The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees

In 1968, The Monkees faced a number of professional setbacks. Their television series, The Monkees, was canceled; their debut feature film, Head, performed poorly at the box office; and founding member Peter Tork departed the group in December of that year. Despite these challenges, the band released The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees, which produced two successful singles: "Daydream Believer", written by John Stewart, which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Valleri," which became the group's sixth million-selling single. The B-side to "Valleri," titled "Tapioca Tundra," written by Michael Nesmith, spent six weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 34 in late March 1968.^[6][7]

Following their 1967 albums Headquarters and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd., The Monkees had gained creative control over their music and were permitted to play their own instruments in the studio. This shift helped counter earlier criticism that the band was merely a manufactured pop act lacking musical credibility. However, after the release of Pisces, the group's collaborative studio dynamic began to dissolve. Each member increasingly recorded his own material independently, using different producers, musicians, and studios.^[8]

Producer Chip Douglas, who had overseen the band's previous two albums, noted that the group's collaborative spirit declined during this period, with each member expressing a preference to work independently.^[8] Although all album tracks except "Daydream Believer" were credited as "Produced by the Monkees," many sessions were in fact supervised by others, including Colgems Records president Lester Sill, jazz arranger Shorty Rogers, and future MCA executive Brendan Cahill. According to Rogers, while the band retained formal producer credit per contractual agreement, much of the technical and organizational production work was carried out by the aforementioned staff.^[8][9]

The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees reflected the members' individual musical preferences. Davy Jones contributed songs in a Broadway pop style; Michael Nesmith explored country rock and psychedelic elements; and Micky Dolenz drew on soul and rock influences. Though Peter Tork submitted several compositions for the album, none were included in the final release. His sole contribution was playing piano on "Daydream Believer."^[8]

Songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, who had previously contributed to the group's early hits, returned to contribute two songs: a revised version of "Valleri" and the psychedelic "P.O. Box 9847."^[8]

The front cover of The Birds, The Bees & The Monkees features a shadow box containing various nostalgic items from the 1940s to the 1960s. Included are a plastic Cootie bug, a popgun, a folding paper fan shaped like a flower, ceramic birds, and a combination of paper and stick flowers, which were popular in 1968. The cover was designed by the agency of Alan Wolsky, who placed a photograph of himself in the bottom center compartment of the shadow box, partially obscured by paper flowers.

The back cover contains several personalized elements. One is the acronym "MIJACOGEO," located near Micky Dolenz's photo, which represents the names of Dolenz's family members: Micky, Janelle, Coco, and George. Davy Jones and Peter Tork signed their back cover portraits in a conventional manner, while Michael Nesmith included the inscription "Carlisle Wheeling" on his image. At the time, this was the title of an unreleased song that was not included on any Monkees album. The song was later re-recorded and released under the title "Conversations" on Nesmith's 1970 solo album Loose Salute with The First National Band, and it has also appeared on several Monkees compilation albums featuring rarities.^{[10][better source needed]}

The Birds, the Bees & the Monkees was released in the U.S. on April 22, 1968, in both stereo and mono formats.^[11] The U.S. mono edition was pressed in limited quantities, as mono LPs were being phased out, and it has since become a highly sought-after collector's item due to its dedicated mixes that differ from the stereo versions.^{[12][better source needed]} Mono pressings from Australia, India, Israel, Mexico, and Puerto Rico are known to use the same dedicated mix as the U.S. mono release, while most other countries' mono editions, including the United Kingdom, were fold-down mixes in which the stereo channels were combined into a single monaural track.^{[13][better source needed]} In Canada, RCA Victor issued the album in April 1968, using the same catalogue numbers. The Canadian mono edition was a fold-down of the stereo mix rather than a unique mix.^{[13][better source needed]} The UK release followed on July 5, 1968, through RCA Victor. As with Canada, the UK mono LP was a fold-down of the stereo version and did not feature the U.S. dedicated mono mixes.^{[13][better source needed]}

On February 8, 2010, Rhino Records' Rhino Handmade imprint issued a three-CD boxed set reissue of the album, sold exclusively online. The set included the original stereo and U.S. mono versions in miniature replica sleeves, more than 60 demos, rehearsals, and outtakes from the 1968 sessions, a commemorative pin, and a booklet of essays and session notes by Monkees historian Andrew Sandoval. The first 1,000 orders included a bonus vinyl single featuring previously unreleased acoustic versions of "St. Matthew" and "Lady's Baby."^[14]

The U.S. mono mix was again reissued in October 2014 by Friday Music as part of The Monkees in Mono vinyl box set. This edition featured etchings in the runout grooves, reading "Thanks to the Monkees" on side one and "In memory of Davy Jones" on side two.^{[15][better source needed]}

Credits adapted from Rhino Handmade 2010 "Deluxe Edition" box set.^[17]

The Monkees

• Davy Jones – vocals (1, 3, 5, 8, 11)
• Micky Dolenz – vocals (2, 7, 9, 12), backing vocal harmony (5), percussion (12)
• Michael Nesmith – harmony vocals (2), guitar (2, 4–6, 10), percussion (2, 4), vocals (4, 6, 10), keyboards (6)
• Peter Tork – piano (5)

Additional musicians

Unconfirmed personnel and duties

• Milt Holland or Jerry Williams – tambourine (1)
• Harry Nilsson – unknown (2)
• Other instruments (4)
• Additional backing vocals (7–9, 11)
• Tabla, marxophone, handclaps (9)
• Henry Diltz – unknown (12)

Technical

• The Monkees – producers
• Chip Douglas – producer
• Henry Lewy – recording engineer
• Hank Cicalo – recording engineer
• Pete Abbott – recording engineer
• Shorty Rogers – arranger (1, 3, 5, 7–8, 10, 12)
• Don McGinnis – string arrangement (9), horn arrangement (11)
• Lester Sill – music supervisor
• Alan Wolsky & Friends – cover design