1963
THE NITTY GRITTY * SHIRLEY ELLIS * LONDON 9824 * UK
Born Shirley Marie Elliston she first recorded in 1961 as Shirley Elliston, then in 1962 as Shirlee May, and that same year with the Metronomes. The above was her first as Shirley Ellis, her first with the Congress label USA (see below), and her first British release. The song was very popular with the Mods in Southern England not least because, like the soon to follow Mod anthem The In Crowd by Dobie Gray, it contained lyrics that addressed the unique position in society those Mods saw themselves in; not only were they members of an elite (a non-hierarchical elite, itself unique at that time) and privy to an esoteric knowledge (clothes, style, music, language, and etc.) that was paradoxically on full display, they were also the creators and executors of that situation by and of the moment.
THE NITTY GRITTY * SHIRLEY ELLIS * CONGRESS 202 * USA
See also: Stardust