Rumors (Timex Social Club song)

Last updated
"Rumors"
Rumors single.jpg
Single by Timex Social Club
from the album Vicious Rumors
Released1986
Recorded1985
Genre
Length
  • 4:53 (original single version)
  • 5:47 (re-recorded album version)
Label Jay
Songwriter(s) Timex Social Club
Producer(s)
Timex Social Club singles chronology
"Rumors"
(1986)		"Mixed Up World"
(1986)

"Rumors" is the debut single by San Francisco Bay Area-based music group Timex Social Club. It was a top-ten hit in the United States, peaking at number 8 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart and number one on Billboard 's Hot Black Singles, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance/Disco 12 Inch Singles Sales charts. [3]

Contents

The song was re-recorded for the band's debut album Vicious Rumors , and this version went to number 13 in the UK, [4] top-ten in Ireland and a top-five hit in the Netherlands and in New Zealand, and was a number-one hit in Canada.

Background and recording

Timex Social Club members Marcus Thompson, Michael Marshall and Alex Hill had written a song "Rumors" while seniors at Berkeley High School in 1984. [5] Aspiring Sacramento-area producer and promoter Jay King heard the demo and offered it to Con Funk Shun, who rejected it. [6] King then arranged for Timex Social Club to record it in his studio. [6]

Release and success

"Rumors" was released as a seven and a twelve-inch single on King's fledgling Jay Records and distributed by regional Macola Records. [6] The long-version b-side of the twelve-inch single was titled "Vicious Rumors".

On the strength of King's regional promotion, mostly in the South, the song was added to playlists at major Black music stations such as KKDA-FM in Dallas and KMJQ in Houston. [6] [7]

On 26 April 1986, the song debuted at number 83 on the Black Singles chart as "Vicious Rumors", entered the top ten in early July and peaked at number one on 19 July for two weeks. [3] The song also charted on the dance charts, reaching number one in both club play and 12-inch single sales in July. [3] The song debuted on the Hot 100 at number 81 on 14 June 1986. [3] It entered the top 40 in early July and peaked at number eight on 16 August and again on 30 August. [3]

By July, while "Rumors" was still rising on the charts, the group split with King and arranged to record an album with Danya Records. [8] [6] "Rumors" was re-recorded for the album [5] and a music video was made to this new version. As "Rumors" became popular outside of the US in the fall of 1986, it was this re-recorded version that charted in Canada and Europe.

Aftermath

The success of the single "Rumors" prompted hip hop impresario Russell Simmons to hire the group as the opening act for 38 dates on Run DMC's Raising Hell tour in 1986, [9] along with the 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. [10] However, despite two other top-twenty hits on the Black Singles chart, Timex Social Club disbanded in 1987, shortly after the success of "Rumors". [11]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1986–1987)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [12] 94
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [13] 24
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [14] 15
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [15] 1
Europe (European Hot 100 Singles) [16] 20
Ireland (IRMA) [17] 10
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [18] 3
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [19] 3
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [20] 2
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [21] 23
UK Singles (OCC) [22] 13
US Billboard Hot 100 [23] 8
US Billboard Hot Black Singles [23] 1
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play [23] 1
US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales [23] 1
US Cash Box [24] 8
West Germany (GfK) [25] 11

Year-end charts

Chart (1986)Position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [26] 97
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [27] 11
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [28] 57
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [29] 42
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [30] 38
US Billboard Hot 100 [31] 77
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs ( Billboard ) [32] 7

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada) [33] Platinum100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Other notable versions

In 1986, a European version was released by Van & His Crew as "Rumors (The Rap Version)". [34]

In 1997, the British band Awesome released their version of "Rumors" which hit number 8 in New Zealand [35] and also charted in some European countries. [36] [37] [38]

Parodies

The song was parodied as "Roaches" by Bobby Jimmy and the Critters, also released in 1986. [39]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Like, Omigod! It's the '80s Pop Culture Box (Totally)". One Hit Wonder Center. Retrieved May 23, 2014. There are also tracks to represent the rise of post-disco club/dance trend, such as Laid Back's 'White Horse', New Edition's 'Cool It Now', and Timex Social Club's 'Rumors'.
  2. ↑ Breihan, Tom (February 8, 2021). "The Number Ones: Club Nouveau's "Lean On Me". Stereogum . Retrieved October 3, 2023. 'Rumors' is crispy digital funk.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Billboard magazine archives.
  4. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 560. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  5. 1 2 Gross, Jonathan (February 1987). "Cold Busted: Timex Social Club Takes a Licking and Stops Ticking". Flash. Spin . Vol. 2, no. 11. Bob Guccione, Jr. p.  10. ISSN   0886-3032.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Goodman, Fred (23 August 1986). "A Hit Single on a Shoestring: Jay King Produced Timex's 'Rumors'". Billboard . Vol. 98, no. 34. p.  79. ISSN   0006-2510.
  7. ↑ Freeman, Kim (3 May 1986). "Black/Urban". Out of the Box. Billboard . Vol. 98, no. 18. p.  10. ISSN   0006-2510.
  8. ↑ Chin, Brian (12 July 1986). "Rumors Surround Timex Social Club: Splinter Group—Jet Set—Forms". Billboard . Vol. 98, no. 28. p.  24. ISSN   0006-2510.
  9. ↑ Michaels, Randolph (2005). Flashbacks to Happiness: Eighties Music Revisited. US: iUniverse. pp. 196, 198. ISBN   978-0-595-37007-8.
  10. ↑ Thompson, Marcus (2011). How Do Rumors Get Started: The True Story of Timex Social Club. US: self. pp. 6, 173. ISBN   978-1-257-28542-6.
  11. ↑ Wynn, Ron (2003). "Timex Social Club". In Bogdanov, Vladimir (ed.). All Music Guide to Soul: The Definitive Guide to R&B and Soul. All Media Guide. Backbeat Books. p.  unk. ISBN   9781617134968.
  12. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, New South Wales: Australian Chart Book. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  13. ↑ "Timex Social Club – Rumors" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Timex Social Club – Rumors" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0734." RPM . Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  16. ↑ "European Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 3, no. 45. November 15, 1986. p. 23. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  17. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Rumors". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  18. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 47, 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Timex Social Club – Rumors" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Timex Social Club – Rumors". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Timex Social Club – Rumors". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  22. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  23. 1 2 3 4 "Timex Social Club – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Archived from the original on November 27, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  24. ↑ "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending AUGUST 23, 1986". Cash Box . Archived from the original on September 2, 2012.
  25. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Timex Social Club – Rumors" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  26. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1986" (in Dutch). Ultratop . Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  27. ↑ "Top 100 Singles of '86". RPM . Vol. 45, no. 14. Library and Archives Canada. December 27, 1986. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  28. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1986" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  29. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1986" (in Dutch). MegaCharts . Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  30. ↑ "End of Year Charts 1986". Recorded Music NZ . Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  31. ↑ "Top Pop Singles" (PDF). Billboard . Vol. 98, no. 52. December 27, 1986. p. Y-21. ISSN   0006-2510.
  32. ↑ "Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1986". Billboard. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  33. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Timex Social Club – Rumors". Music Canada . Retrieved September 7, 2020.
  34. ↑ "Van & His Crew - Rumors". Discogs . 1986.
  35. ↑ Zealand singles charts
  36. ↑ "swedishcharts.com - Awesome - Rumours". Archived from the original on 2024-03-01. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
  37. ↑ "Awesome [UK] - Songs". chartsurfer.de.
  38. ↑ "Awesome - Rumours - austriancharts.at". Archived from the original on 2024-03-01. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
  39. ↑ "Bobby Jimmy and the Critters". West Coast Pioneers. Archived from the original on April 23, 2014. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
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