Fresh off the success of the The Monkees – The Mike & Micky Show Live album, Micky Dolenz is diving full throttle into a full-blown Mike Nesmith covers set. Dolenz, who has been drawing raves for his and Nesmith's deep-cut Monkees dates, told Rolling Stone, “I’ve always been a huge fan of his songs. I think I first mentioned this idea to Nez years ago when we first got together for a tour with Peter (Tork) after Davy (Jones) passed. I don’t know where the idea came from, maybe from my friend Harry Nilsson and his (1970 Randy Newman tribute LP) Nilsson Sings Newman. I thought to myself, 'Wow, Dolenz Sings Nesmith.'”
Rather than scour through Nesmith's vast solo catalogue, he's entrusting “Nez's'” son and touring Monkees guitarist Christian Nesmith and Monkees production supervisor and historian Andrew Sandoval to choose more than enough Nesmith songs, which he can choose from: “I’m staying back because I’m too close to the material and to Nez. I want Christian and Andrew to put their thinking caps on and pick some stuff because they know my voice. For me, that’s the important thing. I’m approaching this as a singer, kind of like Frank Sinatra did when he approached recording. I said to them, 'Guys, think of me as Frank Micky the Monkee Sinatra.'”
Although the “Mike & Micky” tour dates have been pushed until next spring — Dolenz remains doubtful the tour will be able to resume: “I’m not optimistic those will be able to happen unless there’s a vaccine and/or effective treatment, but mainly an effective vaccine. But even if one comes out at the beginning of the year, then what? We go on the road three months later? I don’t see how venues will be able to pack them in like they used to, like they need to, in order to make money. What’s going on in the industry is just tragic.”
Micky Dolenz, who met Mike Nesmith back in 1965, when he was just a struggling singer/songwriter, told us that it was crucial that The Monkees TV show never portrayed the group as the hit act they were in real life: “One of the important, I think, elements of The Monkees, the decision the producers made, which I think was very wise; on the television show the Monkees were never successful. We were always struggling for success. That's what endeared it (to) so many people, so many kids around the world that were in their garages and basements, playing and singing and trying to be a band and trying to make it. And that's what The Monkees was about.”
AUDIO: MICKY DOLENZ ON THE MONKEES NOT BEING FAMOUS ON TV SHOW
