"Too Much Monkey Business" is a song written and recorded by

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined a ...

, released by

Chess Records Chess Records was an American record company established in 1950 in Chicago, specializing in blues and rhythm and blues. It was the successor to Aristocrat Records, founded in 1947. It expanded into soul music, gospel music, early rock and roll ...

in September 1956 as his fifth single. It was also released as the third track on his first solo LP, '' After School Session'', in May 1957; and as an EP. The single reached number four on ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' magazine's Most Played In Juke Boxes chart, number 11 on the Most Played by Jockeys chart and number seven on the Top Sellers in Stores chart in 1956.

Recording

"Too Much Monkey Business" was recorded at

Universal Recording Corporation Universal Recording Corporation was a recording studio in Chicago founded by Bill Putnam, Sr. for the purpose of investigating new recording techniques and the development of specialized recording equipment. Universal Recording was seminal ...

in Chicago, Illinois on April 16, 1956. The session was produced by Leonard Chess and Phil Chess. Backing Berry were Johnnie Johnson (piano), Willie Dixon (double bass), and

Fred Below Frederick Below, Jr. (September 6, 1926 – August 13, 1988) was an American blues drummer, best known for his work with Little Walter and Chess Records in the 1950s. According to Tony Russell, Below was a creator of much of the rhythmic struc ...

(drums).

Cover versions

Elvis Presley recorded a cover of the song during a warm-up at the sessions for ''

Stay Away, Joe ''Stay Away, Joe'' is a 1968 American comedy western film with musical interludes, set in modern times and starring Elvis Presley, Burgess Meredith, Katy Jurado and Joan Blondell. Directed by Peter Tewksbury, the film is based on the 1953 satir ...

'' and later released the song on '' Elvis Sings Flaming Star'' in 1969. Several

British invasion The British Invasion was a cultural phenomenon of the mid-1960s, when rock and pop music acts from the United Kingdom and other aspects of British culture became popular in the United States and significant to the rising "counterculture" on b ...

bands recorded cover versions of "Too Much Monkey Business". The Beatles recorded their version on September 3, 1963, with John Lennon on vocals; it aired on the

BBC Light Programme The BBC Light Programme was a national radio station which broadcast chiefly mainstream light entertainment and light music from 1945 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 1. It opened on 29 July 1945, taking over the ...

''Pop Go the Beatles'' on September 10. This recording was released on the album '' Live at the BBC'' in 1994. The Hollies recorded the song for their second album, '' In The Hollies Style'', in November 1964. The Yardbirds with Eric Clapton used the song to open up their performance at the Marquee Club, which was released on '' Five Live Yardbirds''. The Kinks recorded their version for their self-titled debut album in 1964; it was one of two songs by Berry on the album, the other being "Beautiful Delilah".

The Youngbloods The Youngbloods were an American rock band consisting of Jesse Colin Young (vocals, bass, guitar), Jerry Corbitt (vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica), Lowell "Banana" Levinger (guitar and electric piano), and Joe Bauer (drums). Despite re ...

released a version of the song on their 1967 album, '' Earth Music''. Swedish rock group Shakers managed to reach number 4 on '' Tio i Topp'' and number 10 on Kvällstoppen in mid-1965.

Influences on other songs

"Too Much Monkey Business" was an influence on

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

's " Subterranean Homesick Blues". The glam rocker Johnny Thunders paid tribute to Berry's song in "Too Much Junkie Business," a mix of "Pills", by

Bo Diddley Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, inclu ...

, and "Too Much Monkey Business." Berry's song was the basis for "Too Much", by KMFDM, released on their compilation album '' 84–86''. The song influenced

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the " King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over ...

's "Monkey Business", from his album ''Ultimate Collection'' (2004), which contains the lyric "too much monkey business".

References

{{The Yardbirds 1956 songs 1956 singles Songs written by Chuck Berry Chuck Berry songs Elvis Presley songs The Yardbirds songs The Kinks songs The Youngbloods songs The Beatles songs The Hollies songs Chess Records singles

Recording

Cover versions

Influences on other songs

See also

References