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Today, we find our resident rural health advocate at the Speight’s Ale House in Palmerston North.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
After you understand that you're not here by mistake and your life is not an accident, you need to come to the realization that your life also has a purpose. There is a mission that needs to be accomplished! Are you using your time wisely to do what needs done?
We kick off the series that will lead us to summer camp by taking a closer look at our Church's vision for the year. This is something we want to constantly keep in front of our students before, during, and after camp. How and why should you redeem the time?
Shannon Speight, a vet-turned-entrepreneur who has made waves in the beef industry. From growing up in a family that moved around for mining work to working as a jillaroo in the NT, Shannon's journey into agriculture wasn't a straight path—but it's been a remarkable one.Shannon shares how her experiences as a vet in Charters Towers and Longreach shaped her understanding of the beef supply chain and ultimately led her to co-found Black Box, a game-changing data analytics company for livestock producers. We also talk about her journey into farm ownership, what it's really like balancing a thriving career with raising three young boys, and how burnout in 2023 forced her to reassess her approach to work and life.We discuss:The lessons learned from starting Black Box and what it's changing for cattle producersThe realities of living remotely, from childcare challenges to health accessThe mental load of juggling motherhood and business in agThe biggest opportunities and roadblocks in the beef industry todayWhat more women in ag need to hear about building a career while raising a familyThis conversation is full of insights, honesty, and lessons learned from the land—a must-listen for anyone in agriculture, business, or rural life.Follow Shannon on Instagram and follow her Instagram picks or social suggestions:Instagram: @shannon.speightWebsite: Black Box CoLinkedIn: Shannon SpeightFarmHER Hands UPF50+ sun protection gloves our mission to safeguard the hands of rural and remote women as they work, live, and play. Our UPF50+ sun protection gloves empower them with confidence and comfort, enhancing their well-being and resilience in agriculture. We are dedicated to nurturing and celebrating these extraordinary women who shape our agricultural landscape. www.farmherhands.com.au
State of the Arts Episode 222: The African American Heritage Special now available on Spotify! It's a great honor to welcome comedian, dancer and pilates instructor Ariana Speight onto my podcast for this special episode at the conclusion of Black History Month. This young African American rising star in the comedy world of New York City embodies humor, creativity, ambition and resilience. As a standup comedian she has brought the house down on many open mics. She was a guest of the LGBTQIA+ comedy group The Glory (W)hole, which performed at popular Nolita venue Dixon Place. As a dancer specializing in multiple forms of dance, she recently performed as a part of a presentation of an indie film for B.A.A.D. Her amazing comedic work can also be appreciated in The Black Women in Comedy Laff Fest, which is currently being held in the West Side Comedy Club until March 2nd. On the horizon are more amazing dance and comedy performances by this engaging talent. I am so grateful for the privilege of interviewing this incredible creative for this important episode.
The Beast Games interview Mia Speight (952)
In Episode 97, Zoe Leight Gadd, Artistic Collaborator of BIDE, interviews Tom Speight, Chair of National Rural Touring Forum and Producer of the Cumbria Arts & Culture Network.
Welcome to our show catchup podcast! Check out some of our fave parts from today's show below: We found some WILD stories about sex education class in high school, and one listener reveals how they were made an example of! Apparently, the only way for men to actually learn about women's habits, is to date them. We sent Steph around the office to get some juicy examples… There's this Facebook page called South Island Blast, which lists a whole bunch of rules to follow when visiting. Monique from Speight's Ale House in Invercargill confirms whether or not these are true! PLUS HEAPS MORE! AND FIND US ON INSTAGRAM, Cause we are thirsty: Sharyn, Steph & Sean - @Edgeafternoons Sharyn - @SharynCasey Steph - @stephmonksey Sean - @seanhillyman Producer Arun - @arunjamesbeard
In this episode, we're joined by Todd Astle, former professional cricketer turned mental skills coach and a founder of BetterMan. Todd shares his incredible journey from high-performance sport to empowering others through mental fitness and meaningful connections. We dive into Todd's experiences on and off the field, his transformation into a leading wicket-taker, and how it shaped his career and life philosophy. We also chat about the great stuff that Better Man, a charity dedicated to supporting men's mental health and building stronger communities, are doing and why it's so important. Check out these links below for more!
What does it take to lead one of the world's largest conservation organisations through a time when 41% ofUK species are in decline?And how can today's conservation leaders inspire millions to fight for biodiversity? Today's guest, Beccy Speight, CEO of the RSPB, offers her insights into what it takes to manage over 1.2 million members and 200 reserves across the UK.In this episode, we discuss the RSPB's mission, the role of effective leadership, and Beccy's own career path from local government to conservation leadership.Beccy shares the biggest challenges she faces, her hopes for the RSPB over the next decade and what advice she'd give to anyone looking to enter the conservation sector.It's an inspiring, insightful, and mission-driven podcast.
Today on the show - 0.00 - Tales From The South 3.49 - Research Ryan 9.19 - Betcha Leaderboard 13.08 - Flooded 21.52 - We're With You Wednesday 31.17 - Rog's Ride On 33.12 - Dancing Injuries 41.56 - Lame School Holidays 50.03 - Speight's Great Mates
April Speight began her career as a menswear stylist and visual merchandiser for brands such as Club Monaco, Saks, and Neiman Marcus. She graduated with a BS in Global Business & Public Policy from the University of Maryland and subsequently embarked on a career transition into tech. To close out her former career in fashion, she completed her Masters in Luxury & Fashion Management at the Savannah College of Art and Design - with a focus on the luxury automobile and luxury marijuana sectors. In her spare time, she began to learn Python in hopes of becoming a data scientist. With a change of heart, she chose to focus on AI assistants, chat bots, and conversational design. Always curious and always learning, she witnessed a life changing demo at a Microsoft event that set her on a new path in Extended Reality (XR). In 2020, she joined the Cloud Advocacy organization at Microsoft as a Sr. Cloud Advocate for Spatial Computing. From 2020 - 2022, April became a thought leader in the XR space promoting safety, diversity, and inclusivity in the design of XR experiences. She served as the former Director of Community & Education for the XR Safety Initiative (XRSI), advising partners on XR curriculum. Internally at Microsoft, she worked alongside the former Mixed Reality and MRTK teams. She created various XR samples, technical learning content, and was part of the team that won Silver in the 2021 Telly Awards for Remote Production – Non-Broadcast for Microsoft One Dev Question with April Speight. Before her transition to the Cloud Advocacy leadership team, April hosted the 2022 Mixed Reality Dev Days and collaborated with the current Microsoft Mesh team. Today, she resides in Los Angeles as a Principal Cloud Advocate at Microsoft focused on Generative AI. You can find April on the following sites: Twitter Website GitHub LinkedIn Here are some links provided by April: Bite-Size Python Visual Studio Code for Python Programmers PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Music Amazon Music RSS Feed You can check out more episodes of Coffee and Open Source on https://www.coffeeandopensource.com Coffee and Open Source is hosted by Isaac Levin --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/coffeandopensource/support
In this episode, we take a heartfelt and in-depth look at the life, career, and tragic death of beloved children's TV presenter Mark Speight. Best known for his infectious energy and artistic flair on SMart, Mark captured the imagination of young audiences across the UK with his creativity and playful personality. His ability to make art fun and accessible turned him into a household name, making him a cherished figure in children's television during the 1990s and 2000s. We begin by exploring Mark's early years, charting his journey from art school graduate to becoming one of the most recognisable faces on British TV. From his rise to fame as the vibrant host of SMart to his various other appearances across children's television, we reflect on his passion for art, his boundless enthusiasm, and his deep connection with his audience. Mark's career left a lasting impact on many aspiring young artists, and his work continues to be remembered fondly by fans to this day. However, Mark's personal life took a tragic turn in 2008 when his fiancée, Natasha Collins, passed away under devastating circumstances. We discuss how this loss profoundly affected him and delve into the subsequent media coverage, which brought an overwhelming amount of scrutiny and pressure to his already grief-stricken life. Despite being a beloved figure, the emotional toll of Natasha's death weighed heavily on Mark, leading to his untimely death a few months later. While his story ended tragically, the impact he had on the world of children's television and the hearts of his viewers endures, reminding us of the importance of creativity, connection, and compassion in a world that can often feel overwhelming. Talk2TheHand is an independent throwback podcast run by husband and wife, Jimmy and Beth. Obsessed with 90s nostalgia and 90s celebrities, we'll rewind the years and take you back to the greatest era of our lives. New episodes bursting with nostalgia of the 90s released on Tuesdays. Please subscribe to our podcast and we'll keep you gooey in 1990s love. Find us on Twitter @talk2thehandpod or email us at jimmy@talk2thehand.co.uk or beth@talk2thehand.co.uk
Ua faasa'olotoina le ta'ita'i o le fouvale lea na ave'eseina ai le malo na palotaina i Fiti i le 2000. O George Speight na aumaia iai le faasalaga i le oti e le faamasinoga sili i le moliaga o le 'treason' ae na suia e le peresitene i le solo atoa i le falepuipui.
After being friends online for years, Hannah and Laura FINALLY have the opportunity to chat with author Jeff Speight about his books, Paladin Unbound, Mystic Reborn, and the upcoming God Ascended! They talk all about world building, character creation, and what it's like to publish a high fantasy trilogy. Be sure to pick up all of The Archives of Evelium or request them from your local library!You can follow Jeff at: https://www.jeffreyspeight.com/Instagram: @jeffsp8Twitter: @jeffspeightFacebook: Jeffrey SpeightMedia Mentions:The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen CraneThe Hobbit by J.R.R. TolkienThe Hobbit (1977)---Prime VideoRudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer---Prime VideoThe Threadlight trilogy by Zack ArgyleDelicious in Dungeon---NetflixThe Empire Strikes Back---Disney+The Wheel of Time---Prime VideoThe Lord of the Rings---MaxLegacy of the Brightwash by Krystle MatarStellar Instinct by Jonathan NevairThe Wind Tide trilogy by Jonathan NevairThe Dresden Files series by Jim ButcherBe sure to follow OWWR Pod!www.owwrpod.com Twitter: @OwwrPodBlueSky: @OwwrPodTikTok: @OwwrPodInstagram: @owwrpodThreads: @OwwrPodHive: @owwrpodSend us an email at: owwrpod@gmail.comCheck out OWWR Patreon: patreon.com/owwrpodOr join OWWR Discord! We'd love to chat with you!You can follow Hannah at:Instagram: @brews.and.booksThreads: @brews.and.booksTikTok: @brews.and.booksYou can follow Laura at:Instagram: @goodbooksgreatgoatsTwitter: @myyypodBlueSky: @myyypodHive: @myyypod
Johnny Speight, creator of Alf Garnett, had a long friendship with Spike Milligan, stretching back to the mid-fifties and the Associated London Scripts days. Speight wrote Till Death Us Do Part which delighted and shocked television audiences in equal measure, with Garnett given to frequent outbursts against what he perceived as society's ills: immigration & foreigners in general, socialism, young people, increasing secularism, homosexuals, lack of due deference to the Royal Family and the ruling elite, feminism and anything else that he didn't really understand and felt threatened by. In the mid-1980s Speight wrote a follow-up series to Till Death Us Do Part called In Sickness and in Health, which reintroduced audiences to Alf, now older but hardly any wiser. From the second series Alf was a widower (after the death of his co-star Dandy Nicholls) and there gradually grew a new set of characters to antagonise and exasperate him. In the third series Spike had a guest appearance as Fancy Fred, squaring up to Alf at a tea dance and later bickering over where he parked his van. It's not a huge part and Spike wasn't aiming for any Bafta awards, but it's an intriguing cameo and one which we thought was worth talking about this week on Goon Pod - as well as talking about the Alf Garnett universe in general. Joining Tyler is comedian John Dredge, currently riding high with a new series of his sketch show The John Dredge Nothing To Do With Anything Show - which can be found HERE: https://www.comedy.co.uk/podcasts/john_dredge_show/
Megan A. Speight, M.S. has worked in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors in Communications, Culture and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. In her current role as Culture, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion(DE&I) Manager at Project Management Institute, Ms. Speight leads and works with cross functional teams to advance PMI's work in this space. In this role, Ms. Speight promotes a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture, and positions PMI as a growing force in the DE&I space by integrating it into the different components of the organization, profession and global community. Megan is a native of Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, USA, but resides in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of Springside School, obtained her B.A. in Communications from George Mason University and her M.S. in Public Communication from Drexel University. Ms. Speight has her Diversity and Inclusion Certificate from eCornell and is the first ever recipient of the DEI Champion Award from Women of Project Management. She is Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for Project 440, Chair of their Marketing Advisory Committee, and is a member of the Junior League of Philadelphia. Check the podcast page: www.theprojectedit.com
In this episode of Leaving the Classroom, former teacher Jared Speight shares his journey transitioning from teaching to instructional design. Tune in to hear: Jared's story of transitioning from 14 years in the classroom to an instructional design role due to burnout from COVID. Strategies for building an instructional design portfolio through groups, challenges, and independent projects. Insights on transferring teaching skills like curiosity, delivering instruction, and empathy to instructional design work.
AWadd leads us into the final hour of the show as we bring Justin Fensterman onto the show with us to break down the NBA playoffs. We shift gears to NetClix nex as we talk all things Hollywood as there's a new Gollum movie coming out and Stub saw the new Planet of the Apes movie. Josh Speight joins us on the show next for some Golf Talk as he is headed to the PGA Tour next week. AWadd and Stub close out the hour like always on GAMEDAY as they pick the games they are most excited to watch this weekend.
We studied a lot of the mindset and heartbeat behind the practicalities of making disciples, now let's hear from some of your leaders on their personal experiences being discipled as well as discipling others. Andy and Jayme's stories are a clear indication of how one-on-one discipleship can and will completely change your life no matter your background.
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Join host Jeff Crank in this compelling episode of "American Potential" as he welcomes Jade Speight, a young college student who turned a challenging experience into a powerful advocacy for free speech. In 2020, during her first year of college, Jade faced bullying and threats for a social media post showing her support for police with a mask bearing the Thin Blue Line flag. Despite intense pressure and harassment, including disturbing notes and online attacks, Jade chose not to back down. Her decision to stand firm in her beliefs and not apologize for her views turned her into a champion for free speech on her campus. Her story is a stark reminder of the challenges students face in environments where differing opinions can lead to intense backlash. In this episode, Jade discusses the impact of this experience on her life, how it shaped her involvement in political activities, and her role as the president of the College Republicans Club. Her journey highlights the importance of standing up for one's beliefs and the need for open, respectful dialogue in educational institutions. This episode is not just Jade's story but a broader conversation about the state of free speech in America, particularly in academic settings. It's a testament to the courage and resilience of young individuals who dare to voice their opinions, fostering a more inclusive and tolerant society. Check out American Potential here: https://americanpotential.com Check out our Spanish episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8wSZydeKZ6uOuFlT_1QQ53L7l6AmC83c Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanPotentialPodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/americanpotentialpodcast/ X: https://twitter.com/AMPotentialPod
Louise Kemp Speight, 89, of Sandston, passed away on Saturday, January 20, 2024. She was a member of Corinth United Methodist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Edwin Speight; mother, Mary Louise Vaughn; father, Lewis M. Kemp; and sister, Margaret Kemp Burnette. She is survived by her daughter, Wendy Speight; grandchildren, Hailey Quinn and Chelsey Quinn; sister, Mary Kemp Revere; and a number of nieces and nephews, great-nieces and nephews and great-great nieces and nephews. The family will receive friends Thursday, January 25, from 1 to 2 p.m. at Corinth United Methodist Church, 23 W. Williamsburg Rd.,...Article LinkSupport the show
It's the first episode of season three! Much like the last two seasons, we stumble our way through, this time bringing you all the Oscar Noms like only two old dudes can. Lots of googling occurred. Plus Rich "neverheardofit" Speight's review of all the nominated films.
This week's lesson on "ruling" is a great compliment to last week's gift of "governments". If "governments" is concerning the behind the scenes administration of leadership, then "ruling" is the carrying out, or execution of the plan. Some people are built to be up-front leaders. Are you one of them?
Scott, the CEO and Founder of Go Boldly Mastermind, embodies a remarkable journey of resilience and success. As a Certified John Maxwell leadership and life coach, a Major in the United States Army, and a Reserve Army Chaplain with two Master's degrees, his credentials are impressive. Scott understands firsthand the trials and tribulations of life, having experienced struggle, and failure. What truly sets him apart is his unwavering determination. When Scott sets his mind to something, success is inevitable. His profound realization that coaching is his life's purpose ignited a passion that has allowed him to live life to the fullest. In his role as a leadership and life coach, Scott empowers his clients to do the same. He has an innate ability to identify and transform limiting beliefs and excuses into positive challenges that pave the way to success. Scott firmly believes that when you change your mindset, you can change your life. His vision extends to creating an inclusive and welcoming space for individuals of diverse backgrounds and ideals, where both personal and professional aspirations can be achieved. Scott's confidence in his methods and expertise assures that anyone he encounters will surpass their perceived limits. The training techniques he employs are second to none, fostering a profound and unrelenting hunger that propels individuals toward their dreams. Within his coaching community, Scott cultivates a positive environment that not only motivates but also forms lasting bonds. Here, you will discover friends and a supportive family who inspire and encourage you to reach for greater heights. Scott and Go Boldly Mastermind are your partners on the path to success.
Today we begin our last sub-series of the Spiritual Gifts known as the "Service Gifts". Helps are usually done behind the scene and with very little recognition, but they are just as important. Much of what makes a church function properly is due to this all-important gift.
Be an example and mature in your walk. How do we do this? In word, conversation, charity, spirit, faith, and purity.
We sent Garnet Barnsdale to Hoosier Park and he broke down the Breeders Crown races, emphasizing the Canadian Content – how did Sylvia Hanover, Tactical Approach, Scott Zeron and Tattoo Artist do? Amazing feats by horse racing athletes – Sylvain Filion hit the 10,000-win mark on Monday at Mohawk Park, then added 5 more on Friday on a night when Fort Erie race caller Doug McPherson described the action Also with the 5-bagger stunt – Kazushi Kimura who swept the Saturday Stakes at Woodbine and added 3 more wins. Legendary trainer Roger Attfield talks to us about Shirl's Speight, who is back in next week's Breeders' Stakes at Santa Anita. The quarter horse season came to an end at Ajax Downs and Brian Bell punctuated his championship season by riding the winner in the final Stakes race. And Presque Isle race caller, Jeff Cernik had a bucket full of fun in a certain race last week.
Today we conclude our section on the "Revealing Gifts", or gifts that are used to reveal truth to others. While we all know that faith is essential for our salvation, God has gifted some of us to exuberate faith in our daily walks more than others. Do you sometimes take risks that defy human logic as you stand up for your God? Then this gift might be yours!
Jamie Speight set off on his pro journey with high hopes, but later became a proud journeyman as he navigated his way through 61 professional fights. He boxed champions and contenders including Josh Warrington, Joe Cordina, Issac Lowe, Gavin McDonnell and Jason Cunningham during a fascinating career and transition from prospect to journeyman before reading my book Damage caused him to stop fighting. However, outside the ring Jamie has had it hard. He and his partner went through years of IVF treatment trying to have a baby, his sister was seriously sexually assaulted and he's had a tenuous relationship with his mother. Here, Speight talks about his. mental health battles, struggling through lockdown and why he made the decision to retire when he did.
Today we look at not only the first gift in our series, but the first in the "revealing gifts" subcategory. Are you gifted with words of wisdom? What's the difference between knowledge and wisdom? How do you apply this to your life if you're gifted with it?
Unlock the truth behind epidurals and labor anesthesia in our enlightening conversation with Dr. Bella Speight, a board certified anesthesiologist. What are the actual risks? Dr. Speight debunks these myths and lays it all bare, offering a reassuring perspective on the minimal risks involved for healthy patients and the importance of correct positioning during the procedure. She also explores unmedicated delivery, shedding light on why some women may opt for this route.Dive deeper as Dr. Speight reveals the intricate details about the medications used in epidurals and how they function in the body. Replacing an epidural, preparing for a C-section while an epidural is in place, and managing a one-sided epidural - she covers it all. And it doesn't stop there; she provides a comprehensive look at the symptoms of a spinal headache post-epidural and how to cope with it if you are one of the 1% of people who experiences this. With her expert guidance, you'll walk away with a solid understanding of epidurals, labor anesthesia, and what to expect. So, whether you're a budding parent or simply curious, this episode is a must-listen. Coaching offerSupport the showConnect with Kelly Hof at kellyhof.comMedical Disclaimer:This podcast is intended as a safe space for women to share their birth experiences. It is not intended to provide medical advice. Each woman's medical course of action is individual and may not appropriately transfer to another similar situation. Please speak to your medical provider before making any medical decisions. Additionally, it is important to keep in mind that evidence based practice evolves as our knowledge of science improves. To the best of my ability I will attempt to present the most current ACOG and AWHONN recommendations at the time the podcast is recorded, but that may not necessarily reflect the best practices at the time the podcast is heard. Additionally, guests sharing their stories have the right to autonomy in their medical decisions, and may share their choice to go against current practice recommendations. I intend to hold space for people to share their decisions. I will attempt to share the current recommendations so that my audience is informed, but it is up to each individual to choose what is best for them.
Eloris Speight is the Executive Director of Socially Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers Policy Research Center. They are located at Alcorn St in Mississippi. During our conversation, we talked about the challenges Black farmers face, the Black Farmer population continuing to decline, the bills that involve Black Farmers, and the future for Black Farmers.
Jamie Speight set off on his pro journey with high hopes, but later became a proud journeyman as he navigated his way through 61 professional fights. He boxed champions and contenders including Josh Warrington, Joe Cordina, Issac Lowe, Gavin McDonnell and Jason Cunningham during a fascinating career and transition from prospect to journeyman before reading my book Damage caused him to stop fighting. However, outside the ring Jamie has had it hard. He and his partner went through years of IVF treatment trying to have a baby, his sister was seriously sexually assaulted and he's had a tenuous relationship with his mother. Here, Speight talks about his. mental health battles, struggling through lockdown and why he made the decision to retire when he did.
Beccy Speight (Chief Executive of the RSPB) and Patricia Zurita (former CEO of BirdLife International and now Chief Strategy Officer of Conservation International) join Suzy to share their insight on changing perceptions and overcoming challenges as women in the conservation community. And we hear how each would spend a fantasy birding day. Recorded at Global Birdfair 2023 Timestamps & Links: 00:00:00 Opening The October Big Day takes place this year on October 14th and The Casual Birder Podcast will again be entering a team. We will also be supporting BirdLife International. Help us reach our fundraising target! Just Giving link 00:01:12 Past Episode Past episode: Focus on Birders: Chiara Talia 00:01:30 Introduction 00:02:32 Conversation with Beccy and Patricia begins 00:03:13 Patricia Zurita introduces BirdLife International and her path to joining the organisation. 00:05:26 Beccy Speight introduces the work of the RSPB and her background in conservation. 00:07:49 Beccy shares two birding memories that inspired her 00:09:00 Engaging with communities 00:09:40 Patricia shares the International perspective 00:11:48 Beccy speaks of the power of documentaries like Wild Isles to raise awareness 00:14:22 Overcoming Challenges and Changing Perceptions 00:17:06 The Importance of Collaboration and Diversity in Leadership 00:20:00 A fantasy birding day: where would you go, what you see? 00:20:15 Patricia - New Hummingbird species in Ecuador 00:20:45 Beccy - Shetland soundscapes BirdLife International RSPB 00:22:00 Suzy's Birding 00:22:02 In search of a Nightjar 00:25:31 Stone-Curlew 00:27:38 Mis-identifying a Common Tern 00:28:18 Support the Show Contribute to the show's tip jar 00:28:46 Keep in touch Tell me about your birding The Casual Birder Bird Club - sign up 00:29:10 Wrap and Close Thanks to Randy Braun for designing the artwork for the show. The theme music is Short Sleeved Shirt by The Drones. Thanks to them for letting me use it. Check out their website at www.dronesmusic.net The Casual Birder Podcast https://casualbirder.com/
Whisky production disappeared from New Zealand in 1997 with the closure of the Willowbank Distillery in Dunedin.But in 2009 Tasmanian entrepreneur Greg Ramsay brought together a group of investors to purchase Willowbank's remaining stocks and re-launch New Zealand whisky to the world.Greg joins us this episode as we explore some of New Zealand's little-known whisky-making heritage, and the whisky renaissance that's now underway.His company, dubbed The New Zealand Whisky Collection, is currently preparing to launch some modern expressions, having begun production in 2021 at its own distillery installed at Speight's Brewery in Dunedin.Click here to open episode in your podcast player.
S06E09 Tom Speight In this episode Seann Walsh and Paul Mccaffrey are joined by Musician Tom Speight to moan about The word Latte, Being asked what you do, Voice notes & The Merchants Of Banter. Please Subscribe, Rate & Review Follow Tom on Instagram @tomspeightmusic or check out www.tomspeightmusic.com to get tickets to his shows and all music links. Follow us on all our socials Instagram - HERE Tik Tok - HERE Youtube - HERE And for those of you who said that 15 minutes was not enough head on over to www.patreon.com/wuyn where you can support the podcast and get access to full hour long episodes, New sections, Early access to ad free guest episodes, An opportunity to be on the podcast and much more!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A revealing and insightful interview with Martin Speight, the former Sussex and Durham player, who was and still is Harry Brook's coach and has brought through a whole phalanx of stars with his unique style at Sedbergh School. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Join me for an enlightening journey through the adventures of motherhood with my exceptional guests. Discover why Jennifer Byrnes champions early mental health support, learn to stop and smell the roses of maternity with Michelle Powers, embrace your ability to face challenges with Jennie Weill, and hear Emily Finnell's call to trust yourself and not rely too heavily on outside advice. Erika Yalowitz and Mila Little remind you to have faith in where you are being led and trust the process.From a practical standpoint, we decode childbirth mysteries like why a squirt bottle will become your best friend and the emotional rollercoaster of prodromal labor with Amanda Stoyko and Joyanna Delshad. Plus, we uncover the miracle of padsicles for moms recovering from vaginal deliveries with Carrie Young. Ellie Goldstein reminds us that you CAN get pregnant while breastfeeding. Dr. Speight discusses the need to proactively treat your postpartum pain. Charlie Marshall emphasizes the importance of sleeping well before you deliver your baby because the hospital environment doesn't allow for good sleep. Kiyah Catron's takeaway is don't be so hard on yourself. And Tiare Smith wants to remind moms to call your OB provider if you have concerning symptoms. We also discuss with Devin Garcia, Megan McCutcheon, and Anna Gates the necessity for mental preparation for the birthing process and the need to be flexible with your birth plan. Megan Castanien advises us to be mindful but not to be fearful when preparing for delivery. So, whether you're an expectant mother, a new mom, or just interested in the complex and beautiful journey of motherhood, this episode promises to be a treasure trove of insights and experiences, offering invaluable support for every step of your perinatal journey. Coaching offerBuzzsprout - Get your podcast launched! Start for FREEKristen Boss The Social Selling Academy Training program for Network Marketers to grow a business without burnout. Click for $100 off!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showConnect with Kelly Hof at kellyhof.comMedical Disclaimer:This podcast is intended as a safe space for women to share their birth experiences. It is not intended to provide medical advice. Each woman's medical course of action is individual and may not appropriately transfer to another similar situation. Please speak to your medical provider before making any medical decisions. Additionally, it is important to keep in mind that evidence based practice evolves as our knowledge of science improves. To the best of my ability I will attempt to present the most current ACOG and AWHONN recommendations at the time the podcast is recorded, but that may not necessarily reflect the best practices at the time the podcast is heard. Additionally, guests sharing their stories have the right to autonomy in their medical decisions, and may share their choice to go against current practice recommendations. I intend to hold space for people to share their decisions. I will attempt to share the current recommendations so that my audience is informed, but it is up to each individual to choose what is best for them.
Kymberli Speight's current career as a speaker was inspired by her military career. She will tell you she didn't choose this career; rather it chose her.Having transitioned successfully into civilian life, Kym speaks to us about the discipline that has served her well, the leadership skills she has put into practice in everything she does, and how to network effectively in all social situations.It's all about relationship building! And Kym will tell you how she does it – and how YOU can too!Don't miss hearing Kym unpack dozens of tips for networking – authentically!
Joining me for a waffle is the brilliant singer and songwriter Tom Speight!We waffle about all things music, mental health, and just how powerful music can be when it comes to expressing how you feel!Tom opens up about his journey with Crohn's Disease and how a life-saving operation changed his outlook on life!We have a waffle about his brand new album, Love & Light, the recording process and the inspiration behind it allI really hope you enjoy it! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Asw. Shanique Speight (D) – NJ, joins Steve Adubato for an important discussion about period poverty, the marginalized groups that are impacted, and her personal experience that influenced her passion for this legislation. Asw. Aura Dunn (R) – NJ joins Steve Adubato to provide her perspective on affordable, accessible child care, the child tax credit, […]
The Club at Viniterra's Josh Speight is one of 20 PGA members of the Corebridge Financial Team competing at this week's PGA Championship at Oak Hill. Thanks to his T11 finish at the PGA National Professional Championship, Josh will get his second chance to tee it up against the world's top players in a major championship, having previously compete in 2016. Chris Lang caught up with Josh prior to the tournament to hear his thoughts on his trip to Oak Hill.
In this episode, we're going underground, undersea and into your water and sewer pipelines with science fiction's favorite problem-solvers…robots! Jay sits down with Vanessa Speight, a professor of Integrated Water Systems at the University of Sheffield, to learn how new, spider-like robots have the potential to locate and fix leaks in aging water pipes. Jay and Vanessa discuss when we might actually see these pipe-traveling bots in action and what they can realistically do for developing nations, where drinking water loss can be as much as 70 per cent due to aging and unmaintained systems. In our Last Word, professor Lucian Busoniu tells us about SeaClear, a project funded by the European Union, building the first fleet of autonomous robots to collect litter from the ocean floor.
Episode 162 of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs looks at "Daydream Believer", and the later career of the Monkees, and how four Pinocchios became real boys. Click the full post to read liner notes, links to more information, and a transcript of the episode. Patreon backers also have a twenty-minute bonus episode available, on "Born to be Wild" by Steppenwolf. Tilt Araiza has assisted invaluably by doing a first-pass edit, and will hopefully be doing so from now on. Check out Tilt's irregular podcasts at http://www.podnose.com/jaffa-cakes-for-proust and http://sitcomclub.com/ Resources No Mixcloud this time, as even after splitting it into multiple files, there are simply too many Monkees tracks excerpted. The best versions of the Monkees albums are the triple-CD super-deluxe versions that used to be available from monkees.com , and I've used Andrew Sandoval's liner notes for them extensively in this episode. Sadly, though, none of those are in print. However, at the time of writing there is a new four-CD super-deluxe box set of Headquarters (with a remixed version of the album rather than the original mixes I've excerpted here) available from that site, and I used the liner notes for that here. Monkees.com also currently has the intermittently-available BluRay box set of the entire Monkees TV series, which also has Head and 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Monkee. For those just getting into the group, my advice is to start with this five-CD set, which contains their first five albums along with bonus tracks. The single biggest source of information I used in this episode is the first edition of Andrew Sandoval's The Monkees; The Day-By-Day Story. Sadly that is now out of print and goes for hundreds of pounds. Sandoval released a second edition of the book in 2021, which I was unfortunately unable to obtain, but that too is now out of print. If you can find a copy of either, do get one. Other sources used were Monkee Business by Eric Lefcowitz, and the autobiographies of three of the band members and one of the songwriters — Infinite Tuesday by Michael Nesmith, They Made a Monkee Out of Me by Davy Jones, I'm a Believer by Micky Dolenz, and Psychedelic Bubble-Gum by Bobby Hart. Patreon This podcast is brought to you by the generosity of my backers on Patreon. Why not join them? Transcript When we left the Monkees, they were in a state of flux. To recap what we covered in that episode, the Monkees were originally cast as actors in a TV show, and consisted of two actors with some singing ability -- the former child stars Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz -- and two musicians who were also competent comic actors, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork. The show was about a fictional band whose characters shared names with their actors, and there had quickly been two big hit singles, and two hit albums, taken from the music recorded for the TV show's soundtrack. But this had caused problems for the actors. The records were being promoted as being by the fictional group in the TV series, blurring the line between the TV show and reality, though in fact for the most part they were being made by session musicians with only Dolenz or Jones adding lead vocals to pre-recorded backing tracks. Dolenz and Jones were fine with this, but Nesmith, who had been allowed to write and produce a few album tracks himself, wanted more creative input, and more importantly felt that he was being asked to be complicit in fraud because the records credited the four Monkees as the musicians when (other than a tiny bit of inaudible rhythm guitar by Tork on a couple of Nesmith's tracks) none of them played on them. Tork, meanwhile, believed he had been promised that the group would be an actual group -- that they would all be playing on the records together -- and felt hurt and annoyed that this wasn't the case. They were by now playing live together to promote the series and the records, with Dolenz turning out to be a perfectly competent drummer, so surely they could do the same in the studio? So in January 1967, things came to a head. It's actually quite difficult to sort out exactly what happened, because of conflicting recollections and opinions. What follows is my best attempt to harmonise the different versions of the story into one coherent narrative, but be aware that I could be wrong in some of the details. Nesmith and Tork, who disliked each other in most respects, were both agreed that this couldn't continue and that if there were going to be Monkees records released at all, they were going to have the Monkees playing on them. Dolenz, who seems to have been the one member of the group that everyone could get along with, didn't really care but went along with them for the sake of group harmony. And Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider, the production team behind the series, also took Nesmith and Tork's side, through a general love of mischief. But on the other side was Don Kirshner, the music publisher who was in charge of supervising the music for the TV show. Kirshner was adamantly, angrily, opposed to the very idea of the group members having any input at all into how the records were made. He considered that they should be grateful for the huge pay cheques they were getting from records his staff writers and producers were making for them, and stop whinging. And Davy Jones was somewhere in the middle. He wanted to support his co-stars, who he genuinely liked, but also, he was a working actor, he'd had other roles before, he'd have other roles afterwards, and as a working actor you do what you're told if you don't want to lose the job you've got. Jones had grown up in very severe poverty, and had been his family's breadwinner from his early teens, and artistic integrity is all very nice, but not as nice as a cheque for a quarter of a million dollars. Although that might be slightly unfair -- it might be fairer to say that artistic integrity has a different meaning to someone like Jones, coming from musical theatre and a tradition of "the show must go on", than it does to people like Nesmith and Tork who had come up through the folk clubs. Jones' attitude may also have been affected by the fact that his character in the TV show didn't play an instrument other than the occasional tambourine or maracas. The other three were having to mime instrumental parts they hadn't played, and to reproduce them on stage, but Jones didn't have that particular disadvantage. Bert Schneider, one of the TV show's producers, encouraged the group to go into the recording studio themselves, with a producer of their choice, and cut a couple of tracks to prove what they could do. Michael Nesmith, who at this point was the one who was most adamant about taking control of the music, chose Chip Douglas to produce. Douglas was someone that Nesmith had known a little while, as they'd both played the folk circuit -- in Douglas' case as a member of the Modern Folk Quartet -- but Douglas had recently joined the Turtles as their new bass player. At this point, Douglas had never officially produced a record, but he was a gifted arranger, and had just arranged the Turtles' latest single, which had just been released and was starting to climb the charts: [Excerpt: The Turtles, "Happy Together"] Douglas quit the Turtles to work with the Monkees, and took the group into the studio to cut two demo backing tracks for a potential single as a proof of concept. These initial sessions didn't have any vocals, but featured Nesmith on guitar, Tork on piano, Dolenz on drums, Jones on tambourine, and an unknown bass player -- possibly Douglas himself, possibly Nesmith's friend John London, who he'd played with in Mike and John and Bill. They cut rough tracks of two songs, "All of Your Toys", by another friend of Nesmith's, Bill Martin, and Nesmith's "The Girl I Knew Somewhere": [Excerpt: The Monkees, "The Girl I Knew Somewhere (Gold Star Demo)"] Those tracks were very rough and ready -- they were garage-band tracks rather than the professional studio recordings that the Candy Store Prophets or Jeff Barry's New York session players had provided for the previous singles -- but they were competent in the studio, thanks largely to Chip Douglas' steadying influence. As Douglas later said "They could hardly play. Mike could play adequate rhythm guitar. Pete could play piano but he'd make mistakes, and Micky's time on drums was erratic. He'd speed up or slow down." But the takes they managed to get down showed that they *could* do it. Rafelson and Schneider agreed with them that the Monkees could make a single together, and start recording at least some of their own tracks. So the group went back into the studio, with Douglas producing -- and with Lester Sill from the music publishers there to supervise -- and cut finished versions of the two songs. This time the lineup was Nesmith on guitar, Tork on electric harpsichord -- Tork had always been a fan of Bach, and would in later years perform Bach pieces as his solo spot in Monkees shows -- Dolenz on drums, London on bass, and Jones on tambourine: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "The Girl I Knew Somewhere (first recorded version)"] But while this was happening, Kirshner had been trying to get new Monkees material recorded without them -- he'd not yet agreed to having the group play on their own records. Three days after the sessions for "All of Your Toys" and "The Girl I Knew Somewhere", sessions started in New York for an entire album's worth of new material, produced by Jeff Barry and Denny Randell, and largely made by the same Red Bird Records team who had made "I'm a Believer" -- the same musicians who in various combinations had played on everything from "Sherry" by the Four Seasons to "Like a Rolling Stone" by Dylan to "Leader of the Pack", and with songs by Neil Diamond, Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, Leiber and Stoller, and the rest of the team of songwriters around Red Bird. But at this point came the meeting we talked about towards the end of the "Last Train to Clarksville" episode, in which Nesmith punched a hole in a hotel wall in frustration at what he saw as Kirshner's obstinacy. Kirshner didn't want to listen to the recordings the group had made. He'd promised Jeff Barry and Neil Diamond that if "I'm a Believer" went to number one, Barry would get to produce, and Diamond write, the group's next single. Chip Douglas wasn't a recognised producer, and he'd made this commitment. But the group needed a new single out. A compromise was offered, of sorts, by Kirshner -- how about if Barry flew over from New York to LA to produce the group, they'd scrap the tracks both the group and Barry had recorded, and Barry would produce new tracks for the songs he'd recorded, with the group playing on them? But that wouldn't work either. The group members were all due to go on holiday -- three of them were going to make staggered trips to the UK, partly to promote the TV series, which was just starting over here, and partly just to have a break. They'd been working sixty-plus hour weeks for months between the TV series, live performances, and the recording studio, and they were basically falling-down tired, which was one of the reasons for Nesmith's outburst in the meeting. They weren't accomplished enough musicians to cut tracks quickly, and they *needed* the break. On top of that, Nesmith and Barry had had a major falling-out at the "I'm a Believer" session, and Nesmith considered it a matter of personal integrity that he couldn't work with a man who in his eyes had insulted his professionalism. So that was out, but there was also no way Kirshner was going to let the group release a single consisting of two songs he hadn't heard, produced by a producer with no track record. At first, the group were insistent that "All of Your Toys" should be the A-side for their next single: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "All Of Your Toys"] But there was an actual problem with that which they hadn't foreseen. Bill Martin, who wrote the song, was under contract to another music publisher, and the Monkees' contracts said they needed to only record songs published by Screen Gems. Eventually, it was Micky Dolenz who managed to cut the Gordian knot -- or so everyone thought. Dolenz was the one who had the least at stake of any of them -- he was already secure as the voice of the hits, he had no particular desire to be an instrumentalist, but he wanted to support his colleagues. Dolenz suggested that it would be a reasonable compromise to put out a single with one of the pre-recorded backing tracks on one side, with him or Jones singing, and with the version of "The Girl I Knew Somewhere" that the band had recorded together on the other. That way, Kirshner and the record label would get their new single without too much delay, the group would still be able to say they'd started recording their own tracks, everyone would get some of what they wanted. So it was agreed -- though there was a further stipulation. "The Girl I Knew Somewhere" had Nesmith singing lead vocals, and up to that point every Monkees single had featured Dolenz on lead on both sides. As far as Kirshner and the other people involved in making the release decisions were concerned, that was the way things were going to continue. Everyone was fine with this -- Nesmith, the one who was most likely to object in principle, in practice realised that having Dolenz sing his song would make it more likely to be played on the radio and used in the TV show, and so increase his royalties. A vocal session was arranged in New York for Dolenz and Jones to come and cut some vocal tracks right before Dolenz and Nesmith flew over to the UK. But in the meantime, it had become even more urgent for the group to be seen to be doing their own recording. An in-depth article on the group in the Saturday Evening Post had come out, quoting Nesmith as saying "It was what Kirshner wanted to do. Our records are not our forte. I don't care if we never sell another record. Maybe we were manufactured and put on the air strictly with a lot of hoopla. Tell the world we're synthetic because, damn it, we are. Tell them the Monkees are wholly man-made overnight, that millions of dollars have been poured into this thing. Tell the world we don't record our own music. But that's us they see on television. The show is really a part of us. They're not seeing something invalid." The press immediately jumped on the band, and started trying to portray them as con artists exploiting their teenage fans, though as Nesmith later said "The press decided they were going to unload on us as being somehow illegitimate, somehow false. That we were making an attempt to dupe the public, when in fact it was me that was making the attempt to maintain the integrity. So the press went into a full-scale war against us." Tork, on the other hand, while he and Nesmith were on the same side about the band making their own records, blamed Nesmith for much of the press reaction, later saying "Michael blew the whistle on us. If he had gone in there with pride and said 'We are what we are and we have no reason to hang our heads in shame' it never would have happened." So as far as the group were concerned, they *needed* to at least go with Dolenz's suggested compromise. Their personal reputations were on the line. When Dolenz arrived at the session in New York, he was expecting to be asked to cut one vocal track, for the A-side of the next single (and presumably a new lead vocal for "The Girl I Knew Somewhere"). When he got there, though, he found that Kirshner expected him to record several vocals so that Kirshner could choose the best. That wasn't what had been agreed, and so Dolenz flat-out refused to record anything at all. Luckily for Kirshner, Jones -- who was the most co-operative member of the band -- was willing to sing a handful of songs intended for Dolenz as well as the ones he was meant to sing. So the tape of "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You", the song intended for the next single, was slowed down so it would be in a suitable key for Jones instead, and he recorded the vocal for that: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You"] Incidentally, while Jones recorded vocals for several more tracks at the session -- and some would later be reused as album tracks a few years down the line -- not all of the recorded tracks were used for vocals, and this later gave rise to a rumour that has been repeated as fact by almost everyone involved, though it was a misunderstanding. Kirshner's next major success after the Monkees was another made-for-TV fictional band, the Archies, and their biggest hit was "Sugar Sugar", co-written and produced by Jeff Barry: [Excerpt: The Archies, "Sugar Sugar"] Both Kirshner and the Monkees have always claimed that the Monkees were offered "Sugar, Sugar" and turned it down. To Kirshner the moral of the story was that since "Sugar, Sugar" was a massive hit, it proved his instincts right and proved that the Monkees didn't know what would make a hit. To the Monkees, on the other hand, it showed that Kirshner wanted them to do bubblegum music that they considered ridiculous. This became such an established factoid that Dolenz regularly tells the story in his live performances, and includes a version of "Sugar, Sugar" in them, rearranged as almost a torch song: [Excerpt: Micky Dolenz, "Sugar, Sugar (live)"] But in fact, "Sugar, Sugar" wasn't written until long after Kirshner and the Monkees had parted ways. But one of the songs for which a backing track was recorded but no vocals were ever completed was "Sugar Man", a song by Denny Randell and Sandy Linzer, which they would later release themselves as an unsuccessful single: [Excerpt: Linzer and Randell, "Sugar Man"] Over the years, the Monkees not recording "Sugar Man" became the Monkees not recording "Sugar, Sugar". Meanwhile, Dolenz and Nesmith had flown over to the UK to do some promotional work and relax, and Jones soon also flew over, though didn't hang out with his bandmates, preferring to spend more time with his family. Both Dolenz and Nesmith spent a lot of time hanging out with British pop stars, and were pleased to find that despite the manufactured controversy about them being a manufactured group, none of the British musicians they admired seemed to care. Eric Burdon, for example, was quoted in the Melody Maker as saying "They make very good records, I can't understand how people get upset about them. You've got to make up your minds whether a group is a record production group or one that makes live appearances. For example, I like to hear a Phil Spector record and I don't worry if it's the Ronettes or Ike and Tina Turner... I like the Monkees record as a grand record, no matter how people scream. So somebody made a record and they don't play, so what? Just enjoy the record." Similarly, the Beatles were admirers of the Monkees, especially the TV show, despite being expected to have a negative opinion of them, as you can hear in this contemporary recording of Paul McCartney answering a fan's questions: Excerpt: Paul McCartney talks about the Monkees] Both Dolenz and Nesmith hung out with the Beatles quite a bit -- they both visited Sgt. Pepper recording sessions, and if you watch the film footage of the orchestral overdubs for "A Day in the Life", Nesmith is there with all the other stars of the period. Nesmith and his wife Phyllis even stayed with the Lennons for a couple of days, though Cynthia Lennon seems to have thought of the Nesmiths as annoying intruders who had been invited out of politeness and not realised they weren't wanted. That seems plausible, but at the same time, John Lennon doesn't seem the kind of person to not make his feelings known, and Michael Nesmith's reports of the few days they stayed there seem to describe a very memorable experience, where after some initial awkwardness he developed a bond with Lennon, particularly once he saw that Lennon was a fan of Captain Beefheart, who was a friend of Nesmith, and whose Safe as Milk album Lennon was examining when Nesmith turned up, and whose music at this point bore a lot of resemblance to the kind of thing Nesmith was doing: [Excerpt: Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band, "Yellow Brick Road"] Or at least, that's how Nesmith always told the story later -- though Safe as Milk didn't come out until nearly six months later. It's possible he's conflating memories from a later trip to the UK in June that year -- where he also talked about how Lennon was the only person he'd really got on with on the previous trip, because "he's a compassionate person. I know he has a reputation for being caustic, but it is only a cover for the depth of his feeling." Nesmith and Lennon apparently made some experimental music together during the brief stay, with Nesmith being impressed by Lennon's Mellotron and later getting one himself. Dolenz, meanwhile, was spending more time with Paul McCartney, and with Spencer Davis of his current favourite band The Spencer Davis Group. But even more than that he was spending a lot of time with Samantha Juste, a model and TV presenter whose job it was to play the records on Top of the Pops, the most important British TV pop show, and who had released a record herself a couple of months earlier, though it hadn't been a success: [Excerpt: Samantha Juste, "No-one Needs My Love Today"] The two quickly fell deeply in love, and Juste would become Dolenz's first wife the next year. When Nesmith and Dolenz arrived back in the US after their time off, they thought the plan was still to release "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" with "The Girl I Knew Somewhere" on the B-side. So Nesmith was horrified to hear on the radio what the announcer said were the two sides of the new Monkees single -- "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You", and "She Hangs Out", another song from the Jeff Barry sessions with a Davy vocal. Don Kirshner had gone ahead and picked two songs from the Jeff Barry sessions and delivered them to RCA Records, who had put a single out in Canada. The single was very, *very* quickly withdrawn once the Monkees and the TV producers found out, and only promo copies seem to circulate -- rather than being credited to "the Monkees", both sides are credited to '"My Favourite Monkee" Davy Jones Sings'. The record had been withdrawn, but "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" was clearly going to have to be the single. Three days after the record was released and pulled, Nesmith, Dolenz and Tork were back in the studio with Chip Douglas, recording a new B-side -- a new version of "The Girl I Knew Somewhere", this time with Dolenz on vocals. As Jones was still in the UK, John London added the tambourine part as well as the bass: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "The Girl I Knew Somewhere (single version)"] As Nesmith told the story a couple of months later, "Bert said 'You've got to get this thing in Micky's key for Micky to sing it.' I said 'Has Donnie made a commitment? I don't want to go there and break my neck in order to get this thing if Donnie hasn't made a commitment. And Bert refused to say anything. He said 'I can't tell you anything except just go and record.'" What had happened was that the people at Columbia had had enough of Kirshner. As far as Rafelson and Schneider were concerned, the real problem in all this was that Kirshner had been making public statements taking all the credit for the Monkees' success and casting himself as the puppetmaster. They thought this was disrespectful to the performers -- and unstated but probably part of it, that it was disrespectful to Rafelson and Schneider for their work putting the TV show together -- and that Kirshner had allowed his ego to take over. Things like the liner notes for More of the Monkees which made Kirshner and his stable of writers more important than the performers had, in the view of the people at Raybert Productions, put the Monkees in an impossible position and forced them to push back. Schneider later said "Kirshner had an ego that transcended everything else. As a matter of fact, the press issue was probably magnified a hundred times over because of Kirshner. He wanted everybody thinking 'Hey, he's doing all this, not them.' In the end it was very self-destructive because it heightened the whole press issue and it made them feel lousy." Kirshner was out of a job, first as the supervisor for the Monkees and then as the head of Columbia/Screen Gems Music. In his place came Lester Sill, the man who had got Leiber and Stoller together as songwriters, who had been Lee Hazelwood's production partner on his early records with Duane Eddy, and who had been the "Les" in Philles Records until Phil Spector pushed him out. Sill, unlike Kirshner, was someone who was willing to take a back seat and just be a steadying hand where needed. The reissued version of "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" went to number two on the charts, behind "Somethin' Stupid" by Frank and Nancy Sinatra, produced by Sill's old colleague Hazelwood, and the B-side, "The Girl I Knew Somewhere", also charted separately, making number thirty-nine on the charts. The Monkees finally had a hit that they'd written and recorded by themselves. Pinocchio had become a real boy: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "The Girl I Knew Somewhere (single version)"] At the same session at which they'd recorded that track, the Monkees had recorded another Nesmith song, "Sunny Girlfriend", and that became the first song to be included on a new album, which would eventually be named Headquarters, and on which all the guitar, keyboard, drums, percussion, banjo, pedal steel, and backing vocal parts would for the first time be performed by the Monkees themselves. They brought in horn and string players on a couple of tracks, and the bass was variously played by John London, Chip Douglas, and Jerry Yester as Tork was more comfortable on keyboards and guitar than bass, but it was in essence a full band album. Jones got back the next day, and sessions began in earnest. The first song they recorded after his return was "Mr. Webster", a Boyce and Hart song that had been recorded with the Candy Store Prophets in 1966 but hadn't been released. This was one of three tracks on the album that were rerecordings of earlier outtakes, and it's fascinating to compare them, to see the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches. In the case of "Mr. Webster", the instrumental backing on the earlier version is definitely slicker: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Mr. Webster (1st Recorded Version)"] But at the same time, there's a sense of dynamics in the group recording that's lacking from the original, like the backing dropping out totally on the word "Stop" -- a nice touch that isn't in the original. I am only speculating, but this may have been inspired by the similar emphasis on the word "stop" in "For What It's Worth" by Tork's old friend Stephen Stills: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Mr. Webster (album version)"] Headquarters was a group album in another way though -- for the first time, Tork and Dolenz were bringing in songs they'd written -- Nesmith of course had supplied songs already for the two previous albums. Jones didn't write any songs himself yet, though he'd start on the next album, but he was credited with the rest of the group on two joke tracks, "Band 6", a jam on the Merrie Melodies theme “Merrily We Roll Along”, and "Zilch", a track made up of the four band members repeating nonsense phrases: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Zilch"] Oddly, that track had a rather wider cultural resonance than a piece of novelty joke album filler normally would. It's sometimes covered live by They Might Be Giants: [Excerpt: They Might Be Giants, "Zilch"] While the rapper Del Tha Funkee Homosapien had a worldwide hit in 1991 with "Mistadobalina", built around a sample of Peter Tork from the track: [Excerpt: Del Tha Funkee Homosapien,"Mistadobalina"] Nesmith contributed three songs, all of them combining Beatles-style pop music and country influences, none more blatantly than the opening track, "You Told Me", which starts off parodying the opening of "Taxman", before going into some furious banjo-picking from Tork: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "You Told Me"] Tork, meanwhile, wrote "For Pete's Sake" with his flatmate of the time, and that became the end credits music for season two of the TV series: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "For Pete's Sake"] But while the other band members made important contributions, the track on the album that became most popular was the first song of Dolenz's to be recorded by the group. The lyrics recounted, in a semi-psychedelic manner, Dolenz's time in the UK, including meeting with the Beatles, who the song refers to as "the four kings of EMI", but the first verse is all about his new girlfriend Samantha Juste: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Randy Scouse Git"] The song was released as a single in the UK, but there was a snag. Dolenz had given the song a title he'd heard on an episode of the BBC sitcom Til Death Us Do Part, which he'd found an amusing bit of British slang. Til Death Us Do Part was written by Johnny Speight, a writer with Associated London Scripts, and was a family sitcom based around the character of Alf Garnett, an ignorant, foul-mouthed reactionary bigot who hated young people, socialists, and every form of minority, especially Black people (who he would address by various slurs I'm definitely not going to repeat here), and was permanently angry at the world and abusive to his wife. As with another great sitcom from ALS, Steptoe and Son, which Norman Lear adapted for the US as Sanford and Son, Til Death Us Do Part was also adapted by Lear, and became All in the Family. But while Archie Bunker, the character based on Garnett in the US version, has some redeeming qualities because of the nature of US network sitcom, Alf Garnett has absolutely none, and is as purely unpleasant and unsympathetic a character as has ever been created -- which sadly didn't stop a section of the audience from taking him as a character to be emulated. A big part of the show's dynamic was the relationship between Garnett and his socialist son-in-law from Liverpool, played by Anthony Booth, himself a Liverpudlian socialist who would later have a similarly contentious relationship with his own decidedly non-socialist son-in-law, the future Prime Minister Tony Blair. Garnett was as close to foul-mouthed as was possible on British TV at the time, with Speight regularly negotiating with the BBC bosses to be allowed to use terms that were not otherwise heard on TV, and used various offensive terms about his family, including referring to his son-in-law as a "randy Scouse git". Dolenz had heard the phrase on TV, had no idea what it meant but loved the sound of it, and gave the song that title. But when the record came out in the UK, he was baffled to be told that the phrase -- which he'd picked up from a BBC TV show, after all -- couldn't be said normally on BBC broadcasts, so they would need to retitle the track. The translation into American English that Dolenz uses in his live shows to explain this to Americans is to say that "randy Scouse git" means "horny Liverpudlian putz", and that's more or less right. Dolenz took the need for an alternative title literally, and so the track that went to number two in the UK charts was titled "Alternate Title": [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Randy Scouse Git"] The album itself went to number one in both the US and the UK, though it was pushed off the top spot almost straight away by the release of Sgt Pepper. As sessions for Headquarters were finishing up, the group were already starting to think about their next album -- season two of the TV show was now in production, and they'd need to keep generating yet more musical material for it. One person they turned to was a friend of Chip Douglas'. Before the Turtles, Douglas had been in the Modern Folk Quartet, and they'd recorded "This Could Be the Night", which had been written for them by Harry Nilsson: [Excerpt: The MFQ, "This Could Be The Night"] Nilsson had just started recording his first solo album proper, at RCA Studios, the same studios that the Monkees were using. At this point, Nilsson still had a full-time job in a bank, working a night shift there while working on his album during the day, but Douglas knew that Nilsson was a major talent, and that assessment was soon shared by the group when Nilsson came in to demo nine of his songs for them: [Excerpt: Harry Nilsson, "1941 (demo)"] According to Nilsson, Nesmith said after that demo session "You just sat down there and blew our minds. We've been looking for songs, and you just sat down and played an *album* for us!" While the Monkees would attempt a few of Nilsson's songs over the next year or so, the first one they chose to complete was the first track recorded for their next album, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, and Jones, Ltd., a song which from the talkback at the beginning of the demo was always intended for Davy Jones to sing: [Excerpt: Harry Nilsson, "Cuddly Toy (demo)"] Oddly, given his romantic idol persona, a lot of the songs given to Jones to sing were anti-romantic, and often had a cynical and misogynistic edge. This had started with the first album's "I Want to Be Free", but by Pisces, it had gone to ridiculous extremes. Of the four songs Jones sings on the album, "Hard to Believe", the first song proper that he ever co-wrote, is a straightforward love song, but the other three have a nasty edge to them. A remade version of Jeff Barry's "She Hangs Out" is about an underaged girl, starts with the lines "How old d'you say your sister was? You know you'd better keep an eye on her" and contains lines like "she could teach you a thing or two" and "you'd better get down here on the double/before she gets her pretty little self in trouble/She's so fine". Goffin and King's "Star Collector" is worse, a song about a groupie with lines like "How can I love her, if I just don't respect her?" and "It won't take much time, before I get her off my mind" But as is so often the way, these rather nasty messages were wrapped up in some incredibly catchy music, and that was even more the case with "Cuddly Toy", a song which at least is more overtly unpleasant -- it's very obvious that Nilsson doesn't intend the protagonist of the song to be at all sympathetic, which is possibly not the case in "She Hangs Out" or "Star Collector". But the character Jones is singing is *viciously* cruel here, mocking and taunting a girl who he's coaxed to have sex with him, only to scorn her as soon as he's got what he wanted: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Cuddly Toy"] It's a great song if you like the cruelest of humour combined with the cheeriest of music, and the royalties from the song allowed Nilsson to quit the job at the bank. "Cuddly Toy", and Chip Douglas and Bill Martin's song "The Door Into Summer", were recorded the same way as Headquarters, with the group playing *as a group*, but as recordings for the album progressed the group fell into a new way of working, which Peter Tork later dubbed "mixed-mode". They didn't go back to having tracks cut for them by session musicians, apart from Jones' song "Hard to Believe", for which the entire backing track was created by one of his co-writers overdubbing himself, but Dolenz, who Tork always said was "incapable of repeating a triumph", was not interested in continuing to play drums in the studio. Instead, a new hybrid Monkees would perform most of the album. Nesmith would still play the lead guitar, Tork would provide the keyboards, Chip Douglas would play all the bass and add some additional guitar, and "Fast" Eddie Hoh, the session drummer who had been a touring drummer with the Modern Folk Quartet and the Mamas and the Papas, among others, would play drums on the records, with Dolenz occasionally adding a bit of acoustic guitar. And this was the lineup that would perform on the hit single from Pisces. "Pleasant Valley Sunday" was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, who had written several songs for the group's first two albums (and who would continue to provide them with more songs). As with their earlier songs for the group, King had recorded a demo: [Excerpt: Carole King, "Pleasant Valley Sunday (demo)"] Previously -- and subsequently -- when presented with a Carole King demo, the group and their producers would just try to duplicate it as closely as possible, right down to King's phrasing. Bob Rafelson has said that he would sometimes hear those demos and wonder why King didn't just make records herself -- and without wanting to be too much of a spoiler for a few years' time, he wasn't the only one wondering that. But this time, the group had other plans. In particular, they wanted to make a record with a strong guitar riff to it -- Nesmith has later referenced their own "Last Train to Clarksville" and the Beatles' "Day Tripper" as two obvious reference points for the track. Douglas came up with a riff and taught it to Nesmith, who played it on the track: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Pleasant Valley Sunday"] The track also ended with the strongest psychedelic -- or "psycho jello" as the group would refer to it -- freak out that they'd done to this point, a wash of saturated noise: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Pleasant Valley Sunday"] King was unhappy with the results, and apparently glared at Douglas the next time they met. This may be because of the rearrangement from her intentions, but it may also be for a reason that Douglas later suspected. When recording the track, he hadn't been able to remember all the details of her demo, and in particular he couldn't remember exactly how the middle eight went. This is the version on King's demo: [Excerpt: Carole King, "Pleasant Valley Sunday (demo)"] While here's how the Monkees rendered it, with slightly different lyrics: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Pleasant Valley Sunday"] I also think there's a couple of chord changes in the second verse that differ between King and the Monkees, but I can't be sure that's not my ears deceiving me. Either way, though, the track was a huge success, and became one of the group's most well-known and well-loved tracks, making number three on the charts behind "All You Need is Love" and "Light My Fire". And while it isn't Dolenz drumming on the track, the fact that it's Nesmith playing guitar and Tork on the piano -- and the piano part is one of the catchiest things on the record -- meant that they finally had a proper major hit on which they'd played (and it seems likely that Dolenz contributed some of the acoustic rhythm guitar on the track, along with Bill Chadwick, and if that's true all three Monkee instrumentalists did play on the track). Pisces is by far and away the best album the group ever made, and stands up well against anything else that came out around that time. But cracks were beginning to show in the group. In particular, the constant battle to get some sort of creative input had soured Nesmith on the whole project. Chip Douglas later said "When we were doing Pisces Michael would come in with three songs; he knew he had three songs coming on the album. He knew that he was making a lot of money if he got his original songs on there. So he'd be real enthusiastic and cooperative and real friendly and get his three songs done. Then I'd say 'Mike, can you come in and help on this one we're going to do with Micky here?' He said 'No, Chip, I can't. I'm busy.' I'd say, 'Mike, you gotta come in the studio.' He'd say 'No Chip, I'm afraid I'm just gonna have to be ornery about it. I'm not comin' in.' That's when I started not liking Mike so much any more." Now, as is so often the case with the stories from this period, this appears to be inaccurate in the details -- Nesmith is present on every track on the album except Jones' solo "Hard to Believe" and Tork's spoken-word track "Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky", and indeed this is by far the album with *most* Nesmith input, as he takes five lead vocals, most of them on songs he didn't write. But Douglas may well be summing up Nesmith's *attitude* to the band at this point -- listening to Nesmith's commentaries on episodes of the TV show, by this point he felt disengaged from everything that was going on, like his opinions weren't welcome. That said, Nesmith did still contribute what is possibly the single most innovative song the group ever did, though the innovations weren't primarily down to Nesmith: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Daily Nightly"] Nesmith always described the lyrics to "Daily Nightly" as being about the riots on Sunset Strip, but while they're oblique, they seem rather to be about streetwalking sex workers -- though it's perhaps understandable that Nesmith would never admit as much. What made the track innovative was the use of the Moog synthesiser. We talked about Robert Moog in the episode on "Good Vibrations" -- he had started out as a Theremin manufacturer, and had built the ribbon synthesiser that Mike Love played live on "Good Vibrations", and now he was building the first commercially available easily usable synthesisers. Previously, electronic instruments had either been things like the clavioline -- a simple monophonic keyboard instrument that didn't have much tonal variation -- or the RCA Mark II, a programmable synth that could make a wide variety of sounds, but took up an entire room and was programmed with punch cards. Moog's machines were bulky but still transportable, and they could be played in real time with a keyboard, but were still able to be modified to make a wide variety of different sounds. While, as we've seen, there had been electronic keyboard instruments as far back as the 1930s, Moog's instruments were for all intents and purposes the first synthesisers as we now understand the term. The Moog was introduced in late spring 1967, and immediately started to be used for making experimental and novelty records, like Hal Blaine's track "Love In", which came out at the beginning of June: [Excerpt: Hal Blaine, "Love In"] And the Electric Flag's soundtrack album for The Trip, the drug exploitation film starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper and written by Jack Nicholson we talked about last time, when Arthur Lee moved into a house used in the film: [Excerpt: The Electric Flag, "Peter's Trip"] In 1967 there were a total of six albums released with a Moog on them (as well as one non-album experimental single). Four of the albums were experimental or novelty instrumental albums of this type. Only two of them were rock albums -- Strange Days by the Doors, and Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, & Jones Ltd by the Monkees. The Doors album was released first, but I believe the Monkees tracks were recorded before the Doors overdubbed the Moog on the tracks on their album, though some session dates are hard to pin down exactly. If that's the case it would make the Monkees the very first band to use the Moog on an actual rock record (depending on exactly how you count the Trip soundtrack -- this gets back again to my old claim that there's no first anything). But that's not the only way in which "Daily Nightly" was innovative. All the first seven albums to feature the Moog featured one man playing the instrument -- Paul Beaver, the Moog company's West Coast representative, who played on all the novelty records by members of the Wrecking Crew, and on the albums by the Electric Flag and the Doors, and on The Notorious Byrd Brothers by the Byrds, which came out in early 1968. And Beaver did play the Moog on one track on Pisces, "Star Collector". But on "Daily Nightly" it's Micky Dolenz playing the Moog, making him definitely the second person ever to play a Moog on a record of any kind: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Daily Nightly"] Dolenz indeed had bought his own Moog -- widely cited as being the second one ever in private ownership, a fact I can't check but which sounds plausible given that by 1970 less than thirty musicians owned one -- after seeing Beaver demonstrate the instrument at the Monterey Pop Festival. The Monkees hadn't played Monterey, but both Dolenz and Tork had attended the festival -- if you watch the famous film of it you see Dolenz and his girlfriend Samantha in the crowd a *lot*, while Tork introduced his friends in the Buffalo Springfield. As well as discovering the Moog there, Dolenz had been astonished by something else: [Excerpt: The Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Hey Joe (Live at Monterey)"] As Peter Tork later put it "I didn't get it. At Monterey Jimi followed the Who and the Who busted up their things and Jimi bashed up his guitar. I said 'I just saw explosions and destruction. Who needs it?' But Micky got it. He saw the genius and went for it." Dolenz was astonished by Hendrix, and insisted that he should be the support act on the group's summer tour. This pairing might sound odd on paper, but it made more sense at the time than it might sound. The Monkees were by all accounts a truly astonishing live act at this point -- Frank Zappa gave them a backhanded compliment by saying they were the best-sounding band in LA, before pointing out that this was because they could afford the best equipment. That *was* true, but it was also the case that their TV experience gave them a different attitude to live performance than anyone else performing at the time. A handful of groups had started playing stadiums, most notably of course the Beatles, but all of these acts had come up through playing clubs and theatres and essentially just kept doing their old act with no thought as to how the larger space worked, except to put their amps through a louder PA. The Monkees, though, had *started* in stadiums, and had started out as mass entertainers, and so their live show was designed from the ground up to play to those larger spaces. They had costume changes, elaborate stage sets -- like oversized fake Vox amps they burst out of at the start of the show -- a light show and a screen on which film footage was projected. In effect they invented stadium performances as we now know them. Nesmith later said "In terms of putting on a show there was never any question in my mind, as far as the rock 'n' roll era is concerned, that we put on probably the finest rock and roll stage show ever. It was beautifully lit, beautifully costumed, beautifully produced. I mean, for Christ sakes, it was practically a revue." The Monkees were confident enough in their stage performance that at a recent show at the Hollywood Bowl they'd had Ike and Tina Turner as their opening act -- not an act you'd want to go on after if you were going to be less than great, and an act from very similar chitlin' circuit roots to Jimi Hendrix. So from their perspective, it made sense. If you're going to be spectacular yourselves, you have no need to fear a spectacular opening act. Hendrix was less keen -- he was about the only musician in Britain who *had* made disparaging remarks about the Monkees -- but opening for the biggest touring band in the world isn't an opportunity you pass up, and again it isn't such a departure as one might imagine from the bills he was already playing. Remember that Monterey is really the moment when "pop" and "rock" started to split -- the split we've been talking about for a few months now -- and so the Jimi Hendrix Experience were still considered a pop band, and as such had played the normal British pop band package tours. In March and April that year, they'd toured on a bill with the Walker Brothers, Cat Stevens, and Englebert Humperdinck -- and Hendrix had even filled in for Humperdinck's sick guitarist on one occasion. Nesmith, Dolenz, and Tork all loved having Hendrix on tour with them, just because it gave them a chance to watch him live every night (Jones, whose musical tastes were more towards Anthony Newley, wasn't especially impressed), and they got on well on a personal level -- there are reports of Hendrix jamming with Dolenz and Steve Stills in hotel rooms. But there was one problem, as Dolenz often recreates in his live act: [Excerpt: Micky Dolenz, "Purple Haze"] The audience response to Hendrix from the Monkees' fans was so poor that by mutual agreement he left the tour after only a handful of shows. After the summer tour, the group went back to work on the TV show and their next album. Or, rather, four individuals went back to work. By this point, the group had drifted apart from each other, and from Douglas -- Tork, the one who was still keenest on the idea of the group as a group, thought that Pisces, good as it was, felt like a Chip Douglas album rather than a Monkees album. The four band members had all by now built up their own retinues of hangers-on and collaborators, and on set for the TV show they were now largely staying with their own friends rather than working as a group. And that was now reflected in their studio work. From now on, rather than have a single producer working with them as a band, the four men would work as individuals, producing their own tracks, occasionally with outside help, and bringing in session musicians to work on them. Some tracks from this point on would be genuine Monkees -- plural -- tracks, and all tracks would be credited as "produced by the Monkees", but basically the four men would from now on be making solo tracks which would be combined into albums, though Dolenz and Jones would occasionally guest on tracks by the others, especially when Nesmith came up with a song he thought would be more suited to their voices. Indeed the first new recording that happened after the tour was an entire Nesmith solo album -- a collection of instrumental versions of his songs, called The Wichita Train Whistle Sings, played by members of the Wrecking Crew and a few big band instrumentalists, arranged by Shorty Rogers. [Excerpt: Michael Nesmith, "You Told Me"] Hal Blaine in his autobiography claimed that the album was created as a tax write-off for Nesmith, though Nesmith always vehemently denied it, and claimed it was an artistic experiment, though not one that came off well. Released alongside Pisces, though, came one last group-recorded single. The B-side, "Goin' Down", is a song that was credited to the group and songwriter Diane Hildebrand, though in fact it developed from a jam on someone else's song. Nesmith, Tork, Douglas and Hoh attempted to record a backing track for a version of Mose Allison's jazz-blues standard "Parchman Farm": [Excerpt: Mose Allison, "Parchman Farm"] But after recording it, they'd realised that it didn't sound that much like the original, and that all it had in common with it was a chord sequence. Nesmith suggested that rather than put it out as a cover version, they put a new melody and lyrics to it, and they commissioned Hildebrand, who'd co-written songs for the group before, to write them, and got Shorty Rogers to write a horn arrangement to go over their backing track. The eventual songwriting credit was split five ways, between Hildebrand and the four Monkees -- including Davy Jones who had no involvement with the recording, but not including Douglas or Hoh. The lyrics Hildebrand came up with were a funny patter song about a failed suicide, taken at an extremely fast pace, which Dolenz pulls off magnificently: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Goin' Down"] The A-side, another track with a rhythm track by Nesmith, Tork, Douglas, and Hoh, was a song that had been written by John Stewart of the Kingston Trio, who you may remember from the episode on "San Francisco" as being a former songwriting partner of John Phillips. Stewart had written the song as part of a "suburbia trilogy", and was not happy with the finished product. He said later "I remember going to bed thinking 'All I did today was write 'Daydream Believer'." Stewart used to include the song in his solo sets, to no great approval, and had shopped the song around to bands like We Five and Spanky And Our Gang, who had both turned it down. He was unhappy with it himself, because of the chorus: [Excerpt: John Stewart, "Daydream Believer"] Stewart was ADHD, and the words "to a", coming as they did slightly out of the expected scansion for the line, irritated him so greatly that he thought the song could never be recorded by anyone, but when Chip Douglas asked if he had any songs, he suggested that one. As it turned out, there was a line of lyric that almost got the track rejected, but it wasn't the "to a". Stewart's original second verse went like this: [Excerpt: John Stewart, "Daydream Believer"] RCA records objected to the line "now you know how funky I can be" because funky, among other meanings, meant smelly, and they didn't like the idea of Davy Jones singing about being smelly. Chip Douglas phoned Stewart to tell him that they were insisting on changing the line, and suggesting "happy" instead. Stewart objected vehemently -- that change would reverse the entire meaning of the line, and it made no sense, and what about artistic integrity? But then, as he later said "He said 'Let me put it to you this way, John. If he can't sing 'happy' they won't do it'. And I said 'Happy's working real good for me now.' That's exactly what I said to him." He never regretted the decision -- Stewart would essentially live off the royalties from "Daydream Believer" for the rest of his life -- though he seemed always to be slightly ambivalent and gently mocking about the song in his own performances, often changing the lyrics slightly: [Excerpt: John Stewart, "Daydream Believer"] The Monkees had gone into the studio and cut the track, again with Tork on piano, Nesmith on guitar, Douglas on bass, and Hoh on drums. Other than changing "funky" to "happy", there were two major changes made in the studio. One seems to have been Douglas' idea -- they took the bass riff from the pre-chorus to the Beach Boys' "Help Me Rhonda": [Excerpt: The Beach Boys, "Help Me Rhonda"] and Douglas played that on the bass as the pre-chorus for "Daydream Believer", with Shorty Rogers later doubling it in the horn arrangement: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Daydream Believer"] And the other is the piano intro, which also becomes an instrumental bridge, which was apparently the invention of Tork, who played it: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Daydream Believer"] The track went to number one, becoming the group's third and final number one hit, and their fifth of six million-sellers. It was included on the next album, The Birds, The Bees, and the Monkees, but that piano part would be Tork's only contribution to the album. As the group members were all now writing songs and cutting their own tracks, and were also still rerecording the odd old unused song from the initial 1966 sessions, The Birds, The Bees, and the Monkees was pulled together from a truly astonishing amount of material. The expanded triple-CD version of the album, now sadly out of print, has multiple versions of forty-four different songs, ranging from simple acoustic demos to completed tracks, of which twelve were included on the final album. Tork did record several tracks during the sessions, but he spent much of the time recording and rerecording a single song, "Lady's Baby", which eventually stretched to five different recorded versions over multiple sessions in a five-month period. He racked up huge studio bills on the track, bringing in Steve Stills and Dewey Martin of the Buffalo Springfield, and Buddy Miles, to try to help him capture the sound in his head, but the various takes are almost indistinguishable from one another, and so it's difficult to see what the problem was: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Lady's Baby"] Either way, the track wasn't finished by the time the album came out, and the album that came out was a curiously disjointed and unsatisfying effort, a mixture of recycled old Boyce and Hart songs, some songs by Jones, who at this point was convinced that "Broadway-rock" was going to be the next big thing and writing songs that sounded like mediocre showtunes, and a handful of experimental songs written by Nesmith. You could pull together a truly great ten- or twelve-track album from the masses of material they'd recorded, but the one that came out was mediocre at best, and became the first Monkees album not to make number one -- though it still made number three and sold in huge numbers. It also had the group's last million-selling single on it, "Valleri", an old Boyce and Hart reject from 1966 that had been remade with Boyce and Hart producing and their old session players, though the production credit was still now given to the Monkees: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Valleri"] Nesmith said at the time he considered it the worst song ever written. The second season of the TV show was well underway, and despite -- or possibly because of -- the group being clearly stoned for much of the filming, it contains a lot of the episodes that fans of the group think of most fondly, including several episodes that break out of the formula the show had previously established in interesting ways. Tork and Dolenz were both also given the opportunity to direct episodes, and Dolenz also co-wrote his episode, which ended up being the last of the series. In another sign of how the group were being given more creative control over the show, the last three episodes of the series had guest appearances by favourite musicians of the group members who they wanted to give a little exposure to, and those guest appearances sum up the character of the band members remarkably well. Tork, for whatever reason, didn't take up this option, but the other three did. Jones brought on his friend Charlie Smalls, who would later go on to write the music for the Broadway musical The Wiz, to demonstrate to Jones the difference between Smalls' Black soul and Jones' white soul: [Excerpt: Davy Jones and Charlie Smalls] Nesmith, on the other hand, brought on Frank Zappa. Zappa put on Nesmith's Monkee shirt and wool hat and pretended to be Nesmith, and interviewed Nesmith with a false nose and moustache pretending to be Zappa, as they both mercilessly mocked the previous week's segment with Jones and Smalls: [Excerpt: Michael Nesmith and Frank Zappa] Nesmith then "conducted" Zappa as Zappa used a sledgehammer to "play" a car, parodying his own appearance on the Steve Allen Show playing a bicycle, to the presumed bemusement of the Monkees' fanbase who would not be likely to remember a one-off performance on a late-night TV show from five years earlier. And the final thing ever to be shown on an episode of the Monkees didn't feature any of the Monkees at all. Micky Dolenz, who directed and co-wrote that episode, about an evil wizard who was using the power of a space plant (named after the group's slang for dope) to hypnotise people through the TV, chose not to interact with his guest as the others had, but simply had Tim Buckley perform a solo acoustic version of his then-unreleased song "Song to the Siren": [Excerpt: Tim Buckley, "Song to the Siren"] By the end of the second season, everyone knew they didn't want to make another season of the TV show. Instead, they were going to do what Rafelson and Schneider had always wanted, and move into film. The planning stages for the film, which was initially titled Changes but later titled Head -- so that Rafelson and Schneider could bill their next film as "From the guys who gave you Head" -- had started the previous summer, before the sessions that produced The Birds, The Bees, and the Monkees. To write the film, the group went off with Rafelson and Schneider for a short holiday, and took with them their mutual friend Jack Nicholson. Nicholson was at this time not the major film star he later became. Rather he was a bit-part actor who was mostly associated with American International Pictures, the ultra-low-budget film company that has come up on several occasions in this podcast. Nicholson had appeared mostly in small roles, in films like The Little Shop of Horrors: [Excerpt: The Little Shop of Horrors] He'd appeared in multiple films made by Roger Corman, often appearing with Boris Karloff, and by Monte Hellman, but despite having been a working actor for a decade, his acting career was going nowhere, and by this point he had basically given up on the idea of being an actor, and had decided to start working behind the camera. He'd written the scripts for a few of the low-budget films he'd appeared in, and he'd recently scripted The Trip, the film we mentioned earlier: [Excerpt: The Trip trailer] So the group, Rafelson, Schneider, and Nicholson all went away for a weekend, and they all got extremely stoned, took acid, and talked into a tape recorder for hours on end. Nicholson then transcribed those recordings, cleaned them up, and structured the worthwhile ideas into something quite remarkable: [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Ditty Diego"] If the Monkees TV show had been inspired by the Marx Brothers and Three Stooges, and by Richard Lester's directorial style, the only precursor I can find for Head is in the TV work of Lester's colleague Spike Milligan, but I don't think there's any reasonable way in which Nicholson or anyone else involved could have taken inspiration from Milligan's series Q. But what they ended up with is something that resembles, more than anything else, Monty Python's Flying Circus, a TV series that wouldn't start until a year after Head came out. It's a series of ostensibly unconnected sketches, linked by a kind of dream logic, with characters wandering from one loose narrative into a totally different one, actors coming out of character on a regular basis, and no attempt at a coherent narrative. It contains regular examples of channel-zapping, with excerpts from old films being spliced in, and bits of news footage juxtaposed with comedy sketches and musical performances in ways that are sometimes thought-provoking, sometimes distasteful, and occasionally both -- as when a famous piece of footage of a Vietnamese prisoner of war being shot in the head hard-cuts to screaming girls in the audience at a Monkees concert, a performance which ends with the girls tearing apart the group and revealing that they're really just cheap-looking plastic mannequins. The film starts, and ends, with the Monkees themselves attempting suicide, jumping off a bridge into the ocean -- but the end reveals that in fact the ocean they're in is just water in a glass box, and they're trapped in it. And knowing this means that when you watch the film a second time, you find that it does have a story. The Monkees are trapped in a box which in some ways represents life, the universe, and one's own mind, and in other ways represents the TV and their TV careers. Each of them is trying in his own way to escape, and each ends up trapped by his own limitations, condemned to start the cycle over and over again. The film features parodies of popular film genres like the boxing film (Davy is supposed to throw a fight with Sonny Liston at the instruction of gangsters), the Western, and the war film, but huge chunks of the film take place on a film studio backlot, and characters from one segment reappear in another, often commenting negatively on the film or the band, as when Frank Zappa as a critic calls Davy Jones' soft-shoe routine to a Harry Nilsson song "very white", or when a canteen worker in the studio calls the group "God's gift to the eight-year-olds". The film is constantly deconstructing and commenting on itself and the filmmaking process -- Tork hits that canteen worker, whose wig falls off revealing the actor playing her to be a man, and then it's revealed that the "behind the scenes" footage is itself scripted, as director Bob Rafelson and scriptwriter Jack Nicholson come into frame and reassure Tork, who's concerned that hitting a woman would be bad for his image. They tell him they can always cut it from the finished film if it doesn't work. While "Ditty Diego", the almost rap rewriting of the Monkees theme we heard earlier, sets out a lot of how the film asks to be interpreted and how it works narratively, the *spiritual* and thematic core of the film is in another song, Tork's "Long Title (Do I Have to Do This All Over Again?)", which in later solo performances Tork would give the subtitle "The Karma Blues": [Excerpt: The Monkees, "Long Title (Do I Have To Do This All Over Again?)"] Head is an extraordinary film, and one it's impossible to sum up in anything less than an hour-long episode of its own. It's certainly not a film that's to everyone's taste, and not every aspect of it works -- it is a film that is absolutely of its time, in ways that are both good and bad. But it's one of the most inventive things ever put out by a major film studio, and it's one that rightly secured the Monkees a certain amount of cult credibility over the decades. The soundtrack album is a return to form after the disappointing Birds, Bees, too. Nicholson put the album together, linking the eight songs in the film with collages of dialogue and incidental music, repurposing and recontextualising the dialogue to create a new experience, one that people have compared with Frank Zappa's contemporaneous We're Only In It For The Money, though while t
In a follow up to winter camp, we take a look at the four different soils of a man's heart to examine where the seed of God's word fell from this past weekend. Did it already fall by wayside and get plucked away or have you done something with what you've heard?
Whether you're wondering where to begin (or begin again) in your weight loss journey… Or you're in the middle of it and feeling like motivation is beginning to fade… I pray this testimony will bless you. We cover everything from the lies the enemy might be telling you about your health and the truth God speaks instead, to what to do when the struggle of health being a lifelong and sometimes hard journey slows you down. Monica has been a spiritual voice in my ear, being used by the Lord to encourage me and challenge me for over a year now! I met Monica through a coaching program we were both participating in and I cannot express how blessed I have been to have her speak into my life and I cannot wait for you to hear the testimony of health she has to share! For those who listen regularly, I know this episode is way longer than usual BUT there was too much goodness discussed to take anything out so I decided to share it all! Get ready to hear some powerful things… May this bless you as you continue living healthy and empowered for the glory of God by the power of the Holy Spirit! In Joy, Lauren P.S. Get on the waitlist for my brand new Empowered Health Framework, go at your own pace online course! healthyandempoweredliving.com/waitlist More about Monica Speight: Website: https://www.monicaspeight.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MonicaBSp8 Email: monica@sp8strategies.com Ways to Connect with Me: Have you grabbed your FREE guide yet? It's called 5 Ways Christian Moms Can Live Healthy and it's filled with practical ways you can start (or restart) your healthy lifestyle on a solid foundation. Download it here for free: lauren-joyce.com/resources I love to hear all the feedback from listeners, email me at lauren@lauren-joyce.com Want to know more about me and what I do? Visit my website at healthyandempoweredliving.com Need to connect with others on the journey and support and encouragement where you're at? Join our FREE Joyful Health for Christian Moms FB Community: bit.ly/joyfulhealthforchristianmoms It would make my day to hear from you! Will you be so kind as to leave a quick review here.
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