From the MCRFB news archives: 1963
C’MON EVERYBODY, IT’S MONKEY TIME
NEW YORK — The ‘Monkey,’ the newest teen dance, is a mighty hot one, with three records of monkey tunes really moving this week. Hottest of all three is “The Monkey Time” by Major Lance on Okeh Records. And just to add to the scene the label has issued an LP by the same title. “The Monkey Time” jumped to No. 12 on the Hot 100 this week.
Second hottest of the Monkey hits is “Mickey’s Monkey,” by the Miracles on the Motown Records Tamla label, which is the No. 39 most popular hit on the Billboard chart for the week. And the third most popular “Monkey” tune on the chart is “Everybody’s Monkey” by Freddie Cannon listed on the chart.
There is a fourth monkey hit making the new dance scene as well, pushing forward slowly on the chart, and it is King Curtis’ “Do The Monkey,” on the Capitol record label. And there have probably been a half a dozen other monkey dance-themed recordings issued in the past few weeks. On the same kick as well, there have been other related animal-dances like the ‘gorilla,’ and the ‘frog.’ END
(Information and news source: Billboard; August 31, 1963).
MAJOR LANCE * “The Monkey Time” * OKEH RECORDS (1963)
