"The Stripper" is an instrumental composed by David Rose and recorded in 1962. It evinces a jazz influence with especially prominent trombone lines, and evokes the feel of music used to accompany striptease artists.

The piece features in the films Slap Shot, Used Cars, The Full Monty and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit as well as TV series Monty Python's Flying Circus, Coupling, Little Britain, Are You Being Served? and Scrubs. It was also famously used in a parody by British comedy duo Morecambe and Wise, where they danced to the tune while making breakfast. A PG Tips tea commercial featured a parody of the Morcambe and Wise sketch with Johnny Vegas and Monkey making a cup of tea in a similar manner.

American hard rock band Mötley Crüe occasionally used the original song as an intro during performances in the late 80s, most notably at the one-time Moscow Music Peace Festival which were held in August 1989.

A famous Noxzema shave-cream advertising campaign developed by the William Esty Advertising Agency used the piece as background music for a television commercial that featured Swedish model Gunilla Knudson telling men to “Take it off! Take it all off!”. Cut to closeups of the faces of men shaving with safety razors, the razor strokes coinciding with the emphatic parts of the tune.

The song reached number one on Billboard magazine's Pop Singles and Adult Contemporary charts in 1962.

The late professional wrestler, Rick Rude, utilized this as his theme song.

Preceded by "I Can't Stop Loving You" by Ray Charles

Billboard Hot 100 number one single July 7, 1962 (one week)

Succeeded by "Roses Are Red (My Love)" by Bobby Vinton

[edit] External links

• Gunilla Knudson's page on IMDb.com

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