Timex Social Club
Encyclopedia
The Timex Social Club was an American
R&B
/Hip hop
group
, formed in 1982 by students of Berkeley High School in Berkeley, California
. They are perhaps best known for their 1986 hit single, "Rumors
" and for being major forerunners to the soon-incipient new jack swing
movement.
, Craig Samuel and Darrien Cleage. By 1986, Samuel, Cleage and Thomas had departed, and both Alex Hill and Kevin Moore were added to complete the group, and the name Timex Social Club was adopted. They specialized in both old school hip hop
and the merger of urban R&B
with hip hop
rhythms, which were later known as new jack swing
.
In 1986, the group released the Vicious Rumors
album on Danya Records. Vicious Rumors had one major hit
, "Rumors
", which peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100
. The single also reached #1 in Canada and #13 in the UK Singles Chart
, and held the number 1 position for: US
Billboard
R&B
chart
, Hot Black Singles-Sales, Hot Black Singles-Airplay, US Hot Dance Club Play
, Hot Dance/Disco-12 inch singles sales charts.
The two follow-up singles "Thinkin' About Ya" and "Mixed-Up World" both reached the R&B Top 20.
The success of the single "Rumors", prompted hip hop impresario Russell Simmons
to hire the group as the opening act for thirty-eight dates on Run DMC's Raising Hell tour in 1986. Other acts on the tour were Beastie Boys
, LL Cool J
, and Whodini
. Besides solo dates, the group also opened for New Edition
, Midnight Star
, the S.O.S. Band, Kool & The Gang
, and Jermaine Jackson
.
Their single, "Thinkin' About Ya", was first covered
by Club Nouveau
on "Why You Treat Me So Bad
" (Life, Love and Pain, Warner Bros. Records 25531). The following is a list of known covers.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
/Hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
group
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
, formed in 1982 by students of Berkeley High School in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. They are perhaps best known for their 1986 hit single, "Rumors
Rumors (Timex Social Club song)
"Rumors" is a 1986 song by Bay Area based R&B/funk music group Timex Social Club from their debut album Vicious Rumors. was a hit in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, reaching number eight on the U.S. pop charts and number thirteen on the UK charts, in addition to topping the U.S....
" and for being major forerunners to the soon-incipient new jack swing
New jack swing
New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...
movement.
History
Originally known as The Timex Crew, members included Marcus Thompson (founder), Gregory "Greg B" Thomas, Michael MarshallMichael Marshall (singer)
Michael Marshall, also known and credited as Mike Marshall and Mike Meezy, was the lead singer of the R&B group Timex Social Club. In 1986, he had taken an offer to join Run DMC's Raising Hell Tour, before he left the group. He was often confused as the lead singer of Club Nouveau when in fact,...
, Craig Samuel and Darrien Cleage. By 1986, Samuel, Cleage and Thomas had departed, and both Alex Hill and Kevin Moore were added to complete the group, and the name Timex Social Club was adopted. They specialized in both old school hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and the merger of urban R&B
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
with hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
rhythms, which were later known as new jack swing
New jack swing
New jack swing or swingbeat is a fusion genre spearheaded by Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle which became extremely popular from the late-1980s into the mid-1990s. Its influence, along with hip-hop, seeped into pop culture and was the definitive sound of the inventive Black New York club scene...
.
In 1986, the group released the Vicious Rumors
Vicious Rumors (Timex Social Club album)
Vicious Rumors is the sole studio album from the R&B band Timex Social Club, released in 1986. It contains the group's Billboard Hot 100 top 10 and R&B #1 hit "Rumors," as well as the follow-up R&B hits "Thinkin' About Ya'" and "Mixed Up World."...
album on Danya Records. Vicious Rumors had one major hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
, "Rumors
Rumors (Timex Social Club song)
"Rumors" is a 1986 song by Bay Area based R&B/funk music group Timex Social Club from their debut album Vicious Rumors. was a hit in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, reaching number eight on the U.S. pop charts and number thirteen on the UK charts, in addition to topping the U.S....
", which peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
. The single also reached #1 in Canada and #13 in 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 ...
, and held the number 1 position for: US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
R&B
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
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
, Hot Black Singles-Sales, Hot Black Singles-Airplay, US Hot Dance Club Play
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
, Hot Dance/Disco-12 inch singles sales charts.
The two follow-up singles "Thinkin' About Ya" and "Mixed-Up World" both reached the R&B Top 20.
The success of the single "Rumors", prompted hip hop impresario Russell Simmons
Russell Simmons
-External links:** * * * * * * from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum* *...
to hire the group as the opening act for thirty-eight dates on Run DMC's Raising Hell tour in 1986. Other acts on the tour were Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
, LL Cool J
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
, and Whodini
Whodini
Whodini is a hip hop group that was formed in 1981. The Brooklyn, New York-based trio consisted of vocalist and main lyricist Jalil Hutchins; co-vocalist John Fletcher, aka Ecstasy ; and turntable artist DJ Drew Carter, aka Grandmaster Dee.-Early years:Whodini was among the first hip-hop groups to...
. Besides solo dates, the group also opened for New Edition
New Edition
New Edition is an R&B group formed in Boston in 1978. The group reached its height of popularity during the 1980s. They were the progenitors of the boy band movement of the 1980s and 1990s and led the way for groups like New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync...
, Midnight Star
Midnight Star
Midnight Star is an R&B and electro-funk group that had a string of R&B hits in the 1980s.-Band history:The group was formed in 1976 at Kentucky State University by trumpeter Reggie Calloway, vocalist Belinda Lipscomb, guitarist/vocalist Melvin Gentry, bassist Kenneth Gant, multi-instrumentalist...
, the S.O.S. Band, Kool & The Gang
Kool & the Gang
Kool & the Gang are an American jazz, R&B, soul, and funk group, originally formed as the Jazziacs in Jersey City, New Jersey in 1964.They went through several musical phases during the course of their recording career, starting out with a purist jazz sound, then becoming practitioners of R&B and...
, and Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine La Jaune Jackson is an American singer, bassist, composer, a member of The Jackson 5, older brother of American pop stars Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson and occasional film director...
.
Cover versions, parodies and usage
Over the years, the group's hit "Rumors" has spawned a host of remakes, parodies and uses, such as:- "Back From The Dead" - House Of PainHouse of PainHouse of Pain is an American hip hop group who released three albums in the 1990s before lead rapper Everlast left to pursue his solo career again. The group's name is a reference to the H.G. Wells novel The Island of Dr...
- "Half Man Half Machine" - Goldie Lookin ChainGoldie Lookin ChainGoldie Lookin Chain is a comedic rap music group based in Newport, South Wales. The group produces humorous, controversial and often explicit songs that satirise hip hop, today's consumer society, the ‘chav’ culture and life in Newport and south Wales in general.-Background:Many of the songs...
- "He said, she said..." Andre NickatinaAndre NickatinaAndre L. Adams , better known by his stage name Andre Nickatina, is an American rapper from San Francisco, California. He previously performed under the stage name Dre Dog.-Musical career:...
and Mike MarshallMike MarshallMike Marshall may refer to:*Mike Marshall , American Major League Baseball outfielder from 1981-1991*Mike Marshall , American Major League Baseball pitcher from 1967-81... - "Hookaz" - South Central CartelSouth Central CartelSouth Central Cartel is a Los Angeles-based gangsta rap group. Some of their popular songs include "U Gotta Deal Wit Dis", "Pops Was a Rolla", "Ya Getz Clowned", "Gang Stories", "Servin 'Em Heat", "Knocc on Wood" , and "All Day Everyday" & "Eastside-Westside".-Biography:As one of the original...
- "Jealousy" - Club NouveauClub NouveauClub Nouveau is a contemporary R&B-pop band that was formed by record producer/performer Jay King in 1986 in Sacramento, California, subsequent to the breakup of the Timex Social Club. Other members of Club Nouveau included original members Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy, Samuelle Prater, and...
- "More News At 11" - Public Enemy (band)
- "Roaches"- Bobby Jimmy & The Critters
- "Rumors" - Jo De La Rosa
- "Rumors" - Mr. Shadow
- "Stop Hatin'" - Master PMaster PPercy Robert Miller , better known by his stage name Master P or his business name P. Miller, is an American rapper, actor, entrepreneur, investor, and producer. He is the founder of the popular label No Limit Records, which went bankrupt and was relaunched as New No Limit Records through Koch...
- "Soon As I Get Home" - 2 Pac
Their single, "Thinkin' About Ya", was first covered
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by Club Nouveau
Club Nouveau
Club Nouveau is a contemporary R&B-pop band that was formed by record producer/performer Jay King in 1986 in Sacramento, California, subsequent to the breakup of the Timex Social Club. Other members of Club Nouveau included original members Denzil Foster, Thomas McElroy, Samuelle Prater, and...
on "Why You Treat Me So Bad
Why You Treat Me So Bad
"Why You Treat Me So Bad" is a 1987 single by Club Nouveau from its 1986 album Life, Love & Pain. The basic melodic hook of the song is taken from a hit by Club Nouveau member Jay King's previous project as producer, Timex Social Club...
" (Life, Love and Pain, Warner Bros. Records 25531). The following is a list of known covers.
- "Rumors" Father Dom feat. [Timex Social Club]
- "Can't Trust a Man" - Mia XMia XMia Young , better known by her stage name Mia X, was the first female emcee to sign with No Limit Records. In 1992, she released a single titled “Ask Them Niggas.” From 1995 to 1998, Mia X released three albums for No Limit: Good Girl Gone Bad, Unlady Like, and Mama Drama...
feat. Suga T - "Lifestyles Of The Rich and Shameless" - Lost Boyz
- "How Can I Get Over You" (Remix feat. LL Cool J) - Taral HicksTaral HicksTaral Hicks is an actress and musician.-Career:Hicks graduated in 1993 from Grace Dodge Vocational High School in Bronx, New York....
- "I Got 5 On It" (featuring Michael MarshallMichael Marshall (singer)Michael Marshall, also known and credited as Mike Marshall and Mike Meezy, was the lead singer of the R&B group Timex Social Club. In 1986, he had taken an offer to join Run DMC's Raising Hell Tour, before he left the group. He was often confused as the lead singer of Club Nouveau when in fact,...
) - LunizLunizThe Luniz were an American platinum-selling rap duo from Oakland, California, formed by the rappers Yukmouth and Numskull. They released an internationally successful hit in 1995 entitled "I Got 5 on It", two versions of which appeared on their album Operation Stackola... - "I'm Gonna Be Alright" (Track Masters remix, featuring 50 Cent) - Jennifer LopezJennifer LopezJennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
- "Irresistible" (So So Def remix, feat. Lil Bow Wow) - Jessica SimpsonJessica SimpsonJessica Ann Simpson is an American recording artist, actress, television personality, and fashion designer whose rise to fame began in 1999. Since that time, Simpson has achieved many recording milestones, starred in several television shows, movies, and commercials, launched a line of hair and...
- "Only U" - Ashanti
- "Satisfy You" (feat. R. Kelly) - P Diddy
- "Thinking Bout U" (feat. Mia X) - Master PMaster PPercy Robert Miller , better known by his stage name Master P or his business name P. Miller, is an American rapper, actor, entrepreneur, investor, and producer. He is the founder of the popular label No Limit Records, which went bankrupt and was relaunched as New No Limit Records through Koch...
- "Untouchable" (feat. Infa-Red, Cross and Drag-On, Syleena Johnson, Sheek Louch) - DMXDMX (rapper)Earl Simmons , better known by his stage name DMX, is a multiplatinum American rapper and actor who rose to fame in the late 1990s. His stage name pays tribute to the Oberheim DMX drum machine, an instrument he used when he made his own rap beats in the 80's...
- "What's My Name" - Mr. Capone-EMr. Capone-EMr. Capone-E is an American Latino rapper.A former gang member, Mr. Capone-E was released from prison in 1998 and decided to become a rapper. Mr. Capone- E established his own record label, Hi-Power Entertainment...
Albums
- Vicious RumorsVicious Rumors (Timex Social Club album)Vicious Rumors is the sole studio album from the R&B band Timex Social Club, released in 1986. It contains the group's Billboard Hot 100 top 10 and R&B #1 hit "Rumors," as well as the follow-up R&B hits "Thinkin' About Ya'" and "Mixed Up World."...
(1986) - US R&BTop R&B/Hip-Hop AlbumsTop R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
#29
Singles
| Song | High Position | Chart |
|---|---|---|
| Rumors Rumors (Timex Social Club song) "Rumors" is a 1986 song by Bay Area based R&B/funk music group Timex Social Club from their debut album Vicious Rumors. was a hit in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, reaching number eight on the U.S. pop charts and number thirteen on the UK charts, in addition to topping the U.S.... |
|
US Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... , R&B 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,... , Dance Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... , UK 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 ... , CAN RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
| Mixed Up World | |
|
| Thinkin' About Ya | |
|
Awards and Nominations
----| Year | Source | Song | Result | Misc. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | |
Rumors/Vicious Rumors | Awarded (key to city) | Richard L. Berkley Richard L. Berkley served as mayor of Kansas City, Missouri, U.S., from 1979 to 1991.Although Kansas City mayors do not officially have political affiliations, Mayor Berkley was the first Republican mayor of the city since the 1920s... Kansas City MO. |
| 1986 | Proclamation A proclamation is an official declaration.-England and Wales:In English law, a proclamation is a formal announcement , made under the great seal, of some matter which the King in Council or Queen in Council desires to make known to his or her subjects: e.g., the declaration of war, or state of... |
Rumors/Vicious Rumors | |
|
| 1986 | |
Rumors/Vicious Rumors | |
|
| 1987 | American Music Awards -Conception:The AMAs were created by Dick Clark in 1973 to compete with the Grammys after the move of that year's show to Nashville, Tennessee led to CBS picking up the Grammy telecasts after its first two in 1971 and 1972 were broadcast on ABC... |
Rumors/Vicious Rumors | |
|
| 1987 | |
Rumors/Vicious Rumors | |
|
| 1987 | |
Rumors/Vicious Rumors | |
|
| 1987 | Soul Train Music Awards The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual award show which previously aired in national television syndication, and honors the best in Black music and entertainment... |
Rumors/Vicious Rumors | |
|
Books
----- I Heard It Through the Grapevine: Rumor in African-American Culture by Joseph Stone(1994)
- Mad Season: (Changing Stations) by Joseph Stone(2005)
- Flashbacks to Happiness: Eighties Music Revisited by Randolph Michaels (2005)
- How Do Rumors Get Started: The True Story Of Timex Social Club by Marcus A. Thompson (2011)
Television
- 2001: The Proud FamilyThe Proud FamilyThe Proud Family is an American animated television series that premiered on Disney Channel from September 15, 2001 to August 19, 2005.-Production:...
, Disney (Season 1 Episode 3 - "Rumors") - 2008: The HillsThe HillsThe Hills is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from May 31, 2006 until July 13, 2010. The show uses a reality television format, following the personal lives of several young adults living in Los Angeles, California, but tends towards a narrative format more commonly found...
, MTV (Season 4 Episode 16 - "You Did This")
See also
- List of number-one dance hits (United States)
- List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
- List of bands from the San Francisco Bay Area
External links
- Official Website
- Michael Marshall - Lead Singer
- Rumor Radio
- Timex Social Club Album and Chart History @ Billboard.com
- [ Timex Social Club overview @ AllMusic.com]