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Shock the Monkey

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"Shock the Monkey"
Single by Peter Gabriel
from the album Peter Gabriel (Security)
B-side"Soft Dog"
ReleasedSeptember 1982 (1982-09)[1]
Recorded23 June 1981 – 10 July 1982
Genre
Length
LabelGeffen
Songwriter(s)Peter Gabriel
Producer(s)
Peter Gabriel singles chronology
"I Don't Remember"
(1980) 		"Shock the Monkey"
(1982) 		"I Have the Touch"
(1982)
Music video
"Shock the Monkey" on YouTube

"Shock the Monkey" is a song by the English rock musician Peter Gabriel. It was released in September 1982 as the first single[3] from his fourth self-titled studio album, issued in the US under the title Security.

The song peaked at number 29 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number one on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.[4] The song was Gabriel's first Top 40 hit in the US. In the UK, the song charted at number 58. According to AllMusic, the song has a "relentlessly repeated hook" that "sounded nothing like anything else on the radio at the time".[5]

Billboard called it a "mysterious but infectious track...which melds synthesizers, distinctive vocal and dance rhythms to fresh effect."[6]

Interpretation

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Due to its title and the content of the music video, the song is frequently assumed to be either an animal rights song or a reference to the famous experiments by Stanley Milgram described in his book Obedience to Authority (1974).[7] It is neither, but the Gabriel song "We Do What We're Told (Milgram's 37)" from his fifth studio album So (1986) does deal directly with Milgram. Gabriel has characterised "Shock the Monkey" as "a love song" that examines how jealousy can release one's basic instincts; the monkey is not a literal monkey, but a metaphor for one's feelings of jealousy.[8]

Gabriel stated in an interview with Sounds magazine that "Shock the Monkey" lyrically presented him with the most difficulties.[9] He mentioned that the song's lyrical motif was inspired by King Kong's lightning powers in the film King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962).[10] For the song's musical arrangement, Gabriel intended to emulate influences of 1960s Motown music, but he believed that the final product was stylistically more modern.[9]

Music video

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The track is known for its bizarre and disturbing music video, written and directed by Brian Grant of MGMM Studios, and produced by Scott Millaney.[11][3] The video was played heavily in the early days of MTV. It features Gabriel (in white face paint) and a frightened-looking capuchin monkey. Gabriel appears in two guises; one is as a businessman/CIA-MK-Ultra-type in a dark suit, and the other as a "modern primitive" shaman painted and dressed in white with geometric markings in black on his face.[12] The video cuts between two rooms, each vaguely resembling an office. A movie projector plays zoo footage of a gibbon (technically, a lesser ape, not a monkey) in both rooms. As the video proceeds, events in the 'normal' (black suit) office become increasingly irregular and disturbing with objects in the room in increasing disarray. Gabriel displays increasing pressure, anger, and fear as the chaos occurs, at one point being restrained by three little people. The office footage is increasingly interspersed with black-and-white footage of Gabriel fleeing from something unknown in a wilderness, and a disoriented Gabriel in different settings including central London in what looks to be the office of a hospital. At the end of the video, the two Gabriels merge and the gibbon's face is superimposed over theirs.

Releases

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"Shock the Monkey" was released as a 7-inch picture disc in addition to the 7-inch and 12-inch black vinyl singles. Club DJ remix service Hot Tracks crafted an 8:12 version that intersperses verses and choruses sung by Gabriel in German with the more familiar English lyrics. A seven-minute-long concert version of the song appears on Gabriel's album Plays Live (1983). It is also included on the compilation albums Greenpeace (1985), Shaking the Tree: Sixteen Golden Greats (1990) and Hit (2003). The music video appears on the DVD compilation Play (2004).

Earth Day version

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On 22 April 2022, a previously-unreleased alternate mix of "Shock the Monkey" was exclusively released for download on Bandcamp under the title "Shock the Monkey (EarthPercent x Earth Day Mix)". Put out as a tribute to Earth Day 2022, proceeds from the download were donated to the environmentalist organization EarthPercent, as part of a project where Gabriel and several other artists donated exclusive and rare material.[13][14] This version reached number eight on Billboard's Rock Digital Song Sales chart.[15]

Remix contest

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An online contest was held in September 2006 by Realworld Remixed in which musicians and engineers were invited to submit a remix of the song. The original tracks were made available for download, offering an opportunity to work with the raw material from a hit song. The winner was Multiman's "Simian Surprise".[16]

Track listing

[edit]
7" (SHOCK1)
No.TitleLength
1."Shock the Monkey"3:58
2."Soft Dog" (instrumental)4:10
12" (SHOCK12)
No.TitleLength
1."Shock the Monkey"5:23
2."Soft Dog" (instrumental)4:10

Personnel

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Charts

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Chart (1982–1983) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[19] 25
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[20] 10
Italy (Musica e dischi)[21] 2
UK Singles (OCC)[22] 58
US Billboard Hot 100[23] 29
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[24] 1
US Billboard Dance/Disco 26
US Billboard Hot Black Singles[25] 64

Coal Chamber featuring Ozzy Osbourne version

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"Shock the Monkey"
Single by Coal Chamber featuring Ozzy Osbourne
from the album Chamber Music
B-side"El Cu Cuy"
Released1999
Genre
Length
  • 3:33 (radio edit)
  • 3:45 (album version)
LabelRoadrunner
Songwriter(s)Peter Gabriel
Producer(s)Josh Abraham
Coal Chamber singles chronology
"Not Living"
(1999) 		"Shock the Monkey"
(1999) 		"Fiend"
(2002)
Ozzy Osbourne singles chronology
"Buried Alive"
(1999) 		"Shock the Monkey"
(1999) 		"N.I.B."
(2000)

The nu metal band Coal Chamber recorded a cover version of "Shock the Monkey" on their second studio album Chamber Music (1999). The cover featured guest vocals by Ozzy Osbourne. The music video was directed by Dean Karr. It shows the band playing with Osbourne and features footage of a monkey.

Track listing

[edit]
Maxi single
No.TitleLength
1."Shock the Monkey"3:45
2."Shock the Monkey" (Gorilla mix)3:35
3."El Cu Cuy" (alternate mix)4:20
4."Shock the Monkey" (music video)3:33
Promo single
No.TitleLength
1."Shock the Monkey" (LP version)3:45

Chart positions

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Chart (1999) Position
US Main[28] 26
UK[29] 83

Personnel

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Coal Chamber

  • B. Dez Fafara – lead vocals
  • Meegs Rascón – guitar
  • Rayna Foss-Rose – bass
  • Mike "Bug" Cox – drums

Additional

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Shock The Monkey". PeterGabriel.com.
  2. ^ Reed, Ryan. "Peter Gabriel Albums From Worst To Best". StereoGum. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Shock The Monkey". PeterGabriel.com. Retrieved 3 August 2023.
  4. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 8th Edition (Billboard Publications), page 246.
  5. ^ Allmusic song review. Retrieved 7 June 2008.
  6. ^ "Top Single Picks". Billboard. 9 October 1982. p. 63. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  7. ^ iFilm synopsis. Retrieved 7 June 2008.[dead link‍]
  8. ^ Chris Welch (1998). The Secret Life of Peter Gabriel: p.136
  9. ^ a b Fielder, Hugh (2 October 1982). "Don't Touch Me There: Hugh Fielder Gets and Earbending From Peter Gabriel". Sounds. p. 28. Retrieved 28 August 2024.
  10. ^ Chris Welch (1998). The Secret Life of Peter Gabriel: p.140
  11. ^ a b Durrell Bowman (2016). Experiencing Peter Gabriel: A Listener's Companion. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 110–112. ISBN 9781442252004.
  12. ^ Sarah Hill (2017). Peter Gabriel, From Genesis to Growing Up. Routledge. p. 189. ISBN 9781351554299.
  13. ^ Unreleased 'Shock The Monkey' for EarthPercent
  14. ^ Sinclair, Paul (22 April 2022). "Peter Gabriel issues unheard version of Shock The Monkey". SuperDeluxeEdition. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  15. ^ "Peter Gabriel Rock Digital Sales Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  16. ^ Singh, Amrit (11 October 2006). "Remix The Monkey". Stereogum.
  17. ^ 12-inch, 33⅓ rpm promotional single record sleeve credits (1982). Geffen Records
  18. ^ Daryl Easlea (2018). Without Frontiers: The Life & Music of Peter Gabriel. Omnibus. pp. 320–321. ISBN 9781787590823.
  19. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. p. 120. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  20. ^ Canada Top Singles peak
  21. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Peter Gabriel".
  22. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  23. ^ Billboard.com. Retrieved 22 June 2008.
  24. ^ "Peter Gabriel Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  25. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 222.
  26. ^ "20 Nu-Metal Covers of Popular Songs". Loudwire. 20 April 2020. Archived from the original on 21 April 2020. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  27. ^ "The 40 Best Nu-Metal Covers of Pop Songs". Spin.com. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  28. ^ "Mainstream Rock Songs: Coal Chamber Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  29. ^ "Coal Chamber Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
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