Wordy Rappinghood

"Wordy Rappinghood"
Single by Tom Tom Club
from the album Tom Tom Club
Released February 17, 1981
Format
Recorded 1980–1981
Genre Funk[1]
Length 6:27
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Chris Frantz
  • Steven Stanley
Tom Tom Club singles chronology
"Wordy Rappinghood"
(1981)		 "Genius of Love"
(1981)

"Wordy Rappinghood"
(1981)		 "Genius of Love"
(1981)

"Wordy Rappinghood" is a song by American new wave band Tom Tom Club. The song was the lead single from the band's debut studio album, Tom Tom Club. It uses part of a traditional Moroccan children's song and game, "A Ram Sam Sam", made popular by the 1971 Rolf Harris recording. In the United States, the song topped the Billboard Disco Top 80 chart along with "Genius of Love".

Structure, instrumentation and production

The song opens with the sound of a typewriter and features jarring synthesizer chords and a distinctive drum break. The words of the fifth verse are spoken in French: "Mots pressés, mots sensés, mots qui disent la vérité, mots maudits, mots mentis, mots qui manquent le fruit d'esprit"[2] which translate as: "hurried words, sensible words, words that tell the truth, cursed words, lying words, words that are missing the fruit of the mind."

Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz of Tom Tom Club had bought a house in Nassau, Bahamas, next door to Chris Blackwell, owner of Island Records, and it was Blackwell who arranged the recording in his Compass Point Studios. Frantz and Weymouth brought in Steven Stanley, a 21-year-old keyboard player who had been the sound engineer on Ian Dury's album Lord Upminster, and bass player, Monte Browne, a former member of T-Connection.[3]

Track listings

A. "Wordy Rappinghood" (Special 12" Version) – 6:39
B. "Spooks" – 6:28
A. "Wordy Rappinghood" – 3:50
B. "Wordy Rappinghood" (You Don't Ever Stop) – 4:05
A. "Wordy Rappinghood" (Remix) – 6:42
B. "Elephant" – 5:11

Chart performance

Chart (1981–1982) Peak
position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] 1
France (IFOP)[7] 9
Ireland (IRMA)[8] 10
Italy (FIMI)[9] 9
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[10] 2
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] 2
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[5] 35
Spain (AFYVE)[12] 3
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[13] 7
US Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100[14] 105
US Billboard Disco Top 80[15] 1

Chicks on Speed version

"Wordy Rappinghood"
Single by Chicks on Speed
from the album 99 Cents
Released 2003
Format
Recorded 2003
Length 6:26
Label Chicks on Speed
Songwriter(s)
  • Tina Weymouth
  • Chris Frantz
  • Steven Stanley
Producer(s) Glove
Chicks on Speed singles chronology
"We Don't Play Guitars"
(2003)		 "Wordy Rappinghood"
(2003)		 "Flame On"
(2004)

"We Don't Play Guitars"
(2003)		 "Wordy Rappinghood"
(2003)		 "Flame On"
(2004)
Music video
"Wordy Rappinghood" on YouTube

"Wordy Rappinghood" was covered by German electroclash group Chicks on Speed and released as the second single from their album 99 Cents in 2003. Their version featured guest vocals by other female musicians such as Miss Kittin, Kevin Blechdom, Le Tigre, Adult.'s Nicola Kuperus, and Tom Tom Club founding member Tina Weymouth.[16]

This cover was sampled in the song "Really Rappin' Something" by The Kleptones from the album From Detroit to J.A. in 2005. In 2007, the Playgroup remix of Chicks on Speed's version appeared on the compilation album FabricLive.33 by Spank Rock.[17]

Critical reception

Christopher Lloyd of Drowned in Sound described the song as an "ultra-catchy seven minute dancefloor killer".[18]

Track listings

  1. "Wordy Rappinghood" (Radio Edit) – 4:20
  2. "Wordy Rappinghood" (The Playgroup Remix) – 5:23
  3. "Wordy Rappinghood" (Dave Clarke's Non Techno Mix) – 3:37
  4. "Wordy Rappinghood" (The Playgroup Instrumental Mix) – 5:24
  5. "Wordy Rappinghood" (music video)
A1. "Wordy Rappinghood" (Album Mix) – 6:26
A2. "Wordy Rappinghood" (Acapella Version) – 4:10
B1. "Wordy Rappinghood" (The Playgroup Remix) – 5:23
B2. "Wordy Rappinghood" (Dave Clarke's Non Techno Mix) – 3:37

Charts

Chart (2003–2004) Peak
position
Belgium Dance (Ultratop Flanders)[21] 5
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[22] 72
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[23] 66
UK Dance (Official Charts Company)[24] 4

Uffie version

"Wordy Rappinghood"
Single by Uffie
Released April 18, 2011
Format Digital download
Recorded 2011
Length 3:08
Label
Songwriter(s)
  • Tina Weymouth
  • Chris Frantz
  • Steven Stanley
Producer(s) DJ Mehdi
Uffie singles chronology
"Difficult"
(2010)		 "Wordy Rappinghood"
(2011)

"Difficult"
(2010)		 "Wordy Rappinghood"
(2011)

French-American electronic artist Uffie covered the song in 2011. The single, produced by labelmate DJ Mehdi, was released on April 18, 2011, through Ed Banger Records, Because Music and Elektra Records.[25] Her version was used in Evian adverts in the UK.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Buckley, Peter (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock (3rd ed.). Rough Guides. p. 1090. ISBN 1-84353-105-4.
  2. ↑ Gorin, François (January 21, 2013). "Tom Tom Club : ratiocinations lexicologiques". Télérama (in French). Retrieved October 16, 2014.
  3. ↑ Kutner, Jon (May 27, 2012). "Wordy Rappinghood". Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  4. ↑ "Tom Tom Club – Wordy Rappinghood (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 "Charts.org.nz – Tom Tom Club – Wordy Rappinghood". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Tom Tom Club – Wordy Rappinghood" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  7. ↑ "InfoDisc : Tous les Titres par Artiste" (in French). InfoDisc. Select "Tom Tom Club" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  8. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Wordy Rappinghood". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  9. ↑ "I singoli più venduti del 1982" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Creative Commons. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  10. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Tom Tom Club - Wordy Rappinghood search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Tom Tom Club – Wordy Rappinghood" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  12. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  13. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1981-07-18" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved August 1, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Bubbling Under the Hot 100" (PDF). Billboard. May 29, 1982. p. 70.
  15. ↑ "Tom Tom Club – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  16. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Chicks on Speed – 99 Cents". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Spank Rock – FabricLive. 33 (CD)". Discogs. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
  18. ↑ Lloyd, Christopher (October 13, 2003). "Chicks on Speed – 99 Cents". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Chicks On Speed – Wordy Rappinghood (CD)". Discogs. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
  20. ↑ "Chicks On Speed – Wordy Rappinghood (Vinyl)". Discogs. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Chicks on Speed – Wordy Rappinghood" (in Dutch). Ultratop Dance. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  22. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2004-03-07". Scottish Singles Top 40. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2004-03-07" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
  24. ↑ "Archive Chart: 2004-03-07" UK Dance Chart. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  25. ↑ "Wordy Rappinghood (Evian Mix) – Single by Uffie". iTunes Store. Retrieved December 15, 2012.
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