monkees reunited and performed a series of concerts. The shows were received so triumphantly that Dolenz, Nesmith, and Tork returned the following summer for a tour dubbed, “A Midsummer’s Night With the Monkees.”

 

To celebrate the Monkees’ 50th anniversary in 2016, the surviving members of the band recorded the critically acclaimed album Good Times! (produced by the late Adam Schlesinger). Much like the Monkees’ early albums, it featured tracks written for the band by a group of gifted songwriters, including Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie), Rivers Cuomo (Weezer), Andy Partridge (XTC) and more. Following the passings of Davy Jones and Peter Tork (who succumbed to cancer in 2019), Michael & Micky have honored the music and the memory of The Monkees onstage.

 

 

THE MONKEES FAREWELL TOUR

Tour Dates

 

September

11    Seattle, WA                            Moore Theatre       

14    Sacramento, CA                     The Crest Theatre

15    San Jose, CA                          San Jose Civic

17   Riverside, CA                         Fox Performing Arts Center

18   El Cajon, CA                          The Magnolia

19   Phoenix, AZ                         Celebrity Theatre

24   Dallas, TX                            The Majestic Theatre

25   San Antonio, TX                   The Tobin Center For Performing Arts

28   The Woodlands, TX              Dosey Doe

29   The Woodlands, TX              Dosey Doe

 

October

2     Chattanooga, TN                   Trivoli Theatre

6    Birmingham, AL                    Iron City

7     Knoxville, TN                       Tennessee Theatre

8     Atlanta, GA                          Atlanta Symphony Hall

10   Orlando, FL                          Hard Rock Live

12   Fort Lauderdale, FL               Parker Playhouse

13   Clearwater, FL                      Ruth Eckerd Hall

15   Biloxi, MS                              IP Casino Resort & Spa

16   Jacksonville, FL                    Florida Theatre

19   Red Bank, NJ                        Count Basie Center

20   Tarrytown, NY                     Tarrytown Music Hall

22   Bethlehem, PA                      The Wind Creek Event Center

23   Atlantic City, NJ                   Ocean Casino Resort – Ovation Hall

24   New York, NY                      Town Hall

26   Burlington, VT                      Flynn Center For The Performing Arts

28   Huntington, NY                    The Paramount

29   Uncasville, CT                      Mohegan Sun

30   Medford, MA                       Chevalier Theatre

 

November

1     Greensburg, PA                    The Palace Theatre

2     Detroit, MI                           Masonic Cathedral Theatre

6     Milwaukee, WI                     Riverside Theater

9     Saint Charles, MO                 Family Arena

10   Kansas City, MO                  Uptown Theater

14   Los Angeles, CA                   The Greek Theatre

 

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RHINO RECORDS CONTINUES TO CELEBRATE ICONIC BLACK ARTISTS WITH A SERIES OF RELEASES FOR BLACK MUSIC MONTH AND BEYOND

 

Definitive Albums From Charles Mingus, Curtis Mayfield, Milt Jackson & Ray Charles, Zapp & Roger, The Drifters, And The Time

To Be Reissued In June And July, Along With Previously Unreleased Music From Miles Davis And Roberta Flack

 

Los Angeles, CA - Rhino Records will expand its celebration of black music during Black Music Month with a series of high-profile vinyl, CD, and digital releases throughout June and into July. The collection includes reissues of classics by some of the world's greatest artists, including Charles Mingus, Curtis Mayfield, Milt Jackson & Ray Charles, Zapp & Roger, The Drifters, The Time, and previously unreleased music from Miles Davis and Roberta Flack.

 

Recognizing the cultural impact of black music on over a century of artistry throughout popular culture, Rhino will build on this year's Black History Month and RSD Drop campaigns that included artists such Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Curtis Mayfield, Donny Hathaway, Lupe Fiasco, Nina Simone, The Notorious B.I.G., Me'shell N'degocello, and more.

 

These influential black artists paved the musical highways for generations to come - leading to cultural, social, and political revolutions that still ring true in 2021. In June and July, Rhino will celebrate these legendary artists who continue to influence and inspire today's music. The full release schedule is listed below, and physical titles are available for pre-order now.

 

Available on Friday, June 4:

Various Artist - Intro Documentary Soundtrack Playlist (digital only)

 

Available on Friday, June 11:

Charles Mingus - Mingus At Carnegie Hall (Deluxe Edition) – 2-CD, $19.98

Available on Friday, June 18:

Milt Jackson & Ray Charles – Soul Brothers – 1-LP on 180-gram vinyl, $21.98

Zapp & Roger – All The Greatest Hits – 2- LP on 140-gram violet and magenta/orange and pink colored vinyl, $34.98

Available on Friday, June 25:

Miles Davis - Merci, Miles! Live at Vienne – 2-CD, $24.98

Miles Davis - Merci, Miles! Live at Vienne – 2-LP on 180-gram vinyl, $34.98

The Drifters– Golden Hits – 1-LP, $21.98

Roberta Flack - Chapter Two 50th Anniversary Digital Expanded , $9.99

Roberta Flack - Quiet Fire 50th Anniversary Digital Expanded, $9.99

 

Available Via Run Out Groove on Friday, July 16:

Charles Mingus- Live at Carnegie Hall - 3-LP, $49.98

Curtis Mayfield - CURTIS! 50th Anniversary Edition – 2-LP, $31.98

The Time - The Time (Expanded Edition) - 2-LP on red and white color vinyl, $31.98

 

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MILES DAVIS: MERCI MILES! LIVE AT VIENNE

 

Previously Unreleased Recording Featuring One Of The Jazz Legend’s Final Live Performances Will Be Released During Rhino Records’ Upcoming Black Music Month

 

2-CD, 2-LP, And Digital Versions Available On June 25 From Rhino

 

LOS ANGELES – Miles Davis performed with the Miles Davis Group on July 1, 1991, at the Jazz à Vienne festival in France. Sadly, it was one of his last concerts before passing away on September 28 of that year. This previously unreleased concert will make its debut this summer during Rhino Records’ upcoming Black Music Month celebration.

 

Davis’ electrifying performance at Jazz à Vienne includes two songs – “Penetration” and “Jailbait” – that were written by Prince, with whom he had a mutual admiration and friendship. MERCI MILES! LIVE AT VIENNE will be released on June 25 as a two-CD set ($24.98) and as a double LP ($31.98). The music will also be available on all digital download and streaming services and is available for pre-order today. The collection features liner notes by music historian, journalist, and producer Ashley Kahn, along with art designed by Bruno Tilley. For a limited time, an exclusive fold-out poster and postcard will be available with purchase via Rhino.com and MilesDavis.com.

 

By 1991, the world’s most celebrated trumpeter could look back on five decades of musical evolution – his own and that of the world around him. Davis had found ways to marry jazz with classical ideas, then later R&B, rock, and funk, to produce hybrid offspring that shaped the course of popular music and had come to define his legend. In 1985, he’d left Columbia after 30 years to sign to Warner Bros. Records (now Warner Records), a label riding high with best-selling artists like Madonna, Van Halen, and Prince.

 

Miles Davis’s lifelong love for France is well-documented, and in July 1991, he became a Knight of its Legion of Honour. Davis accepted the award from French culture minister Jack Lang, who described him as: “The Picasso of Jazz.” A few days before, he played the exhilarating concert captured on MERCI MILES! at Jazz à Vienne with the Miles Davis Group. He passed away soon after, in September.

 

Recognizing the cultural impact of black music on over a century of artistry throughout popular culture, Rhino Records will build on the successful Black History Month releases from earlier this year that included artists such as Donny Hathaway, Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, Nina Simone, Chaka Khan, and Ray Charles.

 

These influential black artists paved the musical highways for generations to come – leading cultural, social, and political revolutions that still ring true in 2021. In June, Rhino Records will celebrate the legends – including Davis – that touched our hearts and soul while paving the way for the music of today.

 

For more information about MILES DAVIS, please contact Jessica Giordano in the Rhino Media Relations Department at jessica.giordano@rhino.com or 818-238-6403.

 

MERCI MILES! LIVE AT VIENNE

Track Listing:

 

1.    “Hannibal”

2.    “Human Nature”

3.    “Time after Time”

4.    “Penetration”

5.    “Wrinkle”

6.    “Amandla”

7.    “Jailbait”

8.    Untitled finale – the Miles Davis Group only

 

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DR. FEELGOOD

SINGLES (THE U.A. YEARS+)

 

The 1989 Best-Of To Be Released On Black Double-LP And On Special Edition Unique Recycled Double-LP Available Exclusively At Rhino

 

To Be Released June 11

 

Dr. Feelgood’s best-of SINGLES (THE U.A. YEARS+) is to be remanufactured and reissued on vinyl for the first time since its original release in 1989. Available as a double-LP, there will be a black edition and limited-edition recycled vinyl available exclusively at Rhino with the latter made from scraps of unused color vinyl, that will be reworked to create new vinyl. Each one is completely unique, each with its own color combination, which will resemble splatter or marble vinyl, providing a comparable sound to normal colored vinyl.

 

To be released on June 11, SINGLES (THE U.A. YEARS+) is a celebration of 26 tracks of Dr. Feelgood at their absolute peak. Having formed in 1971 in Essex, founding members Lee Brilleaux (singer), John B. Sparks (Sparko) on bass guitar, John Martin (The Big Figure) on drums, and guitarist Wilko Johnson, whose iconic and renowned choppy style of playing saw the band build huge notoriety in London’s live music scene resulting in a record deal with US Artists in 1974.

 

That year, Dr. Feelgood released their debut single “Roxette,” along with the single “She Does It Right,” penned the night before a BBC Radio One Top Gear session. Both were included on their debut record - the iconic Down By The Jetty that was met with huge acclaim and has since been noted by artists including Paul Weller, Bob Geldof, Blondie, and The Ramones as having a huge impact on their careers.

 

The band's popularity grew and their notoriety expanded as they continued playing live and writing. In 1975. the band saw the singles “Back In The Night” and “Going Back Home,” break into the UK Top 20 with their subsequent album Malpractice. Following this success, the band went on a UK headline tour, as well as a “Speeding Through Europe” tour, cementing the band’s success on the continent. This was followed up by their live album Stupidity reaching number one in the UK Albums Chart.

 

Following the release of Sneakin’ Suspicion, Wilko Johnson left the band and was replaced by John 'Gypie' Mayo. Under the new variation of the band, it yielded hits such as “She’s A Wind Up,” “Down At The Doctors,” and the Dr. Feelgood classic “Milk And Alcohol,” the top 10 single written by Gypie Mayo and Nick Lowe.

 

Subsequently, throughout 1979 and 1980, the band released various singles such as “Put Him Out Of Your Mind,” “Hong Kong Money” and “Violent Love.” However, the year ended with Gypie Mayo leaving the band, with Johnny Guitar and Gordon Russell joining the latest form of the band. This led to the singles such as “Crazy About Girls” and “Monkey.” Changes in the band’s personnel continued, with founding members, John B. Sparks (Sparko) and John Martin (The Big Figure) also departing.

 

Lee Brilleaux temporarily disbanded Dr. Feelgood in 1982 and started from scratch again, rehiring Gordon Russell, as well as Phil Mitchell on bass and Kevin Morris on drums. This new line-up was Dr. Feelgood’s most stable yet, leading to singles such as “Mad Man Blues” and “Don’t Wait Up,” the latter of which received significant airplay.

 

It was an incredible and prolific first six years for the band and remains one of the most important bodies of work in British rock. SINGLES (THE U.A. YEARS+) is an encyclopedia of Dr. Feelgood’s greatest moments that saw the band’s biggest commercial successes but also some of their most influential moments.

 

For more information about DR. FEELGOOD, please contact Sarin Chahanian in the Rhino Media Relations Department at sarin.chahanian@rhino.com or (818) 238-2208.

 

Track Listing:

 

Side 1

“Roxette”

“She Does It Right”

“Back In The Night”

“Going Back Home”

“Riot In Cell Block No. 9”

“Sneakin’ Suspicion”

 

Side 2

“She’s A Wind Up”

“Baby Jane”

“Down At The Doctors”

“Milk And Alcohol”

“As Long As The Price Is Right”

“Put Him Out Of Your Mind”

 

Side 3

“Hong Kong Money”

“No Mo Do Yakamo”

“Jumping From Love To Love”

“Violent Love”

“Waiting For Saturday Night”

“Monkey”

“Trying To Live My Life Without You”

 

Side 4

“Crazy About Girls”

“My Way”

“Mad Man Blues”

“Don’t Wait Up”

“See You Later Alligator”

“Hunting Shooting Fishing”

“Milk And Alcohol… (New Recipe)”

 

# # #

MARK MORRISON

RETURN OF THE MACK

 

#25ROTM

 

Mark Morrison’s Ground-Breaking R&B Classic Album Is To Be Reissued On Limited Edition Purple Vinyl, Accompanied With A Digital Deluxe Of Rare Remixes

 

LP And Digital Deluxe Out June 11, Plus Official Videos Of His Top 40 Hits Restored In HD And Rolled Out Weekly

On April 22 1996, a relatively unknown Mark Morrison took the world by storm and released his debut album Return Of The Mack which was also largely self-produced. The lead single would go on to become one of the biggest songs of the 90’s topping the charts in the UK, across Europe and hitting number two in the US Billboard Hot 100 the following year, going platinum in the US (and staying in the charts for 40 weeks), and then onto double-platinum in the UK.

 

In celebration of its 25th year, the album will be reissued on limited edition purple vinyl and as a 70 track digital deluxe version featuring 40 previously unavailable remixes and rare versions. Videos from his debut will be also restored in HD and released on his official YouTube channel weekly. Pre-order the limited edition purple LP here.

 

The song “Return of the Mack” was a phenomenon. Written, recorded and produced by Morrison, he became a global sensation with Larry Flick from Billboard Magazine noting that “...UK crooner Mark Morrison energizes a deflated US R&B scene with 'Return of the Mack.'"

 

The track launched the album of the same name selling over 3 million copies worldwide and making Morrison the first artist in British pop history to have five Top 10 hits from a debut album. Morrison’s notoriety rapidly grew both in and out of the studio, but the track became the benchmark of UK R&B revitalizing the scene and has withstood the test of time with it recently again being rediscovered.

 

Earlier this year, UPROXX introduced the track to a new generation of rappers including Trippie Redd, DaniLeigh, Toosii, Blac Chyna, AZ Chike to the track with Bobbie Sessions calling it “...one of the greatest songs that has ever been made” and BRS Kash saying “This is definitely a classic, it ain’t going nowhere.”

 

Watch the video here.

 

G-Eazy released “Provide” feat. Chris Brown and Mark Morrison, in February of this year, a track based on the instantly recognizable hook of the track amassing 7 million YouTube and 13 million Spotify streams in weeks.

 

“Return of The Mack” has also been the soundtrack to adverts from some of the world’s biggest brands including Google, McDonalds, Uber Eats.

 

Earlier this year, Mark Morrison signed a multi-million dollar deal with Primary Wave. The new deal will see Morrison work closely with the team on his catalog, as well as in any new ventures. 

 

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