Dance, Monkee, Dance

"Dance, Monkee, Dance" features former standup comic and game show host Hal March in one of his last roles (he died in 1970), heading up Renaldo's Dance Au Go Go, signing up Monkees left and right to iron-clad lifetime contracts, until Davy's fast feet earn him a job as dance instructor; their subsequent mayhem training new customers (one of whom is Bette Nesmith, Michael's mother) makes for a very funny episode. By far the best gag has Micky walking off camera to get 'a brilliant idea,' 'something groovy and hip,' from the show's writers, all of whom are depicted as aged Chinamen! Second straight entry to feature Neil Diamond's "I'm a Believer," but the first to feature "I'll Be Back Up on My Feet" (recorded Oct 28 1966), composed by Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell, produced by Jeff Barry, unreleased until 1990's MISSING LINKS 2 (though a weaker rerecording from March 9 1968 was issued on the fifth LP, THE BIRDS THE BEES AND THE MONKEES, on Apr 22 1968). This track is matched with one of the series' finest romps, The Monkees dancing their troubles away in suitable attire. Broadcast no. 14 (Dec 12 1966), "Dance, Monkee, Dance" was 18th in production, filmed Oct 11-14.