"The Girl I Knew Somewhere" is a song by the American

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, earl ...

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 ...

, 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 released as the B-side to the " A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You" single on

Colgems Records Colgems Records was a record label that existed from 1966 to 1971. History Colgems was a joint venture between Screen Gems, the television division of Columbia Pictures, and RCA Victor to issue records by The Monkees and other artists affiliat ...

on March 8, 1967. It was distributed in support of the group's third album '' Headquarters'', and later appeared on the reissued version of the LP. The song was recorded as the Monkees finally achieved the independence that enabled them to freely produce their own material, with the actual band members featured on both vocals and instrumental arrangements. "The Girl I Knew Somewhere" peaked at #39 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, while its

A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

"A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You" reached No. 2.

Background

The Monkees had enjoyed enormous commercial success with their first two albums, ''

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 ''

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 ...

'', both reaching No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200. However, under the direction of music supervisor

Don Kirshner Donald Kirshner (April 17, 1934 – January 17, 2011) was an American music publisher, music consultant, rock music producer, talent manager, and songwriter. Dubbed "the Man with the Golden Ear" by ''Time'' magazine, he was best known fo ...

, the group was almost completely barred from studio work, aside from recording as vocalists and writing some original material. Longing to achieve creative freedom, the Monkees, led by

, who felt especially insulted by Kirshner's condescension, entered months of bitter negotiations that eventually concluded with Kirshner being fired. With his departure, the band was finally given the ability to direct production and play instruments themselves, making the ''Headquarters'' sessions the first to feature the Monkees on the arrangements. On the band members' differing styles, Nesmith said: " t was likea really good tennis player, and a really good football player, and a really good basketball player, and a really good golfer got together and played baseball. ... We could give it a try. Maybe make a little garage-band music." Although it was unknown to the record-buying public upon its release, "The Girl I Knew Somewhere" was the first song recorded by the Monkees containing instruments performed by the band members. It was first recorded on January 19, 1967, with Nesmith on lead vocals; however, a second version was recorded on February 23, 1967, with Micky Dolenz replacing Nesmith to create a more commercialized sound. The song became very accessible with its breezy

melodic A melody (from Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combinat ...

shifts, catchy rhythm and relatable lyrics. Since its original distribution, the composition has been featured on nearly all of the Monkees' compilation albums, first appearing on '' 40 Timeless Hits'' in 1980. An early demo of "The Girl I Knew Somewhere" is included on '' The Headquarters Sessions'', along with a rendition with additional backing vocals, and a stereo version was first released on '' More Greatest Hits of the Monkees''.

Reception

'' Billboard'' predicted that the single was "destined to become he Monkeesthird million seller in a row," stating that "The Girl I Knew Somewhere" had equal potential as did "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You."

Personnel

* Micky Dolenz – lead vocals, drums *

– electric guitar, 12-string guitar, backing vocals *

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 ...

– acoustic guitar, harpsichord * Davy Jones –

tambourine The tambourine is a musical instrument in the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zills". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though ...

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 ...

– bass guitar

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Girl I Knew Somewhere 1967 songs Songs written by Michael Nesmith The Monkees songs