"Your Auntie Grizelda"

Recently, I read the entry for 14 October 1966 in the 2021 version of The Monkees: The Day-by-Day Story.  The backing track for "Your Auntie Grizelda" was recorded on this day, and Jack Keller, who co-wrote the song with Diane Hildebrand*, comments:  "The truth of the matter is that it was inspired by the Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger singing '19th Nervous Breakdown.'"  I hadn't know about the connection between these two songs, but in thinking about them and figuring out some parts for both, I discovered that they do have a number of musical similarities.

The first line of each verse of "Your Auntie Grizelda" is sung to a phrase something like this:

(The first half of each of the next three lines is the same, although one is a fourth higher.)

The title line of "19th Nervous Breakdown" ("Here comes your 19th nervous breakdown") is sung to a phrase something like this:

Both phrases begin in the same way:  with a pick-up on the fourth beat of the bar and two pairs of notes of the same pitch.  Generally, both phrases descend but end with a small ascent (a half-step in "Your Auntie Grizelda" but a whole step in "19th Nervous Breakdown").  Additionally, both phrases have a flatted seventh, although they occur in different places.

I figured out the chords for both songs, and although they're in different keys ("Your Auntie Grizelda" is in D major, and "19th Nervous Breakdown" is in [a slightly flat] E major), the verses have the same structure:  eight measures of the tonic, four measures of the sub-dominant, four measures of the tonic, two measures of the dominant, two measures of the sub-dominant, and then back to the tonic (which lasts for six measures in "Your Auntie Grizelda" but which merges into the chorus in "19th Nervous Breakdown").

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*In the book, it's spelt "Hildebrand," but in the credits of the deluxe edition of More of the Monkees, it's spelt as "Hilderbrand."  I'm not sure which is correct.

"Monkee Chow Mein"

According to Andrew Sandoval's The Monkees: The Day-by-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation, "Monkee Chow Mein" - the twenty-sixth episode of The Monkees series - was broadcast fifty years ago to-day (13 March 1967).  It was written by Gerald Gardner and Dee Caruso, directed by James Frawley, and featured the song "Your Auntie Grizelda."  Sandoval describes the plot as: "During a visit to a Chinese restaurant The Monkees get tangled up in a plot to unleash the dreaded Doomsday bug."

In the book, the episode title is given as "Monkees Chow Mein," but on the DVD, it's "Monkee Chow Mein."

"Captain Crocodile"

According to Andrew Sandoval's The Monkees: The Day-by-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation, "Captain Crocodile" - the twenty-third episode of The Monkees series - was broadcast fifty years ago to-day (20 February 1967).  It was written by Gerald Gardner, Dee Caruso, Peter Meyerson, and Robert Schlitt, directed by James Frawley, and featured the songs "Valleri" and "Your Auntie Grizelda."  Sandoval describes the plot as: "The Monkees find themselves at odds with an egomaniacal children's show host, Captain Crocodile."

"I Was a Teenage Monster"

Backdated, archival post

[link to original on tumblr]

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According to Andrew Sandoval's The Monkees: The Day-by-Day Story of the 60s TV Pop Sensation, "I Was a Teenage Monster" - the eighteenth episode of The Monkees series - was broadcast fifty years ago to-day (16 January 1967).  It was written by Gerald Gardner, Dee Caruso, and Dave Evans, directed by Sidney Miller, and featured the song "Your Auntie Grizelda."  Sandoval describes the plot as: "When a mad scientist creates a mod monster he hires The Monkees to make him rock'n'roll."

"Your Auntie Grizelda"

Backdated, archival post

[link to original on tumblr]

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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.