Joe Adragna and Mary Beth Melchior Discuss The Monkees, Head (film and soundtrack) - originally published on Bonus Tracks Patreon

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This episode was first published in February 2026 on the You, Me and An Album Bonus Tracks Patreon.

Joe Adragna (The Junior League) and Mary Beth Melchior join me for this episode to discuss the Monkees’ film Head, as well as its soundtrack, both released in 1968. We talk about our impressions of the movie, what we liked about the songs from the soundtrack and the ways in which the film and songs were and weren’t a departure for the group. We also discuss why the film, the soundtrack and the Monkees in general have not received more acclaim.’

Joe talks about his new album The Moon Neither Noticed Nor Ignored (out Feb. 6), and Mary Beth delves into her YouTube poetry channel OnThePath88.

0:00 Re-introducing Joe and Mary Beth

1:43 Joe encouraged Mary Beth and Al to watch the Head movie

2:55 Mary Beth explains why she hadn’t yet watched Head

6:10 Joe talks about when he first saw the movie

7:47 Joe and Mary Beth talk about the different way that the Monkees were presented in the film, as opposed to the TV series

14:12 The darkness of the Monkees' new image came more from the story than from the music itself

16:19 Mary Beth talks about the use of “Daddy’s Song” in the film and compares it to “Cuddly Toy”

21:33 Joe and Mary Beth discuss how topical Head was (and still is)

26:44 Joe explains how the movie came together and the degree to which the Monkees were involved

31:56 Joe and Mary Beth talk about how the film exposes the ways the Monkees were trapped in their TV series personas

39:02 Head was a difficult film to market

41:40 Joe relates an encounter he had with Peter Tork regarding the movie

44:18 Can the soundtrack be experienced as separate and distinct from the movie?

46:43 Joe recalls a live performance of “Porpoise Song” that he saw

47:55 Mary Beth ponders the strangeness of being a Monkee after the band’s heyday

48:58 Joe and Mary Beth celebrate the catalog of songs written by the Monkees themselves

54:47 Mary Beth and Joe discuss how Mickey Dolenz continues to build on the Monkees’ legacy

56:31 Is there a scenario where the Monkees could have continued the direction signaled by Head?

59:16 Al is more motivated now to explore more of the Monkees’ discography

1:00:42 Contrary to public perception, the Monkees were real musicians

1:02:20 Could there be another Monkees episode in the future?

1:03:19 Joe talks about his new album The Moon Neither Noticed Nor Ignored

1:06:53 Mary Beth shares the latest developments on her YouTube poetry channel, OnThePath88

Outro music is from “Forget Forget Me Nots” by The Junior League.

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