Saturday's Child
Encyclopedia
"Saturday's Child" is a popular song, written by David Gates
, in an unusual departure from his more common easy listening style (such as 1963's "Popsicles and Icicles" for The Murmaids
and his later work as lead for Bread
), and performed by The Monkees
. The song is an electric-guitar based rock song, and some fans of The Monkees consider it to be unusually "tough" for their first album. The song is now widely regarded as one of their best album tracks, with AMG critic Matthew Greenwald saying that it has a "proto-heavy metal
guitar riff" and it is "one of the more interesting curios of the early Monkees catalog". The song still gets regular play on Oldies radio stations and has also been covered by several artists. The song is also featured on several "greatest hits
" albums by The Monkees. The song was originally the second track on their self-titled debut album The Monkees
with Micky Dolenz
on lead vocals. The promotional video, which aired during the 26 September 1966 "Monkee vs. Machine" television show, features The Monkees playing around on the beach and having fun with five children (at any one time), in a dune buggy
, on a swing set, on slides, on a jungle gym, on a horse, on unicycles, and on Honda Super Cub motorcycles, and hamming it up driving the Monkeemobile
around Southern California
.
Herman's Hermits
recorded a more acoustic version of the song and released it on their 1967 album There's a Kind of Hush All Over the World
David Gates
David Gates is an American singer-songwriter, best known as the lead singer of the group Bread, which reached the tops of the musical charts in Europe and North America on several occasions in the 1970s. The band was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame...
, in an unusual departure from his more common easy listening style (such as 1963's "Popsicles and Icicles" for The Murmaids
The Murmaids
The Murmaids were a one-hit wonder all-female vocal trio composed of sisters Carol and Terry Fischer; and Sally Gordon from Los Angeles, California who, in January 1964 reached #3 with "Popsicles and Icicles".-Background:...
and his later work as lead for Bread
Bread (band)
Bread was a rock band from Los Angeles, California. They placed 13 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart between 1970 and 1977 and were a prime example of what later was labeled soft rock....
), and performed by The Monkees
The Monkees
The Monkees are an American pop rock group. Assembled in Los Angeles in 1966 by Robert "Bob" Rafelson and Bert Schneider for the American television series The Monkees, which aired from 1966 to 1968, the musical acting quartet was composed of Americans Micky Dolenz, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork,...
. The song is an electric-guitar based rock song, and some fans of The Monkees consider it to be unusually "tough" for their first album. The song is now widely regarded as one of their best album tracks, with AMG critic Matthew Greenwald saying that it has a "proto-heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
guitar riff" and it is "one of the more interesting curios of the early Monkees catalog". The song still gets regular play on Oldies radio stations and has also been covered by several artists. The song is also featured on several "greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
" albums by The Monkees. The song was originally the second track on their self-titled debut album The Monkees
The Monkees (album)
The Monkees is the first album by the band The Monkees. It was released in October 1966 by Colgems Records in the United States and RCA Records in the rest of the world. It was the first of four consecutive U.S. number one albums for the group, taking the top spot on the Billboard 200 for 13 weeks....
with Micky Dolenz
Micky Dolenz
George Michael "Micky" Dolenz, Jr. is an American actor, musician, television director, radio personality and theater director, best known as a member of the 1960s made-for-television band The Monkees.-Biography:...
on lead vocals. The promotional video, which aired during the 26 September 1966 "Monkee vs. Machine" television show, features The Monkees playing around on the beach and having fun with five children (at any one time), in a dune buggy
Dune buggy
A dune buggy is a recreational vehicle with large wheels, and wide tires, designed for use on sand dunes or beaches. The design is usually a modified vehicle and engine mounted on an open chassis. The modifications usually attempt to increase the power-to-weight ratio by either lightening the...
, on a swing set, on slides, on a jungle gym, on a horse, on unicycles, and on Honda Super Cub motorcycles, and hamming it up driving the Monkeemobile
Monkeemobile
The Monkeemobile is a modified Pontiac GTO that was designed and built by designer Dean Jeffries for The Monkees, a pop-rock band and television program...
around Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
.
Herman's Hermits
Herman's Hermits
Herman's Hermits are an English beat band, formed in Manchester in 1963 as Herman & The Hermits. The group's record producer, Mickie Most , emphasized a simple, non-threatening, clean-cut image, although the band originally played R&B numbers...
recorded a more acoustic version of the song and released it on their 1967 album There's a Kind of Hush All Over the World
There's a Kind of Hush All Over the World
There's a Kind of Hush All Over the World is the fifth album released by MGM Records in the U.S. and Canada for the band Herman's Hermits. It was released in March, 1967...