Fountains of Wayne Bassist/Songwriter Produces The Monkees’ 50th Anniversary Release

The Monkees’ first album in almost 20 years is part of something bigger – the band’s 50th anniversary celebration and tour. Good Times! features songs written by the three remaining members of the band originally assembled for a 1960s television show — Mickey Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork.

The remaining original member, Davy Jones, died in 2012 after suffering a heart attack. However, his voice is heard on an older vocal for the Neil Diamond tune, “Love to Love.” Diamond penned hits for the band in its original incarnation, including the smash, “I’m a Believer.”

Back then, Diamond wasn’t yet a superstar, but had access to songs written by well-established songwriters like Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, Gerry Goffin & Carole King and Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil.

This time out, the band tapped a diverse group of songwriters with a deep appreciation for the group’s original pop sound, from the album’s producer, Adam Schlesinger, on down. Schlesinger, who also plays bass on the record, is known for his work with Fountains of Wayne, and as the writer of the title song for Tom Hanks’ 1996 film “That Thing You Do!” about a fictional one-hit wonder band in 1964. The film was basically an extended love letter to the era and its music.

Something similar could be said for Good Times!, with songs contributed by Schlesinger, Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, original songwriters Tommy Boyce & Bobby Hart and Goffin & King, Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard, Noel Gallagher (Oasis) and Paul Weller (The Jam), and Andy Partridge of XTC.

Just check out a couple of the tunes – “She Makes Me Laugh” (first video) and “You Bring the Summer” (second video):

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Good Times! is available on CD, vinyl and as a digital download (iTunes and Amazon MP3).

Good Times! Track List:

1. Good Times (Harry Nilsson)
2. You Bring The Summer (Andy Partridge)
3. She Makes Me Laugh (Rivers Cuomo)
4. Our Own World (Adam Schlesinger)
5. Gotta Give It Time (Jeff Barry/Joey Levine)
6. Me & Magdalena (Ben Gibbard)
7. Whatever’s Right (Tommy Boyce/Bobby Hart)
8. Love To Love (Neil Diamond)
9. Little Girl (Peter Tork)
10. Birth Of An Accidental Hipster (Noel Gallagher/Paul Weller)
11. I Wasn’t Born To Follow (Carole King/Gerry Goffin)
12. I Know What I Know (Michael Nesmith)
13. I Was There (And I’m Told I Had A Good Time) (Micky Dolenz/Adam Schlesinger)

Tour Dates: