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The Name Game

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"The Name Game"
SinglebyShirley Ellis
from the albumThe Name Game
B-side"Whisper to Me Wind"
ReleasedNovember 1964(1964-11)[1]
Genre
Length2:39
LabelCongress
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Charles Calello

"The Name Game"is a song co-written and performed byShirley Ellis[2]as a rhyming game that creates variations on a person's name.[3]She explains through speaking and singing how to play the game. The first verse is done using Ellis's first name; the other names used in the original version of the song are Lincoln, Arnold, Tony, Billy, Marsha, and Nick.

History

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Written by American singer Shirley Ellis (who based the song on a game she played as a child[3]) andLincoln Chase.Ellis's recording, produced byCharles Calello,was released in late 1964 as "The Name Game". The record scored third on theBillboardHot 100,and fourth on the magazine's R&B charts during 1965. The record was re-released in 1966 and again in 1973. An R&B singer for 10 years before that success, Ellis was also successful with "The Clapping Song (Clap Pat Clap Slap)"(No.8 pop and No.16 R&B), and"The Nitty Gritty"(No.8 on the Hot 100 and No.4 on theCash BoxR&B chart). Ellis performed on then-major television programs, includingHullabaloo,American BandstandandThe Merv Griffin Show.It later became a popular children's singalong.[3]InCanadait reached No. 2.[4]

Rules

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Using the nameKatieas an example, the song follows this pattern:

Katie, Katie, bo-batie,
Bonana-fanna fo-fatie
Fee fi mo-matie
Katie!

A verse can be created for any name, withXas the name andYas the name without the first consonant sound (if it begins with a consonant), as follows:

(X), (X), bo-b (Y)
Bonana-fanna fo-f (Y)
Fee fi mo-m (Y)
(X)!

If the name starts with ab,f,orm,that sound simply is not repeated. For example:Billybecomes "Billy Billybo-illy";Fredbecomes "bonana fannafo-red";Marthabecomes "fee fimo-artha"[3]

The song as originally performed gives no indication of what to do with names where the stress falls on a syllable after the first, like Anita or Antoinette, but during the live rendition of the song onThe Merv Griffin Show,Ellis uses the same rules as explained above ( "Tallulah, Tallulah, bo-ballulah" ).[5]However, the cover version on the workout videoSweatin' to the Oldies 3(vocals by Donna Miller) suggests that the first syllable should be dropped after the name is first said; the nameMadonnais sung as "Madonna-donna-bo-bonna," etc.

Laura Branigan version

[edit]
"Name Game"
SinglebyLaura Branigan
from the albumTouch
B-side"Cry Wolf"
Released1988
Genre
Length4:10
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)
  • Shirley Ellis
  • Lincoln Chase
Producer(s)David Kesherbaun
Laura Branigan singles chronology
"Cry Wolf"
(1988)
"Name Game"
(1988)
"Come into My Life"
(1988)

Laura Branigancovered the song for her 1987 studio albumTouch.It was released as the last single from the album in thePhilippines.

Track listings

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  • Philippines 7-inch single[6]
  1. "Name Game" (Edited version) – 3:44
  2. "Cry Wolf"(LP version) – 4:48
  • Philippines 12-inch single[7]
  1. "Name Game" (Extended version) – 6:32
  2. "Name Game" (Edited version) – 3:44
  3. "Cry Wolf"(LP version) – 4:48

See also

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References

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  1. ^"45cat - Shirley Ellis - The Name Game / Whisper To Me Wind - Congress - USA - CG-230".
  2. ^"The Name Game".Billboard.
  3. ^abcd"Three Six Nine! Shirley Ellis Name Game / Soul Time Home Page".keepkey.yochanan.net.
  4. ^"RPM Top 40&5 - February 8, 1965"(PDF).
  5. ^Shirley Ellis • "The Name Game" • 1965 [Reelin' In The Years Archive].Retrieved2024-06-04– via YouTube.
  6. ^Name Game(Media notes). Laura Branigan.Atlantic.1988. ATR-0351.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ^Name Game(Media notes). Laura Branigan.Atlantic.1988. DS-151.{{cite AV media notes}}:CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)