"Circle Sky" is a song written by

Michael Nesmith Robert Michael Nesmith or Mike Nesmith, (December 30, 1942 – December 10, 2021) was an American musician, songwriter, and actor. He was best known as a member of the pop rock band the Monkees and co-star of the TV series ''The Monkees'' (1966� ...

which appeared on

The Monkees The Monkees were an American rock and pop band, formed in Los Angeles in 1966, whose lineup consisted of the American actor/musicians Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork alongside English actor/singer Davy Jones. The group was conc ...

' sixth album, the ''Head'' soundtrack, and also in the film ''

Head A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple animals may ...

'' as a live concert performance.

Background and inspiration

The song is written and performed in style reminiscent to the work of musician

Bo Diddley Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, incl ...

, staying mostly on a single chord (A Major), while strumming

barre chords In music, a barre chord (also spelled bar chord) is a type of chord on a guitar or other stringed instrument played by using one finger to press down multiple strings across a single fret of the fingerboard (like a bar pressing down the strings ...

(from B Major to E Major) down the guitar neck for the intro, outro, and breaks, and from B minor to D minor for the bridge. The lyrics are impressions of sights and sounds on a Monkees tour, while "Hamilton's smiling down" refers to a

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

music stand, used for rehearsals and recording.

Release

While the movie included the song performed live by the Monkees in Salt Lake City, Utah on May 17, 1968 during a free show at the Valley Auditorium, the original soundtrack album instead substituted a studio recording, made by Nesmith and session musicians (an unexplained decision that became a major source of tension in the group). The film version intercut

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...

footage with concert footage and featured several mirrored shots of the band onstage. A lo-fi transcription of the concert version was included on ''

Monkeemania (40 Timeless Hits) ''Monkeemania (40 Timeless Hits)'' is a Monkees compilation released in Australia in 1979. It contains 40 of the Monkees' songs, including hit singles, B-sides, album tracks and three previously unreleased tracks: "Love to Love," "Steam Engine" ...

'', a compilation from the early 1980s, and an alternate studio take appeared on '' Monkee Flips'' in 1984. A stereo recording of the concert version appeared on ''

Missing Links Volume Two ''Missing Links Volume Two'' is a compilation album of rare and previously unreleased songs by the Monkees, issued by Rhino Records in 1990. It is the second volume of a three-volume set, preceded by '' Missing Links'' in 1987 and followed by ' ...

'' in 1990. A reworked version of the song opened the Monkees's 1996 reunion album ''

Justus Justus (died on 10 November between 627 and 631) was the fourth Archbishop of Canterbury. He was sent from Italy to England by Pope Gregory the Great, on a mission to Christianize the Anglo-Saxons from their native paganism, probably arrivin ...

'', featuring a rare performance by Davy Jones on guitar.

Personnel

Studio version: *Michael Nesmith - lead vocal, guitar, organ, percussion *Keith Allison - guitar *Bill Chadwick - guitar *Eddie Hoh - drums, percussion Live version (May 17, 1968): *Michael Nesmith - lead vocal, guitar *Davy Jones - percussion, organ *Peter Tork - bass *Micky Dolenz - drums, percussion ''Justus'' version: *Michael Nesmith - lead vocal, guitar *Davy Jones - guitar *Peter Tork - bass *Micky Dolenz - drums

References

{{authority control The Monkees songs 1968 songs Songs written by Michael Nesmith