"Blue Monkey" is a novelty dance song released by Suzanne Paul in 1994. It is the only original single to be released by Paul, and was distributed by Prestige Marketing in a compilation album, Blue Monkey Plus 70's Dance Hits. The album also includes an extended dance mix version.[1]
In December 1994, the song entered the New Zealand single charts at 41, where it remained for one week.[2]
Background
"Blue Monkey" was written by Paddy Free of Pitch Black, with lyrics jointly written by Suzanne Paul. It is primarily sung by Paul, but includes backing vocals by Boh Runga and Mark Hickstead, and saxophone by Walter Bianco of the band Herbs.[1]
In a magazine interview, Paul said she released the single to demonstrate she was more than "the intense over-the-top woman who sold things on television".[3] She claims the concept was inspired by a conversation between herself and a friend visiting from Britain, about a perceived lack of dancing in nightclub culture in New Zealand; the song is allegedly named after a British nightclub they both visited, and was intended as a comedy song to get people dancing.[4]
Music video
The video depicts Paul arriving at a nightclub and doing "The Blue Monkey" dance with a crowd of dancers, inter-spliced with stylised shots of Paul presenting infomercials. The club shots were recorded at a gay nightclub named Staircase, located on K Road.[5][4] The video was directed by Mark Tierney of the band Strawpeople.[4]
Response and legacy
"Blue Monkey" received mixed responses. It was reportedly popular in the gay community and praised by fellow TV personalities, but was also criticised as a novelty production.[4] In a retrospective piece, Elizabeth Beattie of Junkee ranked the single number 3 in a list of "10 Weirdest New Zealand TV Moments Of All Time".[6]
In 2015, Paul said she was "ecstatic about the song" and believed it would have gone viral if it was made in the 2010s.[4] However, in a 2024 interview, Paul said that she wished she never thought of the song and wanted to "forget all about" the track, claiming that she was frequently asked by members of the public if she wanted to "do The Blue Monkey".[7]
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