"Take a Giant Step"

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When I went looking into that drum rhythm in "Take a Giant Step," I sort of accidentally learned the bass part too.  My recording has just the first two verses, but the rest of the part is essentially the same (there might be some variation near the end).  This also gave me an opportunity to finally record the glockenspiel part I learnt back in September, but the fake glockenspiel setting on my keyboard sounds a bit too clunky for my liking.

"Your Auntie Grizelda"

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Yester-day I listened to More of the Monkees because it was the fiftieth anniversary of its release.  I noticed something about "Your Auntie Grizelda."  After the lines in the verses, there's a drum part with this rhythm:

This sounded familiar to me because the same drum rhythm is in "Take a Giant Step."  It's during the instrumental section, with the first occurrence at about 1:39.

I referenced Sandoval's day-by-day book The Monkees and found that while the personnel on "Your Auntie Grizelda" are unknown, it was recorded in New York.  Since "Take a Giant Step" was recorded in Los Angeles, so I think it's safe to say that the songs feature two different groups of musicians (coincidentally, "Your Auntie Grizelda" was recorded the same day that the "Last Train to Clarksville" b/w "Take a Giant Step" single was issued in the U.K. - 14 October 1966).  The songs were written by different people too:  "Take a Giant Step" is by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, and "Your Auntie Grizelda" is by Jack Keller and Diane Hilderbrand.

So it seems that it's just coincidence that both songs have the same drum rhythm.

"The Chaperone"

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According to Andrew Sandoval's The Monkees: The Day-by-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation, "The Chaperone" - the ninth episode of The Monkees series - was broadcast fifty years ago to-day (7 November 1966).  It was written by Gerald Gardner and Dee Caruso, directed by Bruce Kessler, and featured the songs "This Just Doesn't Seem to Be My Day" and "Take a Giant Step."  Sandoval describes the plot as: "When Davy sets his sights on dating the daughter of an uptight military man, Micky is recruited as a chaperone - albeit with a twist." 

"Take a Giant Step"

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When I watched "Royal Flush" yester-day, I noticed what I think is a glockenspiel part in "Take a Giant Step" and figured it would be easy to learn.  It's only five notes (and only three pitches), so I'm not going to bother recording it, but I realized later that the same musical phrase (A B C# B A) is played by the bass during the "Come with me; leave yesterday behind…" sections and by both bass and guitar during the instrumental section, starting at about 1:28.  It's repeated with the A note linking the phrases though, so it's more like |: A B C# B :|.

"Royal Flush"

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According to Andrew Sandoval's The Monkees: The Day-by-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation, "Royal Flush" - the first episode of The Monkees series - was broadcast fifty years ago to-day (12 September 1966).  It was written by Peter Meyerson and Robert Schlitt, directed by James Frawley, and featured the songs "Take a Giant Step," "This Just Doesn't Seem to Be My Day," and "Last Train to Clarksville."  Sandoval describes the plot as: "The Monkees foil a fiendish plot to assassinate Princess Bettina, the Duchess of Harmonica." 

"Last Train to Clarksville" b/w "Take a Giant Step"

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According to Andrew Sandoval's The Monkees: The Day-by-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation, "Last Train to Clarksville" b/w "Take a Giant Step" - the Monkees' first single (Colgems 1001) - was released in the U.S. fifty years ago to-day (16 August 1966).  The U.K. release (RCA 1547) followed on 14 October.