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Too Much Monkey Business
Words & Music:
Chuck BerrySalesman talking to me tried to run me up a creek
Says you can buy it, go on try it, you can pay me next week
Uh-uh, too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in
Oh-ho-ho
Blonde haired, good lookin' tryin' to get me hooked
Wants me to marry, settle down and get a home and and write a book
Uh-uh, too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in
Oh-ho-ho
Pay phone, somethin' wrong, dial gone,
Well me ought to sue the operator for tellin' me a tale
Uh-uh, too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in
Oh-ho-ho
Oh-ho-ho ...... Oh-ho-ho ...... Oh-ho-ho ...... Oh-ho-ho
Been to Vietnam, been a fightin' in the war
Army bar, army chow, army clothes, army car
Uh-uh, too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in
Oh-ho-ho
Workin' in the fillin' station, too many tasks
Wipe the windo', check the tires, check the oil, dollar gas
Uh-uh, too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in
Oh-ho-ho
Blonde haired, good lookin' tryin' to get me hooked
Wants me to marry, get a home, settle down and and write a book
Uh-uh, too much monkey business, too much monkey business
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in
Oh-ho-ho
Too much monkey business, Oh-ho-ho, too much monkey business, Oh-ho-ho
Too much monkey business, Oh-ho-ho too much monkey business, Oh-ho-ho
Too much monkey business, Oh-ho-ho too much monkey business, Oh-ho-ho Recorded:
1968/01/15, first released on
Flaming StarReactions
Fantastic version of the Cuck Berry number sung tongue in cheek with so much energy and drive. Take 9 of this song, with its 'arrogant delivery' is as good as the master.
A really good version of this Chuck Berry song. Yes a pity it was hidden away on a budget album.
It is a shame the recording session that produced this fantastic track and the great "U.S. Male" ended with a disgruntled Elvis and only these two songs being completed. Still a good LP could have been made from the material, plus some material from the Sept '67 and the "Live A Little" soundtrack which had some very good songs. How about this for an album in the fall of '68..."Wonderful World", "U.S. Male", "Almost In Love", "Too Much Monkey Business", "Stay Away", "We Call On Him" on side A and "Little Less Conversation", "Edge Of Reality", "All I Needed Was The Rain", "Hi Heel Sneakers", "She'a A Machine" ("Goin' Home" would have fit better, but RCA put that on the LP "Speedway earlier in the year) and "You'll Never Walk Alone". I know these tracks have become known as Camden tracks for the most part; but most of them were very good tracks. TMMB is one of the best.
Elvis in '68, starting to break free from the movie songs. Soon we were to get OUR Elvis back.
I first heard this on the movie This Is Elvis. I felt it was an unusually vibrant song for what I assumed at the time was a latter day Elvis recording and was very impressed by it. Only later did I discover it was recorded in 1968 but that doesn't take anything away from how good it is. It certainly has that great Jerry Reed feel. Wouldn't it have been interesting if Elvis had recorded with more "outside" musicians like Jerry? The Nashville guys were amazing but what would it have been like if he had had Merle Haggard on guitar for a change or Elton John on piano - just to shake things up a bit. People whose musicianship and creativity he could be inspired by.
A great song! Love Reed's guitar playing on this one. Imagine if he'd done this on the NBC show with Reed.. Oh well. There's so much great Elvis music, a song for every moment. I agree with Steve Morse, too bad this one was hidden away on a budget release.
This song is so 'alive' ! A brilliant vocal treatment from Elvis, fantastic guitar from Jerry Reed and effective subdued vocals from the Jordananires during the instrumental break. Too bad this was hidden away on a budget release and isn't better known outside of the Elvis world. (Comments refer to the original recording)
Fun song..this and U.S Male put Elvis in the right direction for 1968.Was surprised Elvis changed the words of the song and stuck in "Vietnam".This was before "If I Can Dream" and "In The Ghetto"and Elvis wasn't publicly political.Sign of the times.
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