The Monkees return with a New Album and a National Tour

One of the biggest rock bands of the 1960s is swinging back into action. The Monkees are celebrating their 50th anniversary with their first new album in two decades and a national tour that that hits Town Hall in New York on June 1.  

The created for television group, comprised of Davy Jones, who died in 2012, Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork racked up 20 singles on the Hot 100 in its career. No. 1 hits like “I’m a Believer,” “Daydream Believer” and “Last Train to Clarksville” exemplify the band’s vocal harmonies, lush arrangements and catchy melodies.   Not bad for a foursome formed in 1965 in Los Angeles for the TV series “The Monkees.” They outsold the Beatles and the Rolling Stones in 1967. Set to drop on June 10, the new album from Dolenz, Nesmith and Tork is called “Good Times.”   In addition to unfinished tunes from the ’60s co-written with Neil Diamond and Harry Nilsson there’s new material by songwriters Noel Gallagher, Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo, Ben Gibbard, Andy Patridge and Adam Schlesinger.