"Mary, Mary" 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� ...

and first recorded by

the Paul Butterfield Blues Band Paul Vaughn Butterfield (December 17, 1942May 4, 1987) was an American blues harmonica player, singer and band leader. After early training as a classical flautist, he developed an interest in blues harmonica. He explored the blues scene in his n ...

for their 1966 album '' East-West''. Nesmith's band,

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 ...

, later recorded it for ''

More of the Monkees ''More of the Monkees'' is the second studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees. It was recorded in late 1966 and released on Colgems label #102 on January 9, 1967. It displaced the band's own debut album from the top of the ''Billb ...

'' (1967). Hip hop group Run–D.M.C. revived the song in the late 1980s, with an adaptation that appeared in the U.S. record charts.

The Butterfield Blues Band

In 1966, Elektra Records was entering the singles market with new rock acts such as

Love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love o ...

and

the Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most controversial and influential rock acts ...

. Hoping that the

Paul Butterfield Blues Band Paul Vaughn Butterfield (December 17, 1942May 4, 1987) was an American blues harmonica player, singer and band leader. After early training as a classical flautist, he developed an interest in blues harmonica. He explored the blues scene in his n ...

would produce a hit, Elektra arranged an extended stay and recording sessions for the group in Los Angeles during the summer. It was there that producer

Barry Friedman Frazier Mohawk (born Barry Friedman, December 12, 1941 – June 2, 2012) was an American record producer and sometime photographer, publicist, circus owner, and farmer. Life and career Friedman attended the Happy Valley School in California. H ...

suggested that the group try a song written by guitarist

, a group with which Friedman had been working. Butterfield guitarist

Mike Bloomfield Michael Bernard Bloomfield (July 28, 1943 – February 15, 1981) was an American guitarist and composer, born in Chicago, Illinois, who became one of the first popular music superstars of the 1960s to earn his reputation almost entirely on his ...

recalled: According to Bloomfield biographer David Dann, "the song was given a muscular arrangement that included backup vocals, overdubbing, fuzz-tone effects, and dramatic stops." It also included brief solos by Bloomfield and by Butterfield on harmonica but "was clearly intended for Top 40 airplay." However, Elektra did not release the song as a single. "Mary, Mary" was included on the influential Butterfield album '' East-West'' in August 1966. The album included the group's adaptations of several older blues songs, which did not list the songwriters, and "Mary, Mary" also lacked a composer credit. After the Monkees' version was released, Butterfield fans complained to Elektra that Nesmith was taking the writer's credit for the song, but Elektra president

Jac Holzman Jac Holzman (born September 15, 1931) is an American music businessman, best known as the founder, chief executive officer and head of record label Elektra Records and Nonesuch Records. Holzman commercially helped launch the CD and home video form ...

assured them that Nesmith did indeed write it.

The Monkees

On July 25, 1966, Nesmith produced and recorded the song for

at Western Recorders in

Hollywood, California Hollywood is a neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. Its name has come to be a shorthand reference for the U.S. film industry and the people associated with it. Many notable film studios, such as Columbia Pictures, ...

. Micky Dolenz sang lead, and Nesmith used the crack group of session musicians known as the Wrecking Crew to bolster the Monkees' sound, including

James Burton James Edward Burton (born August 21, 1939, in Dubberly, Louisiana) is an American guitarist. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2001 (his induction speech was given by longtime fan Keith Richards), Burton has also been recognized ...

Glen Campbell Glen Travis Campbell (April 22, 1936 – August 8, 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host. He was best known for a series of hit songs in the 1960s and 1970s, and for hosting '' The Glen Campbell Good ...

, Al Casey,

Hal Blaine Hal Blaine (born Harold Simon Belsky; February 5, 1929 – March 11, 2019) was an American drummer and session musician, thought to be among the most recorded studio drummers in the music industry, claiming over 35,000 sessions and 6,000 singles. ...

, Jim Gordon, Michael Deasy and

Larry Knechtel Lawrence William Knechtel (August 4, 1940 – August 20, 2009) was an American keyboard player and bassist who was a member of the Wrecking Crew, a collection of Los Angeles-based session musicians who worked with such renowned artists as Simon & ...

. The Monkees' version was included on the album ''

'' in 1967. The Monkees' "Mary, Mary" was not released as a single in the U.S. in the 1960s, although it was distributed as a cereal-box prize in 1969.

Personnel

Sourced from AFM contract. *Lead vocal by Micky Dolenz *Guitar:

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 ...

, Al Casey, Michael Deasy and Don Peake *Piano: Michael Cohen *Bass:

and Bob West *Drums:

and Jim Gordon *Percussion: Gary Coleman

Run-D.M.C. version

Run-D.M.C. Run-DMC (also spelled Run-D.M.C.) was an American hip hop group from Hollis, Queens, New York City, founded in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell. Run-DMC is regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of ...

covered "Mary, Mary" in a rap rock version. It was released as a single from their fourth album, ''

Tougher Than Leather ''Tougher Than Leather'' is the fourth studio album by American hip hop group Run-D.M.C., released on May 17, 1988, by Profile Records. The album was produced by the group members themselves, Davy D. and Rick Rubin. While the new record did ...

'', in 1988. It was released by

Profile Records Profile Records was one of the earliest hip hop labels. As well as hip-hop they released disco, dance, and electro records. History In 1980, Cory Robbins, who was 23 at the time and had worked briefly for MCA, wanted to start a record label. H ...

and produced by the group along with

Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is the co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popula ...

. It was their most successful single from the album, and was the only one to reach the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, peaking at #75, and it reached #29 on the

Hot Black Singles The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

chart. Run-D.M.C. changed the line "Mary, Mary, where ya' goin' to?" to "Mary, Mary, why ya' buggin'?". Although Run-D.M.C. replaced Nesmith's original lyrics with their own, Nesmith was the only writer credited on Run-D.M.C.'s single. Their version samples Dolenz singing the title from the Monkees' recording.

Track listing

;A-side #"Mary, Mary" – 3:12 ;B-side #"Mary, Mary" (Instrumental) – 3:12 #"Rock Box" – 5:28

Chart history

References

{{authority control 1966 songs 1988 singles The Monkees songs Run-DMC songs Songs written by Michael Nesmith Song recordings produced by Tommy Boyce Song recordings produced by Bobby Hart Song recordings produced by Rick Rubin Music videos directed by Mary Lambert Profile Records singles RCA Records singles