"One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" is the title of several different songs, mostly in the R&B genre, deriving from a common African-American phrase with the general meaning of "one setback should not impede progress". [1] The first known recording with this title was by Stick McGhee and His Buddies in 1950. Commercially successful songs with this title were recorded by Joe Tex (1965), Honey Cone (1971) and Little David Wilkins (1975).
"One Monkey Don't Stop No Show" was recorded by Stick McGhee and His Buddies in 1950. [1] The song was written by McGhee, [2] and released on an Atlantic Records 78, A937, in 1951. [3]
Big Maybelle recorded another song with the same title in 1955. It was issued as the B-side of her original version of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On". [4] It was written by Charlie Singleton and Rose Marie McCoy. [5] A version was recorded by Bette Midler on her 1998 album Bathhouse Betty . [1]
A different same-titled song was both written and recorded by Joe Tex in 1965, [6] and reached No. 20 in the US Billboard R&B chart. [7] In 1966, it was covered by The Animals on their UK album Animalisms and its US counterpart, Animalization . [8] They also performed it on BBC Radio and on several live shows. A cover version of the Joe Tex song was also recorded by Terry Knight and the Pack in 1967. [9]
In 1971, the all-girl group Honey Cone took a song with the same title to No. 5 on the Billboard R&B chart and No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also charted in Australia and Canada. [10] [11] This was written by General Johnson and Greg Perry. [12] It appeared on the group's Soulful Tapestry album (Hot Wax HA-707). [13]
Another song with the same title was recorded by Little David Wilkins for MCA in 1975, reaching No. 11 on US Billboard Hot Country Songs and No. 48 on CAN RPM Country Playlist. [14] [15] [16] This one was written by Wilkins and Tim Marshall. [17] [18]
