All of Your Toys

"All of Your Toys" is a song by Bill Martin, a friend of Michael Nesmith of The Monkees, who recorded the song in 1967.

The Monkees hoped to make "All of Your Toys" their third single, and the first to feature them actually playing the accompaniment, which they had not for their first two singles (and subsequent albums). Chip Douglas, brought in by Nesmith to work with the Monkees, produced a session in January 1967, with Nesmith's friend John London on bass guitar, Nesmith on lead guitar, Peter Tork on harpsichord, Micky Dolenz on lead vocals and drums and Davy Jones on percussion. They also re-recorded Nesmith's "The Girl I Knew Somewhere", which he had produced earlier.

Two problems arose with "All of Your Toys" appearing (even as a B-side) on the next Monkees single. One was Monkees music supervisor Don Kirshner, who was more interested in making sure-fire hits than anyone's innovations. The other was a standing rule that any songs issued by the Monkees had to be published by Screen Gems Music. This had been overlooked, and Martin's publisher Tickson Music refused to sell the copyright to Screen Gems. (Martin promptly re-signed with Screen Gems for publishing.)

While Kirshner ultimately left the Monkees project (in a power struggle involving their third single and album), the publishing rule was not overcome until 1969, when Davy Jones recorded "Someday Man" by Paul Williams and Roger Nichols. "All of Your Toys" stayed unreleased until 1987, when Rhino Records included it on Missing Links, a collection of previously-unreleased Monkees recordings.

In 2011, three of the Monkees reunited for a tour and included "All of Your Toys" in their set list.

References

• The Monkees Tale by Eric Lefcowitz (1985, Last Gasp Press, San Francisco, California)
• Missing Links liner notes (Rhino Records)
• Music Box liner notes (Rhino Records)