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Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.

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Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.
Studio album by
The Monkees
ReleasedNovember 6, 1967
RecordedApril 26 – October 9, 1967
Studio
Genre
Length35:44
LabelColgems
ProducerChip Douglas
The Monkees chronology
Headquarters
(1967) 		Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.
(1967) 		The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees
(1968)
Singles from Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.
  1. "Pleasant Valley Sunday" / "Words"
    Released: July 10, 1967
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
MusicHound[3]
Record Collector[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]
The Wire(favorable)[citation needed]

Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. is the fourth album by the Monkees. It was released on November 6, 1967, during a period when the band exerted more control over their music and performed many of the instruments themselves (previously forbidden by Colgems). However, although the group had complete artistic control over the proceedings, they invited more outside contributions than on their previous album, Headquarters, and used session musicians to complement their sound. The album also featured one of the first uses of the Moog synthesizer in popular music. Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. sold over three million copies. It was the band's fourth consecutive album to reach No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

History

[edit]

The group employed studio musicians to a greater extent than their previous album, Headquarters. The greater reliance on studio musicians resulted from the band's busy filming schedule for their popular sitcom. The album's single, "Pleasant Valley Sunday" b/w "Words", was a hit, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

The album was among the earliest to make use of the Moog synthesizer, which Micky Dolenz introduced to the group and played in the studio; he owned one of the first twenty ever sold.[6] Along with the Doors' September 1967 album Strange Days and the Byrds' January 1968 album The Notorious Byrd Brothers, Pisces was one of the first commercial recordings featuring the Moog to reach a wide audience. Dolenz played the synthesizer on "Daily Nightly", while electronic musician Paul Beaver played it on "Star Collector".

Two additional songs, "Daydream Believer" and "Goin' Down", were recorded during the album sessions. Released on 7-inch vinyl in October 1967, it was the group's last No. 1 single.

The album's title stems from each band member's respective astrological sign: Dolenz is Pisces, Peter Tork is Aquarius, and Nesmith is Capricorn. Davy Jones was unsigned because he shared the same birthday and astrological sign as Nesmith.

The album's cover features a drawing of the four Monkees by Bernard Yeszin, their facial features blank, standing in a field of flowers, with the group's guitar logo half-buried.

In 2007, Rhino issued a two-disc deluxe edition of the album. The CD set featured original album artwork, including replicas of the original Colgems vinyl labels on each disc, as well as a booklet of essays and session information by Monkees historian Andrew Sandoval. The discs contain remastered mixes of the album's stereo and mono releases, as well as alternate mixes and outtakes.

Track listing

[edit]
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Salesman"Craig Vincent SmithMichael Nesmith2:37
2."She Hangs Out"Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich, Jerry Leiber, Mike StollerDavy Jones2:57
3."The Door into Summer"Chip Douglas, Bill MartinNesmith, with Micky Dolenz2:49
4."Love Is Only Sleeping"Barry Mann, Cynthia WeilNesmith2:31
5."Cuddly Toy"Harry NilssonJones2:38
6."Words"Tommy Boyce, Bobby HartDolenz with Peter Tork2:52
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Lead vocalsLength
1."Hard to Believe"Jones, Kim Capli, Eddie Brick, Charlie RockettJones2:37
2."What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?"Michael Martin Murphey, Owen CastlemanNesmith3:09
3."Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky"TorkTork0:27
4."Pleasant Valley Sunday"Gerry Goffin, Carole KingDolenz3:15
5."Daily Nightly"NesmithDolenz2:33
6."Don't Call on Me"Nesmith, John LondonNesmith2:51
7."Star Collector"Goffin, KingJones4:28

Aborted track listing

[edit]

The original track lineup for the album, compiled on October 9, 1967, included the following songs:[7]

  1. "Special Announcment"
  2. "She Hangs Out"
  3. "Salesman"
  4. "Cuddly Toy"
  5. "Words"
  6. "Don't Call on Me"
  7. "Goin' Down"

Side two

  1. "The Door Into Summer"
  2. "Hard to Believe"
  3. "What Am I Doing Hangin' 'Round?"
  4. "Daily Nightly"
  5. "Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky"
  6. "Pleasant Valley Sunday"
  7. "Star Collector"

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from 2007 Rhino "Deluxe Edition" CD,[8] except where noted.

The Monkees

  • Michael Nesmith – lead vocals (1, 3–4, 8, 12), guitar (1, 4, 8, 11–13), shaker (1), electric guitar (2, 10), acoustic guitar (5), tremolo electric guitar (6), percussion (6), backing vocals (6, 10)
  • Micky Dolenz – percussion (1), backing vocals (1–2, 4–5, 8, 13), harmony vocals (3, 5, 13), drums (5), lead vocals (6, 10–11), Moog synthesizer (11), intro chatter (12)
  • Davy Jones – percussion (1, 6), backing vocals (1–2, 4–5, 8, 10–11, 13), lead vocals (2, 5, 7, 13), tambourine (4–5), intro chatter (12)
  • Peter Tork – organ (2, 4–6, 11–13), keyboards (3, 5), backing vocals (5, 10), lead vocals (6), spoken word (9), piano (10)

Additional musicians

  • Chip Douglas – nylon-string guitar (1), bass guitar (1–6, 8, 10–13), backing vocals (2, 4–6, 8, 13), guitar (3), acoustic guitar (12)
  • Eddie Hoh – drums (1–4, 6, 8, 10–13), percussion (10), claves (12)
  • Pete Candoli – trumpet (2)
  • Al Porcino – trumpet (2)
  • Manny Stevens – trumpet (2)
  • Dick Noel – trombone (2)
  • Dick Leith – bass trombone (2)
  • Philip Teele – bass trombone (2)
  • Ted Nash – reeds (5), winds (5)
  • Tom Scott – reeds (5), winds (5)
  • Bud Shank – reeds (5), winds (5)
  • Edgar Lustgarten – cello (5)
  • Kim Capli – guitar (7), piano (7), bass guitar (7), drums (7), shaker (7), cowbell (7), claves (7), other percussion (7)
  • Vincent DeRosa – French horn (7)
  • Ollie Mitchell – flugelhorn (7)
  • Anthony Terran – flugelhorn (7)
  • Bobby Knight – bass trombone (7)
  • Jim Horn – baritone sax (7)
  • Leonard Atkins – violin (7)
  • Arnold Belnick – violin (7)
  • Nathan Kaproff – violin (7)
  • Wilbert Nuttycombe – violin (7)
  • Jerome Reisler – violin (7)
  • Darrel Terwilliger – violin (7)
  • Doug Dillard – banjo (8)
  • Bill Chadwick – acoustic guitar (10)
  • Bob Rafelson – piano intro (12)
  • Bill Martin – intro chatter (12)
  • Charlie Rockett – intro chatter (12)
  • Paul Beaver – Moog synthesizer (13)

Unconfirmed personnel and duties

  • Chip Douglas – backing vocals (1, 10), electric guitar (13)
  • Peter Tork – acoustic guitar (1)
  • Additional electric guitar, tambourine, handclaps & other percussion (2)
  • Michael Nesmith – guitar (3)
  • Micky Dolenz – drums (3), guitar (10)
  • Bill Martin – unknown (3–4)
  • Harry Nilsson – unknown (3–4)
  • Percussion (3)
  • Handclaps, percussion (4)
  • Davy Jones – backing vocals (6)
  • Others in intro chatter (12)
  • Additional backing vocals (13)

Technical

  • Chip Douglas – producer
  • Lester Sill – music supervisor
  • Hank Cicalo – recording engineer
  • Pete Abbott – recording engineer
  • Richie Schmitt – recording engineer
  • Bernard Yeszin – cover design
  • Roger Farris – arranger (7)[7]
  • George Tipton – orchestrator (7)[7]

Chart positions

[edit]

Album

[edit]
Chart (1967) Peak
position
Canadian Albums (RPM)[9] 2
French Albums (SNEP)[10] 3
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[11] 18
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[12] 33
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[13] 4
UK Albums (OCC)[14] 5
US Billboard 200[15] 1

Single

[edit]
Year Single Chart Peak
position
1967 "Words" Billboard Hot 100 11[16]
1967 "Pleasant Valley Sunday" Billboard Hot 100 3[16]

Certifications

[edit]
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[17] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "The Monkees Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.". AllMusic. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  2. ^ "The 50 best psychedelic rock albums of the Summer of Love". BrooklynVegan. June 17, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  3. ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide (2nd ed.). Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 774. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
  4. ^ "Record Collector | The Monkees – Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd | Album Review". Recordcollectormag.com. May 19, 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2012.
  5. ^ Brackett, Nathan; with Hoard, Christian (eds) (2004). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). New York, NY: Fireside/Simon & Schuster. p. 553. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  6. ^ "Moog Modular Systems". moogarchives.com. Retrieved September 30, 2014.
  7. ^ a b c Sandoval, Andrew (1995). Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd (CD liner notes). The Monkees. Los Angeles, California: Rhino Records. R2 71793.
  8. ^ Sandoval, Andrew (2007). Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. (Deluxe Edition) (CD liner notes). The Monkees. Rhino Records. R2 77767.
  9. ^ "RPM: The Monkees (albums)". RPM Magazine. Archived from the original on October 14, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  10. ^ "Tous les Albums de l'Artiste choisi". InfoDisc. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  11. ^ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  12. ^ "Oricon Archive - The Monkees". Oricon. February 2, 2016. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
  13. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – The Monkees – Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  14. ^ "The Monkees Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  15. ^ "The Monkees US Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved April 8, 2017.
  16. ^ a b "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.- Charts and Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
  17. ^ "American album certifications – The Monkees – Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved June 24, 2014.

Works cited

  • All information can be found in Rhino Records' reissues (1995 and 2007) of Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.
  • The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation by Andrew Sandoval
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