Monkey Man (Rolling Stones song)
| "Monkey Man" | |
|---|---|
| Song by the Rolling Stones | |
| from the album Let It Bleed | |
| Released | 5 December 1969 |
| Recorded | April 1969 |
| Genre | Hard rock[1], funk rock |
| Length | 4:11 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter(s) | Jagger/Richards |
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Miller |
"Monkey Man" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones, featured as the eighth track on their 1969 album Let It Bleed.
Composition and recording
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards wrote "Monkey Man" as a tribute to Italian pop artist Mario Schifano, whom they met on the set of his movie Umano Non Umano! (Human, Not Human!).[2] Recorded in April 1969, the song's introduction features distinctive vibraphone, bass and guitar, as well as piano; it came between the band's firing of Brian Jones and the hiring of Mick Taylor on lead guitar. Richards plays main riff and slide guitar solo, Jagger provides vocals, producer Jimmy Miller plays tambourine, Nicky Hopkins plays piano, Charlie Watts provides drums, while Bill Wyman plays vibraphone and bass. Wyman's vibraphone is mixed onto the left channel together with Hopkins' piano.
Personnel
- Mick Jagger – vocals
- Keith Richards – guitars, backing vocals
- Bill Wyman – bass guitar, vibraphone
- Charlie Watts – drums
- Nicky Hopkins – piano
- Jimmy Miller – tambourine
Live performances
The Rolling Stones performed "Monkey Man" often on their 1994–1995 Voodoo Lounge Tour. A recording from their 2002/03 Licks Tour is included on Live Licks (2004).
Sampling
The distinctive piano progression in the introduction is used as the opening theme "Playing With Fire" on the Stereo MCs' 1992 album Connected.
References
- ^ Luft, Eric v d (21 September 2009). "Die at the Right Time!: A Subjective Cultural History of the American Sixties". Gegensatz Press. Retrieved 28 January 2018 – via Google Books.
- ^ "The making of The Rolling Stones' 'Let It Bleed' Part 2". Goldmine Magazine. Retrieved 2016-04-11.