"The Monkees" is the debut studio album by the American band the Monkees, released on October 10, 1966, by Colgems Records in the United States and RCA Victor elsewhere. This album marked the beginning of four consecutive U.S. number one albums for the group, topping the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks before being succeeded by their second album. It also reached the top of the UK charts in 1967 and has been certified quintuple platinum by the RIAA, with sales exceeding five million copies.
The single "Last Train to Clarksville" was released shortly before the album and topped the Billboard Hot 100, making it the album's only hit single. "I'll Be True to You" had previously been released as a single by the Hollies under the title "Yes I Will."
In late 1965, a pilot for the TV series The Monkees was approved by Screen Gems, inspired by Richard Lester's A Hard Day's Night. Producers Bob Rafelson and Bob Schneider sought to create a sitcom about a garage band. After an open casting call, Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith, and Peter Tork were selected as the Monkees. Despite their diverse backgrounds, they formed a cohesive group during filming rehearsals.
Before filming the pilot in November 1965, songwriters Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart were brought in by Don Kirshner to score the episode. Boyce and Hart composed and recorded four songs used in the pilot. Following a successful second screening, Columbia ordered 32 episodes. Kirshner, who was the musical supervisor, recognized the potential for merging television and music and eventually formed Colgems Records with RCA Victor to distribute the Monkees' records.
The album was recorded in multiple sessions in Los Angeles from July 5 to 25, 1966. The initial sessions involved producers Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart, and Jack Keller, with Boyce and Hart taking over later. The Monkees were not allowed to perform as a working band during the album's production, and their contributions were largely limited to vocals. Seven of the twelve tracks feature one Monkee singing lead, while session musicians handled the instrumentation.
The back cover features a "film strip" of photos from two episodes of The Monkees. The early pressings of the LP cover incorrectly listed the song title "Papa Jean's Blues," which was later corrected to "Papa Gene's Blues." The album was reissued in 1968 with updated artwork.
