Shock The Monkey
	Produced by David Lord and Peter Gabriel
	Released on September 1982
	UK CHART POSITION #58 . . . US CHART POSITION #29 (charted Oct. 23, 1982 for 18 weeks)
	Find it at GEMM
7-29883 wo. picture sleeve [high resolution scan]

A n edited version of “Shock The Monkey” became Peter Gabriel’s biggest US hit to date, driving endless speculation on what the song might actually be about. The title suggested a song about experimenting on animals, an idea that gathered traction when the song was used in a movie (Project X) about that very subject and seemingly confirmed when Gabriel revisited shock treatments on his next album, “We Do What We’re Told.” Yet the video for the song suggested a modern man at odds with his primitive side, something that the album Security seemed to reinforce as a common theme. And then Gabriel apparently dispelled all myth by announcing the song was about jealousy. Oh well, it’s still a fun topic, as evidenced on Songfacts. The flip side was a nonalbum track, “Soft Dog,” that probably should have stayed on the editing room floor. Whether it was intended as an original song or simply consists of discarded backing tracks is open to debate, in case you’ve got a little left in you. To date, I haven’t heard a nonalbum B side from Gabriel that warrants much interest.

GGEF-0481 wo. picture sleeve

TRACK LISTING

1. SHOCK THE MONKEY    (Peter Gabriel)    3:58
2. SOFT DOG    (Peter Gabriel)    4:10
   
   US 12-inch promotional single (1062)
   
1. SHOCK THE MONKEY
2. I HAVE THE TOUCH
3. KISS OF LIFE
   
   Back To Back Hits reissue
   
1. SHOCK THE MONKEY    (Peter Gabriel)    3:58
2. SOLSBURY HILL (LIVE)    (Peter Gabriel)    3:58

CREDITS

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