Wordy Rappinghood#Chicks on Speed version

{{Infobox song

| name = Wordy Rappinghood

| cover = Tom Tom Club - Wordy Rappinghood.png

| alt =

| border = yes

| type = single

| artist = Tom Tom Club

| album = Tom Tom Club

| B-side = {{ubl|"Elephant" (UK)|"Spooks" (US)}}

| released = 1981 (UK)
May 1982 (US){{cite book|first= Joel |last= Whitburn |year= 2005 |title= Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 1959–2004 |publisher= Record Research |isbn= 978-0898201628}}{{page needed|date=September 2019}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre =

Funk{{cite book|first= Peter |last= Buckley |year= 2003 |title= The Rough Guide to Rock |page= 1090 |publisher= Rough Guides |edition= 3rd |isbn= 1-84353-105-4 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=7ctjc6UWCm4C&pg=PT1097}}
new wave{{cite web|first= Bruce |last= Warren |title= #TBTXPN New Wave Day: Watch the Tom Tom Club live in concert |website= The Key |date= July 7, 2016 |accessdate= July 21, 2019 |url= https://thekey.xpn.org/2016/07/07/tbtxpn-new-wave-day-watch-tom-tom-club-concert/}}{{Cite podcast|url=https://slate.com/podcasts/hit-parade/2023/10/how-cbgb-punk-became-chart-pop|title= This Ain't No Party?! Edition|website=Hit Parade {{!}} Music History and Music Trivia|publisher=Slate|last=Molanphy|first=Chris|date=October 14, 2023|access-date=November 12, 2023}}
hip hop{{cite web|first= Tom |last= Breihan |title= The Number Ones: Blondie's "Rapture"|website= Stereogum |date= April 29, 2020 |url= https://www.stereogum.com/2082475/the-number-ones-blondies-rapture/columns/the-number-ones/|quote= Soon after, other punk and new wave groups started playing around with [rap]. Later in 1981, the Tom Tom Club made “Wordy Rappinghood"...|accessdate= July 17, 2023}}

| length = 6:27

| label =

| writer =

Tina Weymouth
Lani Weymouth
Laura Weymouth
Chris Frantz
Steven Stanley

| producer =

Steven Stanley
Tina Weymouth
Chris Frantz

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title = Genius of Love

| next_year = 1981

| misc = {{External music video|header=Audio|{{YouTube|ucKoWVC1ROg|"Wordy Rappinghood"}}}}

}}

"Wordy Rappinghood" is the debut single by American new wave band Tom Tom Club, from their 1981 self-titled debut album. It uses part of a traditional Moroccan children's song and game, "A Ram Sam Sam", made popular by the 1971 Rolf Harris recording. In the United States, the song topped the Billboard Disco Top 80 chart along with "Genius of Love".

Structure, instrumentation and production

The song opens with the sound of a typewriter and features jarring synthesizer chords and a distinctive drum break. The words of the fifth verse are spoken in French: "Mots pressés, mots sensés, mots qui disent la vérité, mots maudits, mots mentis, mots qui manquent le fruit d'esprit"{{cite magazine|first= François |last= Gorin |title= Tom Tom Club : ratiocinations lexicologiques |magazine= Télérama |date= January 21, 2013 |accessdate= October 16, 2014 |url= http://www.telerama.fr/musique/tom-tom-club-ratiocinations-lexicologiques,92291.php |language= fr}} which translate as: "hurried words, sensible words, words that tell the truth, cursed words, lying words, words that lack the fruit of the mind."

Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz had relocated to Nassau, Bahamas. A neighbor, Chris Blackwell, owner of Island Records, invited them to record at his Compass Point Studios. Frantz and Weymouth co-opted Steven Stanley, a keyboard player who had worked as the sound engineer on Ian Dury's album Lord Upminster, and Monte Browne, a bass player formerly with T-Connection.{{cite web|first= Jon |last= Kutner |title= Wordy Rappinghood |date= May 27, 2012 |accessdate= September 29, 2014 |url= http://www.jonkutner.com/wordy-rappinghood/}}

Track listings

US 12" single{{cite web|title= Tom Tom Club – Wordy Rappinghood (Vinyl) |date= 1981 |publisher= Discogs |accessdate= December 15, 2012 |url= http://www.discogs.com/Tom-Tom-Club-Wordy-Rappinghood/release/128268}}

:A. "Wordy Rappinghood" (Special 12" Version) – 6:39

:B. "Spooks" – 6:28

European 7" single

:A. "Wordy Rappinghood" – 3:50

:B. "Wordy Rappinghood" (You Don't Ever Stop) – 4:05

European 12" single

:A. "Wordy Rappinghood" (Remix) – 6:42

:B. "Elephant" – 5:11

Chart performance

=Weekly charts=

scope="row"\|Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book\|first= David \|last= Kent \|author-link= David Kent (historian) \|year= 1993 \|title= Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 \|edition= illustrated \|publisher= Australian Chart Book \|location= St Ives, N.S.W. \|page= 311 \|isbn= 0-646-11917-6}} \|44
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+Weekly chart performance for "Wordy Rappinghood" !scope="col"\|Chart (1981–1982) !scope="col"\|Peak position
{{single chart\|Flanders\|1\|artist=Tom Tom Club\|song=Wordy Rappinghood\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=December 15, 2012}}
scope="row"\|France (IFOP){{cite web\|title= InfoDisc : Tous les Titres par Artiste \|website= InfoDisc \|accessdate= August 1, 2013 \|url= http://www.infodisc.fr/Bilan_T.php \|url-status= dead \|archive-date= March 19, 2005 \|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20050319102749/http://www.infodisc.fr/Bilan_T.php \|id= Select "Tom Tom Club" from the artist drop-down menu \|language= fr}} \|9
{{single chart\|Ireland2\|10\|song=Wordy Rappinghood\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=June 5, 2013}}
{{single chart\|Dutch40\|2\|year=1981\|week=35\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=August 1, 2013}}
{{single chart\|Dutch100\|2\|artist=Tom Tom Club\|song=Wordy Rappinghood\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=August 1, 2013}}
{{single chart\|New Zealand\|35\|artist=Tom Tom Club\|song=Wordy Rappinghood\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=May 10, 2011\|refname="NZ"}}
scope="row"\|Spain (AFYVE){{cite book\|first= Fernando \|last= Salaverri \|date= September 2005 \|title= Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 \|edition= 1st \|publisher= Fundación Autor-SGAE \|location= Spain \|isbn= 84-8048-639-2 \|language= es}} \|3
{{single chart\|UK\|7\|date=19810718\|rowheader=true\|accessdate=August 1, 2013}}
scope="row"\|US Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100{{cite magazine\|title= Bubbling Under the Hot 100 \|magazine= Billboard \|date= May 29, 1982 \|page= 70 \|url= http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/80s/1982/BB-1982-05-29.pdf}} \|105
scope="row"\|US Billboard Disco Top 80{{cite web\|title= Tom Tom Club – Awards \|publisher= AllMusic \|accessdate= December 15, 2012 \|url= http://www.allmusic.com/album/tom-tom-club-mw0000651118/awards}} \|1

=Year-end charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+Year-end chart performance for "Wordy Rappinghood" !scope="col"\|Chart (1981) !scope="col"\|Position
scope="row"\|Belgium (Ultratop Flanders){{cite web\|title= Jaaroverzichten 1981 \|publisher= Ultratop. Hung Medien \|accessdate= 3 January 2021 \|url= http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1981 \|language= nl}} \|17
scope="row"\|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web\|title= Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1981 \|publisher= Dutch Top 40 \|accessdate= 3 January 2021 \|url= https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1981 \|language= nl}} \|32
scope="row"\|Netherlands (Single Top 100){{cite web\|title= Jaaroverzichten – Single 1981 \|publisher= Single Top 100. Hung Medien \|accessdate= 3 January 2021 \|url= http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1981&cat=s \|language= nl}} \|64

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+Year-end chart performance for "Wordy Rappinghood"

!scope="col"|Chart (1981)

!scope="col"|Position

scope="row"|Belgium (Ultratop Flanders){{cite web|title= Jaaroverzichten 1981 |publisher= Ultratop. Hung Medien |accessdate= 3 January 2021 |url= http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1981 |language= nl}}

|17

scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web|title= Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1981 |publisher= Dutch Top 40 |accessdate= 3 January 2021 |url= https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1981 |language= nl}}

|32

scope="row"|Netherlands (Single Top 100){{cite web|title= Jaaroverzichten – Single 1981 |publisher= Single Top 100. Hung Medien |accessdate= 3 January 2021 |url= http://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1981&cat=s |language= nl}}

|64

Chicks on Speed version

{{Infobox song

| name = Wordy Rappinghood

| cover = Wordy Rappinghood Chicks on Speed.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Chicks on Speed

| album = 99 Cents

| released = 2003

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre =

| length = 6:26

| label = Chicks on Speed

| writer =

Tina Weymouth
Chris Frantz
Steven Stanley

| producer = Glove

| prev_title = We Don't Play Guitars

| prev_year = 2003

| next_title = Flame On

| next_year = 2004

| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|g_1kziD6Lec|"Wordy Rappinghood"}}}}

}}

"Wordy Rappinghood" was covered by German electroclash group Chicks on Speed and released as the second single from their album 99 Cents in 2003. Their version featured guest vocals by other female musicians such as Miss Kittin, Kevin Blechdom, Le Tigre, Adult.'s Nicola Kuperus, and Tom Tom Club founding member Tina Weymouth.{{cite web|first= Heather |last= Phares |title= Chicks on Speed – 99 Cents |publisher= AllMusic |accessdate= May 10, 2011 |url= http://www.allmusic.com/album/99-cents-mw0000261647}}

This cover was sampled in the song "Really Rappin' Something" by the Kleptones from the album From Detroit to J.A. in 2005. In 2007, the Playgroup remix of Chicks on Speed's version appeared on the compilation album FabricLive.33 by Spank Rock''.{{cite web|title= Spank Rock – FabricLive. 33 (CD) |date= April 3, 2007 |publisher= Discogs |accessdate= May 10, 2011 |url= http://www.discogs.com/Spank-Rock-FabricLive-33/release/939131}}

=Critical reception=

Christopher Lloyd of Drowned in Sound described the song as an "ultra-catchy seven minute dancefloor killer".{{cite web|first= Christopher |last= Lloyd |title= Chicks on Speed – 99 Cents |work= Drowned in Sound |date= October 13, 2003 |accessdate= May 11, 2011 |url= http://drownedinsound.com/releases/3484/reviews/8192- |archive-date= October 16, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121016104838/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/3484/reviews/8192- |url-status= dead}}

=Track listings=

European CD maxi single{{cite web|title= Chicks On Speed – Wordy Rappinghood (CD) |publisher= Discogs |accessdate= May 10, 2011 |url= http://www.discogs.com/Chicks-On-Speed-Wordy-Rappinghood/release/318991}}

"Wordy Rappinghood" (Radio Edit) – 4:20
"Wordy Rappinghood" (The Playgroup Remix) – 5:23
"Wordy Rappinghood" (Dave Clarke's Non Techno Mix) – 3:37
"Wordy Rappinghood" (The Playgroup Instrumental Mix) – 5:24
"Wordy Rappinghood" (music video)

German 12" single{{cite web|title= Chicks On Speed – Wordy Rappinghood (Vinyl) |publisher= Discogs |accessdate= December 15, 2012 |url= http://www.discogs.com/Chicks-On-Speed-Wordy-Rappinghood/release/221489}}

:A1. "Wordy Rappinghood" (Album Mix) – 6:26

:A2. "Wordy Rappinghood" (Acapella Version) – 4:10

:B1. "Wordy Rappinghood" (The Playgroup Remix) – 5:23

:B2. "Wordy Rappinghood" (Dave Clarke's Non Techno Mix) – 3:37

=Charts=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

|+Weekly chart performance for "Wordy Rappinghood" by Chicks on Speed

!scope="col"|Chart (2003–2004)

!scope="col"|Peak
position

{{single chart|Flanders Dance|5|artist=Chicks on Speed|song=Wordy Rappinghood|rowheader=true|accessdate=August 7, 2016}}

{{single chart|Scotland|72|artist=Chicks on Speed|date=20040307|rowheader=true|accessdate=August 6, 2016}}

{{single chart|UK|66|artist=Chicks on Speed|date=20040307|rowheader=true|accessdate=August 7, 2016}}

{{single chart|UKdance|4|artist=Chicks on Speed|date=20040307|rowheader=true|accessdate=August 6, 2016}}

Uffie version

{{Infobox song

| name = Wordy Rappinghood

| cover = Uffie wordy rappinghood.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Uffie

| album =

| released = 2011

| recorded =

| studio =

| genre =

| length = 3:08

| label =

| writer =

Tina Weymouth
Chris Frantz
Steven Stanley

| producer = DJ Mehdi

| prev_title = Difficult

| prev_year = 2010

| next_title = Drugs

| next_year = 2018

}}

French-American electronic artist Uffie covered the song in 2011. The single, produced by labelmate DJ Mehdi, was released on April 18, 2011, through Ed Banger Records, Because Music and Elektra Records.{{cite web|title= Wordy Rappinghood (Evian Mix) – Single by Uffie |publisher= iTunes Store |accessdate= December 15, 2012 |url= https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/wordy-rappinghood-evian-mix/id431762234|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110426173955/http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/wordy-rappinghood-evian-mix/id431762234|url-status= dead|archive-date= April 26, 2011}} Her version was used in a global Evian ad campaign.{{cite press release|title= The Babies Are Back: evian Announces Launch of New Live young Campaign |agency= PR Newswire |date= April 19, 2011 |accessdate= February 1, 2019 |url= https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/the-babies-are-back-evian-announces-launch-of-new-live-young-campaign-120189399.html}}