The Monkey Time
1963 single by Major Lance
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"The Monkey Time" is a song written by Curtis Mayfield and performed by Major Lance. It reached No. 2 on the U.S. R&B chart, No. 8 on the U.S. pop chart, and No. 32 in Canada in 1963.[1][2] It was featured on his 1963 album The Monkey Time,[3] was arranged by Johnny Pate and produced by Carl Davis.[4]
| "The Monkey Time" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Major Lance | ||||
| from the album The Monkey Time | ||||
| B-side | "Mama Didn't Know" | |||
| Released | June 7, 1963 | |||
| Genre | R&B | |||
| Length | 2:46 | |||
| Label | Okeh | |||
| Songwriter | Curtis Mayfield | |||
| Producer | Carl Davis | |||
| Major Lance singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
The track ranked No. 49 on Billboard magazine's Top 100 singles of 1963.[5][6]
Other charting versions
- The Tubes released their take on the song as a single in 1983 which reached No. 16 on the U.S. rock chart and No. 68 on U.S. pop chart.[7] It was featured on their album Outside Inside.
Other versions
- The Miracles - on their 1963 album The Miracles Doin' Mickey's Monkey.[8]
- Georgie Fame - on his 1964 album Fame at Last.[9]
- Gene Barge - on his 1965 album Dance with Daddy "G".[10]
- Archie Bell & the Drells, - on their 1968 album I Can't Stop Dancing.
- The Mad Lads released a version, entitled "Monkey Time '69" on their 1969 album The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Lads.[11]
- Laura Nyro and Labelle - as a medley with "Dancing in the Street", on their 1971 album Gonna Take a Miracle.[12]
- Al Kooper - on his 1972 album A Possible Projection of the Future / Childhood's End.[13] Kooper also released it as a single the same year, but it did not chart.
- Johnny Rivers - on his 1977 album Outside Help.[14]
- Jimmy Burns - on his 1999 album Night Time Again.[15]
- The Action - on their 2004 compilation album Uptight and Outasight.[16]
- The Velvelettes - on their 2004 compilation album The Velvelettes: The Motown Anthology.[17]
