Come on everybody! The novelty song for this Friday is “The Name Game” by Shirley Ellis. The song was fun to play and dance to.  It was written by Shirley Ellis (her professional name, and Shirley Elliston was her married name) and Lincoln Chase (“Such a Night” and “Jim Dandy”). It was based on a  rhyming game Ellis played as a child. Ellis’s recording, produced by Charles Calello, was released in late 1964 as “The Name Game.” It went to #3 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #4  on the R&B Chart in 1965. The record was re-released in 1966 and in 1973. While Ellis’ stock in trade was novelty hits, she was not a one-hit wonder. An  R&B singer for ten years before that, Ellis also charted with “The Clapping Song ” (#8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #16 on the  R&B), and “The Nitty Gritty.” Ellis performed “The Name Game” on major television programs of the day, including Hullabaloo, American Bandstand, and The Merv Griffin Show. “The Name Game” has been recorded by dozens of recording artists in the years since, including Laura Branigan, Ian Cussick, Pia Zadora, Aaron Carter, Lil’ Kim, Cupid, and many more.

Here are the lyrics to “The Name Game” by Shirley Ellis:

“The name game

Shirley, Shirley, Shirley bo Birley Bonana fanna fo Firley
Fee fy mo Mirley, Shirley
Lincoln, Lincoln, Lincoln bo Bincoln Bonana fanna fo Fincoln
Fee fy mo Mincoln, Lincoln

Come on everybody! I say now, let’s play a game
I betcha I can make a rhyme out of anybody’s name
The first letter of the name, I treat it like it wasn’t there
But a B or an F or an M will appear

And then I say bo add a B
Then I say the name then Bonana fanna and a fo
And then I say the name again with an F very plain
And a fee fy and a mo

And then I say the name again with an M this time
And there isn’t any name that I can’t rhyme
Arnold, Arnold, Arnold bo Barnold Bonana fanna fo Farnold
Fee fy mo Marnold Arnold

But if the first two letters are ever the same
I drop them both and say the name like
Bob, Bob drop the B’s Bo ob
For Fred, Fred drop the F’s Fo red

For Mary, Mary drop the M’s Mo ary
That’s the only rule that is contrary

Okay? Now say Bo Bo
Now Tony with a B, Bony
Then Bonana fanna fo, bonana fanna fo
Then you say the name again with an F very plain, Fony

Then a fee fy and a mo fee fy mo
Then you say the name again with an M this time, Mony
And there isn’t any name that you can’t rhyme

Everybody do Tony…
Pretty good, let’s do Billy…
Very good, let’s do Marsha…
A little trick with Nick…

For More Golden Oldies Music
The Daily Doo Wop Rec Room has daily featured doo wop music, rock and roll hits, R&B, or rockabilly songs that were hits during the first era of rock and roll (that is, from about 1952 until the British invasion in 1964). After a song is featured, it then goes into the juke box. You are welcome to listen to any of the 40+ selections there. Every weekend, there is a Golden Oldies Juke Box Saturday Night, and the juke box is full of song requests from the 1950s and 1960s.

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