THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

597-Shirley & Company-Shame, Shame, Shame.

1975-Number 6 single.

Best Bit-At 0.38. There’s absolutely no shame whatsoever in lovin’ 70’s Disco.

Shirley & Company were an act put together by Sylvia Robinson, (1935-2011) to record the 1974 Album ‘Shame, Shame, Shame.’ The act consisted of six studio musicians, and two singers who would promote the songs in the media. One of the singers was Shirley Goodman, who was born Shirley Mae Goodman, on June 19th, 1936, in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, she died on July 5th, 2005, having suffered a stroke in 1994, at the age of 69. Shirley Goodman had initially found success in the 1950’s as part of the duo ‘Shirley and Lee,’ with Leonard Lee, (1935-1976) together they released two studio Albums, and eight singles between 1952-1961, achieving two top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in America in 1956. Shirley was also a studio backing vocalist for other artists, and can be heard on The Rolling Stones 1972 Album ‘Exile on Main Street.’ The other vocalist on ‘Shame, Shame, Shame’ is Jason Alvarez, who was born Jesús Álvarez, on December 28th, 1951, in Havana, Cuba. Since 1981 he has been a solo artist, releasing 10 Albums in the ‘Christian R&B,’ and ‘Jesus Music’ genres, he became an ordained minister in 1982. The saxophone solo on the track was played by the American ‘Soul Jazz, ‘Swing,’ and ‘R&B’ tenor saxophonist, Seldon Powell (1928-1997.)

‘Shame, Shame, Shame’ was the first of three singles released from Shirley & Company’s only studio Album of the same name, from 1975. In America, and also in the UK, ‘Shame, Shame, Shame’ would prove to be their only charting single, although another track from the Album ‘Disco Shirley,’ made Number 12 in the Netherlands, and Number 27 in Belgium. ‘Shame, Shame, Shame’ is considered to be a defining song from the earlier part of the ‘Disco’ era, and is notable for it’s prominent use of the ‘Bo Diddley beat,’ (see also best songs 381.) The song was a worldwide hit, reaching Number 1 in Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, and West Germany, as well as charting in South Africa, (Number 3) and Australia (Number 16.)

‘Shame, Shame, Shame’ was written and produced by the legendary Sylvia Robinson, (see also best songs 523-466-290-87 and 17) who was born Sylvia Vanderpool, on May 29th, 1935, in Harlem, New York, United States, she died on September 29th, 2011, due to congestive heart failure, at the age of 76. There is a debate about who actually wrote ‘Shame, Shame, Shame’, as both Sylvia Robinson, and the American Soul singer Donnie Elbert (1936-1989) both claimed authorship. This led to Donnie Elbert leaving the ‘All Platinum’ record label, co-founded by Sylvia Robinson, and Robinson being credited as the songs sole writer. Sylvia Robinson is a very important figure in popular music, particularly in the development of ‘Hip-Hop.’ and she is known as the ‘Mother of Hip-Hop.’ She first found success as half of the duo ‘Micky & Sylvia,’ who had the 1956 Billboard Number 11 hit single with ‘Love Is Strange.’ In 1973 she had a solo hit single with ‘Pillow Talk,’ a song she had also written. She had initially offered the song to Al Green, (see also best songs 347) but he turned it down, saying that it’s suggestive lyrics went against his religious beliefs. The ‘orgasmic gasps’ and moaning on the track predate Donna Summer’s ‘Love to Love You Baby’ (see also best songs 78) by two years. Sylvia Robinson released five solo studio Albums between 1973-1977, and at least 22 singles between 1951-1982, as either ‘Little Sylvia,’ Sylvia Robbins,’ or ‘Sylvia, there is also one official compilation Album, issued in 1996. Her only charting single as a solo artist is ‘Pillow Talk,’ which reached Number 3 on Billboard, and Number 14 in the UK. With Mickey Baker, (1925-2012) as ‘Mickey & Sylvia,’ there were seven Albums issued between 1957-1997, and 26 singles released between 1954-1965.

Sylvia Robinson has also been part of consortium’s that have set up record labels. In 1967 she helped form ‘All Platinum’ records, (see also best songs 466) and in 1979, she was part of the team responsible for the founding of ‘Sugar Hill Records.’ Two of ‘Hip-Hop’s’ most important songs ‘Rappers Delight,’ by The Sugar Hill Gang, (see also best songs 17) and ‘The Message,’ by Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five, (see also best songs 290) probably would not have happened without her influence.

‘Don’t stop the motion, if you get the notion. You can’t stop the groove, ’cause you just won’t move. Got my sunroof down, got my diamonds in the back, put on your shaky wig woman, if you don’t I ain’t comin’ back. Shame shame shame, hey, shame on you, if you can’t dance too.’