Shame & Scandal
Encyclopedia
"Shame & Scandal" is a song originally performed by calypso
singer Sir Lancelot
. The song is a reggae classic, and was written for the movie "I Walked with a Zombie
" in 1943. The song was originally titled "Fort Holland Calypso Song". Trinidadian calypsonian Lord Melody
used the song as the basis of his song "Shame and Scandal", although he titled it "Wau, Wau". This version used the same chorus as the original 40s song, but with new verses.
In 1965, British comedy actor Lance Percival
reached No.37 in the UK charts with the original title. Hence Jamaica's Kingston Hilton Hotel resident mento band The Hiltonaires also recorded it as Shame and Scandal in the mid sixties.
A 1965 ska cover version was recorded in Jamaica by Peter Tosh
and The Wailers on vocals, backed by the Skatalites and released on the Studio One label.
In 1977, American vocal group The Stylistics
released a cover version titled "Shame and Scandal in the Familiy" from their album, Sun & Soul. The single reached #87 on the Hot Soul Singles
chart.
This arrangement of the song is that which British
ska
/pop
band Madness
later covered. Madness had previously covered several Prince Buster ska recordings, including the songs 'Madness', and 'One Step Beyond'. The band began performing the song at a series of low-key performances as "The Dangermen" in 2005. They later recorded the song for their cover album The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1
, and released it as a single later that year.
's 60s version, with a few word changes. The story follows a young Trinidadian man in search of a wife. In each of the verses, the young man asks his father for permission to marry a different woman, only to be told he can't marry the girl as "The girl is your sister but your mamma don't know". However, the tables are turned during the last verse, where the young man's mother tells him that "Your daddy ain't your daddy, but your daddy don't know", clearing the path for him to marry any of the girls.
With much confusion as you will see
A mama and a papa and a boy who was grown
He wanted to marry and have wife of his own
He found a girl, she suited him nice
He went to his father to ask his advice
His father said, "son, I have to say no
The girl is your sister, but your mama don't know"
Oh, misery, shame and scandal in the family, I said
Oh, misery, shame and scandal in the family
And then the weeks went by and the summer came down
Soon, the best girl on the islands he found
He went to his papa to make it a date
His papa shook his head and to this he did say
"You can't marry that girl, I have to say no
Cause the girl is your sister, but your mama don't know"
Oh, misery, shame and scandal in the family, I said
Oh, misery, shame and scandal in the family
Oh, he went to his mama, he covered his head
He told his mom, what his father had said
His mother, she laughed, she said, "go man go
Your daddy ain't your daddy, but your daddy don't know"
Oh, misery, it's shame and scandal in the family, Well
Oh, misery, shame and scandal in the family
, where it peaked at number 12 and spent 19 weeks in the charts. The song also made an appearance on the Swiss Singles Top 100, spending 8 weeks in the charts and reaching a high of number 69, and just made the Dutch
Singles Top 100, hitting number 100 and only remaining in the charts for a single week.
Calypso music
Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from African and European roots. The roots of the genre lay in the arrival of enslaved Africans, who, not being allowed to speak with each other, communicated through song...
singer Sir Lancelot
Sir Lancelot (singer)
Lancelot Victor Edward Pinard was a calypso singer and actor who used the name Sir Lancelot. Sir Lancelot played a major role in popularizing calypso in North America, and Harry Belafonte has acknowledged him as an inspiration and major influence.-Early life:Pinard was born in Cumuto, Trinidad...
. The song is a reggae classic, and was written for the movie "I Walked with a Zombie
I Walked with a Zombie
I Walked with a Zombie is a 1943 horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur. It was the second horror film from producer Val Lewton for RKO Pictures; the first was the very successful Cat People, also directed by Tourneur...
" in 1943. The song was originally titled "Fort Holland Calypso Song". Trinidadian calypsonian Lord Melody
Lord Melody
Lord Melody was a popular calypsonian, best known for singles such as the self-deprecating "Boo Boo Man", "Shame & Scandal", "Jonah and the Bake", "Juanita" and "Rastaman Be Careful"...
used the song as the basis of his song "Shame and Scandal", although he titled it "Wau, Wau". This version used the same chorus as the original 40s song, but with new verses.
In 1965, British comedy actor Lance Percival
Lance Percival
Lance Percival is an English actor, comedian and after-dinner speaker.-Biography:Educated at Sherborne School, Percival first became well known for performing topical calypsos on television satire shows such as That Was The Week That Was. He appeared in the Carry On film, Carry On Cruising...
reached No.37 in the UK charts with the original title. Hence Jamaica's Kingston Hilton Hotel resident mento band The Hiltonaires also recorded it as Shame and Scandal in the mid sixties.
A 1965 ska cover version was recorded in Jamaica by Peter Tosh
Peter Tosh
Peter Tosh, born Winston Hubert McIntosh , was a Jamaican reggae musician who was a core member of the band The Wailers , and who afterward had a successful solo career as well as being a promoter of Rastafari.Peter Tosh was born in Grange Hill, Jamaica, an illegitimate child to a mother too young...
and The Wailers on vocals, backed by the Skatalites and released on the Studio One label.
In 1977, American vocal group The Stylistics
The Stylistics
The Stylistics are a soul music vocal group, and were one of the best-known Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. They formed in 1968, and were composed of lead Russell Thompkins, Jr., Herbie Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All of their US hits were ballads, graced by the...
released a cover version titled "Shame and Scandal in the Familiy" from their album, Sun & Soul. The single reached #87 on the Hot Soul Singles
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs
Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...
chart.
This arrangement of the song is that which British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
/pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
band Madness
Madness (band)
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
later covered. Madness had previously covered several Prince Buster ska recordings, including the songs 'Madness', and 'One Step Beyond'. The band began performing the song at a series of low-key performances as "The Dangermen" in 2005. They later recorded the song for their cover album The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1
The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1
The Dangermen Sessions, Vol. 1 is a cover album by the British ska band Madness. It was released in 2005 . The album was successful and reached #11 in the UK which at the time was their highest chart position in the UK since 1984's Keep Moving.-The Dangermen:Prior to recording the album, Madness...
, and released it as a single later that year.
Lyrical content
The lyrical content of the cover versions are much the same as Lord MelodyLord Melody
Lord Melody was a popular calypsonian, best known for singles such as the self-deprecating "Boo Boo Man", "Shame & Scandal", "Jonah and the Bake", "Juanita" and "Rastaman Be Careful"...
's 60s version, with a few word changes. The story follows a young Trinidadian man in search of a wife. In each of the verses, the young man asks his father for permission to marry a different woman, only to be told he can't marry the girl as "The girl is your sister but your mamma don't know". However, the tables are turned during the last verse, where the young man's mother tells him that "Your daddy ain't your daddy, but your daddy don't know", clearing the path for him to marry any of the girls.
Lyrics
Down in Trinidad, there was a familyWith much confusion as you will see
A mama and a papa and a boy who was grown
He wanted to marry and have wife of his own
He found a girl, she suited him nice
He went to his father to ask his advice
His father said, "son, I have to say no
The girl is your sister, but your mama don't know"
Oh, misery, shame and scandal in the family, I said
Oh, misery, shame and scandal in the family
And then the weeks went by and the summer came down
Soon, the best girl on the islands he found
He went to his papa to make it a date
His papa shook his head and to this he did say
"You can't marry that girl, I have to say no
Cause the girl is your sister, but your mama don't know"
Oh, misery, shame and scandal in the family, I said
Oh, misery, shame and scandal in the family
Oh, he went to his mama, he covered his head
He told his mom, what his father had said
His mother, she laughed, she said, "go man go
Your daddy ain't your daddy, but your daddy don't know"
Oh, misery, it's shame and scandal in the family, Well
Oh, misery, shame and scandal in the family
Chart performance
The Madness release did not fare particularly well in the UK, only spending 2 weeks in the charts, peaking at number 38. However, the song performed well in FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, where it peaked at number 12 and spent 19 weeks in the charts. The song also made an appearance on the Swiss Singles Top 100, spending 8 weeks in the charts and reaching a high of number 69, and just made the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Singles Top 100, hitting number 100 and only remaining in the charts for a single week.
| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French singles chart | 12 |
| UK singles chart | 38 |
| Swiss singles chart | 69 |
| Dutch singles chart | 100 |
Formats and track listings
These are the formats and track listings of major single releases of "Shame & Scandal".- 7" Single
- "Shame & Scandal" (Lord/Pinard) - 2:52
- "Shame & Scandal [Dub]" (Lord/Pinard) - 2:56
- "Shame & Scandal" (Peter Touch(Tosh) and The Wailers) - 3:03
- CD Single
- "Shame & Scandal" (Lord/Pinard) - 2:52
- "Skylarking" (HindsHorace AndyHorace Andy is a roots reggae songwriter and singer, known for his distinctive vocals and hit songs such as "Government Land", "Angel", "Five Man Army" and a cover version of "Ain't No Sunshine"....
) - 3:02 - "Dreader Than Dread" (Galnek) - 3:04