"Wordy Rappinghood" | ||||
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Single by Tom Tom Club | ||||
from the album Tom Tom Club | ||||
B-side |
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Released | 1981 (UK) May 1982 (US) [1] [ page needed ] | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 6:27 | |||
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Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Tom Tom Club singles chronology | ||||
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Audio | ||||
"Wordy Rappinghood" on YouTube |
"Wordy Rappinghood" is the debut single by American new wave band Tom Tom Club, from their 1981 self-titled debut album. 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".
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" [6] which translate as: "hurried words, sensible words, words that tell the truth, cursed words, lying words, words that lack the fruit of the mind."
Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz had relocated to Nassau, Bahamas. A neighbor, Chris Blackwell, owner of Island Records, invited them to record at his Compass Point Studios. Frantz and Weymouth co-opted Steven Stanley, a keyboard player who had worked as the sound engineer on Ian Dury's album Lord Upminster , and Monte Browne, a bass player formerly with T-Connection. [7]
Weekly charts
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"Wordy Rappinghood" | ||||
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Single by Chicks on Speed | ||||
from the album 99 Cents | ||||
Released | 2003 | |||
Length | 6:26 | |||
Label | Chicks on Speed | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Glove | |||
Chicks on Speed singles chronology | ||||
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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. [23]
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 . [24]
Christopher Lloyd of Drowned in Sound described the song as an "ultra-catchy seven minute dancefloor killer". [25]
Chart (2003–2004) | Peak position |
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Belgium Dance (Ultratop Flanders) [28] | 5 |
Scotland (OCC) [29] | 72 |
UK Singles (OCC) [30] | 66 |
UK Dance (OCC) [31] | 4 |
"Wordy Rappinghood" | ||||
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Single by Uffie | ||||
Released | 2011 | |||
Length | 3:08 | |||
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Producer(s) | DJ Mehdi | |||
Uffie singles chronology | ||||
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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. [32] Her version was used in a global Evian ad campaign. [33]
Martina Michèle Weymouth is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and a founding member and bassist of the new wave group Talking Heads and its side project Tom Tom Club, which she co-founded with her husband, Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz. In 2002, Weymouth was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Talking Heads.
Tom Tom Club is an American new wave band founded in 1981 by husband-and-wife team Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth and as a side project from Talking Heads. Their best known songs include the UK top 10 hit "Wordy Rappinghood" and the US top 40 hit "Genius of Love", both from their 1981 debut album, and a cover of The Drifters' "Under the Boardwalk" that reached the UK top 30.
Le Tigre is an American art punk and riot grrrl band formed by Kathleen Hanna, Johanna Fateman and Sadie Benning in 1998 in New York City. Benning left in 2000 and was replaced by JD Samson. They mixed punk's directness and politics with playful samples, eclectic pop, and lo-fi electronics. Like with many bands in and from the riot grrrl movement, many of the lyrics addressed feminist themes and ideas. The group also added multimedia and performance art elements to their live shows, which often featured support from like-minded acts such as the Need.
Caroline Hervé, known professionally as Kittin, is a French electronic music producer, DJ, singer, and songwriter. Since rising to prominence in 1998 for her singles "1982" and "Frank Sinatra" with The Hacker, she has worked with other musicians such as Chicks on Speed, Felix da Housecat and Golden Boy. She released her debut solo album I Com in 2004, a second, BatBox, in 2008, and a third, Calling from the Stars, in 2013. She achieved international popularity with the singles "Rippin Kittin" and "Silver Screen Shower Scene".
"Super Freak" is a 1981 single produced and performed by American singer Rick James. The song, co-written by James and Alonzo Miller, was first released on James' fifth album, Street Songs (1981) and became one of James' signature songs. "Freak" is a slang term for the sexually adventurous, as described in the song's lyrics, "She's a very kinky girl / The kind you don't take home to mother". Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song number 477 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004, number 481 in 2010, and number 153 in an updated list in 2021. The song was nominated for the Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the 1982 Grammys. The song has been sampled by MC Hammer in 1990, Jay-Z in 2006, and Nicki Minaj in 2022.
Playgroup is a British dance act. It is the project of musician and designer Trevor Jackson.
"19-2000", sometimes written "19/2000", is a song from the British virtual band Gorillaz' self-titled debut album Gorillaz. It was the second single from the album, released on 25 June 2001 in the United Kingdom. "19-2000" reached number six on the UK Singles Chart and number 34 on the US Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart. It was particularly successful in New Zealand, where it reached number one for a week in September 2001.
"Love Will Save the Day" is a song recorded by American singer Whitney Houston from her second diamond studio album Whitney (1987). The song was released in May 1988 by Arista Records as the album's fifth single. The song did not have a music video but was still successful, climbing into the US top ten. Written by Toni C and produced by John "Jellybean" Benitez, it is one of the uptempo singles on the album that also includes "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" and "So Emotional".
Tom Tom Club is the debut studio album by American new wave band Tom Tom Club, released in 1981, containing the UK hit singles "Wordy Rappinghood", which reached No. 7 in June 1981 and "Genius of Love", which reached No. 65 in October of the same year. It was re-released in the UK in 1982 to include "Under the Boardwalk", which reached No. 22 in August 1982. When released in the United States, "Genius of Love" peaked at No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100. Both "Wordy Rappinghood" and "Genius of Love" topped the US dance chart.
"Genius of Love" is a 1981 hit song by American new wave band Tom Tom Club from their 1981 eponymous debut studio album. The song reached number one on the Billboard Disco Top 80 chart, and was performed by Talking Heads in the 1984 concert film Stop Making Sense.
Kevin Blechdom is an American experimental electronic musician and performance artist. She is based in Santa Cruz, California.
Nicola Kuperus is an American musician and artist. She is a member of the band ADULT. with her husband Adam Lee Miller. ADULT. owns and manages Ersatz Audio, a record label based out of Detroit, Michigan. In 2003 she sang on the Death in Vegas track "Hands Around My Throat", from the album Scorpio Rising and also contributed vocals to "I Dance Alone" on Swayzak's Dirty Dancing album.
"Freak Me" is a song by American R&B group Silk. It was released in February 1993 as the second single from their debut album, Lose Control. It was co-written and co-produced by Keith Sweat, for whom Silk was a touring opening act. Tim Cameron, Jimmy Gates and Gary "Lil G" Jenkins sing lead on the song. The song was the group's highest-charting hit, reaching number-one on both the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, and the U.S. Hot R&B Singles chart for eight weeks. On the Hot 100, this song also spent ten weeks at number two. It was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and sold over 1.3 million copies domestically.
Anna-Catherine Hartley, known professionally as Uffie, is an American-French singer, songwriter, rapper, DJ, and fashion designer formerly signed to French electronic music record label Ed Banger Records.
FabricLive.33 is a DJ mix compilation album by Spank Rock, as part of the FabricLive Mix Series.
"Automatic" is a song recorded by American vocal group the Pointer Sisters for their tenth studio album Break Out (1983). The song was released by the Planet label on January 13, 1984, as the second single from the album. It was written by Brock Walsh and Mark Goldenberg.
"Just Be" is a song by Tiësto, featuring British singer and songwriter Kirsty Hawkshaw.
"Back in the U.K." is a song by German group Scooter. It was released in November 1995 by Club Tools and Scorpio Music as the lead single from their second album, Our Happy Hardcore (1996). In the United Kingdom it became their biggest hit ever up to that point, entering at number 18 in the UK Singles Chart in February 1996. It would remain their highest charting single until the release of "The Logical Song" in 2002, which reached number two. The song was re-recorded as "Back in Ireland" for the Irish market.
"Ram Sam Sam", also known as "A Ram Sam Sam", "Aram Sa-sa", and by other names, is a Moroccan song that has gained popularity as a children's song around the world since the mid-20th century.
"Pyromania" is a song performed by German Eurodance group Cascada, released as the first single from their fourth studio album, Original Me. It was written by Yann Peifer, Allan Eshuijs, and Manuel Reuter, and it was produced by Reuter and Peifer. The song was premiered on February 12, 2010, and was first released on March 19, 2010 by Zooland Records. "Pyromania" features Natalie Horler singing the whole song with guest male vocals speaking the "pyro-pyro" hook. Lyrically, the song is a play on words. It talks about a love and obsession with fire.
Soon after, other punk and new wave groups started playing around with [rap]. Later in 1981, the Tom Tom Club made "Wordy Rappinghood"...