INCREDIBLE was originally released by Dome Press/Hardor Incorporated in 1988 (SS 8091). It was on reissued on CD in 2008, then set up as a download album in 2011, then went out of print until now--back in the original tracking order + 13 bonus tracks: demos, outtakes, and other rarities.

INCREDIBLE: THE GREAT LOST PERFECT POP ALBUM OF THE 80s (Liner notes by Johnny J. Blair, from the 2008 CD reissue):

A musical travesty has been fixed by the reissuance of INCREDIBLE. What was believed to have been forgotten, lost or suppressed in record company purgatory is now made plain in remastered splendor. God knows how many bootlegged copies (of dubious quality) of this album have been circulated. Amongst hardcore Davy/Monkee fans, INCREDIBLE has assumed a status of mythical proportion. Musician and journalist Christopher L. Pick echoes the thoughts of many fans when he says, “INCREDIBLE is the album of his career.”

In 1993 I was working in the studio, editing material for a couple of David’s music videos. While listening to concert footage, I heard him say to the audience, “Hey you should all go out in the lobby and get this album of mine called INCREDIBLE. I don’t know what’s so incredible about it myself. None of your are running out there to buy it (laughter).” A few days later David came to the studio with a bag of tapes from his home locker. I became the glad recipient of my own copy of INCREDIBLE, complete with blue cover framing a photo of tanned Davy with fab 80s hair.

Remember the 80s? Big hair. Tear down the Berlin Wall. BACK TO THE FUTURE. Ronald Reagan (who even rates a mention in David’s autobiography). Starting in 1986, The Monkees had a hugely successful (and for some unexpected) comeback. New Monkees’ material entered the charts while the back catalogue went platinum . TV reruns of the original series broke ratings on MTV and VH1 while their new videos became hits. More sell out appearances and whirlwind tours. It was The Second Coming of Monkeemania

M2 (Monkeemania Two) steamrolled through the personal lives and side projects of the individual members, particularly David Jones, as he juggled father, husband and horseman into the mix. M2 came on the heels of his own string of packed concerts and hit records in Japan during the early 80s. It wasn’t like the work caught him unawares mucking about in the stables.

One would think there would be a logical reception for INCREDIBLE had David chosen to hype it on the coat-tails of M2. Yet who said this business is logical? David explained recently, “I just plain didn’t care to put that much energy into promoting INCREDIBLE. Perhaps I should have. I just saw it as something to do for personal enjoyment and for the fans. Lord knows I spent enough money producing it.” He shrugs, “But the 80s were so busy for us. A lot of good things were set aside. My mind was on performing in 41,000 seat stadiums and having Monkees records all over the Top 40.”

Much of INCREDIBLE was tracked at the legendary Ardent Studios in Memphis. Ardent was a cathartic center for recordings from the the pop/rock and soul music heydeys of the 60s and 70s. Everyone from The Box Tops to the Reverend Al Green to Elvis Presley to Dusty Springfield have recorded at Ardent. That classic “Memphis soul” aroma resonates throughout INCREDIBLE, particularly on “Hippy Hippy Shake,” “I’ll Love You Forever” and “Make the Woman Love Me.”

Before you can sing Mott the Hoople’s “All the Way From Memphis,” a studio track sheet credits Mark Clarke as co producer on INCREDIBLE. Besides being part of Billy Squier’s prime years, Clarke has played roles in many English classic rock porfolios: , Ian Hunter/Mick Ronson projects (and other Mott spinoffs), Colosseum, Tempest and Uriah Heep. David speaks well of his well-humored buddy Mark, an excellent singer-songwriter who played bass for many years with Jones and The Monkees.

Tim Breon (Olivia Newton-John, Martha Reeves), the remastering engineer for INCREDIBLE, was impressed by the palette of songs (as a guitarist and bassist, Breon has also recorded and subbed on DJ projects). In the late 80s Breon was playing guitar with the acclaimed David Rose Band, whose records crossed the border between electric jazz and radio friendly pop/rock. Tim observes, “INCREDIBLE was a lot like what we were doing in those days. Songs that took musical sophistication to perform but were rich in basic melody. In those days groups like The Outfield and Starship were having hits with punchy music like this. INCREDIBLE competed with all that. It holds up with today’s standards as well.”

The album perks open with “Look Inside Yourself.” Driven by gated drums, arpeggiated synthesizers and metropolitan vocals, the production quotes the ambient Euro funk of David Bowie. It is a musical tract, urging people to search their souls and examine themselves: “Tell me what do you see when you look inside yourself...”

“Look” was written by the Staton Brothers, one of David’s favorite set of musician-songwriters. A stack of Staton demos sits in his home studio. “I play their songs for people all the time,” claims David. “The Staton boys are still out there working. One of these days me or somebody’s going to have a hit with one of their tunes.”

The stylistic jump from the cosmopolitan introspection of “Look” to the downtown soul of “Make The Woman Love Me.” This song could be his entry in the “Otis Redding Sweepstakes.” The dry horns are straight out of the Stax/Volt library, and the female vocal arrangement is salted and sweetened by a gospel flavor. The lyrics are actually a prayer for love.

Sue White of Band 6 (the UK-based Monkees’ fan club), was there when David delivered this song in pantomime. White explains, “Pantomine, or panto, is usually put on for children at Christmas time and often based on a fairy tale. Panto in the English tradition is actually very verbal, noisy and colourful. I know panto isn't that well known of a medium in the US.” She remembers an early 80s stage production of panto-CINDERELLA, “David played the part of Buttons. This was a character who was in love with Cinderella but in the end she married the Prince. David sang ‘Make The Woman Love Me’ about his character's love for Cinderella and the hope that they would get together. It was a brilliant choice. The kids always kept quiet during it (it can get a bit noisy—on purpose) and the adults loved it.”

Jones’ social concerns are revealed in “Black and White” (which came from the same studio gestalt as “Look Inside Yourself”) and the wordy, upbeat “Only Dreaming,” written by the irascible Wreckless Eric a.k.a. Eric Goulden (who also contributed to The Monkees’ 1987 POOL IT album). Eric, a clown prince of post punk, broke into the scene in the late 70s on the Stiff Records label. His then-labelmates included Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe and the late Ian Dury—whose funky “Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick” turns up on Jones’ set list on occasion.

Jones’ thundering update of “Valleri” has become the definitive version. Neo flamenco guitar ignites a fusion jazz fire, swept away by the cannon blast of the main chorus. Having performed this with David a few times, I can testify that his way with “Valleri” flexes the stage muscles and breaks ice with any audience. These days he plays it with more power than ever. In my book it outdoes the better-known Monkees’ “horn version” and the original quasi Byrds arrangement (heard on Monkees’ MISSING LINKS TWO).

“After Your Heart” and “Incredible” continue with state-of-the-art precision pop grooves, under the wand of Clarke. With wailing saxophone, shimmering keyboards and walls of vocal harmonies, “Heart” became a hit single in Australia and Japan. The joyous title track would qualify for similar success. “Incredible” was written by Jones (with unknown collaborators).

The perfect song for wedding gigs, “I’ll Love You Forever” has become one of David’s lodestones (he sang it at daughter Sarah’s wedding in 1999). The INCREDIBLE take is the hallmark edition of the song. It has also been released on countless live recordings, a stripped down 1979 demo (issued on JUST FOR THE RECORD #2) and a 1987 studio take by The Monkees (POOL IT). Many say this song should be a hit, eligible for treatment by a swooning vocal group like 98 Degrees. It’s an unpretentious offering of pure emotion, ranking alonside George Harrison’s “Something” in its’ simplicity as a romantic classic.

(While gathering information for this song, the heartthrob vocalist from 98 Degrees, Nick Lachey, logged in with, "I grew up watching The Monkees, they're great." Their guitarist Ric Molina added, “I'm a big fan. I got a chance to play with Peter Tork in San Fransisco a few years ago. It amuses me that I used to wish I could be in a group like that one day. I'd love to work with Davy.” Molina has also worked with Neil Diamond and Leo Sayer.)

Web-radio disc jockey, journalist and musician C. Brian Jasper replays a timeless moment. Flashback 1986 to a Monkees concert at the Starwood Amphitheatre in Nashville. “The highlight of the show was when Davy sat down with an acoustic guitar, and someone audibly called out on cue: ‘Hey! Monkees don't play instruments!’ Jeers from the audience…

Jasper recalls, “David launches into a solo performace of this unknown song 'Forever'. It brought the place down. So heartfelt, so melodic and beautiful. It was just a magical performance; a realization of what the fans know is really true…A real triumph. I’d never heard the song. I left there with that song in my head that night. Not 'Clarksville' or 'Beliver' no - just 'Forever'. It is still a memory embedded in my mind: Him, the guitar, the simple quiet performance...POOL IT came out and I finally got to hear it again. David’s songs stand out most on that album. ‘Every Step of the Way’ and ‘Forever’ should’ve been hits.”

The novelty on INCREDIBLE is “Hippy Hippy Shake.” In 1959 it was a modest American hit for Chan Romero. “Shake” crossed the Atlantic to enter the lexicon of the 60s British Invasion (The Beatles and other Merseybeat bands rotated it at their shows; The Swinging Blue Jeans re-charted it in 1965). The Monkees used it as a encore piece (in tandem with “No Time”). David probably just considered it to be part of the heritage. His crackling version of “Shake” has some Jerry Lee Lewis swagger.

Fitfully, INCREDIBLE closes with “She Believes“ a.k.a. “She Believes in Me” (an alternate mix appears on JUST FOR THE RECORD #3). David says, “This song took a few years to hit me. I put it on recently and thought, how could I forget this one? It’s great.” Energized by effervescent flute, organic percussion, and harmonic piano runs, “She Believes” is lighthearted and otherworldly. It’s a children’s song for adults, encouraging us to keep following our muse and our dreams.

Or daydreams as the case may be—Some have christened this song “the daughter of ‘Daydream Believer.’” It was written by “Daydream” composer John Stewart, the ex Kingston Trio guitarist also known for his 1980 hit “Gold” with Fleetwood Mac.

INCREDIBLE deserves recognition as a work that doesn’t hide in the shadow of other victories. It nods to The Monkees in only a few places. David has his own set of rules for musical accessibility, diversity and innovation—the same school that gave us The Monkees and a long list of other pop/rock icons. All Jones did was keep the faith and record a solid album.

(Thanks to David Jones, Abby Alterio/Davy’s Devotees Fan Club, C. Brian Jasper, Christopher L. Pick, Earl Southee and Kirk & Sue White/Band 6 for indispensable background information.)