Songoftheday 12/7/14 - Did you hear the one about Tina some say she's much too loose, that came straight from a guy who claims he's tasted her juice....

Timex Social Club - "Rumors"
from the album Vicious Rumors (1986)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #8 (two weeks)
Weeks in the Top-40: 12

Today's Song of the Day is by the Timex Social Club, originally a group of students in Berkeley California, and shuffled members a bit before their first and biggest hit was released. "Rumors", a minor-key masterpiece about spreading lies written by lead signer Michael Marshall with band DJ Marcus Thompson and member Alex Hill, was funky enough for the clubs and silly enough for pop radio...

"Rumors" climbed into the American pop top-10 in August of 1986. The single went to #1 on both the R&B and Dance Club Play charts in Billboard as well. Internationally, the record topped the list in Canada, went top-10 in Holland, Italy, Ireland, and New Zealand, and #13 in the UK.

The Club would have another couple of R&B hits with "Thinkin' About Ya" and "Mixed Up World" both reaching #15. They also got a prime touring spot with Run-DMC, but it wasn't long until the group ditch producer Jay King's label to get signed on their own. King went and formed Club Nouveau, who got confused with this club, but more successful, making "Rumors" a one-hit wonder that ends up one of the best of the decade. Sadly, their Vicious Rumors album is pretty much impossible to find on CD these days, but if you get a vinyl copy, do, because it's a real find.

(Click below to see the rest of the post)


Here's the TSC appearing on Soul Train in 1986...

After Jay King got 'ditched' by the Club, he formed Club Nouveau with fellow producers Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy with new singers, and their first single, "Jealousy", was basically a rewrite of "Rumors" dissing their former mates. While it missed the pop charts, the record went top-10 on the R&B and dance charts, and they would make up for it in spades with their next single, a cover of an old 70s tune called "Lean On Me"...

Meanwhile, another group, comedy act Bobby Jimmy and the Critters, parodied the song with "Roaches", which went to #27 on the R&B chart in 1986...

Shep Pettibone remixed the 12" release, which topped the dance chart....

Up tomorrow: Another Bay Area group may be singing about Ms. Sugarbaker.