Michael never told me why “Monkey Business” didn’t make the record. It had been in the top four priorities as the album came together. It was an adventurously odd thing, sometimes Beatlesque, other times bluesy and dark, and Michael loved the Beatles, but there was an obscure story here. The music and production were quite far along when Michael finally came to me with his lyrics.
“Billy,you know those people who want something for nothing?” (now he’s singing and snapping fingers)
“Your brother’s got kids with your mother-in-law
I might drop dead about what I saw
(Oh lord!)
I caught your mother she was doing the do
You can’t lie cause I was looking right at you
(oh Lord!)
Stop it
It’s too much!
Monkey Business going down”
And then in the bridge:
“I read the paper
And I can’t believe what’s going round
Somebody’s doing it to
Somebody’s up, somebody’s down
The government won’t pay my taxes
And I’m really mad
My mouth might let it free
So don’t you monkey shine with me!”
[Chorus]
In a few different sessions, we worked on the vocals. I always wondered who had been the lowly sexual grifters in the song, mothers and sons and what have you. It was not my job to ask Michael these things, as a songwriter of his status certainly can tell which stories he wants to tell, if and when he wants to tell them. So I only have his clear statement: “Billy, you know those people who want something for nothing?”
I got Greg Phillinganes in to Westlake studios to lay down a funky wurlitzer, and Jim Horn, the Beatles sax player, to layer some saxes. George Del Barrio’s string arrangement only entered a couple of times, but it evoked the sense of the story with an edgy riff. A lot of love and attention went into that recording. It never occurred to me that it might be left off the Dangerous album.
“Monkey Business” was eventually released without a final mix, on a rarities record, but without Michael to tell his back-story, it has gone unnoticed.