"Last Train to Clarksville"

I watched "Monkees at the Movies" this morning and noticed a feature in "Last Train to Clarksville" that I've already noted in a couple other songs:  the phrase "all alone" in the line "I can't hear you in this noisy railroad station all alone" alliterates, and because the two words begin with the same sound, there's a sense of that singularity.

"Last Train to Clarksville"

A couple days ago, I figured out a few more parts for "Last Train to Clarksville" (the wordless vocal melody and chords in the bridge) and noticed something: the line "I'm feelin' low" descends (A G F E), musically reflecting that "low."

"Monkees on Tour"

According to Andrew Sandoval's The Monkees: The Day-by-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation, "Monkees on Tour" - the thirty-second episode of The Monkees series - was broadcast fifty years ago to-day (24 April 1967).  It was written and directed by Robert Rafelson and featured the songs "The Girl I Knew Somewhere," "Last Train to Clarksville," "Sweet Young Thing," "Mary, Mary," "Cripple Creek," "You Can't Judge a Book by the Cover," "I Wanna Be Free," "I've Got a Woman," "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," and "I'm a Believer."  Sandoval describes the plot as: "A mini-documentary showing a day in the life of The Monkees during their first concert tour."

"Monkees at the Movies"

According to Andrew Sandoval's The Monkees: The Day-by-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation, "Monkees at the Movies" - the thirty-first episode of The Monkees series - was broadcast fifty years ago to-day (17 April 1967).  It was written by Gerald Gardner and Dee Caruso, directed by Russell Mayberry, and featured the songs "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You," "Valleri," and "Last Train to Clarksville."  Sandoval describes the plot as: "The group is cast as extras in a teen-exploitation beach part flick… until Davy is cast into the spotlight."

"Your Friendly Neighborhood Kidnappers"

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According to Andrew Sandoval's The Monkees: The Day-by-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation, "Your Friendly Neighborhood Kidnappers" - the fourth episode of The Monkees series - was broadcast fifty years ago to-day (3 October 1966).  It was written by Dave Evans, directed by James Frawley, and featured the songs "Let's Dance On," "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," and "Last Train to Clarksville."  Sandoval describes the plot as: "When The Monkees become finalists in a band contest, they are subject to some competitive sabotage." 

"Monkee Vs. Machine"

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According to Andrew Sandoval's The Monkees: The Day-by-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation, "Monkee Vs. Machine" - the third episode of The Monkees series - was broadcast fifty years ago to-day (26 September 1966).  It was written by David Panich, directed by Robert Rafelson, and featured the songs "Last Train to Clarksville" and "Saturday's Child."  Sandoval describes the plot as: "Stan Freberg stars as a headstrong company man, Daggart, who plans to automate an old-fashioned toy company." 

"Monkee See, Monkee Die"

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According to Andrew Sandoval's The Monkees: The Day-by-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation, "Monkee See, Monkee Die" - the second episode of The Monkees series - was broadcast fifty years ago to-day (19 September 1966).  It was written by Treva Silverman, directed by James Frawley, and featured the songs "Tomorrow's Gonna Be Another Day" and "Last Train to Clarksville."  Sandoval describes the plot as: "When an eccentric millionaire leaves The Monkees an unexpected legacy, the group must spend the night in the deceased's haunted mansion." 

"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.

"Last Train to Clarksville"

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Inaugural recording!  For these initial ones that set a benchmark of how much I knew when I started the project, I'm going to go chronologically, although it's appropriate that the first (and only) song I know parts of from the first album was also the first single, "Last Train to Clarksville."

I learned the guitar riff for this maybe six or seven years ago (I'll admit I lookt it up on the internet because I couldn't figure it out myself) although it wasn't until a few years after learning how to play it that I actually could play it because (the way I do it at least) it's played with a pick and extra fingers and I learned that skill only about three years ago.  The bass part either follows that guitar riff or is roots and fifths.  The tambourine part… that's an-other story.  I hadn't really noticed until recording this that there even is a tambourine part, and I figured, "I have a tambourine; I should be able to play that."  It was the hardest part, and not just because I'm an inexperienced tambourine player.  Sometimes it plays on the downbeat; sometimes it's the second beat.  It's difficult to keep straight.

I attempted the vocals too (I double-tracked them because I can't not double-track vocals, but I don't think they're double-tracked on the original record).  I recorded only about the first minute, so I knew I didn't have to do the "da da da da da…" part in the middle (which I don't think my voice would suit).  I didn't do the backing vocals (notably the "Train" line) for the simple reason that I can't sing that high.  I hadn't realized this until singing it either (actually, I figured it out later, but I became curious while singing it), but the "home" in "And I don't know if I'm ever comin' home" is sung to a G note.  The song is in G major, so that G note is the tonic or "home" note.  The "home" in the lyrics corresponds to the "home" in the music.  The guitar and bass both play G notes there too; it's the note the riff begins on.  I also hadn't realized that "again" is pronounced the British way so that it rhymes with "train" (which I neglected to do).