You Can Leave Your Hat On

"You Can Leave Your Hat On" is a song written by Randy Newman and appearing on his 1972 album Sail Away.

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."

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". 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."

Joe Cocker version
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, 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.

Personnel

 * Joe Cocker – lead vocals
 * Richie Zito – production, guitar
 * Arthur Barrow – piano, bass
 * Mike Baird – drums
 * Dick Hyde – trombone
 * Joel Peskin – saxophone
 * Steve Madaio – trumpet
 * Elisecia Wright – backing vocals
 * Julia Tillman Waters – backing vocals
 * Maxine Green – backing vocals

Other cover versions
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.

Three Dog Night covered the song in a 1975 single, published by ABC and produced by Jimmy Ienner.

Merl Saunders and Aunt Monk covered it in 1976 on their album You Can Leave Your Hat On.

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".

American country music singer Ty Herndon covered the song on his 1999 album, Steam. 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.

The 2006 Randy Newman tribute album "Sail Away: The Songs of Randy Newman" features a cover on track 11 by Mark Broussard.