Nellie the Elephant
Encyclopedia
Nellie the Elephant is a song
written in 1956 by Ralph Butler
and Peter Hart about a fictional intelligent elephant
of the same name.
R 4219 in October 1956, was recorded
by English child actress Mandy Miller
, with orchestra conducted by Phil Cardew. It was arranged by Ron Goodwin
and produced by George Martin
. Although never a hit single, it was played countless times on BBC national radio in the UK in the 1950s and 1960s, particularly on "Children's Favourites
".
The chorus
of the song goes:
Children's author Jacqueline Wilson
chose the song as one of her Desert Island Discs
in October 2005.
band Toy Dolls
did a cover of this song in 1982 which was later released on the 1983 album Dig That Groove Baby
. Issued as a single, it reached # 4 on the UK singles chart
in late 1984.
In turn, the Toy Dolls' version was covered by WC Experience as the Dutch language
version "Fritske d'n Olifant"
of cardiopulmonary resuscitation
(CPR). The recommended rate for CPR is 100 chest compressions per minute. A study at Coventry University
compared the effectiveness of this song in maintaining this rhythm with an alternative of That's the Way (I Like It)
and no song at all. The version used for the study was by Little Bear
which was found to have a tempo of 105 beats per minute. Singing the chorus of the song twice, with a compression on each beat, results in exactly 30 compressions, which is the international standard for CPR.
The use of Nellie resulted in correct timing for 42 out of 130 cases, as compared with 15 for no music and just 12 for That's the Way. However, the depth of compression was found to be inadequate in most of those cases and the use of Nellie was found to increase this slightly, as compared with the use of no music (56% too shallow with Nellie and 47% without).
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
written in 1956 by Ralph Butler
Ralph Butler
Ralph T. Butler was a British songwriter, responsible for the lyrics of many popular songs of the 1930s and later, mostly with comic or novelty elements.He was active as a songwriter from the late 1920s until the mid-1950s...
and Peter Hart about a fictional intelligent elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
of the same name.
Original version
The original version, released on ParlophoneParlophone
Parlophone is a record label that was founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch was formed in 1923 as "Parlophone" which developed a reputation in the 1920s as a leading jazz label. It was acquired in 1927 by the Columbia Graphophone Company which...
R 4219 in October 1956, was recorded
Sound recording and reproduction
Sound recording and reproduction is an electrical or mechanical inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording technology are analog recording and digital recording...
by English child actress Mandy Miller
Mandy Miller
Mandy Miller is an English child actor who made a number of films in the 1950s and is probably best remembered for her recording of the song "Nellie the Elephant".-Early life:...
, with orchestra conducted by Phil Cardew. It was arranged by Ron Goodwin
Ron Goodwin
Ronald Alfred Goodwin was a British composer and conductor known for his film music. He scored over 70 films in a career lasting over fifty years....
and produced by George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
. Although never a hit single, it was played countless times on BBC national radio in the UK in the 1950s and 1960s, particularly on "Children's Favourites
Children's Favourites
Children's Favourites was a BBC Radio programme from 1954 broadcast on the Light Programme on Saturday mornings from 9:00. A precursor had been called Children's Choice after the style of Housewives' Choice....
".
The chorus
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
of the song goes:
- Nellie the Elephant packed her trunk
- And said goodbye to the circus
- Off she went with a trumpety-trump
- Trump, trump, trump
Children's author Jacqueline Wilson
Jacqueline Wilson
Dame Jacqueline Wilson, DBE, FRSL is an award-winning English author, known for her vast and diverse work in children's literature. Her novels have been adapted numerous times for television, and commonly deal with such challenging themes as adoption, divorce and mental illness...
chose the song as one of her Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs is a BBC Radio 4 programme first broadcast on 29 January 1942. It is the second longest-running radio programme , and is the longest-running factual programme in the history of radio...
in October 2005.
Later versions
The punk rockPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Toy Dolls
Toy Dolls
The Toy Dolls are an English punk rock band formed in 1979. Departing from the angry lyrics and music often associated with punk rock, The Toy Dolls worked within the aesthetics of punk to express a sense of fun, with songs such as "Yul Brynner Was a Skinhead", "My Girlfriend's Dad's a Vicar" and...
did a cover of this song in 1982 which was later released on the 1983 album Dig That Groove Baby
Dig That Groove Baby
Dig That Groove Baby is the first full-length album by the Punk band Toy Dolls. Still it is considered by many fans as the best work by the band and contains the handful of future live staples, such as Nellie the Elephant and Firey Jack....
. Issued as a single, it reached # 4 on the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in late 1984.
In turn, the Toy Dolls' version was covered by WC Experience as the Dutch language
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
version "Fritske d'n Olifant"
Rhythm
The rhythm and tempo of this song is often used to teach people the rhythmRhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
of cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency procedure which is performed in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person in cardiac arrest. It is indicated in those who are unresponsive...
(CPR). The recommended rate for CPR is 100 chest compressions per minute. A study at Coventry University
Coventry University
Coventry University is a post-1992 university in Coventry, West Midlands, England. Under the terms of the Further and Higher Education Act of 1992, the institution's name was changed from Coventry Polytechnic to Coventry University...
compared the effectiveness of this song in maintaining this rhythm with an alternative of That's the Way (I Like It)
That's the Way (I Like It)
"That's the Way " is a song written by H.W. Casey and Richard Finch, and recorded and released in 1975 by KC and the Sunshine Band for their eponymous second album...
and no song at all. The version used for the study was by Little Bear
Little Bear
Little Bear may refer to:* Little Bear , a children's book series written by Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrated by Maurice Sendak** Little Bear , a children's TV series based upon the books...
which was found to have a tempo of 105 beats per minute. Singing the chorus of the song twice, with a compression on each beat, results in exactly 30 compressions, which is the international standard for CPR.
The use of Nellie resulted in correct timing for 42 out of 130 cases, as compared with 15 for no music and just 12 for That's the Way. However, the depth of compression was found to be inadequate in most of those cases and the use of Nellie was found to increase this slightly, as compared with the use of no music (56% too shallow with Nellie and 47% without).