He was a great musician, but he didn't devote as much time to his music after the First National Band fell apart. Mike soon after purchased his video production company and I understand that took up most of his time. He wore a lot of hats!
@RuudenPetra: I so agree with you! Although many, many songs that came out during those heady times were stellar, there were some brilliant gems like this one which stand far out.
I could listen to this man alone with a guitar all day! Between this and the demos from TBTB&TM. I wish there was a dedicated release just for his demos.
Amazing WHO else could write a beautiful ballad - a love song-- about a cow?~ YES! I heard him explain that this song is about a cow he loved in Texas!
@markolson2466: I very often wonder what other singer/songwriters then thought of each other's work, and of another singer's version of one of their songs. Some have spoken out but I'd like to know more.
It was Davy Jones who caused this pre-teen kid to fall in love with the Monkees, but it was Mike Nesmith and his beautiful music who kept me as a lifelong fan.
Nesmith was truly an unrecognized genius!! He is the father of country rock with groups like The Byrds (post David Crosby), The Eagles, Poco, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, New Riders of the Purple Sage, etc. following his lead a couple years later. Listen to his early Monkees compositions, like Papa Gene's Blues (which he produced as early as 1966) songs like that laid the ground work way back then. RIP
I've always loved this song but even more so here without the Slim Whitman style throughout. It's perfect during the last verse. Such a good songwriter and vocalist.
Mike may not have liked being a Monkee, but the money he made from them gave him the freedom to make the kind of music he wanted. Plus he inherited from his mother, who invented Liquid Paper.
Michael Nesmith was a wonderful performer and a damned good songwriter. Though he did not write this, he made it his own. So nice to hear a human being singing a song, rather than some digital age TV contest wannabe. Without these memories, those who lived during these wonderful musical times, would surely curl up into a fetal position and fade away. However...
I stand corrected, he did write it. That makes me even more fond of the song. The song I was referring to was "Some of Shelley's Blues." @@kathleencreamer6648
@xtc1957: if you wanna hear some really fine analyses of all kinds of music, look for this young British guy named Fil who has a group called Wings of Pegasus. His analyses are spot on and he reviews every singer you can imagine.
It was actually planned and abandoned twice. Birds and Bees was considered for a double album with each member getting a side. Then The Monkees Present was considered as a double album with the 3 members each getting a side and then a "group" side.
stripped down to its pure essence. best version ever.
Mike Nesmith is such a godly songwriter. He deserves so much more recognition
He was a great musician, but he didn't devote as much time to his music after the First National Band fell apart. Mike soon after purchased his video production company and I understand that took up most of his time. He wore a lot of hats!
Glad you didn’t use the underrated word.
Papa Nez will always be one of my Musical heroes!
One of the most beautiful songs I ever heard !
@RuudenPetra: I so agree with you! Although many, many songs that came out during those heady times were stellar, there were some brilliant gems like this one which stand far out.
@@elizabethlinsay9193 absolutely!
I was 8 when this hit the airwaves in Adelaide .. One of my all time favorites
Cool! One of my favorites (I used to play it at gigs). I’ve never heard it without him singing falsetto throughout.
I could listen to this man alone with a guitar all day! Between this and the demos from TBTB&TM. I wish there was a dedicated release just for his demos.
Amazing WHO else could write a beautiful ballad - a love song-- about a cow?~ YES! I heard him explain that this song is about a cow he loved in Texas!
Your right it's a song about a cow 🐄 so many people think it about a person.
I know! BEAUTIFUL! What sentiment! I treasure the letter Nez wrote to me in 1986 :) My mother and I were screaming!!! @@johnclark4632 Kimberly
Reminds me of "Mona" by James Taylor. 🙂
If you can find it,there is an interview, he did. In the interview he said it was about his mother.
Nez is deliberately full of crap in a lot of interviews. He enjoys being difficult
Such a perfect song in both lyrical and melodic terms, how can you not love a song that manages to get the word prism into the lyrics..
That line is brilliant, from the first time I heard it.
Prism - yes! Lyrics that are poetic and intelligent.
@terrymann1341: you're absolutely right and the line itself is beautiful!
I played this for a coworker named "Joanne" and when it was over she just looked at me for a long time without saying anything
@AccurateCrabLegs: she probably wondered if you were in love with her.
Wherever Michael’s mind was when writing this exceptionally beautiful music, it is a purely sweet song.
@markolson2466: I very often wonder what other singer/songwriters then thought of each other's work, and of another singer's version of one of their songs. Some have spoken out but I'd like to know more.
That Song will last forever .
It was Davy Jones who caused this pre-teen kid to fall in love with the Monkees, but it was Mike Nesmith and his beautiful music who kept me as a lifelong fan.
Same!!
@@DrCaseyScraper僕も同じです。マイクが青春でした。
Exactly Davy gets you in, Mike makes you stay.
Years go by, Micky gets you back in and Peter makes you stay.❤😊
My mom's name is Joanne.😂
Jones was a song & dance guy, Nesmith was a REAL musician and a humble entertainer. Could he help it if he wanted to do it right and from the heart?
Mike couldn’t help that any more than his fans could help it when Mike’s songs leapt straight into their hearts.
The coarse sound of the demo. Never heard this version before. Classic!
It's a most hopeless situation, Mike; you gotta yodel for Joanne!
Nesmith was truly an unrecognized genius!! He is the father of country rock with groups like The Byrds (post David Crosby), The Eagles, Poco, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, New Riders of the Purple Sage, etc. following his lead a couple years later. Listen to his early Monkees compositions, like Papa Gene's Blues (which he produced as early as 1966) songs like that laid the ground work way back then. RIP
Well spoken! Totally agree with this. ❤
Criminally underrated song by a wonderful artist. Glad to hear this in this unadorned setting.
Wrong not under rated...
Just as good if not better than studio version !!!
My favourite love song we all have had a Joanne in our lives ❤ as a man
If Kermit had a girlfriend I'm sure she'd live by a meadow in a pond.
Lovely! Didn't know this existed and I'm grateful you brought it to us (via Andrew).
Love the song
Quite lovely. Thank you x
Good sound here of Michael..of course all of his talented work is good to me!!! Loved that he was recording & performing in my lifetime💓
The yodels in the finished version give it added character.
I love that they had a hit with the Neil Diamond song "I'm a Believer".
thank you for posting this.. one of my favorite of his demos ❤️ thank you for all the groovy work you do!!!
Beautiful ❤
Nice job, Mike!
a wonderful version ... thank you for posting
This is great!
Very nice, thank you..
I've always loved this song but even more so here without the Slim Whitman style throughout. It's perfect during the last verse. Such a good songwriter and vocalist.
Awesome!!!
Thanks!!!
Where did you get this?
@@tonymichael4531 a place
@@derianimp well thanks for sharing! Any more goodies down the pipeline?
@@tonymichael4531 I don’t have much planned outside another Tiny Tim song and some Bonzo Dog Band
This is wonderful.
Her name was Rodan and she lived in the waters of Japan...
A little more country than the Texas country that he did later.
Hi! What release was this demo on?
Thanks!
only bootlegs I think
@@derianimp oh wow if you could point me in the direction of one/where to look, please do!
@@restingnezface I don’t remember where I found it ngl
Mike may not have liked being a Monkee, but the money he made from them gave him the freedom to make the kind of music he wanted. Plus he inherited from his mother, who invented Liquid Paper.
Michael Nesmith was a wonderful performer and a damned good songwriter. Though he did not write this, he made it his own. So nice to hear a human being singing a song, rather than some digital age TV contest wannabe. Without these memories, those who lived during these wonderful musical times, would surely curl up into a fetal position and fade away. However...
Actually, he DID write this song.
I stand corrected, he did write it. That makes me even more fond of the song. The song I was referring to was "Some of Shelley's Blues." @@kathleencreamer6648
@@xtc1957 He wrote that too.
Bullshit! Mike wrote this song!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@xtc1957: if you wanna hear some really fine analyses of all kinds of music, look for this young British guy named Fil who has a group called Wings of Pegasus. His analyses are spot on and he reviews every singer you can imagine.
He could have been a Byrd instead of a Monkee. Or, CSNN........ Hollywood spits talented people out
Do you know about the double album project that the boys planned in 1968? Every member had its own album side.
Yeah. That’s pretty much all there was to it.
It was actually planned and abandoned twice. Birds and Bees was considered for a double album with each member getting a side. Then The Monkees Present was considered as a double album with the 3 members each getting a side and then a "group" side.