His first musical success was as a 14-year-old guitarist in the Royal Teens, best known for their novelty blues riff, "Short Shorts". In 1960, he joined the song-writing team of Bob Brass and Irwin Levine, who wrote the hit, "This Diamond Ring", for Gary Lewis and the Playboys. When he was 21, he moved to Greenwich Village.
He performed with Bob Dylan in concert in 1965 and in the studio in 1965 and 1966, including playing Hammond organ with Dylan at the (in)famous Newport Folk Festival of 1965. He worked extensively with Mike Bloomfield for a number of years after the two met as studio musicians on Dylan's legendary Highway 61 Revisited album.
In 1965, he co-formed The Blues Project and played their most famous gig at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. He formed Blood, Sweat & Tears in the same year, leaving after the group's first album, Child is Father to the Man, in 1968.
Kooper played on hundreds of records, including The Rolling Stones, B.B. King, The Who and Cream. On occasion, he has even overdubbed on his own efforts, as on The Live Adventures Of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper album, as Roosevelt Gook. He discovered the band Lynyrd Skynyrd, and produced their first three albums, including the single Sweet Home Alabama. Kooper also wrote the score for the TV series, Crime Story, and has also written music for several made-for-television movies. Kooper also produced a now rare album by a group called Appaloosa.
Al Kooper has published a memoir, Backstage Passes: Rock 'n' Roll Life In The Sixties (1977), now available in revised form as Backstage Passes & Backstabbing Bastards: Memoirs of a Rock 'N' Roll Survivor 2007
Kooper currently teaches songwriting and production at Berklee College of Music in Boston and plays weekend concerts with his band Jimmy Vivino and The ReKooperators.
The Monkey Time
Al Kooper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whenever you're ready
Where people gather 'round
Whenever they're ready
And then the music begins to play
You feel a groove comin' on its way
(Are you ready?)
Well, you get yours 'cause-a I got mine
For the monkey time
(Monkey time, monkey time)
Now the dance that the people do
I don't know how it started
All I know is that when the beat brings a feel
It's so hard to get parted
And then the music begins to play
Automatically you're on your way
Are you ready?
(Are you ready?)
Well, you get yours 'cause-a I got mine
For the monkey time
(Monkey time, monkey time)
Do the monkey, yeah
(Do the monkey time)
Do the monkey, yeah
(Do the monkey time)
Ah-twist them hips
(Twist them hips)
Let your backbone slip
(Let your backbone slip)
Now move your feet
(Move your feet)
Get on the beat
(Get on the beat)
Are you ready?
(Are you ready?)
Well, you get yours 'cause-a I got mine
For the monkey time
(Monkey time, monkey time)
Now the dance that the people do
I don't know how it started
All I know is that when the beat brings a feel
It's so hard to get parted
And then the music begins to play
Automatically you're on your way
Are you ready?
(Are you ready?)
Well, you get yours 'cause-a I got mine
For the monkey time
(Monkey time)
Ah, do the monkey, yeah
Give me a big strong line
You're lookin' real fine
The Monkey Time by Al Kooper is an upbeat and energetic song describing a place where people gather to dance to music. The first verse introduces the place, which is located across town and where people gather and wait to dance. The feeling of anticipation and excitement builds up as the music starts to play, with the groove coming on its way. The lyrics ask the listener, "Are you ready?", indicating that the time is now to get up and dance. The chorus encourages everyone to participate by getting their groove on and getting their share of the monkey time.
The second verse describes the dance that everyone is doing, which is not explained how it started. Instead, the focus is on the feeling that the music brings, which is described as so hard to get parted from. The music begins to play automatically, and the listener is already on their way to dancing. The verses and choruses repeat throughout the song, urging everyone to do the monkey dance, twist their hips, let their backbone slip, and move their feet. The bridge further reinforces the idea of the monkey time as a fun and exciting activity that everyone should participate in, with the line "Give me a big strong line, you're looking real fine."
Overall, the lyrics to The Monkey Time are about the joy and excitement of dancing to music. The song encourages everyone to join in and get their share of the monkey time, which is described as being hard to resist once you feel the beat.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a place right across town
There's a location nearby that the singer wants the listener to go to.
Whenever you're ready
The singer tells the listener that they can go to the location whenever they're ready.
Where people gather 'round
The location mentioned is popular and is a gathering spot for people.
And then the music begins to play
When people arrive at the location, the music starts playing.
You feel a groove comin' on its way
The listener can sense that the music will make them want to dance.
Are you ready? (Are you ready?)
The singer asks the listener if they're prepared to dance.
Well, you get yours 'cause-a I got mine
The singer got to the location early and is already having fun, encouraging the listener to do the same.
For the monkey time (Monkey time, monkey time)
The singer mentions the 'monkey time,' which is a dance the people at the location are doing.
Now the dance that the people do, I don't know how it started
The singer is not sure how the dance originated but knows that it's popular and fun.
All I know is that when the beat brings a feel
When the music plays, people instinctively start to dance because the beat feels good.
It's so hard to get parted
Once the listener starts dancing, it's difficult to stop because the music and the atmosphere are so exciting.
Ah-twist them hips (Twist them hips)
The singer is providing instructions for how to do the 'monkey time' dance.
Let your backbone slip (Let your backbone slip)
Another instruction for the dance moves in 'monkey time.'
Now move your feet (Move your feet)
The singer is pointing out the next steps in the dance.
Get on the beat (Get on the beat)
The singer encourages the listener to keep dancing and stay in rhythm with the music.
Ah, do the monkey, yeah
The singer is getting into the 'monkey time' dance and wants the listener to do the same.
Give me a big strong line
The singer is asking for a bold dance move from the listener.
You're lookin' real fine
The singer compliments the listener on their dance moves and appearance.
Writer(s): Curtis Mayfield
Contributed by Lily A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.