This historical date saw the release of of Monkees’ album #4, otherwise known to one and all as Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd. (Colgems #COM/COS-104), on LP and 8-track. The record represents what Peter Tork called "a compromise," between The Monkees having control of their music and the original production methods of their first two albums. In a time of great Monkee-bashing, they felt this was the best move to make.

The 13 tracks on the album were recorded from April 26 to October 15, 1967, at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood; RCA Victor "Nashville Sound" Studio, Nashville; American Recorder, Studio City; and in Chicago. Proceedings were slightly hampered by The Monkees' hectic touring schedule that summer, resulting in a great trove of tracks left unfinished. Micky Dolenz even retired from studio drumming at this point as another result; the only track on the entire album featuring Micky on the drums was the first one recorded: “Cuddly Toy”, written by Harry Nilsson. "Fast" Eddie Hoh took over as Monkee studio drummer.

Sessions transferred from regular four-track facilities to newer eight-track facilities in August 1967, which allowed further overdubbing and gave Micky and the late Paul Beaver room to use the Moog synthesizer (on Goffin and King's "Star Collector" and Michael Nesmith's “Daily Nightly”), the first time such a device was used on a rock record. Its mono version features a longer version of Jeff Barry's “She Hangs Out” unavailable elsewhere. Mann and Weil's “Love Is Only Sleeping”, a candidate for a future single release, was added to the album at the last minute when plans for the single were aborted; it replaced Diane Hilderbrand and The Monkees' "Goin' Down", which would later be held down as a flipside of a revamped single. Both sides of The Monkees' fourth single (#1007, realeased on July 10, 1967), Goffin-King's “Pleasant Valley Sunday”, b/w Boyce-Hart's ”Words,” was also included. The only 2 tracks on the album not included in TV episodes were "Hard To Believe" and "Peter Percival Patterson's Pet Pig Porky."

This would be the last Monkees album produced by Chip Douglas, to reach the #1 position on the charts, and to be recorded by The Monkees as a combined unit.

HAPPY 39TH ANNIVERSARY TO PACJ, LTD.! (1967-2006)

Colgems also issued a Reel-to-reel tape 2-fer of The Monkees "Headquarters" and "Pisces,Aquarius,Capricorn & Jones" as well. Michael Boyce