Blame or thank, as you see fit, the recent VH1 Behind the Music episode and original TV movie about the Monkees on the band's just announced "Monkee Mania Returns 2001" reunion tour. The Monkees, less Michael Nesmith, will embark on a fifteen-city tour in March, and may expand the tour to include an extended stint on Broadway. The producer behind the Monkees' 1986 and 1987 reunion tours, David Fishof, explained the 2001 tour saying, "I went back with it because I really feel there's a market for them. The time's right."

Davy Jones, Mickey Dolenz and Peter Tork and Michael Nesmith came together as the Monkees for the television sitcom that launched in 1965 and ran for three years. By 1970, though, the pre-fab foursome had splintered. They reunited to record Justus in 1996, and Rhino Records recently released a new three-CD set, Headquarters Sessions, which features unreleased demos, backing tracks, studio chatter, song fragments and early versions of tracks from the sessions for Headquarters, the 1967 album on which they played and wrote much of the material. A month before the 2001 tour, Rhino will put out an updated version of the Monkees four-CD box set, Listen To The Band. The new set, The Monkees Music Box, will include some unreleased alternate versions of previously released Monkees songs.

One of the shows from the 2001 tour will be taped for a TV special and a home video release. As yet, there is no itinerary for the "Monkee Mania," but if you want to know where to catch individual members on the road, go to www.monkees.net.

CHRISTINA SARACENO
(November 30, 2000)