1957
THE MONKEY * DAVE BARTHOLOMEW * OLDIES 45 * JA
Written and performed by Dave Bartholomew (vocals & piano) backed by Justin Adams (guitar); Frank Fields (bass); Charles 'Hungry' Williams (drums), and originally released on Imperial 5438. The "Monkey Speaks His Mind" is a cautionary moral tale that compares the social life of the monkey to that of humans, in which the monkey comes out on top. Unfortunately, it seems, according to animal behaviorists, the habits and morals he attributes to monkey's are just wishful thinking as there are many species of monkey that do the very things he ascribes to bad human behavior. All that said monkey's or humans the moral message is still sound.
The Monkey was cut as a reggae for Coxsone by Dinsdale Thorpe.