And even when you have perfection and your dance is advanced, there will always be a time you need to get back to the essentials. There is no competition in who has the better moves because everybody feels the music differently and moves to the rhythm in their own unique way. You dance for yourself and not for others. She motivates us to get to the essentials, to be yourself, to be real, not to pretend but instead dance from the heart! You don’t need to be a performer when you’re getting’ on the dance floor. And this is also the message Shirley Ellis (and songwriter Lincoln Chase) sent us in their song. For the release of this song, she would work closely together with Lincoln chase who wrote the songs, and Robert Bunyan (Hutch) Davie who produced the release.Īccording to the Cambridge Dictionary, nitty-gritty means the basic facts of a situation. For commercial reasons, Congress changed the name to Shirley Ellis and would shorten the title to ‘ The Nitty Gritty’. For the first batch of singles that were released, Shirley Ellis would still use her married name Shirley Elliston, and the songs’ title was ‘ The (Real) Nitty Gritty’. She would record the novelty classic ‘ The (Real) Nitty Gritty’ with the track ‘ Give Me a List’ on the B-side of the 7-inch 45rmp recording. Two years after her debut, Shirley Ellis would make a second solo debut on the label Congress (part of the Kapp Records-family). Both tracks have a more 1950s and 1960s pop-feel and are less compared with the rhythm-and-blues and soul sound she would record in the following years. The single (Shell 45-307-V) includes the songs ‘ Love Can Make You Know’ on the A-side, and ‘A Beautiful Love’ on the B-side. For this release, she used her official married name, Shirley Elliston. Shirley Ellis recorded and released her solo debut single on the label Shell in 1961. Initially, Shirley Ellis aspired to become a songwriter. She started her career by writing several songs for the doo-wop group The Chords. A milestone in her singing career was her participation in The Amateur Night At The Harlem Apollo Theatre in 1954. She won first prize and so, her name would be listed amongst other winners such as Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald (who was only 15 years old when she won). Five years later, in 1959, Shirley Ellis met Lincoln Chase. Lincoln Chase was a songwriter, producer, and manager who shared the same West Indian heritage as Shirley Ellis. He was already working closely together with Lavern Baker (Jim Dandy) during the 1960s and would use his experience to elevate the solo career of Shirley Ellis. Songs such as ‘The Name Game’ and ‘ The Nitty Gritty’ are an innovation for rhythm-and-blues and soul, while her hit ‘Soul Time’ became a true Northern Soul classic and filled the dance floor at many UK clubs during the late 1960s and 1970s. Although her active recording span was short, Shirley Ellis left us with many great songs before she retired from the music business in 1968. Shirley Ellis, born Shirley Marie O’Garra in 1929, was an American soul singer and songwriter who gained international fame during the 1960s. As written in 1965 on the back of her album ‘ The Name Game’ (Congress CGL-3003) This excitement, which has consistently captivated audience in the nation’s leading night clubs and concert appearances is immediately apparent as you listen to her recordings which have swept into the best-selling lists time after time. Shirley Ellis is one of the most exciting performers in the world of popular music today. This article is written in memory and honor of Shirley Elliston († October 5, 2005, New York City)
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