51 years since the Monkees first hit out shores, in September 1968, the two surviving Monkees, Micky Dolenz, and Michael Nesmith,  return for what is strongly rumoured to be the last time ever,  under the banner of The Monkees Present The Mike & Micky Show.

If you caught the Monkees last time they were here in 2016, you'd know that they still put on a fabulous show. That last tour featured Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork. This time around it's Micky and Mike, who put this unique show together early last year, a year or so before Peter's sad passing. 

Mike hasn't been here since the peak of his wonderful and quirky solo career back in 1977, but that's not the only reason that this tour is going to be something special.  Micky was always the primary voice of the Monkees – Davey Jones' cuteness notwithstanding – and Mike was always the band's strongest musician and best songwriter, meaning this will musically be the most satisfying Monkees show possible. 

The Mike & Mickey Show features nigh on 30 Monkees classics, including all the hits – even the couple that Davey originally sang, like "Daydream Believer" and "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You".  Which means that "Last Train To Clarksville", "I'm A Believer", "Pleasant Valley Sunday" and "Mary Mary "(which was sung by Micky but written by Mike) will all be performed too. But Mike's presence this time means we get all his great contributions too,  including the hit single "Listen to the Band" and so many brilliant lesser-known gems, like the rocking "Circle Sky" and his pioneering country-rock gems like "You Just May Be the One" and "The Girl I Knew Somewhere". With any luck, we'll also be getting Mike's "Different Drum", which predates the Monkees and which was initially a hit for Linda Ronstadt and her band of the time, the Stone Poneys, in 1967. 

In anticipation of The Mike & Mickey Show hitting Australia and to celebrate Mike Nesmith's return, we present here our 11 favourite Nesmith Monkees tracks. To fully immerse yourself in Monkees music you can check out everything they ever released on Spotify here. For complete tour details go here. 

"Listen To The Band"

A remarkable number that sounds nothing like any other Monkees track, and really nothing like else like anything before or since by anyone, "Listen To The Band" is big and brassy but at heart a country number. Nesmith recorded it at RCA in Nashville in 1969, and it was the first single on which he sung lead. It also appeared on The Monkees Present Micky, David, Michael.

"Sweet Young Thing"

Mike got to co-write this with Gerry Goffin and Carole King, who probably didn't release they were inventing Country-rock at the time. A standout track on the Monkees first album, which was surely one of the few hit pop albums of 1966 to feature sawing country fiddle.

"You Just May Be the One"                                                                                                                         

A highlight of 1967's fab Monkees Headquarters album. Country-pop perfection!

"What Am I Doin' Hangin' Round"

One of the straightest country numbers the Monkees recorded, "What Am I Doin' Hangin' Round" was written by Mike's fellow Texan Michael Martin Murphy, who became something of an Outlaw country favourite in the '70s and beyond. And yes Peter Tork was an excellent banjo player, but it's actually Doug Dillard of early LA country-rockers The Dillards you hear here. Peter plays guitar on this recording, along with Mike. From 1967’s Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd.

"Circle Sky"

Mike Nesmith didn't just help invent Country-rock if "Circle Sky" is anything to go by – this track is almost punk in its primitive drive and intensity. A Head classic! And recent footage shows Mike still capable of raising a thumping ruckus with it. We're looking forward to hearing this one at the shows for sure!

"You Told Me"

Another Headquarters gem. Sounds like something off the Beatles' Revolver, with added banjo.

"Mary Mary"

A great Nesmith composed raver, sung by Mickey. The Monkees cut it on More Of the Monkees in 1967; bizarrely enough the critically lauded progressive blues band the Paul Butterfield Blues Band cut it first on their ground-breaking and acclaimed East-West album in 1966. 

"Papa Gene's Blues"

Quirky, jazzy, country.  From the first album. Seems remarkable that Mike was able to get this sort of stuff on the records and on the TV show at the time – so much for just being beholden to the network. 

"Sunny Girlfriend"

Another great banjo-driven country-rocker from Headquarters, this one more unabashed than the others perhaps. If Steven Stills had gotten the Monkees gig – he was one of the many who auditioned in the beginning – might we have had Crosby, Nash, Nesmith & Young? 

"Different Drum"

The Monkees never recorded it,  but Mike did sneak this classic into the 1966 episode of the Monkees' TV Show called "Too Many Girls" where he appeared as an incompetent folk singer on a TV amateur hour. The song was a hit for the following year for Linda Ronstadt's group the Stone Poneys; the first recording of the tune, however, was New York bluegrass group The Greenbriar Boys. Let's hear Mike mangling it as well as those two early versions.

"Good Clean Fun"

This has been the set-opener for the Mike & Micky Show in the States so will assumedly it will be here too. "Good Clean Fun" is perhaps a lesser Nesmith tune from the post-Peter The Monkees Present: Micky, David & Michael album, but still a fantastic country tune. We'll show a recent soundcheck version of this one to give you an idea of how great the Mickey & Mike and band are sounding. See you at the shows!