Mona - Craig McLachlan & Check 1-2

For the love of rock
Vol VI, Issue 8 – Hey Mona (01 Dec 2021)
www.intheloveofrock.com

Name of song- Mona (I need you baby)
Band- Craig McLachlan & Check 1-2
Album- Craig McLachlan & Check 1-2
Writer- Elias McDaniel (Bo Diddley) (1957)
Release year- 1990
Chart records- UK Singles Chart - 2
Australian ARIA Singles Chart - 3
Belgian Singles Chart - 8
New Zealand Singles Chart - 16
Dutch Singles Chart - 26
German Singles Chart - 44
Austrian Singles Chart - 44

Mona (I need you baby)

Reviewers-Bikash Shrestha/Nirab Kayastha

"Mona" is a good example of "one hit wonder" song from Australian Band Craig McLachlan & Check 1-2. Released in 1990, this amazingly catchy rock number shot up most of the charts around the world and established itself as a prototype teenage guitar strummer number during those days.
Written by Bo Didley in 1957 in appreciation of a 45 years old exotic lady dancer in Flame Show Bar in Detroit, the original "Mona" is in sharp contrast to this version released after more than three decades later. Bo had done justice to this song with his bluesy voice and mellow guitar. Over time, the song had been covered by many artists including The Rolling Stones, but none beat this picky version of McLachlan & Check 1-2.
The song opens with a low guitar strumming and soon the rhythm takes over the song. The addition of the drum beat gives it an extra rocky motion. Beautifully simple and wonderful lyrics, the humming melody and the strumming rhythm form the trademarks of this song. The main verse serves as the chorus of the song and the chorus blends so well with the rhythm of the song. Besides the typical strumming, the short and powerful pieces of electric guitar at places adds joy to this teenage fantasy song. The background vocals with the chorus is also equally powerful and adds friendly environment to the song.
The song was released as the second single from their self titled first album "Craig McLachlan & Check 1-2". This was the first venture of the Australian TV actor Craig McLachlan as a singer and he nailed it with this hit. The song made a mark among most of the charts in Europe and Australia and it provided him the ARIA Award for Highest Selling Single of the Year-1991. This is one of the occasions in rock music where the cover version of the song became much more popular than the original one.
No doubt a lovelorn teenager's foot tapping number, "Mona", with its beautiful lyrics, catchy rhythm and chorus with a fantastic strumming, is no doubt a "one hit wonder" for Craig McLachlan & Check 1-2, but in fact is perhaps a forever hit for any ardent rock fan.
Happy listening!!

Resources- Wikipedia.org


Mona (I need you baby)



Hey Mona, Ooh Mona
Hey Mona, Ooh Mona

Tell you Mona what I wanna do
I'll build a house next door to you
Can I see you sometime
We can go kissing through the blind
When you come out on the front
Listen to my heart go bumpity bump
I need you baby and thats no lie
Without your love Id surely die

Hey Mona, Ooh Mona (ooh-ooh)
Hey Mona, Ooh Mona (ooh-ooh)
Hey Mona, Ooh Mona (ooh-ooh)
I said hey Mona, Ooh Mona (ooh-ooh)

Tell you Mona what I wanna do, (tell you Mona what I wanna do)
I'll build a house next door to you, (I'll build a house next to you)
Can I see you sometime, (can I see you sometime)
We can go kissing through the blind
When you come out on the front (ooh-ooh)
Listen to my heart go bumpity bump
I need you baby and that’s no lie (ooh-ooh)
Without your love I'd surely die
Hey Mona (ooh-ooh), Ooh Mona (ooh-ooh)
Hey Mona (ooh-ooh), Ooh Mona (ooh-ooh)
I said hey Mona (ooh-ooh), Ooh Mona (ooh-ooh)
Hey Mona (ooh-ooh), Ooh Mona (ooh-ooh)
I said hey Mona (ooh-ooh), Ooh Mona (ooh-ooh)
I said hey, hey Mona

Lyrics link - Craig McLachlan – Mona Lyrics | Genius Lyrics
Video link -    • Mona - Craig McLachlan & Check 1-2