Shirley Ellis
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Shirley Ellis (born Shirley Marie Elliston, circa 1941, The Bronx, New York) is a soul music singer and songwriter of West Indian origin[1], and is best known for her novelty hits "The Nitty Gritty" (1963), "The Name Game" (1965) and "The Clapping Song" (1965).
By 1954 she had written two songs which were recorded by The Chords.[2] Ellis was originally in the group, The Metronomes, and she went on to marry the lead singer, Alphonso Elliston. All her solo hits were written by her and her manager, producer, and songwriting partner Lincoln Chase.
Ellis had recording contracts with the Kapp Records subsidiary, Congress, and later Columbia and Bell Records, but retired from the music industry in 1968.
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[edit] Cover versions
Cover versions of her hits have been recorded by Madeline Bell, The Belle Stars, Laura Branigan, Aaron Carter, Gary Glitter, Ricardo Ray, Pia Zadora, Southern Culture on the Skids, and Gladys Knight and the Pips (a version of "The Nitty Gritty", produced by Norman Whitfield).[3]
In addition, her song "Soul Time" was sampled by the U.K. band, The Go! Team for their single "Bottle Rocket".[4]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Singles
"A Beautiful Love" (1961)
"The Nitty Gritty" (1963) #8 U.S.
"(That's) What The Nitty Gritty Is" (1964) #72 U.S.
"Shy One" (1964) #130 U.S.
"Such A Night" (1964)
"The Name Game" (1964) #3 U.S.
"The Clapping Song (Clap Pat Clap Slap)" (1965) #8 U.S., #6 UK
"The Puzzle Song (A Puzzle In Song)" (1965) #78 U.S.
"I Told You So" (1965)
"You Better Be Good, World" (1965)
"Ever See A Diver Kiss His Wife (While The Bubbles Bounce About Above The Water) (1966) #135 U.S.
"Birds, Bees, Cupids And Bows" (1966)
"Soul Time" (1967)
"Sugar, Let's Shing-A-Ling" (1967)
"The Clapping Song (EP)" (1978) #59 U.K.
[edit] Albums
Shirley Ellis In Action (1964)
The Name Game (1965)
Sugar, Let's Shing-A-Ling : Soul Time With Shirley Ellis (1967)
The Name Game (1988)
The Very Best Of Shirley Ellis (1995)
The Complete Congress Recordings (2001)
The Best Of Shirley Ellis (2006)
[edit] References
- ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums, 19th, London: Guinness World Records Limited, p. 182. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
