Justus (album)

Last updated
Justus
Monkees-Justus.jpg
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 15, 1996
RecordedJune–August 1996
StudioNRG Studios, North Hollywood, CA
Genre Rock
Length39:55
Label Rhino
Producer The Monkees
The Monkees chronology
Missing Links Volume Three
(1996)
Justus
(1996)
I'm a Believer and Other Hits
(1997)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Entertainment Weekly C− [2]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]

Justus is the eleventh studio album by the Monkees. The album was recorded in celebration of their 30th anniversary and released on October 15, 1996. It features the return of Michael Nesmith to the group.

Contents

Background

Justus was the first Monkees album since Head was released in 1968 to feature all four Monkees. It was also the final studio album to feature contemporary recordings of Davy Jones before his death in 2012. Although Nesmith sang lead vocals only on a remake of the 1968 song "Circle Sky", he did write the Dolenz-vocal song, "Admiral Mike", and provided background vocals for all tracks.

Although preliminary work on the album was begun using songs from various writers, upon Nesmith's agreement to join the production it was agreed that all songs would be written only by the four members of the group. The four also produced and recorded all the tracks jointly, making it the first Monkees album since Headquarters to be produced entirely by the group as a single unit, and the first album ever to be recorded by the foursome alone. A video was also produced to promote the album.

"Circle Sky" is a remake from the Head soundtrack, with new lyrics from Nesmith. "You and I" is a different song from the song with the same name on Instant Replay . It originally appeared on a 1976 album, Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart , recorded during a reunion of Jones and Dolenz with Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, who were the band's first writers and producers.

A different version of "It's Not too Late" appears on Jones's solo album Just for the Record, Vol. 4.

The title is pronounced as either "Justice"[ citation needed ] or "Just Us", the latter implying that only the four Monkees perform on the album.

The tracks "Circle Sky", "You and I" and "Regional Girl" were promoted, with music videos, in the 1997 television special Hey, Hey, It's the Monkees . These songs, along with "Oh, What a Night", were performed as part of the 30th anniversary reunion tour.

While all four members of the Monkees receive producer's credit, Nesmith ultimately produced and mixed the project while the other three Monkees toured.

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Circle Sky" Michael Nesmith Michael Nesmith3:33
2."Never Enough" Micky Dolenz Micky Dolenz2:58
3."Oh, What a Night" Davy Jones Davy Jones3:12
4."You and I"Micky Dolenz, Davy JonesJones2:57
5."Unlucky Stars"Micky DolenzDolenz3:11
6."Admiral Mike"Michael NesmithDolenz3:23
7."Dyin' of a Broken Heart"Micky DolenzDolenz3:09
8."Regional Girl"Micky DolenzDolenz3:16
9."Run Away from Life" Peter Tork Jones2:43
10."I Believe You"Peter TorkPeter Tork3:41
11."It's My Life"Micky DolenzDolenz3:41
12."It's Not Too Late"Davy JonesJones4:03

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davy Jones (musician)</span> British actor and singer (1945–2012)

David Thomas Jones was an English actor and singer. Best known as a member of the band The Monkees and a co-star of the TV series The Monkees (1966–1968), Jones was considered a teen idol.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Monkees</span> American rock and pop band

The Monkees were an American pop rock band formed in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. The band consisted of Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork. Spurred by the success of the television show of the same name, the Monkees were one of the most successful bands of the late 1960s. With international hits, four chart-topping albums and three chart-topping songs, they sold more than 75 million records worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Micky Dolenz</span> American musician and actor (born 1945)

George Michael Dolenz Jr. is an American musician and actor. He was the drummer and one of two primary vocalists for the pop rock band the Monkees, and a co-star of the TV series The Monkees (1966–1968). After the death of Michael Nesmith on December 10, 2021, Dolenz is the last surviving member of the band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Tork</span> American musician and actor (1942–2019)

Peter Halsten Thorkelson, better known by his stage name Peter Tork, was an American musician and actor. He was best known as the bass guitarist and keyboardist of the Monkees and co-star of the NBC television series of the same name (1966–68).

<i>The Monkees</i> (album) 1966 studio album by the Monkees

The Monkees is the debut studio album by the American band the Monkees. It was released on October 10, 1966 by Colgems Records in the United States and RCA Victor in the rest of the world. It was the first of four consecutive U.S. number one albums for the group, taking the top spot on the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks, after which it was displaced by the band's second album. It also topped the UK charts in 1967. The Monkees has been certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA, with sales of over five million copies.

<i>The Monkees Present</i> 1969 studio album by the Monkees

The Monkees Present is the eighth studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1969 by Colgems Records. It was the second Monkees album released after the departure of Peter Tork and the last to feature Michael Nesmith until 1996's Justus.

<i>Changes</i> (The Monkees album) 1970 studio album by the Monkees

Changes is the ninth studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1970 by Colgems Records. The album was issued after Michael Nesmith's exit from the band, leaving only Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones to fulfill the recording contract they had signed in the mid-1960s. Changes was their last new album for Colgems Records and the group's last album of all new material until Pool It!, released in 1987.

<i>Pool It!</i> 1987 studio album by the Monkees

Pool It! is the tenth studio album by American pop rock band the Monkees, released in August 1987 by Rhino Records. It was the first Monkees studio album of new material since Changes in 1970 and the first Monkees album to feature Peter Tork since the 1968 Head soundtrack.

<i>Instant Replay</i> (The Monkees album) 1969 studio album by the Monkees

Instant Replay is the seventh studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1969 by Colgems Records. 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.

"Circle Sky" is a song written by Michael Nesmith which appeared on The Monkees' sixth album, the Head soundtrack, and also in the film Head as a live concert performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daydream Believer</span> 1967 single by the Monkees

"Daydream Believer" is a song composed by American songwriter John Stewart shortly before he left The Kingston Trio. It was originally recorded by the Monkees, with Davy Jones singing the lead. The single reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 1967, remaining there for four weeks, and peaked at No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart. It was the Monkees' third and last No. 1 hit in the U.S.

<i>The Monkees Anthology</i> 1998 compilation album by The Monkees

The Monkees Anthology is a two-CD compilation set by the Monkees issued in 1998, and is the first collection to include material from their most recent studio album at the time, Justus. It includes almost all the original singles and B-sides, as well as a TV rarity and one live track.

"All of Your Toys" is a song by The Monkees, recorded in 1967 but not released until 20 years later. The song was written by Bill Martin, a friend of The Monkees' Michael Nesmith. "All of Your Toys" was the first Monkees recording to feature all four members performing on the track.

Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart was a supergroup, consisting of songwriting/performing duo Boyce and Hart and two members of the Monkees, Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones. Boyce and Hart had written many of the Monkees' biggest hits, such as "Last Train to Clarksville" and "(Theme From) The Monkees". The group existed only for a short time in 1976, recording one eponymous album.

<i>Summer 1967: The Complete U.S. Concert Recordings</i> 2001 live album by the Monkees

Summer 1967: The Complete U.S. Concert Recordings is a four-CD compilation of live recordings by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 2001 by Rhino Handmade. Recorded during the band's summer 1967 tour, the CD was a limited edition release, with 3,500 copies being made available. 16 of these tracks had previously been compiled by Rhino and released as Live 1967 in 1987.

<i>20th Anniversary Tour 1986</i> 1987 live album by The Monkees

20th Anniversary Tour 1986 is a live album by the Monkees recorded during their 20th anniversary tour in 1986. To date, it is the only known complete concert recorded during this era. The recording was available at 1987 tour stops in double-LP and cassette formats, though a planned 1988 retail release by Rhino Records was ultimately scrapped. The record credited the artists as Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork to avoid paying royalties to Arista Records who owned the Monkees trademark at the time, though the band's logo is visible on the sleeve. A limited-edition CD was released in 1994 under the title Live! by the group's fan club in Nashville, and was sold at concerts during their 1996 tour.

<i>The Definitive Monkees</i> 2001 greatest hits album by The Monkees

The Definitive Monkees is a limited edition Monkees compilation album released in 2001. It contains 29 of the Monkees' greatest hits. The album includes two tracks from the 1980s reunions. The album featured a bonus disc which featured 31 of The Monkees' rarity songs.

<i>Good Times!</i> 2016 studio album by the Monkees

Good Times! is the twelfth studio album by American pop rock band the Monkees. Produced primarily by Adam Schlesinger, the album was recorded to commemorate the band's 50th anniversary. It is the first Monkees studio album since Justus (1996), marking the longest gap between releases to date, and the first since the death of Davy Jones. The album features surviving Monkees Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork, as well as a posthumous contribution from Jones.

<i>Christmas Party</i> (The Monkees album) 2018 studio album by The Monkees

Christmas Party is the 13th and final studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released on October 12, 2018, by Rhino Records. Produced mainly by Adam Schlesinger, the album is the Monkees' first to focus on Christmas themes. It follows on the success of their 2016 album Good Times! The album features surviving Monkees Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith, and Peter Tork, as well as two posthumous contributions from Davy Jones. It is the final Monkees studio album to be released prior to Tork and Nesmith's deaths in 2019 and 2021, respectively.

"Words" is a song written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart and released by the Monkees. An early version by the Leaves appeared on their 1966 album Hey Joe. The Monkees first recorded the song for their second album, More of The Monkees, in August 1966 under the supervision of Boyce and Hart. While this version went unreleased until the 1990 compilation Missing Links Volume Two, it was featured in the 10 April 1967 episode of The Monkees "Monkees, Manhattan Style". A new version of the song was made to be the B-side of "Pleasant Valley Sunday" in 1967, now produced by Chip Douglas.

References

  1. Justus at AllMusic
  2. "Justus". EW.com.
  3. "The Monkees Spry as Ever on 'Justus'". Los Angeles Times. October 23, 1996.