What do you think?
Rate this book
What Makes The Monkey Dance: The Life And Music Of Chuck Prophet And Green On Red
How do you define success? If you let somebody else define what success is, you’re a sucker. I’m no sucker.
Chuck Prophet started out as a post-punk California kid who helped kick-start the alt-country genre when he joined Dan Stuart’s Green On Red, then making a name for themselves as part of the so-called Paisley Underground alongside bands like The Dream Syndicate and The Bangles. While Green On Red established a reputation for self-destruction illuminated by flashes of brilliance in the studio and on festival stages around Europe in the late 1980s, Prophet simultaneously immersed himself in roots music and forged a solo career via backroom and basement venues across his adopted home of San Francisco. He has emerged as one of the most respected musicians of his generation, admired for his talents as a songwriter, guitarist, vocalist, and live performer. He has worked with the likes of Tony Visconti and Warren Zevon, and his songs have been performed by artists as diverse as Bruce Springsteen and Solomon Burke.
Those who know him through his social-media presence or his live shows are well aware that no one tells a story quite like Chuck Prophet; here, his voice rings clearly from the first page to the last as he gives his perspective on writing, recording, and performing, and talks candidly about his struggles and remarkable recovery from years of addiction.
As Prophet’s official archivist, author Stevie Simkin draws on over a hundred hours of interviews with his subject—as well as contributions from fellow musicians, producers, friends, and associates, and unique access to unreleased songs and live recordings and scores of previously unseen photographs. Time and again, Simkin puts the reader in the room with Chuck as he talks, or in the studio as he plays, and the live experience is captured from both sides of the stage monitors.
An exciting rock’n’roll odyssey, What Makes The Monkey Dance is essential reading for every fan of this phenomenal artist, but also for anyone with an interest in alternative music during a period of seismic change, offering a fascinating portrait of how a true artist has managed to carve out a career at the sharp end of a notoriously ruthless industry.
Chuck Prophet started out as a post-punk California kid who helped kick-start the alt-country genre when he joined Dan Stuart’s Green On Red, then making a name for themselves as part of the so-called Paisley Underground alongside bands like The Dream Syndicate and The Bangles. While Green On Red established a reputation for self-destruction illuminated by flashes of brilliance in the studio and on festival stages around Europe in the late 1980s, Prophet simultaneously immersed himself in roots music and forged a solo career via backroom and basement venues across his adopted home of San Francisco. He has emerged as one of the most respected musicians of his generation, admired for his talents as a songwriter, guitarist, vocalist, and live performer. He has worked with the likes of Tony Visconti and Warren Zevon, and his songs have been performed by artists as diverse as Bruce Springsteen and Solomon Burke.
Those who know him through his social-media presence or his live shows are well aware that no one tells a story quite like Chuck Prophet; here, his voice rings clearly from the first page to the last as he gives his perspective on writing, recording, and performing, and talks candidly about his struggles and remarkable recovery from years of addiction.
As Prophet’s official archivist, author Stevie Simkin draws on over a hundred hours of interviews with his subject—as well as contributions from fellow musicians, producers, friends, and associates, and unique access to unreleased songs and live recordings and scores of previously unseen photographs. Time and again, Simkin puts the reader in the room with Chuck as he talks, or in the studio as he plays, and the live experience is captured from both sides of the stage monitors.
An exciting rock’n’roll odyssey, What Makes The Monkey Dance is essential reading for every fan of this phenomenal artist, but also for anyone with an interest in alternative music during a period of seismic change, offering a fascinating portrait of how a true artist has managed to carve out a career at the sharp end of a notoriously ruthless industry.
- GenresMusic
392 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 21, 2020
5 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 15, 2021
I discovered Chuck Prophet when a friend gave me the No Other Love CD to listen to and I was immediately hooked. How utterly different--strange, melodic, atmospheric--and the lyrics! Cool, just cool. Next I saw him live at Mountain Stage and started collecting all his albums. They are all so different, from the early alt-country ones to the later all out rockers. Chuck Prophet always seems to be experimenting which is why I love his music.
On to the biography... The author connects the periods of Chuck's life through his albums, starting with the Americana group Green on Red he was in first. I personally can't really get into Green on Red because Chuck only sings back-up, but that's just me. There's a lot of information about the songs on each album, but unfortunately not a lot about Chuck. A little bleeds in and out of each period, including the ubiquitous drugs and alcohol and later the sobering up. But this book was written with Chuck's cooperation, and I have read his crazy newsletters, so I imagine it was hard for the author to pull a lot of usable material from his conversations with the artist.
Nevertheless, as a huge fan, I enjoyed the book. Do yourself a favor if you haven't heard Chuck Prophet and listen to a few songs. Chuck's the ultimate in California cool!
On to the biography... The author connects the periods of Chuck's life through his albums, starting with the Americana group Green on Red he was in first. I personally can't really get into Green on Red because Chuck only sings back-up, but that's just me. There's a lot of information about the songs on each album, but unfortunately not a lot about Chuck. A little bleeds in and out of each period, including the ubiquitous drugs and alcohol and later the sobering up. But this book was written with Chuck's cooperation, and I have read his crazy newsletters, so I imagine it was hard for the author to pull a lot of usable material from his conversations with the artist.
Nevertheless, as a huge fan, I enjoyed the book. Do yourself a favor if you haven't heard Chuck Prophet and listen to a few songs. Chuck's the ultimate in California cool!
April 6, 2021
Workman like writing but very informative stories on an incredible musician, songwriter and great personality!
September 24, 2021
A great read that made me listen to Chuck differently. Well Done Stevie
August 25, 2023
Tremendously researched and a rock and roll blast. Thank you thank you Steve Simkin for 4 years of dedicated digging to tell this essential story of one of the best kept secrets in the rock world. And thank you Chuck for your passion and for getting such great work on record and into the ether at thousands of live shows! And thanks for working with Steve to get this important work out in book form. Highly recommended for all Chuck fans.... if you have stumbled here and haven't heard Chuck Prophet.... get started asap !
April 29, 2023
I'm a huge if somewhat new Chuck Prophet fan, this book looks at his solo recordings plus Green on Red his previous band. If I had one complaint it would be the lack of personal details although it does give you some insight into his songwriting. If you've never heard of Chuck Prophet check out a couple of his solo albums and if you're so inclined a couple of Green on Red albums as well, if you're already a fan read the book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews