The Monkees
While at RCA Records in Hollywood, California, Cicalo recorded The Monkees for Colgems Records. In total, he did four albums with the band, including The Monkees, More of The Monkees, Live 1967, and Headquarters. All three studio albums with the group went multi-platinum, each reaching number one on the Billboard charts. Cicalo also recorded the scores for the popular Monkees television show and engineered tracks on The Birds The Bees & The Monkees, Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones, Ltd., and Head. Cicalo toured with the band in 1967 and recalled that the most frightening experience he ever had was being attacked by a mob of teenage girls while in a limousine with The Monkees. After the group disbanded, Cicalo engineered Mike Nesmith’s first solo album, The Wichita Train Whistle Sings.
The Monkees' Headquarters album was their first to feature all four band members playing instruments. Lacking experience as a recording group, the sessions dragged out from a normal two or three weeks to a full six weeks. Cicalo worked patiently with the Monkees and their producer Chip Douglas (himself a first-time producer), and the album came together as the band learned about making records. As a thank-you to Cicalo, the Monkees gave him the writing credit for their song "No Time" (included on Headquarters). This briefly got Cicalo into trouble, as RCA had a rule against engineers soliciting songs for recording. When matters were explained, Cicalo was able to collect the writer's royalties. Released to praise and brisk sales, Headquarters was a huge success. Cicalo later worked with the Monkees on Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd., and other albums.
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