# Instant Replay (The Monkees album)

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Swaptree | (favorable) |
Instant Replay is the seventh studio album by the American pop rock band the Monkees, released in 1969 by Colgems Records. Issued 11 months after the cancellation of the group's NBC television series, it is also the first album released after Peter Tork left the group and the only album of the original nine studio albums that does not include any songs featured in the TV show.

## History

Although the Monkees had recorded dozens of tracks since the release of their last studio album, spring 1968's The Birds, The Bees & the Monkees (a soundtrack LP from their film Head had been released between the two studio LPs), several of the songs on Instant Replay actually dated from sessions up to two and a half years earlier.
The band's new music coordinator (and former road manager), Brendan Cahill, believed that releasing previously unused tracks recorded in 1966—prior to the group's seizing control of their own recording process—was the way for the group to regain commercial success. The album's lead single, "Tear Drop City", written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, was one of the songs taken from the vault and was identified by Michael Nesmith as their intended first single in 1966. The track was not a major hit, only managing to reach No. 56 on the U.S. charts, while reaching No. 34 in Australia. Despite the single's poor chart performance, the album charted on the Billboard Top 40 Albums chart at No. 32.

## Production

Two songs from these sessions, "A Man Without a Dream" and "Someday Man" (later issued as the B-side of the "Listen to the Band" single), were produced by Bones Howe and recorded at Wally Heider's Studio. Howe brought in Wrecking Crew musicians, including Tommy Tedesco (guitar), Joe Osborn (bass) and Hal Blaine (drums), and a nine-piece horn section. Despite having already quit the group, Peter Tork makes an appearance on this album by playing guitar and Danelectro bass on the 1966 outtake "I Won't Be the Same Without Her".
Micky Dolenz's "Just a Game" had originally been written during the sessions for the album Headquarters (1967), while Nesmith's "Don't Wait for Me" was the first released product of his 1968 sessions with Nashville studio musicians. Davy Jones' "You and I" featured guitar work from Neil Young.

## Reissue

In 2011, Rhino Handmade released an 89-track deluxe edition of Instant Replay. Disc 1 features stereo versions and various remixed versions. Disc 2 features mono released and unreleased versions. Disc 3 features alternate takes, backing tracks, and tapes from the television special 33⅓ Revolutions per Monkee. The 7-inch vinyl single has two songs sourced from acetate: alternate mixes of "I Go Ape" and "(I Prithee) Do Not Ask for Love".

## Personnel

Credits adapted from Rhino Handmade 2011 "Deluxe Edition" box set.
The Monkees
* Micky Dolenz – lead vocals (1, 4, 9, 12), acoustic guitar (4), backing vocals (12), piano (12)
* Davy Jones – lead vocals (2, 5, 7, 10–11), backing vocals (7, 11)
* Michael Nesmith – lead vocals (3, 6, 8), backing vocals (3), guitar (8)
Additional musicians
* Keith Allison – guitar (1)
* Wayne Erwin – guitar (1, 9)
* Gerry McGee – guitar (1–2, 5, 7, 9)
* Louie Shelton – guitar (1–2, 5, 9), additional guitar (7)
* Bobby Hart – tack piano (1), keyboards (5), backing vocals (9)
* Joe Osborn – bass guitar (1–2, 5, 7, 11)
* Billy Lewis – drums (1–2, 5, 9)
* Alan Estes – percussion (1), tambourine (9)
* Tommy Boyce – guitar (2), backing vocals (9)
* James Burton – guitar (3)
* Glen Campbell – guitar (3)
* Al Casey – guitar (3)
* Mike Deasy – guitar (3), acoustic guitar (track 11)
* Peter Tork – guitar (3), Danelectro bass (3)
* Larry Knechtel – piano (3, 11), organ (7)
* Bob West – bass guitar (3)
* Hal Blaine – drums (3, 7, 11), tambourine (11)
* Gary Coleman – percussion (3)
* Frank DeVito – percussion (3)
* Tommy Tedesco – acoustic guitar (4, 11), electric 12-string guitar (12)
* Michel Rubini – harpsichord (4), piano (12)
* Max Bennett – bass guitar (4, 12)
* Jim Gordon – drums (4, 12), percussion (12)
* Joe Porcaro – percussion (4, 12)
* Bud Brisbois – trumpet (4, 12)
* Buddy Childers – trumpet (4, 11–12)
* Oliver Mitchell – trumpet (4, 12)
* Ray Triscari – trumpet (4, 12)
* George Roberts – trombone (4, 12)
* Vincent DeRosa – French horn (4, 11–12)
* David Duke – French horn (4, 12)
* Dick Perissi – French horn (4, 11–12)
* Ronnie Lang – flute (4, 12)
* Ted Nash – flute (4, 12)
* Bud Shank – flute (4, 12)
* George Berres – violin (4, 12)
* Anatol Kaminsky – violin (4, 12)
* Bernard Kundell – violin (4, 12)
* Erno Neufeld – violin (4, 12)
* Nathan Ross – violin (4, 12)
* Joseph Stepansky – violin (4, 12)
* Justin DiTullio – cello (4, 12)
* Armand Kaproff – cello (4, 12)
* Edgar Lustgarten – cello (4, 12)
* Coco Dolenz – backing vocals (4, 12), lead harmony vocals (12)
* Harold Bradley – acoustic guitar (6)
* Lloyd Green – steel guitar (6)
* Sonny Osborne – banjo (6)
* David Briggs – piano (6)
* Bobby Dyson – bass guitar (6)
* Jerry Carrigan – drums (6)
* Neil Young – guitar (7)
* Bill Chadwick – additional guitar (7), backing vocals (8), unspecified (8)
* Rick Dey – bass guitar (8)
* Eddie Hoh – drums (8)
* Larry Taylor – bass guitar (9)
* Ron Hicklin – backing vocals (9)
* Al Gafa – guitar (10)
* Willard Suyker – guitar (10)
* Don Thomas – guitar (10)
* Neil Sedaka – keyboards (10)
* Russ Savakus – bass guitar (10)
* Herbie Lovelle – drums (10)
* Leo Kahn – violin (10)
* Julius Schachter – violin (10)
* Maurice Bialkin – cello (10)
* Jimmy Rowles – piano (11)
* Conte Candoli – trumpet (11)
* Bob Edmondson – trombone (11)
* Lew McCreary – trombone (11)
* Jim Decker – French horn (11)
* Bill Hinshaw – French horn (11)
* Don Addrisi – backing vocals (11)
* Victor Feldman – percussion (12)
* Emil Richards – percussion (12)
* Kenny Shroyer – trombone (12)
Unconfirmed personnel and duties
* Horns, strings (1–2)
* Additional backing vocals (3, 11)
* Calliope, tambourine, horns, backing vocals (5)
* Keith Allison – unknown (8)
* Bill Chadwick – unknown (8, 12)
* Harry Nilsson – unknown (8)
* Backing vocals (8, 10)
* Additional guitar (11)
Technical
* Tommy Boyce – producer (1–2, 5, 9), arranger (9)
* Bobby Hart – producer (1–2, 5, 9), arranger (9)
* Don McGinnis – arranger (1–2, 5)
* Michael Nesmith – producer (3, 6, 8), arranger (3, 6, 8)
* Micky Dolenz – producer (4, 12)
* Shorty Rogers – arranger (4, 7, 12)
* Felton Jarvis – producer (6)
* Davy Jones – producer (7)
* Carole Bayer Sager – producer (10)
* Neil Sedaka – producer (10), arranger (10)
* Bones Howe – producer (11), arranger (11)
* Bob Alcivar – arranger (11)
* Bill Holman – arranger (11)
* Brendan Cahill – music coordinator
* Alan Wolsky – cover design

## Charts
### Album

| Chart (1969) | Peak position |
| Canadian Albums (RPM) | 45 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) | 26 |
| US Billboard 200 | 32 |

### Single

| Year | Single | Chart | Peak position |
| 1969 | "Tear Drop City" | Billboard Hot 100 | 56 |
| 1969 | "Tear Drop City" | UK Charts | 47 |
| 1969 | "Someday Man" | Billboard Hot 100 | 81 |
| 1969 | "Someday Man" | UK Charts | 44 |