"The Monkey Time" is a song written by

Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. Dubbed the " Gentle Genius", he is considered one of the most influential musicians of soul and socially conscious Afric ...

and performed by

Major Lance Major Lance (April 4, 1939, – September 3, 1994) was an American R&B singer. After a number of US hits in the 1960s, including " The Monkey Time" and "Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um", he became an iconic figure in Britain in the 1970s among foll ...

. It reached No. 2 on the U.S. R&B chart, No. 8 on the U.S. pop chart, and No. 32 in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

in 1963. It was featured on his 1963 album ''The Monkey Time'', was arranged by

Johnny Pate John William Pate (born December 5, 1923) is an American former musician, a jazz bassist who became a producer, arranger, and leading figure in Chicago soul, pop, and rhythm and blues. He learned piano and tuba as a child and later picked up th ...

and produced by

Carl Davis Carl Davis (October 28, 1936 – August 3, 2023) was an American-born British conductor and composer. He wrote music for more than 100 television programmes, notably the landmark ITV series '' The World at War'' (1973) and BBC's '' Pride and P ...

. The track ranked No. 49 on ''Billboard'' magazine's Top 100 singles of 1963.

Other charting versions

The Tubes The Tubes are a San Francisco-based rock band. Their self-titled 1975 debut album included the single " White Punks on Dope", while their 1983 single " She's a Beauty" was a top-10 U.S. hit and its music video was frequently played in the ear ...

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. It was featured on their album '' Outside Inside''.

Other versions

The Miracles The Miracles (later known as Smokey Robinson and the Miracles from 1965 to 1972) were an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1955. They were the first successful recording act for Motown Records and are considered one of the most ...

- on their 1963 album '' The Miracles Doin' Mickey's Monkey''. *

Georgie Fame Georgie Fame (born Clive Powell; 26 June 1943) is an English R&B and jazz musician. Fame, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still performing, often working with contemporaries such as Alan Price, Van Morrison and Bill Wyman. Fame is the only B ...

- on his 1964 album ''Fame at Last''. *

Gene Barge James Gene Barge Jr. (August 9, 1926 – February 2, 2025) was an American tenor and alto saxophonist in several bands in addition to being a composer. Career Born in Norfolk, Virginia, on August 9, 1926, he was a founding member of the 1960s ...

- on his 1965 album ''Dance with Daddy "G"''. *

Archie Bell & the Drells Archie Bell & the Drells was an American R&B vocal group from Houston and one of the main acts produced by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff in the late 1960s before the duo formed their highly successful label Philadelphia International Records ...

, - on their 1968 album '' I Can't Stop Dancing''. *

The Mad Lads The Mad Lads were an American rhythm and blues vocal group, who recorded on the Stax subsidiary label Volt in the 1960s. Their biggest hits were "Don't Have to Shop Around" (1965) and "I Want Someone" (1966). Career The group was formed at Bo ...

released a version, entitled "Monkey Time '69" on their 1969 album ''The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Lads''. *

Laura Nyro Laura Nyro ( ; born Laura Nigro; October 18, 1947 – April 8, 1997) was an American songwriter and singer. She achieved critical acclaim with her own recordings, particularly the albums ''Eli and the Thirteenth Confession'' (1968) and ''Ne ...

and

Labelle Labelle was an American funk rock band that originated out of the Blue Belles, a girl group who were a popular vocal group of the 1960s and 1970s. The original group was formed after the disbanding of two rival girl groups in the area around ...

- as a medley with "

Dancing in the Street "Dancing in the Street" is a song written by Marvin Gaye, William Stevenson, and Ivy Jo Hunter. It first became popular in 1964 when recorded by Martha and the Vandellas whose version reached No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart for two ...

", on their 1971 album '' Gonna Take a Miracle''. *

Al Kooper Al Kooper (born Alan Peter Kuperschmidt; February 5, 1944) is an American songwriter, record producer, and musician. Throughout much of the 1960s and 1970s he was a prolific studio musician, including playing organ on the Bob Dylan song " Like ...

- on his 1972 album '' A Possible Projection of the Future / Childhood's End''. Kooper also released it as a single the same year, but it did not chart. *

Johnny Rivers Johnny Rivers (born John Henry Ramistella; November 7, 1942) is a retired American musician. He achieved commercial success and popularity throughout the 1960s and 1970s as a singer and guitarist, characterized as a versatile and influential art ...

- on his 1977 album ''Outside Help''. * Jimmy Burns - on his 1999 album ''Night Time Again''. *

The Action The Action were an English band of the 1960s, formed as the Boys in August 1963, in Kentish Town, North West London. They were part of the mod subculture, and played soul music-influenced pop music. History 1963–1964: The Boys The band ...

- on their 2004 compilation album ''Uptight and Outasight''. *

The Velvelettes The Velvelettes were an American singing girl group, signed to Motown in the 1960s. Their biggest chart success occurred in 1964, when Norman Whitfield produced "Needle in a Haystack", which peaked at number 45 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, ...

- on their 2004 compilation album ''The Velvelettes: The Motown Anthology''.

References

1963 songs 1963 singles 1972 singles 1983 singles Songs written by Curtis Mayfield Major Lance songs The Tubes songs Song recordings produced by David Foster Song recordings produced by Al Kooper Okeh Records singles Columbia Records singles {{1960s-single-stub