Shing-A-Ling

This is the photo:

JET Magazine, June 5, 1967, page 33

This is the song that goes with it:

Shirley Ellis: »Sugar Let's Shing-a-ling« from the Columbia LP # 2679 (1967):

 

The song was recorded March 20 / April 10, 1967, in New York. It appeared on Columbia # 44137 and then gave the name to Shirley's first (and last) Columbia LP. Yes, another Columbia effort at breaking into the soul market. Admittedly, in producing Shirley Ellis of »Name Game«-fame Columbia had a more convincing, if also more conventional and commercially oriented soul package than before. They didn't follow it up, after all. A Billboard critic called the song a »blues rocker that could prove a sales smash and a new dance craze« (Billboard May 20, 1967, p. 18). Up to a point, it proved both. However, the »Shingaling« was no Ellis original: since the beginning of '67, Don Covay and others had already been putting out dance tunes of that name.
     But what is commercial success? Not really a helpful category. I'd rather think about how to categorize Shirley's softish-smoky, skin-tighteningly salacious voice. Haven't come up with something helpful, either. It hardly needs a category to be carried away by Shirley, though. So let's forget about categories and concentrate on the song. Chances are that you've heard it before; if not, you can do so above. It comes from this LP, in mono:

In case you want to hear more, which I could understand better than anyone, and for good measure as well, here is a second song from this LP. It was written by Shirley Ellis(ton) and bears the simple title »Waitin'«. Soulfully shuttling along, it will not be shortlisted for the most-original-song-of-the-'60s-award but for what it's worth it'll get your feet moving and your hips swinging. And if you listen closely, all you ever need to know about the philosophy of life is built into that song:

          Waitin', waitin', waitin' is all I ever do

          Waitin', waitin', waitin' I bet you're waitin' too ...

          That's how it is, that's how it be: Either I wait for you or you wait for me ...

Well, you don't have to wait any longer, let's listen to Shirley again:

Shirley Ellis: »Waitin'« from the Columbia LP # 2679 (1967, mono):

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