''Head'' is the sixth studio album by

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 con ...

, and the soundtrack to the film of the same name. Released in 1968, the album primarily consists of musique concrète pieces assembled from the film's dialogue. The six new songs showcase the songwriting skills of the band members, encompassing genres such as psychedelic music,

lo-fi Lo-fi (also typeset as lofi or low-fi; short for low fidelity) is a music or production quality in which elements usually regarded as imperfections in the context of a recording or performance are present, sometimes as a deliberate choice. The ...

acid rock Acid rock is a loosely defined type of rock music that evolved out of the mid-1960s garage punk movement and helped launch the psychedelic subculture. Named after lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), the style is generally defined by heavy, d ...

and

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Composition

After the TV series ''

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 con ...

'' was cancelled in Spring of 1968, the band regrouped and wrote the film '' Head'' with screenwriter

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...

, who later coordinated the soundtrack album, editing dialogue excerpts from the film into the album's composition. The album approximates the flow of the movie and includes large portions of the dialogue. ''CriterionCast'' has suggested that the album's composition was influenced by Frank Zappa's ''

Lumpy Gravy ''Lumpy Gravy'' is the debut solo album by Frank Zappa, written by Zappa and performed by a group of session players he dubbed the Abnuceals Emuukha Electric Symphony Orchestra. Zappa conducted the orchestra but did not perform on the album. It ...

'' album. Peter Tork said regarding the album's composition, " icholsonmade it different from the movie. There's a line in the movie where Zappa says, 'That's pretty white.' Then there's another line in the movie that was not juxtaposed in the movie, but Nicholson put them together in the oundtrack album when Mike says, 'And the same thing goes for Christmas' ..that was very important and wonderful that he assembled the record differently from the movie ..It was a different artistic experience."Sandoval (2005), p. 204. ''

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

'' described ''Head'' as "a hypnogogic hallucination of a 60’s pop record" whose composition encompassed musique concrète pieces and six new songs in the genres of psychedelic,

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

. It was the first Monkees album to not include a song written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart. The album showcases the songwriting skills of each member of the band, particularly

Peter Tork Peter Halsten Thorkelson (February 13, 1942 – February 21, 2019), better known by his stage name Peter Tork, was an American musician and actor. He was best known as the keyboardist and bass guitarist of the Monkees and a co-star of the TV ...

, whose

song "Long Title: Do I Have to Do This All Over Again" and the "Eastern-flavored" song "Can You Dig It?" were described by ''

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

'' as being "not only among the best of the six original compositions on the soundtrack, but also among his finest Monkees offerings, period."

Release

In 1986,

Rhino Entertainment Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company founded in 1978. It is currently the catalog division for Warner Music Group. Its current CEO is Mark Pinkus. History Founded in 1978, Rhino was originall ...

repressed

vinyl record A phonograph record (also known as a gramophone record, especially in British English), or simply a record, is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts nea ...

copies of the album. In 1994, the album was reissued on

compact disc The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in Oc ...

with six bonus tracks, including a live version of "Circle Sky", and an alternate version of "Daddy's Song" featuring

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� ...

on vocals instead of Davy Jones. In 2010, Rhino reissued the album in a deluxe box set on three compact discs. The following year, Rhino Handmade reissued ''Head'' on vinyl for the first time since it's original 1968 release. A

bootleg Bootleg or bootlegging most often refers to: * Bootleg recording, an audio or video recording released unofficially * Rum-running, the illegal business of transporting and trading in alcoholic beverages, hence: ** Moonshine, or illicitly made ...

of the album was also released at an unknown date, containing 100 tracks.

Reception

MusicHound MusicHound (sometimes stylized as musicHound) was a compiler of genre-specific music guides published in the United States by Visible Ink Press between 1996 and 2002. After publishing eleven album guides, the MusicHound series was sold to London-b ...

'' described ''Head'' as a "trippy little souvenir of the times". ''

'' wrote that "Without question, both the movie and album are the most adventurous and in many ways most fulfilling undertaking to have been born of the Monkees' multimedia manufactured project." ''

'' called ''Head'' "an almost accidental youngster’s gateway to the

avant-garde The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...

; there is a clear line for clued-in pre-teens leading from ''Head''’s “Opening Ceremony” and “Swami—Plus Strings, Etc.” to

the Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developmen ...

’ “

Revolution 9 "Revolution 9" is a sound collage from the Beatles' 1968 self-titled double album (also known as the "White Album"). The composition, credited to Lennon–McCartney, was created primarily by John Lennon with assistance from Yoko Ono and George ...

″, and from there to

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...

Stockhausen Karlheinz Stockhausen (; 22 August 1928 – 5 December 2007) was a German composer, widely acknowledged by critics as one of the most important but also controversial composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. He is known for his groundb ...

, Krautrock,

postpunk Post-punk (originally called new musick) is a broad music genre, genre of Punk Music, punk music that emerged in the late 1970s as musicians departed from punk's traditional elements and raw simplicity, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde s ...

, and a million other directions." In 2013, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' ranked the album at number 25 in their list of "The 25 Greatest Soundtracks of All Time".

Track listing

Session information

Credits adapted from ''

''.

Personnel

;The Monkees * Micky Dolenz - vocals; drums on live version of "Circle Sky" * Davy Jones - vocals; maracas and organ on live version of "Circle Sky" * Mike Nesmith - vocals, electric guitar on "Circle Sky" (live and studio versions) and "Daddy's Song", acoustic guitar on "Daddy's Song", electric organ and maracas on "Circle Sky" (studio version) *

- vocals, electric guitar on "Can You Dig It" and "Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again?"; bass guitar on live version of "Circle Sky" ;with *Ken Bloom – guitar *

Danny Kortchmar Daniel "Danny Kootch" Kortchmar (born April 6, 1946) is an American guitarist, session musician, producer and songwriter. Kortchmar's work with singer-songwriters such as Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, David Crosby, Carole King, David Cassidy, Gr ...

– guitar on "As We Go Along" * Leon Russell – keyboard *Ralph Shuckett – keyboard * Douglas Lubahn – electric bass *Mike Ney – drums *William Hinshaw – horn *Jules Jacob – horn *Gregory Bemko – cello *David Filerman – cello *Jan Kelly – cello *Jacqueline Lustgarten – cello * Max Bennett – string bass *Clyde Hoggan – string bass *James Hughart – string bass *

Jerry Scheff Jerry Obern Scheff (born January 31, 1941) is an American bassist, best known for his work with Elvis Presley from 1969 to 1977 as a member of his TCB Band and on the Doors' '' L.A. Woman''. Biography Scheff grew up in Vallejo, California. After ...

– string bass *

Michel Rubini Michel Rubini (born December 3, 1942) is an American musician, conductor, arranger, producer, songwriter and composer. A professional classical pianist since early childhood, he was a prolific session musician of the 1960s and '70s, part of a gro ...

– piano *Keith Allison – guitar *Bill Chadwick – guitar *Richard Dey – bass *John Gross – bass *

Eddie Hoh Edward Hoh (October 16, 1944 – November 7, 2015) was an American rock drummer who was active in the 1960s. Although primarily a studio session and touring drummer, Hoh exhibited a degree of originality and showmanship that set him apart and se ...

– drums, cowbell *Lance Wakely – guitar, bass * Dewey Martin – drums *Michael A. Glass – percussion * Ry Cooder – guitar on "As We Go Along" *

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Fur ...

– guitar on "As We Go Along" * Carole King – guitar on "As We Go Along" *Harvey Newmark – bass *

Earl Palmer Earl Cyril Palmer (October 25, 1924 – September 19, 2008) was an American drummer. Considered one of the inventors of rock and roll, he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Palmer was one of the most prolific studio musicians of a ...

– drums *Dennis Bruce – percussion * Stephen Stills – guitar on "Long Title" *Pete Candoli – trumpet *Marion Childers – trumpet *

Anthony Terran Anthony Terran (May 30, 1926 – March 20, 2017) was an American trumpet player and session musician. He was part of the Wrecking Crew, a group of largely uncredited session musicians in Los Angeles, California, who helped famous artists record ...

– trumpet *Richard Leith – trombone *Lewis McCreary – trombone *Justin Ditullio – cello *Raphael Kramer – cello *Emmet Sargent – cello *Eleanor Slatkin – cello *Brendan Cahill – percussion *

Jack Nitzsche Bernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche ( '; April 22, 1937 – August 25, 2000) was an American musician, arranger, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He first came to prominence in the early 1960s as the right-hand-man of producer Phil Spec ...

– arrangement on "Porpoise Song" and "As We Go Along" *

Russ Titelman Russ Titelman (born August 16, 1944, Los Angeles, California) is an American record producer and songwriter. He has to date won three Grammy Awards. He earned his first producing the Steve Winwood song " Higher Love", and his second and third f ...

– conductor on "Porpoise Song" *John R. Hoening – unknown *Tony McCashen – unknown *Unknown – organ and flute ''All songs produced by The Monkees unless otherwise specified'' Opening Ceremony *Spoken words: Charles Irving, Micky Dolenz,

June Fairchild June Edna Fairchild (born June Edna Wilson; September 3, 1946 – February 17, 2015) was an American dancer and actress. Fairchild starred or co-starred in more than a dozen film roles before her addictions to drugs and alcohol effectively ended h ...

Teri Garr Teri Ann Garr (born December 11, 1944) is an American former actress, dancer, and comedian. She frequently appeared in comedic roles throughout her career, which spans four decades and includes over 140 credits in film and television. Her accola ...

, I. J. Jefferson,

Ray Nitschke Raymond Ernest Nitschke (December 29, 1936 – March 8, 1998) was a professional American football middle linebacker who spent his entire 15-year National Football League (NFL) career with the in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in , he was the a ...

and Unknown *Between February 11 - August 3, 1968 *Includes dialogue from "Porpoise Song", "As We Go Along", "Daddy's Song", and the live version of "Circle Sky". Porpoise Song (Theme from ''Head'') *Written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King *Lead vocal by Micky Dolenz *Backing vocals: Davy Jones, and Unknown *Guitar: Ken Bloom, Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar *Bass: Doug Lubahn *Drums: Michael Ney, John Raines *Percussion: Michael Ney, John Raines *Cymbals:

*Keyboard: Leon Russell, Ralph Schuckett *Cello: Gregory Bemko, David Filerman, Jan Kelley, Jacqueline Lustgarten *Double Bass: Max Bennett, Clyde "Whitey" Hoggan, Jim Hughart,

*Brass: Bill Hinshaw, Jules Jacob *Woodwind: Bill Hinshaw, Jules Jacob *Produced by Gerry Goffin *Recorded at California Recorders, Hollywood, February 26, and 28, 1968 Ditty Diego — War Chant *Written by Jack Nicholson and Bob Rafelson *Vocals by Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz and Davy Jones *Piano:

*Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, August 3, 1968 Circle Sky *Written by Michael Nesmith *Lead vocal by Michael Nesmith *Guitar: Michael Nesmith, Keith Allison, Bill Chadwick *Drums: Eddie Hoh *Organ: Michael Nesmith *Percussion: Michael Nesmith, Eddie Hoh *Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, December 9 and 17, 1967 and January 6 and 8, 1968 Supplicio *Spoken words: Unknown *Between February 11 - August 3, 1968 Can You Dig It? *Written by Peter Tork *Lead vocal by Micky Dolenz *Harmony vocal: Peter Tork *Guitar: Peter Tork, Lance Wakely *Bass: Lance Wakely *Bongos: Unknown *Cymbals: Unknown *Percussion: Unknown *Tambourine: Unknown *Unknown: Chester Anderson, Don DeMieri, Michael A. Glass, Eddie Hoh *Recorded at Western Recorders, January 28 and February 1, and RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, January 29, 30, 31 and March 8, 1968 Gravy *Spoken words by Davy Jones and I. J. Jefferson *Between February 11 - August 3, 1968 Superstitious *Spoken words:

David Manners David Joseph Manners (born Rauff de Ryther Duan Acklom; April 30, 1900 – December 23, 1998) was a Canadian-American actor who plays John Harker in Tod Browning's 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', which stars Bela Lugosi in the title role.Pace ...

Bela Lugosi Béla Ferenc Dezső Blaskó (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), known professionally as Bela Lugosi (; ), was a Hungarian and American actor best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the 1931 horror classic ''Dracula'', Ygor in ''S ...

*Lugosi dialogue from ''The Black Cat'', Universal, 1934 As We Go Along *Written by Carole King and Toni Stern *Lead vocal by Micky Dolenz *Guitar: Ken Bloom, Ry Cooder, Carole King, Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar, Tony McCashen,

*Bass: Harvey Newmark *Drums: Earl Palmer *Percussion: Denny Bruce, John Raines *Organ: Unknown *Flute: Unknown *Recorded at Wally Heider's, Hollywood, May 30, and Original Sound, Hollywood, August 1, 1968 Dandruff? *Spoken words by Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, Charles Macaulay, Logan Ramsey, Film Officer, and Film Director *Between February 11 - August 3, 1968 *Includes dialogue from "Superstitious". Daddy's Song *Written by Harry Nilsson *Lead vocal by Davy Jones *Electric Guitar: Michael Nesmith *Acoustic Guitar: Michael Nesmith *Bass: Rick Dey *Drums: Eddie Hoh *Piano: Eleanor Slatkin *Cello: Justin DiTullio, Ray Kramer, Emmet Sargeant, Eleanor Slatkin *Trumpet: Pete Candoli, Buddy Childers,

Tony Terran Anthony Terran (May 30, 1926 – March 20, 2017) was an American trumpet player and session musician. He was part of the Wrecking Crew, a group of largely uncredited session musicians in Los Angeles, California, who helped famous artists record ...

*Trombone: Richard Leith, Lewis McCreary *Unknown: Keith Allison, Bill Chadwick *Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, January 10, 16, 19 and March 1, and Sunset Sound, Hollywood, April 4, 1968 Poll *Spoken words by Michael Nesmith, Davy Jones, Peter Tork, Frank Zappa,

Timothy Carey Timothy Agoglia Carey (March 11, 1929 – May 11, 1994) was an American film and television character actor. Carey was best known for portraying manic or violent characters who are driven to extremes. Career He made his screen debut with a ...

, Man 1, Man 2, and Man 3 *Between February 11 - August 3, 1968 *Includes dialogue from the studio version of "Circle Sky". Long Title: Do I Have to Do This All Over Again? *Written by Peter Tork *Lead vocal by Peter Tork *Backing vocal: Davy Jones, Peter Tork *Guitar: Peter Tork, Stephen Stills, Lance Wakely *Bass: Lance Wakely *Drums: Dewey Martin *Tambourine: Unknown *Recorded at Western Recorders, January 20, 28 and February 1, 3, 4, 5, 10 and 14, RCA Victor Studios, January 22, 27 and February 12, and Sunset Sound, Hollywood, January 25 and 26, 1968 *The song was recorded over a large number of sessions and was originally intended for '' The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees''. Swami - Plus Strings, Etc. *Written by Ken Thorne *Vocals by Micky Dolenz, Abraham Sofaer, June Fairchild, Teri Garr, I. J. Jefferson, Timothy Carey, Ray Nitschke and Unknown *Between February 11 - August 3, 1968 *Includes dialogue from "Porpoise Song", "As We Go Along", "Daddy's Song", and the live version of "Circle Sky".

1994 bonus tracks session information

Ditty Diego — War Chant irst Recorded Version*Vocals by Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Jack Nicholson and Bob Rafelson *Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, July 25, 1968 Circle Sky ive Version*Lead vocal by Michael Nesmith *Electric Guitar: Michael Nesmith *Bass: Peter Tork *Drums: Micky Dolenz *Percussion: Davy Jones *Organ: Davy Jones *Recorded at Valley Auditorium, and Lagoon Park Amusement Center, Salt Lake City, UT, May 21, 1968 Happy Birthday to You *Written by Mildred Hill and Patty Smith Hill *Lead vocals by Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Peter Tork *Organ: Michel Rubini *Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, August 3, 1968 Can You Dig It? arly Mix*Lead vocal by Peter Tork *An earlier mix of the song with a lead vocal by Peter Tork. A close observation on both mixes reveals that Peter Tork's lead vocal is the same as the harmony vocal found in the originally released mix. Daddy's Song arly Mix*Lead vocal by Michael Nesmith *An earlier mix of the song with a lead vocal by Michael Nesmith ''Head'' Radio Spot *Spoken words: Unknown *Recording info unknown

Composition

Release

Reception

Track listing

Session information

Personnel

1994 bonus tracks session information

Charts

Album

Single

References

Further reading