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as a rhyming game that creates variations on a person's name. She explains through speaking and singing how to play the game. The first verse is done using Ellis's first name; the other names used in the original version of the song are
Lincoln, Arnold, Tony, Billy, Marsha, and Nick.
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The song as originally performed gives no indication of what to do with names where the stress falls on a syllable after the first, like Anita or
Antoinette, but during the live rendition of the song on
215:, and fourth on the magazine's R&B charts during 1965. The record was re-released in 1966 and again in 1973. An R&B singer for 10 years before that success, Ellis was also successful with "
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Written by
American singer Shirley Ellis (who based the song on a game she played as a child) and
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as the name without the first consonant sound (if it begins with a consonant), as follows:
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680:"45cat - Shirley Ellis - The Name Game / Whisper To Me Wind - Congress - USA - CG-230"
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Shirley Ellis • "The Name Game" • 1965 [Reelin' In The Years
Archive]
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R&B chart). Ellis performed on then-major television programs, including
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721:"Three Six Nine! Shirley Ellis Name Game / Soul Time Home Page"
590:. It was released as the last single from the album in the
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This article is about the song. For the word games, see
247:. It later became a popular children's singalong. In
340:, that sound simply is not repeated. For example:
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826:: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
794:: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (
263:as an example, the song follows this pattern:
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584:covered the song for her 1987 studio album
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384:is sung as "Madonna-donna-bo-bonna," etc.
280:A verse can be created for any name, with
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1169:It's Been Hard Enough Getting Over You
217:The Clapping Song (Clap Pat Clap Slap)
1050:How Am I Supposed to Live Without You
841:
739:"RPM Top 40&5 - February 8, 1965"
706:
629:"Name Game" (Extended version) – 6:32
538:Laura Branigan singles chronology
223:(No.8 on the Hot 100 and No.4 on the
33:The Name Game (American Horror Story)
219:" (No.8 pop and No.16 R&B), and
632:"Name Game" (Edited version) – 3:44
610:"Name Game" (Edited version) – 3:44
13:
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1176:How Can I Help You to Say Goodbye
997:Shine On: The Ultimate Collection
597:
202:. Ellis's recording, produced by
969:The Very Best of Laura Branigan
812:(Media notes). Laura Branigan.
780:(Media notes). Laura Branigan.
1251:Songs written by Lincoln Chase
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29:American Horror Story: Asylum
16:Rhyming song by Shirley Ellis
7:
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1015:Looking Out for Number One
962:The Best of Laura Branigan
623:Philippines 12-inch single
328:If the name starts with a
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604:Philippines 7-inch single
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1155:Never in a Million Years
377:Sweatin' to the Oldies 3
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990:The Platinum Collection
267:Katie, Katie, bo-batie,
388:Laura Branigan version
352:becomes "bonana fanna
660:Swinging the Alphabet
639:" (LP version) – 4:48
617:" (LP version) – 4:48
371:The Merv Griffin Show
344:becomes "Billy Billy
270:Bonana-fanna fo-fatie
244:The Merv Griffin Show
1261:Stacy Lattisaw songs
1246:Laura Branigan songs
1162:Turn the Beat Around
976:The Best of Branigan
766:– via YouTube.
725:keepkey.yochanan.net
72:"Whisper to Me Wind"
822:cite AV media notes
790:cite AV media notes
307:Bonana-fanna fo-f (
1183:Dim All the Lights
1148:Moonlight on Water
251:it reached No. 2.
238:American Bandstand
221:"The Nitty Gritty"
80:November 1964
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1141:Come into My Life
1029:All Night with Me
784:. 1988. ATR-0351.
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816:. 1988. DS-151.
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259:Using the name
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174:Charles Calello
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41:"The Name Game"
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983:The Essentials
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937:Laura Branigan
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598:Track listings
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518:Lincoln Chase
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515:Shirley Ellis
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507:Songwriter(s)
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200:Lincoln Chase
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187:Shirley Ellis
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183:The Name Game
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157:Lincoln Chase
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153:Shirley Ellis
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51:Shirley Ellis
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31:episode, see
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1256:Patter songs
1241:1988 singles
1236:1965 singles
1231:1964 singles
1133:
1085:Satisfaction
1064:Self Control
995:
988:
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954:Compilations
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916:Self Control
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761:. Retrieved
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1193:Other songs
880:Discography
592:Philippines
528:Producer(s)
395:"Name Game"
168:Producer(s)
1226:1964 songs
1220:Categories
909:Branigan 2
763:2024-06-04
666:References
232:Hullabaloo
27:. For the
21:word chain
1134:Name Game
1043:Solitaire
810:Name Game
778:Name Game
699:Billboard
558:Name Game
463:Synth-pop
300:), bo-b (
209:Billboard
25:Shiritori
1127:Cry Wolf
1022:Tell Him
902:Branigan
814:Atlantic
782:Atlantic
644:See also
637:Cry Wolf
615:Cry Wolf
549:Cry Wolf
499:Atlantic
468:pop rock
446:Released
439:Cry Wolf
362:mo-artha
226:Cash Box
137:Congress
77:Released
1099:Hold Me
1007:Singles
923:Hold Me
571:(1988)
562:(1988)
553:(1988)
382:Madonna
346:bo-illy
213:Hot 100
194:History
106:novelty
101:R&B
84:1964-11
82: (
1199:"Mama"
1078:Ti Amo
1036:Gloria
477:Length
432:B-side
410:Single
358:Martha
354:fo-red
276:Katie!
249:Canada
115:Length
67:B-side
47:Single
930:Touch
885:Songs
742:(PDF)
587:Touch
494:Label
455:Genre
423:Touch
342:Billy
336:, or
261:Katie
255:Rules
132:Label
93:Genre
828:link
796:link
449:1988
350:Fred
296:), (
241:and
23:and
412:by
356:";
348:";
322:(X)
49:by
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338:m
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302:Y
298:X
294:X
292:(
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282:X
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35:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.