Thursday 19 June 2008

Huggin' up the original Monkey Man

It’s getting on for 30 years since I first got my body moving to 'Monkey Man' at a bonkers 2 Tone concert featuring the Specials and a bunch of booted-up skinheads sporting Anti-Nazi League regalia. I’ve heard it done by a few ska bands over the years, and I love Amy Winehouse’s more recent live performances of it (you can find a lot of clips of them on YouTube).

But tonight was the first time I’d seen it done live by Freddie ‘Toots’ Hibbert, of Toots and the Maytals fame, the man who gave that and many other ska classics to the world and who is widely credited with inventing the word ‘reggae’ in his 1968 song ‘Do the Reggay’. All I can say is that for a man who is knocking on retirement age (he was born in 1945), he looks, sounds and moves real good.

Aye aye aye, aye aye aye
Tell you baby, you huggin' up the big monkey man

Off to bed now – and I’m going to be dancing in my sleep.

1 comment:

Harry Barnes said...

Bob Piper is also a member of Sheffield FC, although he has not yet seen them play. I have just purchased a season ticket at the concessionary rate of £20 and even with a stick I can walk to the ground. It costs me a bit more (in cash and effort) to see my first love Sunderland play.