Melody Hill was the Circle Sky Records official magazine while we were open between 2002 and 2010. We took a series of pictures of items strategically placed on a white piece of Coroplast with another piece of Coroplast as the background. Coroplast is a chemically inert, extremely durable polypropylene copolymer, extruded twin-wall fluted plastic sheet. It is resistant to water and we used them all the time to make signs advertising the record store. All the items on display were from Donnie’s personal collection.
Donnie set each scene using different pieces in varying order and spacing. The yellow submarine is made by Corgi. The Monkeemobile and Partridge Bus are from Johnny Lightning. The band figures are the Monkees from the Monkees Tour Van/Monkeemobile set from Johnny Lightning.
The building is the backside of the Hot Wheels Pop Up Drive & Eat [because we wanted to back the Monkeemobile into the garage]. The green car is a Hot Wheels called Python from the first year line 1968. The yellow car is a Monkeemobile from 1970 made by Remco for Post Cereal premium.
The trees are H.O. scale railroad scenery. The trailer behind the van is a Mattel Matchbox camper pop-up that we used as a stand-in for the trailer/stage that was built to be towed behind the Monkeemobile back in 1966 that was going to be used for Monkees gigs (but didn’t.)
Donnie said, “I only know of one picture of the Monkeemobile with that trailer attached. They delivered it to set that way and then it got stashed away and never used. I don’t think most people know the Monkeemobile had a pop-up stage trailer built.”
We chose a picture and then I used photoshop to place the foreground, the background, and the sky. I placed album covers on the building front and the “Circle Sky” on the advertising sign.
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