Mama Said (The Shirelles song)

"Mama Said"
Single by the Shirelles
from the album the Shirelles Sing to Trumpets and Strings
B-side"Blue Holiday"
ReleasedApril 1961
StudioBell Sound (New York City)
GenreR&B
Length2:11
LabelScepter
Songwriter(s)Luther Dixon, Willie Denson
Producer(s)Luther Dixon
The Shirelles singles chronology
"Will You Love Me Tomorrow"
(1960) 		"Mama Said"
(1961) 		"A Thing of the Past" / "What a Sweet Thing That Was"
(1961)

"Mama Said" is a song performed by the Shirelles, written by Luther Dixon and Willie Denson. It became a top-ten hit, on both the pop and R&B charts, when it was released as a single in 1961. "Mama Said" went number four on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the R&B chart[1] and has been covered by American Spring, Melanie, Dusty Springfield, the Stereos, the Growlers, and a young Dionne Bromfield. It was also the inspiration for "Days Like This" by Van Morrison. Nick Lowe covered it on his 2001 album, The Convincer.

"Mama Said" was featured during the closing of the third season Orange is the New Black episode, "Fake it Till You Fake it Some More" and also appeared in the seventh season of Adventure Time at the end of the eponymous episode "Mama Said". In Canada, a version by Little Eva reached #96 in 1970.[2]

Billboard named the song number 44 on their list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.[3]

Charts

Chart (1961) Peak
position
Canada (CHUM Chart)[4] 13
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 4
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Sides 2

Dionne Bromfield version

"Mama Said" was covered by Dionne Bromfield for her album Introducing (2009). It made number 43 on the UK Singles Chart.[5]

References

  1. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 523.
  2. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - April 11, 1970" (PDF).
  3. ^ "100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  4. ^ "CHUM Hit Parade - May 22, 1961".
  5. ^ "DIONNE BROMFIELD FEATURING DIGGY SIMMONS". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 June 2013.


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