''Missing Links Volume Two'' is a compilation album of rare and previously unreleased songs 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 ...

, issued by

Rhino Records A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species ...

in 1990. It is the second volume of a three-volume set, preceded by '' Missing Links'' in 1987 and followed by ''

Missing Links Volume Three ''Missing Links Volume Three'' is a compilation album of rare and previously unreleased songs by The Monkees, issued by Rhino Records in 1996. It is the third and final volume of a three-volume set, preceded by '' Missing Links'' in 1987 and ''Mi ...

'' in 1996. While several of the tracks had been featured in the Monkees'

television series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...

, only one of the tracks had ever been issued commercially: the live version of "Circle Sky" had appeared in the Monkees' feature film '' Head'' and was previously released on the Australian compilation ''

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" ...

'' in 1979.'' This compilation contains one mislabeled track, as "Down the Highway" is mistitled "Michigan Blackhawk." As this compilation was released on both cassette and CD, tracks 7, 11, 14 and 15 do not appear on the original cassette version. A vinyl version was released in 2021 from Friday Music for Record Store Day.

Track listing

Session information

"All the King's Horses" *Written by Michael Nesmith *Lead vocal: Micky Dolenz *Harmony vocals: Michael Nesmith *Backing vocals: Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork *Guitar:

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 *Bass:

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 & ...

, Bob West *Drums:

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. ...

*Percussion: Gary Coleman, Jim Gordon *Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, California, June 25 (7:30 pm–12:15 am), July 16, 1966 (during sessions for ''

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 ...

)'' *Produced by Michael Nesmith "Valleri" (first recorded version) *Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart *Lead vocal: Davy Jones *Backing vocals: Micky Dolenz, Tommy Boyce, Wayne Erwin, Bobby Hart, Ron Hicklin *Guitar: Wayne Erwin, Gerry McGee, Louie Shelton *Bass:

Larry Taylor Samuel Lawrence Taylor (June 26, 1942 – August 19, 2019) was an American bass guitarist, best known for his work as a member of Canned Heat from 1967. Before joining Canned Heat he had been a session bassist for The Monkees and Jerry Lee L ...

*Drums: Billy Lewis *Tambourine: Gene Estes *Produced by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart *Recorded at RCA Victor Studio A, Hollywood, California, August 6 (7:30 P.M. - 10:30 P.M.), August 27 (3:30 P.M. start), 1966, during sessions 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 ...

''. It was later re-cut for '' The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees''. "St. Matthew" *Written by Michael Nesmith *Lead vocal: Michael Nesmith *Electric guitar: Michael Nesmith *Guitar:

Harold Bradley Harold Ray Bradley (January 2, 1926 – January 31, 2019) was an American guitarist and entrepreneur, who played on many country, rock and pop recordings and produced numerous TV variety shows and movie soundtracks. Having started as a session ...

, Wayne Moss *Steel guitar:

Lloyd Green Lloyd Lamar Green (born October 4, 1937) is an American steel guitarist noted for his extensive country music recording session career in Nashville performing on 116 No.1 country hits including Tammy Wynette's “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” (1968), Charlie ...

*Bass:

Norbert Putnam Norbert Auvin Putnam (born August 10, 1942) is an American musician, studio owner and record producer who was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2019.Robert McFarland, Jr"Norbert Putnam."'' Delta Business Journal''. November 2004. Acce ...

*Banjo: Bobby Thompson *Drums:

Jerry Carrigan Jerry Kirby Carrigan (September 13, 1943 – June 22, 2019) was an American drummer and record producer. Early in his career he was a member of the original Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and later worked as a session musician in Nashville for over ...

*Percussion/Organ: Unknown *Piano: David Briggs *Fiddle: Buddy Spicher *Produced by Michael Nesmith *Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Nashville, Tennessee, June 2 (12:00 P.M. - 3:00 P.M.), June 12, August 5, 1968, during sessions for '' Head'' "Words" (first recorded version) *Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart *Lead vocals: Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork *Backing vocals: Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Peter Tork, Tommy Boyce, Wayne Erwin, Bobby Hart, Ron Hicklin *Guitar: Wayne Erwin, Gerry McGee, Louie Shelton *Bass: Larry Taylor *Drums: Billy Lewis *Percussion: Norm Jeffries *Flute: Ethmer Roten *Produced by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart *Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, August 15 (7:00 P.M. - 1:00 A.M.) and 27 (3:30 P.M. start), during sessions for ''More of the Monkees''. It was later re-cut for '' Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.'' *Includes a backwards tape segment not included in the episode of the TV series in which the track appeared ("Monkees Manhattan Style") "Some of Shelly's Blues" *Written by Michael Nesmith *Lead vocal: Michael Nesmith *Acoustic guitar: Billy Sanford *Steel guitar: Lloyd Green *Banjo:

Sonny Osborne Sonny Osborne (October 29, 1937October 24, 2021) was an American bluegrass musician and founding member of the Osborne Brothers. Personal life Born on October 29, 1937 in Thousandsticks, Kentucky, Sonny Osborne's father was a farmer, teacher, ...

*Bass: Bobby Dyson *Drums: Willie Ackerman *Organ: Larry Butler *Harmonica:

Charlie McCoy Charles Ray McCoy (born March 28, 1941) is a Grammy-winning American session musician, harmonica player, and multi-instrumentalist. In 2009, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Based in Nashville, McCoy's playing is heard on r ...

*Produced by Michael Nesmith and

Felton Jarvis Charles Felton Jarvis (November 15, 1934 – January 3, 1981) was an American record producer and singer. Career As an RCA Victor record producer, Jarvis was responsible for most recordings of Elvis Presley in the years 1966–1977. He also rele ...

*Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Nashville, Tennessee, May 29 (6:00 P.M. - 9:00 P.M.), June 2 (10:30 P.M. - 1:30 A.M.), 1968, during sessions for ''Head'' "I Wanna Be Free" (fast version) *Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart *Lead vocals: Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones *Guitar: Wayne Erwin, Gerry McGee, Louie Shelton *Bass: Larry Taylor *Drums: Billy Lewis *Tambourine: Gene Estes *Organ:

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 ...

*Produced by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart *Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, California, July 19, (2:00–6:00 PM, 7:00-10:00 PM) and 24 (11:00 AM-7:00 PM), 1966, during sessions for ''The Monkees'' "If I Ever Get to Saginaw Again" *Written by Jack Keller and Bob Russell *Lead vocal: Michael Nesmith *Guitar: Del Kacher? *Electric Guitar: Louie Shelton *Acoustic Guitar:

Dennis Budimir Dennis Matthew Budimir (June 20, 1938 – January 2023) was an American jazz and rock guitarist. He was considered to be a member of The Wrecking Crew. Biography Budimir learned to play piano and guitar in his youth and first played professio ...

, Al Casey,

Mike Deasy Michael William Deasy (born February 4, 1941) is an American rock and jazz guitarist. As a session musician, he played on numerous hit singles and albums recorded in Los Angeles in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He is sometimes credited as Mike De ...

*Bass: Max Bennett *Drums:

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 ...

*Tambourine/Vibes:

Milt Holland Milton Holland (born Milton Olshansky; February 7, 1917 – November 4, 2005) was an American drummer, percussionist, ethnomusicologist, and writer in the Los Angeles music scene. He pioneered the use of African, South American, and Indian percus ...

, Stan Levey *Harpsichord:

Michael Melvoin Mike Melvoin (May 10, 1937February 22, 2012) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and arranger. He served as chairman and president of The Recording Academy and worked as a prolific studio musician, recording with Frank Sinatra, John Lennon, ...

*Violin: Jack Gootkin, Bob Jung, George Poole, Heimann Weinstine, William Weiss *Viola: Garry Nuttycombe *Cello: Douglas Davis *Produced by Michael Nesmith and Don McGinnis *Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, California, March 9 (4:30 P.M. - 7:30 P.M., 8:30 P.M. - 11:30 P.M.), 1968, January 31 (2:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.), 1969, and at United Recorders, Hollywood, March 6 (2:30 P.M. - 5:30 P.M.) and 7, 1969 "Come on In" *Written by

Jo Mapes Jo Mapes (July 20, 1931 - February 2, 2018) was an American folk singer, songwriter, critic and writer. She was prominent in the folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s and later became an advertising copywriter and nightclub critic for the Sun-T ...

*Lead vocal: Peter Tork *Electric guitar: Stephen Stills, Lance Wakely *Bass: Peter Tork *Drums: Dewey Martin *Tack piano: Peter Tork *Produced by Peter Tork *Recorded at Western Recorders, Hollywood, California, February 8 (9:00 A.M. - 1:30 P.M.), 9, 11-13, 1968, during sessions for ''The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees'' *The liner notes mistakenly credit the song to Steven Duboff and Neil Levenson "

I'll Be Back Up on My Feet "I'll Be Back Up on My Feet" is a song by Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, which was recorded by The Monkees during the 1960s. The first Monkees version of the song was recorded on October 26, 1966, during the period when the band did not have con ...

" (mono TV version) *Written by

Sandy Linzer Sandy Linzer (born 1941) is an American songwriter, lyricist, and record producer, who is best known for his songwriting collaborations with Denny Randell and Bob Crewe in the 1960s and 1970s. He co-wrote hits including "A Lover's Concerto", "Let ...

and

Denny Randell Denny Randell (born 1941) is an American songwriter and record producer, who is best known for his songwriting collaborations with Sandy Linzer and Bob Crewe in the 1960s and 1970s. He co-wrote hits including "A Lover's Concerto", "Let's Hang O ...

*Lead vocal: Micky Dolenz *Backing vocal: Unknown *Guitars: Al Casey, Carol Kaye *Bass:

Ray Pohlman Merlyn Ray Pohlman (July 22, 1930 – November 1, 1990) was an American session musician and arranger who played both upright bass and bass guitar, and also did sessions as a guitarist. He is credited with being the first electric bass player ...

*Drums: Hal Blaine *Percussion:

Frank Capp Francis Cappuccio (August 20, 1931 – September 12, 2017), known professionally as Frank Capp, was an American jazz drummer. Capp also played on numerous rock and roll sessions and is considered to be a member of The Wrecking Crew. Biography ...

Julius Wechter Julius Wechter (May 10, 1935 – February 1, 1999) was an American musician and composer who played the marimba and vibraphone. He also played various percussion instruments. He composed the song " Spanish Flea" for Herb Alpert and was leader of Th ...

*Piano:

Don Randi Don Randi (born February 25, 1937) is an American keyboard player, bandleader, and songwriter who was a member of the Wrecking Crew. Career Randi was born February 25, 1937 in New York City. He was raised in the Catskill Mountains and studied c ...

and Michel Rubini *Produced by

Jeff Barry Jeff Barry (born Joel Adelberg; April 3, 1938) is an American pop music songwriter, singer, and record producer. Among the most successful songs that he has co-written in his career are " Do Wah Diddy Diddy", " Da Doo Ron Ron", " Then He Kiss ...

*Recorded on October 28, 1966, during sessions for ''More of the Monkees''. It was later re-cut for ''The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees''. "Down the Highway (aka Michigan Blackhawk)" *Written by Carole King and Toni Stern *Lead vocal: Michael Nesmith *Guitars: Al Casey, Louie Shelton *Bass: Max Bennett *Drums: Hal Blaine *Piano: Larry Knechtel *Produced by Michael Nesmith *Recorded in June 5 (2:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M.), 1969 *Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, California; June 5, 1969, during sessions for '' The Monkees Present''. Several sources erroneously claim the song was recorded in June 1968. *The actual title of this song is "Down the Highway". It was confused with an unrelated and unfinished Michael Nesmith song entitled "Michigan Blackhawk", recorded on June 10, 1969. "Hold on Girl" (first recorded version) *Written by Jack Keller,

Ben Raleigh Ben Raleigh (June 16, 1913, New York – February 26, 1997, Hollywood) was an American lyricist and composer responsible for a number of major hits, including "Dungaree Doll", "Wonderful! Wonderful!", "Hold on Girl", "She's a Fool", " I Don't Wanna ...

, Billy Carr *Lead vocal: Davy Jones *Backing vocals: Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart, Ron Hicklin *Guitar: Wayne Erwin, Gerry McGee, Louie Shelton *Bass: Larry Taylor *Drums: Billy Lewis *Percussion: Alan Estes *Oboe: Norman Benno *Harpsichord: Michel Rubini *Produced by Jeff Barry and Jack Keller *Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, California, September 10 and 24 (2:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M., 7:00 P.M. - 12:00 A.M.), 1966, during sessions for ''More of the Monkees'' "The Crippled Lion" *Written by Michael Nesmith *Lead vocal: Michael Nesmith *Acoustic guitar: Harold Bradley *Steel guitar: Lloyd Green *Banjo: Sonny Osborne *Bass: Bobby Dyson *Drums: Jerry Carrigan *Organ: David Briggs *Produced by Michael Nesmith and Felton Jarvis *Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Nashville, Tennessee, May 29 (10:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.), 1968, during sessions for ''Head'' "Changes" *Written by David Jones and Steve Pitts *Lead vocal: Davy Jones *Guitar: Mike Deasy,

Al Hendrickson Alton Reynolds Hendrickson (May 10, 1920 – July 19, 2007) was an American jazz guitarist and occasional vocalist. Biography When he was five years old, Hendrickson's family moved to California, where he grew up. He played early in his career w ...

, Gerry McGee *Bass: Max Bennett *Drums: Earl Palmer *Percussion: Milt Holland, Jerry Williams *Piano: Don Randi *Violin: Sam Freed, Nathan Kaproff, George Kast, Marvin Limonick, Alex Murray, Erno Neufeld *Cello: Marie Fera, Jacqueline Lustgarten, Edgar Lustgarten, Frederick Seykora *Trumpet: Buddy Childers,

Jack Sheldon Beryl Cyril Sheldon Jr. (November 30, 1931 – December 27, 2019), known professionally as Jack Sheldon, was an American singer, musician, and actor. He performed on '' The Merv Griffin Show'' and participated in episodes of the educational musi ...

*French Horn: John Cave, David Duke, Arthur Maebe *Trombone: George Roberts *Produced by The Monkees *Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, February 6 (2:00 P.M. - 5:00 P.M., 10:00 P.M. - 2:00 A.M.) and 8 (7:30 P.M. - 10:30 P.M.), 1968, during sessions for ''The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees'' "Mr. Webster" (first recorded version) *Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart *Lead/backing vocals: Micky Dolenz *Acoustic guitars: Wayne Erwin, Gerry McGee, Louie Shelton *Bass: Larry Taylor *Harpsichord: Michel Rubini *Percussion: Alan Estes *Oboe: Norman Benno *Cello: Maggie Aue *Produced by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart *Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, California, September 10 and 24 (2:00 P.M. - 6:00 P.M., 7:00 P.M. - 12:00 A.M.), 1966, during sessions for ''More of the Monkees''. It was later re-cut for '' Headquarters''. "You Just May Be The One" (first recorded version) *Written by Michael Nesmith *Lead vocals: Michael Nesmith *Backing vocals: Michael Nesmith and Unknown *Guitar/Dano bass: Peter Tork, James Burton, Glen Campbell, Al Casey, Mike Deasey *Bass: Bob West *Drums: Hal Blaine *Percussion: Gary Coleman, Frank DeVito *Piano: Larry Knechtel *Produced by Michael Nesmith *Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, California, July 18 (8:00 P.M.-12:00 A.M.) and 27, 1966 during sessions for ''The Monkees''. It was later re-cut for ''Headquarters''. *Featured doubling of regular bass with

Danelectro Danelectro is a brand of musical instruments and accessories, founded in Red Bank, New Jersey in 1947. The company is known primarily for its string instruments that employed unique designs and manufacturing processes. The Danelectro company was ...

bass. The doubling of bass proved difficult to master, as some 35 takes were needed before the backing track was completed. "(I Prithee) Do Not Ask For Love" (first recorded version) *Written by Michael Martin Murphey *Lead vocal: Micky Dolenz *Guitar: Peter Tork, James Burton, Glen Campbell, Al Casey, Mike Deasey *Bass: Bob West *Drums: Hal Blaine *Percussion: Gary Coleman, Jim Gordon *Piano: Michael Cohen, Larry Knechtel *Produced by Michael Nesmith *Recorded at Western Recorders, Hollywood, on July 25 (8:00 P.M. - 12:15 A.M.) and at RCA Victor Studios on October 18 (4:00 P.M. - 12:00 A.M.), 1966, during sessions for ''The Monkees'' and ''More of the Monkees'' " Circle Sky" (live version) * Written by Michael Nesmith * Lead vocal: Michael Nesmith * Electric guitar: Michael Nesmith * Bass: Peter Tork * Drums: Micky Dolenz * Percussion/Organ: Davy Jones * Produced by Michael Nesmith * Recorded live at Valley Auditorium and Lagoon Park Amusement Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, May 17, 1968, with overdubbed vocals recorded at RCA Victor Studios from May 21, 1968. Performance featured in the film '' Head''. "Seeger's Theme" (fourth recorded version) *Written by Pete Seeger *Whistling: Peter Tork *Guitars: Peter Tork, Lance Wakely *Banjo/bass: Peter Tork *Drums:

Buddy Miles George Allen "Buddy" Miles Jr. (September 5, 1947February 26, 2008) was an American composer, drummer, guitarist, vocalist and producer. He was a founding member of the Electric Flag (1967), a member of Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys (1969–197 ...

*Produced by Peter Tork *Recorded at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, California, February 12 and 13, 1968, during sessions for ''The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees'' *Originally recorded during sessions for ''Headquarters''. First version released on ''

The Headquarters Sessions ''The Headquarters Sessions'' is an 84-track three- CD set by the Monkees containing 60 previously unreleased recordings from the sessions that produced the band's third album, '' Headquarters''. It includes recordings from sessions where the ba ...

''. " Riiu Chiu" (studio version) *Traditional *Lead vocal by Micky Dolenz *Harmony vocals: Michael Nesmith, Peter Tork,

Chip Douglas Douglas Farthing Hatlelid (born August 27, 1942), better known as Chip Douglas, is an American songwriter, musician (bass, guitar and keyboards), and record producer, whose most famous work was during the 1960s. He was the bassist of the Turtle ...

*Produced by Chip Douglas *Recorded on October 3, 1967, during sessions for ''Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.'' *Douglas substitutes for Davy Jones on harmony vocals

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Missing Links 2 The Monkees compilation albums 1990 compilation albums Rhino Records compilation albums