Sister Does The Monkey Too

Going to a Go-Go #3: "Monkey Monkey" (1966)

“Monkey Monkey”
The Rebbels 
Bellaphon 1030, 1966

What did it take to unseat the Beatles from the top of the charts at the height of Beatlemania? 

It took “Monkey Monkey,” that’s what. At least, that’s what it took in Germany. 

It doesn’t seem fair to compare this gruff slab of barely-contained fuzz rock to anything the Beatles were doing in the early 1960s. Even on their earliest records, the Beatle singles had a level of sophistication and ambition. There was always something—a chord, a riff, a melody line—that elevated the tune. Catchy as hell, fun to listen to, and somehow more than the sum of its parts. 

“Monkey Monkey” is exactly the sum of its parts, no more and no less. It’s got a manic gleeful energy that’s contagious from the jump, but let’s not pretend it’s some kind of unheralded bit of genius. As the Beatles were singing “Well, she was just seventeen/You know what I mean,” the Rebbels were clipping out these ageless lyrics, in broken English: 

Mamma does the monkey
Papa does the monkey 
Sister does the monkey too 

Profound. 

But that’s shooting fish in a barrel. The charm of course isn’t a deep meaning. It’s not even a thin shallow meaning. It’s these guys beating out this primal stupid catchy thing over two minutes and sixteen seconds and then vanishing into the mists of history. 

Most of the guys find a riff and hang on for dear life; there’s not much virtuosity until you get to the bridge, where a manic guitar solo kicks the song into high gear. You can almost hear the raw young fingers being plucked against unyielding metal strings. 

Most pop music means whatever you can imagine, and sometimes there may be nothing more to find in it beyond dancing the monkey, all day and night, with you, my baby, when you hold me tight. 

Next time: Kansas City, here I come