Shame, Shame, Shame (Shirley & Company song)

"Shame, Shame, Shame"
Single by Shirley & Company
from the album Shame, Shame, Shame
B-side	"More Shame" (U.K., Europe) "Shame, Shame, Shame" (Instrumental) (U.S.)
Released	December 1974
Recorded	1974
Studio	Soul Sound Studios, Englewood, New Jersey
Genre	Disco[1] soul
Length	3:47
Label	Vibration
Songwriter(s)	Sylvia Robinson
Shirley & Company singles chronology
"Shame, Shame, Shame" (1974) "Cry, Cry, Cry" (1975)
Music video
Shirley & Company – Shame, Shame, Shame • TopPop on YouTube

"Shame, Shame, Shame" is a 1974 hit song written by Sylvia Robinson, performed by American disco band Shirley & Company and released on the Vibration label. The female vocalist is Shirley Goodman, who was one half of Shirley & Lee, who had enjoyed a major hit 18 years earlier, in 1956, with the song "Let The Good Times Roll" for Aladdin Records. The male vocalist is Jesus Alvarez.^[2] The saxophone solo is by Seldon Powell, whose instrumental version, "More Shame", is the B-side.^[3][4][5]

The track, with its prominent use of the Bo Diddley beat, was one of the first international disco hits and reached number 12 on the Billboard charts. It also made number one on the Billboard soul singles chart for one week.^[6] The phrases "got my sun roof down, got my diamond in the back" appeared as "diamond in the back, sun roof top" in William DeVaughn's 1974 hit "Be Thankful for What You Got"^[7] and "one monkey don't stop no show" was used as the title of Honey Cone's 1971 hit "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show (Part 1)" and several others as far back as 1950.

"Shame, Shame, Shame" also stayed at number one on the Billboard disco/dance charts for four weeks.^[8] A full-length album, Shame, Shame, Shame was subsequently recorded and released in 1975.^[9]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1974–75)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[10][11]	16
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[12]	1
Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[13]	1
Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)[14]	2
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[15]	3
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16]	1
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17]	1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[18]	5
Norway (VG-lista)	9
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[19]	3
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)	2
UK Singles (OCC)[20][21]	6
US Billboard Hot 100[22]	12
US Disco/Dance (Billboard)[8]	1
US Hot Soul Singles (Billboard)[6]	1
US Cash Box Top 100[23]	8
West Germany (Media Control Charts)[24]	1

Year-end charts

Chart (1975)	Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[11]	82
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[25]	55
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[26]	15
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[27]	26
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[28]	12
West Germany (Media Control Charts)[29]	11

Cover versions

Linda Fields & the Funky Boys recorded a version, sounding nearly identical and released it as a single in 1975; it was re-released in 1983 as a 12" EP. The version appears on several disco compilation albums and is often confused with the original. Their version charted concurrently with the original in New Zealand, reaching number 24.^[30]

Ike & Tina Turner recorded a version that was released on the 1980 album The Edge,^[31] it reached number 27 on the Billboard Disco chart.^[32] In 1982, the song was released as a single in Europe and peaked at number 47 in the Netherlands.^[33] Tina would sing the song with Cher for the latter's variety show in 1975.

In 1974, French singer Henri Salvador recorded a parody, titled J'aime tes genoux (I like your knees).

Izabella Scorupco version

"Shame, Shame, Shame"
Single by Izabella Scorupco
from the album Iza
Released	1992
Genre	Pop disco
Length	3:50
Label	Virgin
Songwriter(s)	Sylvia Robinson
Producer(s)	Christian Falk
Izabella Scorupco singles chronology
"Brando Moves" (1991) "Shame, Shame, Shame" (1992)
Music video
"Shame, Shame, Shame" on YouTube

Polish-Swedish singer, actress and model Izabella Scorupco recorded a successful cover version of "Shame, Shame, Shame" in 1992, which was accompanied by a black-and-white music video directed by Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund.^[34] It was produced by record producer and musician Christian Falk and became a chart hit in a number of European countries. In Norway and Sweden, it reached number two. The single was a Top 10 hit also in Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands, where it peaked at number four and six. It appears on an extended version of her 1991 album, Iza.

Track listing

12" single, Sweden (1992)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Shame, Shame, Shame" (Spicy Mix)
2.	"Shame, Shame, Shame" (DSP Mix)
3.	"Shame, Shame, Shame" (Extended Version)

CD single, UK (1992)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Shame, Shame, Shame"	3:50
2.	"Shame, Shame, Shame" (Karaoke Version)	3:50

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1992) Peak position Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[35] 22 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[36] 4 Denmark (IFPI)[37] 6 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[38] 24 Germany (Official German Charts) 37 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[39] 6 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[40] 7 Norway (VG-lista)[41] 2 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[42] 39 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[43] 2

Year-end charts Chart (1992) Position Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[44] 46 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[45] 39 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[46] 58

Sinitta version

"Shame, Shame, Shame"
Single by Sinitta
from the album Naughty Naughty
B-side	"Maybe Someday"
Released	1992
Genre	Pop, soul
Length	4:00
Label	Arista
Songwriter(s)	Sylvia Robinson
Producer(s)	Mark Taylor, Terry Adams
Sinitta singles chronology
"Love and Affection" (1990) "Shame, Shame, Shame" (1992) "Aquarius" (1993)
Music video
"Shame, Shame, Shame" on YouTube

In 1992, the song was also covered by British-American singer Sinitta and was released as a single, which peaked at number 28 in the UK Singles Chart and was later included on her third studio album, Naughty Naughty (1995).

Critical reception

Alan Jones from Music Week called the song "light, frothy, bouncy concentrated pop. A substantial hit."^[47]

Charts

Chart (1992)	Peak position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[48]	87
Ireland (IRMA)[49]	30
UK Singles (OCC)	28
UK Dance (Music Week)[50]	58

See also

• List of number-one hits of 1975 (Germany)
• List of number-one dance singles of 1975 (U.S.)
• List of number-one R&B singles of 1975 (U.S.)

References

1. Marsh, Dave (1989). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. Plume. p. 295. ISBN 0-452-26305-0.
2. Joel Whitburn's *Top Pop Singles, 12th Edition, 2009
3. "maconblack – Record Collector Magazine". recordcollectormag.com. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
4. "Shirley & Company – Shame, Shame, Shame". Discogs. 1981. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
5. "Seldon Powell And Company- More Shame- Parts I & II". curvetube.com. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
6. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 523.
7. Merida, Kevin (January 1, 1999). "NEW SPIN ON A GOLDEN OLDIE" – via www.washingtonpost.com.
8. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco: 1974–2003. Record Research. p. 232.
9. Shirley & Company, Billboard
10. "Australian Chart Books". www.austchartbook.com.au. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
11. "National Top 100 Singles for 1975". Kent Music Report. December 29, 1975. Retrieved January 15, 2022 – via Imgur.
12. Steffen Hung. "Shirley And Company – Shame, Shame, Shame". Austriancharts.at. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
13. "Shirley And Company – Shame, Shame, Shame". Ultratop.be. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
14. "SHIRLEY AND COMPANY – SHAME, SHAME, SHAME". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
15. "Image : RPM Weekly – Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. July 17, 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
16. Stichting Nederlandse Top 40 (March 22, 1975). "Top 40-lijst van week 12, 1975". Top40.nl. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
17. "SHIRLEY AND COMPANY – SHAME, SHAME, SHAME". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
18. "NZ Top 40 Singles Chart | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. May 12, 1975. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
19. "SA Charts 1965 – March 1989". Retrieved September 1, 2018.
20. "Top 100 1975". top-source.info. Retrieved September 11, 2016.
21. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 496. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
22. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
23. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MONTH DD, 19YY". Retrieved August 9, 2020.^{[dead link‍]}. Cash Box magazine. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
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26. Top 40, Stichting Nederlandse. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1975". Top40.nl.
27. "Top Selling Singles of 1975 | The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz. December 31, 1975. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
28. Hung, Steffen. "Swiss Year-End Charts 1975 - swisscharts.com". swisscharts.com. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
29. ["Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts" (in German). offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
30. "flavour of new zealand – search rianz". www.flavourofnz.co.nz.
31. Shame, Shame, Shame, on YouTube
32. "Disco Top 100" (PDF). Billboard. November 1, 1980. p. 39.
33. "Ike & Tina Turner – Shame, Shame, Shame". Dutch Charts.
34. Izabella: Shame, Shame, Shame (Video 1992) – IMDb
35. "Izabella – Shame Shame Shame" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
36. "Izabella – Shame Shame Shame" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
37. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. May 30, 1992. p. 29. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
38. "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. May 30, 1992. p. 31. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
39. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 20, 1992" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
40. "Izabella – Shame Shame Shame" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
41. "Izabella – Shame Shame Shame". VG-lista. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
42. "Izabella – Shame Shame Shame". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
43. "Izabella – Shame Shame Shame". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
44. "Jaaroverzichten 1992". Ultratop. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
45. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1992". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
46. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1992". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
47. Jones, Alan (June 6, 1992). "Mainstream: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 6. Retrieved October 2, 2020.
48. "Eurochart Hot 100" (PDF). Music & Media. July 18, 1992. p. 17. Retrieved September 30, 2020.
49. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Shame, Shame, Shame". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
50. "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. July 11, 1992. p. 20. Retrieved September 29, 2020.