When
The Monkees recorded their "Headquarters" album (which Cicalo
engineered, and was the first to feature the Monkees playing on every
track), they improvised a song in the studio called "No Time" and gave
the writer's credit to him as a thank-you for his help in making the
album. This briefly got him into trouble at RCA Studios; engineers
weren't allowed to submit songs for artists to record, and he was asked
to explain his name on the writer's credit. He told his bosses about
The Monkees' gesture, the band verified the story, and the matter was
settled. The royalties he received from "No Time" allowed him to buy a
house. (He also appeared in a back-cover photo on "Headquarters" with
the band -- and the beards they'd grown during recording -- which was
replaced later by a clean-shaven shot of Cicalo with producer
Chip Douglas.).
