"You Can Leave Your Hat On" is a song written by Randy Newman and appearing on his 1972 album Sail Away.
"You Can Leave Your Hat On" | |
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Single by Randy Newman | |
from the album Sail Away | |
Released | December 15, 1972 |
Recorded | 1972 |
Genre | Rock |
Length | 3:18 |
Label | Reprise[1] |
Songwriter(s) | Randy Newman[1] |
Producer(s) |
Upon its single release, Record World called it "an extraordinary reproduced and newly arranged version of this very funny song with a funky melody line and unique Newman vocalizing."[2]
According to a retrospective AllMusic review by Mark Deming, the song is a "potent mid-tempo rock tune" and a "witty and willfully perverse bit of erotic absurdity".[3] Newman later admitted the song was, "too low for me to sing it. I can't rock it too hard, which maybe I should have...or maybe not."[4]
"You Can Leave Your Hat On" | ||||
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Single by Joe Cocker | ||||
from the album Cocker | ||||
B-side |
| |||
Released | February 10, 1986 | |||
Recorded | 1985 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:14 | |||
Label | EMI | |||
Songwriter(s) | Randy Newman | |||
Producer(s) | Richie Zito[6] | |||
Joe Cocker singles chronology | ||||
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Joe Cocker recorded "You Can Leave Your Hat On" for his 1986 album Cocker. Released as a single, Cocker's version peaked at No. 35 on Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks,[7] and it was featured in the 1986 Adrian Lyne film 9½ Weeks during the striptease scene.
A music video was released which features footage of the striptease scene from 9½ Weeks and scenes with Cocker and his band performing the song.
Etta James covered the song in a 1974 single included on the album Etta Is Betta Than Evvah!, published by Chess Records and produced by Gabriel Mekler.[8]
Three Dog Night covered the song in a 1975 single, published by ABC and produced by Jimmy Ienner.[9]
Merl Saunders and Aunt Monk covered it in 1976 on their album You Can Leave Your Hat On.[10]
Tom Jones covered the song for the soundtrack of the 1997 British film The Full Monty, and it is included in the subsequent 2013 play of the same name. As a medley with Hot Chocolate's "You Sexy Thing" and Donna Summer's "Hot Stuff," the track reached Number 62 in the UK Singles Chart in 1998, under the title "The Full Monty - Monster Mix".[11][12]
American country music singer Ty Herndon covered the song on his 1999 album, Steam.[13] Herndon's version reached No. 72 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart from unsolicited airplay and was included on his 2002 compilation, This Is Ty Herndon: Greatest Hits.[14]