All of Your Toys
Encyclopedia
"All of Your Toys" is a song
by Bill Martin
, a friend of Michael Nesmith
of The Monkees
, who recorded the song in 1967
.
The Monkees hoped to make "All of Your Toys" their third single
, and the first to feature them actually playing the accompaniment, which they had not for their first two singles (and subsequent albums). Chip Douglas
, brought in by Nesmith to work with the Monkees, produce
d a session in January 1967, with himself on bass guitar
, Nesmith on lead guitar
, Peter Tork
on harpsichord
, Micky Dolenz
on lead vocals and Davy Jones
on percussion. They also re-recorded Nesmith's "The Girl I Knew Somewhere", which he had produced earlier.
Two problems arose with "All of Your Toys" appearing (even as a B-side) on the next Monkees single. One was Monkees music supervisor Don Kirshner
, who was more interested in making sure-fire hits than anyone's innovations. The other was a standing rule that any songs issued by the Monkees had to be published by Screen Gems
Music. This had been overlooked, and Martin's publisher Tickson Music
refused to sell the copyright to Screen Gems. (Martin promptly re-signed with Screen Gems for publishing.)
While Kirshner ultimately left the Monkees project (in a power struggle involving their third single and album), the publishing rule was not overcome until 1969
, when Davy Jones recorded "Someday Man
" by Paul Williams
and Roger Nichols
. "All of Your Toys" stayed unreleased until 1987
, when Rhino Records included it on Missing Links, a collection of previously-unreleased Monkees recordings.
In 2011, three of the Monkees reunited for a tour and included "All of Your Toys" in their set list.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
by Bill Martin
William E. Martin
William E. Martin, also known as Bill Martin, is an American musician, songwriter, screenwriter, comedic actor and voice actor.-Life and career:...
, a friend of Michael Nesmith
Michael Nesmith
Robert Michael Nesmith is an American musician, songwriter, actor, producer, novelist, businessman, and philanthropist, best known as a member of the musical group The Monkees and star of the TV series of the same name...
of The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
, who recorded the song in 1967
1967 in music
The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The summer of 1967 is "The Summer of Love" in San Francisco. It also became an important year for psychedelic rock, with releases from The Beatles The...
.
The Monkees hoped to make "All of Your Toys" their third single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, and the first to feature them actually playing the accompaniment, which they had not for their first two singles (and subsequent albums). Chip Douglas
Chip Douglas
Douglas Farthing Walter Hatlelid, better known as Chip Douglas, is a songwriter, musician , and record producer, whose most famous work was during the 1960s...
, brought in by Nesmith to work with the Monkees, produce
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
d a session in January 1967, with himself on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, Nesmith on lead guitar
Lead guitar
Lead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, Peter Tork
Peter Tork
Peter Tork is an American musician and actor, best known as a member of The Monkees.-Early life:Tork was born Peter Halsten Thorkelson in Washington, D.C.. Although he was born in 1942, many news articles report him as born in 1944 in New York City as this was the date and place given on early...
on harpsichord
Harpsichord
A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.In the narrow sense, "harpsichord" designates only the large wing-shaped instruments in which the strings are perpendicular to the keyboard...
, Micky Dolenz
Micky Dolenz
George Michael "Micky" Dolenz, Jr. is an American actor, musician, television director, radio personality and theater director, best known as a member of the 1960s made-for-television band The Monkees.-Biography:...
on lead vocals and Davy Jones
Davy Jones (actor)
David Thomas "Davy" Jones is an English rock singer-songwriter and actor best known as a member of the Monkees.-Early life:...
on percussion. They also re-recorded Nesmith's "The Girl I Knew Somewhere", which he had produced earlier.
Two problems arose with "All of Your Toys" appearing (even as a B-side) on the next Monkees single. One was Monkees music supervisor Don Kirshner
Don Kirshner
Don Kirshner , known as "The Man With the Golden Ear", was an American song publisher and rock producer who is best known for managing songwriting talent as well as successful pop groups, such as The Monkees, Kansas and The Archies.-Early life:Don Kirshner was born to Gilbert Kirshner, a tailor,...
, who was more interested in making sure-fire hits than anyone's innovations. The other was a standing rule that any songs issued by the Monkees had to be published by Screen Gems
Screen Gems
Screen Gems is an American movie production company and subsidiary company of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group that has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the decades since its incorporation....
Music. This had been overlooked, and Martin's publisher Tickson Music
Tickson Music
Tickson Music was a Hollywood-based music publishing company; songwriters signed to Tickson Music included members of The Byrds, and writer Bill Martin....
refused to sell the copyright to Screen Gems. (Martin promptly re-signed with Screen Gems for publishing.)
While Kirshner ultimately left the Monkees project (in a power struggle involving their third single and album), the publishing rule was not overcome until 1969
1969 in music
-Events:Perhaps the two most famous musical events of 1969 were concerts. At a Rolling Stones concert in Altamont, California, a fan was stabbed to death by Hells Angels, a biker gang that had been hired to provide security for the event...
, when Davy Jones recorded "Someday Man
Someday Man
Someday Man is an album by Paul Williams, released in 1970. Notable songs from the album include "Someday Man", "Trust" and "To Put Up with You"...
" by Paul Williams
Paul Williams (songwriter)
Paul Hamilton Williams, Jr. is an Academy Award-winning American composer, musician, songwriter, and actor. He is perhaps best known for popular songs performed by a number of acts in the 1970s including Three Dog Night's "An Old Fashioned Love Song", Helen Reddy's "You and Me Against the World",...
and Roger Nichols
Roger Nichols
Roger Scott Nichols was an American seven-time Grammy Award-winning recording engineer and producer....
. "All of Your Toys" stayed unreleased until 1987
1987 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1987.See also:Record labels established in 1987-January-February:*January 3 – Aretha Franklin becomes the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame...
, when Rhino Records included it on Missing Links, a collection of previously-unreleased Monkees recordings.
In 2011, three of the Monkees reunited for a tour and included "All of Your Toys" in their set list.