Godiego – Monkey Magic 1979
Continuing the TV-theme theme, here is Godiego’s “Monkey Magic”.
Taken from the English-dubbed version of the Japanese TV adaptation of the Chinese novel “Journey To The West.
Some people prefer the slow outro music from Monkey but they’re nuts. The bit in “Monkey Magic” where the beat kicks in and Monkey shouts “Attack!!!” is like a whole genre of music that will never exist. It sounds like the Disco-Drum-&-Bass introduction to everyone’s favourite post-apocalyptic gameshow. Presented by cockroaches. If I’m ever forced to fight for my life in a futuristic (yet strangely ramshackle, in a 70s way) colloseum then I should very much like to enter the pit to a loop of the bar that starts around 1:01.
The BBC Records 45 only managed to get to 56 on the UK singles chart. Godiego’s previous UK release, the theme from “The Water Margin” had managed to get to 37, even though it’s not as good. The Monkey 7″ was reissued a year or so later with a different cat number and slightly different graphics on the sleeve.
I’m gonna do some more TV themes for the rest of this week and then move on to something different. Peace in the city, peace in the valley.
Oh and here’s the lyrics for maximum enjoyment…
Born from an egg on a mountain top
The punkiest monkey that ever popped
He knew every magic trick under the sun
To tease the Gods
And everyone and have some fun
Monkey magic, Monkey magic (repeat 4 times)
What a cocky saucy monkey this one is
All the Gods were angered
And they punished him
Until he was saved by a kindly priest
And that was the start
Of their pilgrimage west
Monkey magic, Monkey magic (repeat 4 times)
With a little bit of monkey magic
There’ll be fireworks tonight
With a little bit of monkey magic
Every thing will be all right
Born from an egg on a mountain top
The punkiest monkey that ever popped
He knew every magic trick under the sun
To tease the Gods
And everyone and have some fun
Monkey magic, Monkey magic (repeat 4 times)
Leave a comment
It isn’t AS good but I still think the end theme is cool. Put up the B-Side Beezide!
Still, what a cool theme. I guarantee it will be accompanying me as I swagger along to the tube tomorrow or maybe I’ll just take the cloud…
Comment by Nathaniel 08.04.07 @ 9:36 pmI loved this theme when I was a kid, though the show disturbed me back then. When I clicked the link, I thought you’d posted the wrong file for about 30 seconds, because I don’t remember that bit and it sounded strangely retro-modern. It is a great theme, though.
I don’t remember the Water Margin theme at all. Is it similar?
Comment by David N 09.04.07 @ 12:22 amBTW Monkey is officially somewhere in the Top 11 best TV themes ever according to my poll. More results in the future…
Comment by Nathaniel 09.04.07 @ 2:06 pmDon’t remember this TV show at all…when was it on?
Great tune though, this line is my favourite:
‘The punkiest monkey that ever popped’
Excellent.
Actually, the whole tune is some songwriting genius.
Comment by Becca 09.04.07 @ 4:45 pmI remember playing Monkey on the school ground at primary school, probably in 1984 or 1985, beating the hell out of each other with broom handles. And I remember nobody wanted to be Sandy, ‘cos he was boring. Better than being Tripitaka though, I suppose.
I must say, last time I tried to watch any Monkey, I was sorely disappointed. Just all a bit dull.
Comment by AP Salmond 09.04.07 @ 6:14 pmFor a large chunk of my early childhood, Monkey was my most favourite program and you and your mates could easily ‘play’ monkey with the contents of your garden shed, though sandy was least popular cos of his bald hair-do.
Many long summer evenings i spent alone in my back yard pretending to be Pigsy, swatting maybugs from the warm pink air with a garden rake.
But back to the music, the theme is class but that must be some mean lyric translator, what are the japanese words for ‘cocky’(not ‘of the cock’) and ’saucy’(not ‘covered in sauce’)?
When i was not as young, we used to eat pasta with funny mushrooms and then listen to this record. The long intro with the synths builds up and before monkey bust egg, theres some unearthly sounds like prehistoric birds or someshit that used to freak the unherculeans out!
Really though…did this programme run for years and I was in some kind of vortex?
Comment by Becca 10.04.07 @ 2:24 pmWe’re a touch young and you’re too much of a girl to have had a reason to catch up. I bet you don’t remember Airwolf either!
Comment by Beezer B 11.04.07 @ 12:43 amLeave a comment