The Monkees Greatest Hits

The Monkees: Michael Nesmith (vocals, electric & 12-string guitars); Mickey Dolenz (vocals, drums, tympani, wood block); Davy Jones (vocals, tambourine, chimes, tree); Peter Tork (guitar, electric guitar, piano, harpsichord, organ, background vocals).

Additional personnel includes: Gerry McGee, Louie Shelton (acoustic & electric guitars); Bill Chadwick (acoustic guitar); John London (acoustic 12-string guitar, bass); Keith Allison, Wayne Moss (electric guitar); Tommy Boyce (guitar, background vocals); Wayne Erwin, James Burton, Glen Campbell, Al Casey, Michael Deasy, Don Peake, Al Gorgoni, Hugh McCracken, Don Thomas, Al Hendrickson, Ken Bloom, Danny Kortchmar, Harold Bradley, Billy Sanford, Laurence Juber, Mark Christian; Henry Diltz, Robert Thompson (banjo); Lloyd Green (steel guitar); Buddy Spicher (fiddle); Bonnie Douglas, Paul Shure, Nathan Kaproff, George Kast, Alexander Murray, Erno Neufeld, Sam Freed, Marvin Limonick (violin); Myra Kestenbaum (viola); Fred Saykora, Marie Fera, Jacqueline Lustgarten, Kurt Reher, Aller Slatkin, Gregory Bemko, David Filerman, Jan Kenny (cello); Buddy Collette, Bill Hood, Plas Johnson, Jim Horn, Jay Migliori, Martin Berman (saxophone); John Lowe (bass saxophone); Bobby Helfer (trumpet, bass clarinet); Bud Brisbois (trumpet, horn); Pete Candoli, Al Porcino, Manuel Stevens, Virgil Evans, Uan Rasey, Thomas Scott, Roy V. Caton, Oliver Mitchell, Carroll Lewis, Stuart Williamson, Buddy Childers, Jack Sheldon (trumpet); Vincent De Rosa, Dave Duke, Richard Perissi (French Horn); Richard Nash (trombone, horn); Richard Noel, Louis Blackburn, Lewis McCreary, Herbert Harper (trombone); Richard Leith, Philip Teele (bass trombone); William Hinshaw, Jules Jacob, Marion Childers, John Kitzmiller, Don McGinnis, Michael Saluzzi, Ray Triscari (horns); Michael Cohen, Stan Free, David Briggs, Jim Cox (piano); Michael Melvin (piano, celeste); Michael Rubini (harpsichord, tack piano, organ); Bobby Hart, Arthur Butler (organ); Leon Russell, Ralph Shuckett, Mike Egizi (keyboards); Clyde "Whitey" Hoggan, James Hughart, Jerry Scheff (acoustic bass); Max Bennett (acoustic & electric basses); Larry Taylor, Larry Knechtel, Bob West, Louis Mauro, James Tyrell, Chip Douglas, Douglas Lubahn, Norbert Putnam, Dennis Belfield, Dean Parks, George Hawkins, Joe Osborne (bass); Billy Lewis, Hal Blaine, Jim Gordon, Herb Lovelle, "Fast" Eddie Hoh, Earl Palmer, Mike Ney, Jerry Carrigan, Paul Leim, Curly Smith (drums); Thomas Cerone (tambourine); Larry Bunker (glockenspiel); Gene Estes, David Walters, Henry Lewy, Gary Coleman, Gene Pello, Bill Martin, Brendan Cahill, Milt Holland, Jerry Williams (percussion); Michael Lloyd (synthesizer, background vocals); Matt Harris (background vocals); John R. Hoenig.

Producers include: Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart, Jack Keller, Jeff Barry, Michael Nesmith.

Compilation producers: Andrew Sandoval, Bill Inglot.

Includes liner notes by Ken Barnes.

This Deluxe Limited Edition (20,000 pressings) of GREATEST HITS comes in a four-color tin package with a raised photo image as well as computer screensavers of the Monkees' 18 album covers and logo.

The Monkees: Davey Jones, Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz.

Personnel: Michael Nesmith (vocals, electric guitar, 12-string guitar); Micky Dolenz (vocals, drums, timpani, wood block, background vocals); Davy Jones (vocals, tambourine, chimes, background vocals); Gerry McGee, Louie Shelton (guitar, acoustic guitar); Al Gorgoni, Danny Kortchmar, Donald Peake, Glen Campbell, Mike Deasy Sr. , Harold Bradley, Hugh McCracken, Al Casey , James Burton, Don Thomas, Wayne Erwin, Ken Bloom, Al Hendrickson, Billy Sanford (guitar); Tommy Boyce (acoustic guitar, background vocals); Bill Chadwick (acoustic guitar); Peter Tork (electric guitar, piano, harpsichord, organ, background vocals); Keith Allison, Laurence Juber , Wayne Moss (electric guitar); John London (12-string guitar); Lloyd Green (steel guitar); Henry Diltz (banjo); Nathan Kaproff, George Kast, Marvin Limonick, Erno Neufeld, Alex Murray, Bonnie Douglas, Paul Shure (violin); Buddy Spicher (fiddle); Myra Kestenbaum (viola); Jan Kelly, Gregory Bemko, Jacqueline Lustgarten, David Filerman, Kurt Reher (cello); Bobby Helfer (bass clarinet, trumpet); Jay Migliori, Jim Horn, Plas Johnson , Bill Hood, Buddy Collette (saxophone); John Lowe (baritone saxophone, bass saxophone); Bud Brisbois (trumpet, horns); Uan Rasey, Manuel Stevens, Carroll Lewis, Jack Sheldon, Al Porcino, Thomas Scott, Pete Candoli, Stu Williamson , Virgil Evans, Buddy Childers (trumpet); David Duke , Richard Perissi, Vincent DeRosa (French horn); Richard Taylor "Dick" Nash (trombone, horns); Richard L. Noel (trombone); Richard Leith, Phillip Teele (bass trombone); Jules Jacob, William Hinshaw, John Kitzmiller, Don McGinnis, Marion Childers, Ray Triscari (horns); Michael Melvoin, Mike Melvoin (piano, celesta); David Briggs , Jim Cox, Michael Cohen, Stan Free (piano); Arthur Butler, Artie Butler, Bobby Hart (organ); Michael Egizi, Ralph Shuckett, Leon Russell (keyboards); Larry Bunker (glockenspiel); Doug Lubahn (electric bass); Hal Blaine, Fast Eddie Hoh, Jim Gordon , Paul Leim, Curly Smith, Jerry Carrigan, Herb Lovelle (drums); Bill Martin , Gene Pello, Gene Estes, Henry Lewy, David Walters, Brendan Cahill, Milt Holland, Gary Coleman (percussion); Matt Harris (background vocals).

Audio Remasterers: Daniel Hersch; Bill Inglot.

Liner Note Author: Ken Barnes.

Recording information: California Recorders, Hollywood, CA (07/05/1966-07/??/1987); Cherokee REcording Studios, Hollywood, CA (07/05/1966-07/??/1987); Heaven Studios, Beverly Hills, CA (07/05/1966-07/??/1987); New York, NY (07/05/1966-07/??/1987); RCA Victor Studio B, New York, NY (07/05/1966-07/??/1987); RCA Victor Studios, Nashville, TN (07/05/1966-07/??/1987); United Recorders, Hollywood, CA (07/05/1966-07/??/1987); Western Recorders, Hollywood, CA (07/05/1966-07/??/1987).

Unknown Contributor Role: John R. Hoenig.

Arrangers: Donald Peake; Jack Nitzsche; Jeff Barry ; Shorty Rogers; Tommy Boyce; Bobby Hart.

This deluxe, repackaged, remastered, and expanded edition of The Monkees' GREATEST HITS is a superlative Monkees anthology. It focuses on singles mixes of classics like "Words," "Pleasant Valley Sunday," and "I'm Not Your Stepping Stone," many of which appear here on CD for the first time.

This collection also features interesting album tracks like Micky Dolenz's "Randy Scouse Git," and the gorgeous, ultra-psychedelic "Porpoise Song," the theme to the band's underrated commercial-suicide film HEAD. This version of the disc ends with the two best tracks from the band's mid-'80s reunion, "That Was Then, This Is Now," and "Heart and Soul." As good a single-disc introduction as you're likely to find.