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Timex Social Club

Timex Social Club
Also known as
  • TSC
  • The Social Club
  • The Timex Crew
OriginBerkeley, California, U.S.
GenresR&B, new jack swing
Years active1985–1987, 2011–present
LabelsJay Records, Danya, Fantasy Records
SpinoffsClub Nouveau
Members
Past members
  • Michael Marshall
  • Greg Thomas
  • Craig Samuel
  • Ocea Savage
  • Darrien Cleage
  • Alex Hill
  • Kevin Moore

Timex Social Club is an American R&B group, formed in 1985 and best known for the 1986 hit single "Rumors".[1]

History

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Originally known as the Timex Crew, members included Marcus Thompson (founder), Gregory "Greg B" Thomas, Michael Marshall, Craig Samuel, and Darrien Cleage. By 1986, Samuel, Cleage, and Thomas had departed, Alex Hill and Kevin Moore were added, and the name Timex Social Club was adopted[1] (despite the group's name, watchmaker Timex Corporation bore no sponsorship of the group). They fused funk and urban R&B.

Recording

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Thompson, Hill and Marshall had written a song "Rumors" while seniors at Berkeley High School in 1984.[2] Aspiring Sacramento-area producer and promoter Jay King heard the demo and offered it to Con Funk Shun, who rejected it.[3] King then arranged for Timex Social Club to record it in his studio.[3] It was released as a seven and a twelve-inch single on King's fledgling Jay Records and distributed by regional Macola Records.[3]

The group's one major hit, "Rumors", peaked at number eight on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart, number 13 in the UK,[4] and number one on Billboard's Hot Black Singles, Hot Dance/Disco Club Play, and Hot Dance/Disco 12 Inch Singles Sales charts.[5]

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.[3][6]

By July, while "Rumors" was still rising on the charts, the group split with King and arranged to record an album with Danya Records.[7][3] The album Vicious Rumors was recorded at Fantasy Studios and distributed by Fantasy Records in the US (A&M in Canada; Mercury in Europe; CBS/Sony in Japan) and produced by Jay Logan.[2] "Rumors" was re-recorded for the album[2] and a music video was made to this new version. Two follow-up singles, "Thinkin' About Ya" and "Mixed-Up World", both reached number 15 on the Black Singles chart.[5][8] 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.

The album debuted on Billboard's Black Albums chart on 6 December 1986 and peaked at number 29 (on 21 March 1987), but failed to chart on the Billboard 200 albums chart.[5]

Also in 1986, Ocea Savage was added on keyboards and background vocals.[citation needed]

Touring

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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] 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.[10]

Split

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Timex Social Club disbanded in 1987, shortly after the success of "Rumors".[11]

The original producers of "Rumors", Jay King and Denzil Foster, along with Thomas McElroy formed Club Nouveau, whose first single was "Jealousy", an answer song to "Rumors" that references Timex Social Club's split.[7][2] Club Nouveau subsequently had a No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit in 1987 with a go-go cover of Bill Withers's "Lean on Me".[12]

Revival

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As of 2011, the Timex Social Club roster consisted of founding member Marcus Thompson as DJ and Samuelle on vocals.[citation needed] That same year, Thompson authored Vicious Rumors How Do Rumors Get Started: The True Story of Timex Social Club, his history of the group and his take on the rap music scene in the 1980s.[13]

Discography

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Studio albums

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Year Album US R&B
[14]
1986 Vicious Rumors 29

Singles

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Year Title Peak chart positions
US 100
[8] 		US R&B
[8] 		US Dance
[8] 		CAN
 UK
[15]
1986 "Rumors" 8 1 1 1 13
"Mixed Up World" — 15 — — 81
"Thinkin' About Ya" — 15 ― — ―
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.

Awards and nominations

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Year Source[10] Song Result Misc.
1986
CRIA/Music Canada
"Rumors"
Gold single
Certification/Label A&M
1986
CRIA/Music Canada
"Rumors"
Platinum single
Certification/Label A&M
1986
Commendation
"Rumors" / Vicious Rumors Awarded (key to city)
Mayor Richard L. Berkley Kansas City MO.
1986
Proclamation
 "Rumors" / Vicious Rumors
Won
Governor John D. Ashcroft state of MO.
1986
The 1986 NARM Awards
"Rumors"
Won
Best Selling New Artist
1986
Bay Area Top Star Music Awards
 "Rumors" / Vicious Rumors
Won
—
1987
American Music Awards
 "Rumors" / Vicious Rumors
Nominated
—
1987
Bammies/Bay Area Music Awards
 "Rumors" / Vicious Rumors
Nominated
—
1987
Juno Awards (CANADA)
 "Rumors" / Vicious Rumors
Nominated
—
1987
Soul Train Music Awards
 "Rumors" / Vicious Rumors
Nominated
—

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Wynn, Ron. "Timex Social Club - Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d 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.
  3. ^ a b c d e Goodman, Fred (August 23, 1986). "A Hit Single on a Shoestring: Jay King Produced Timex's 'Rumors'". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 34. p. 79. ISSN 0006-2510.
  4. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 560. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  5. ^ a b c Billboard magazine archives.
  6. ^ Freeman, Kim (May 3, 1986). "Black/Urban". Out of the Box. Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 18. p. 10. ISSN 0006-2510.
  7. ^ a b Chin, Brian (July 12, 1986). "Rumors Surround Timex Social Club: Splinter Group—Jet Set—Forms". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 28. p. 24. ISSN 0006-2510.
  8. ^ a b c d "Timex Social Club Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography". Music VF. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  9. ^ Michaels, Randolph (2005). Flashbacks to Happiness: Eighties Music Revisited. US: iUniverse. pp. 196, 198. ISBN 978-0-595-37007-8.
  10. ^ a b Thompson, Marcus (2011). How Do Rumors Get Started: The True Story of Timex Social Club. US: Self-published. 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. ^ Wynn, Ron. "Club Nouveau - Artist Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  13. ^ Alexander, Otis (December 6, 2021). "Timex Social Club (1985-1987)". BlackPast.org. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  14. ^ "Timex Social Club - Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on January 17, 2013. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  15. ^ "TIMEX SOCIAL CLUB - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved January 3, 2021.

Further reading

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  • Thompson, Marcus A. (2011). How Do Rumors Get Started: The True Story of Timex Social Club. US: Self-published. ISBN 978-1329954939.
  • Turner, Patricia A. (1993). I Heard It Through the Grapevine: Rumor in African-American Culture. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press. p. 260. ISBN 978-0-520-08936-5.
  • Stone, Joseph (2005). Mad Season: (Changing Stations). p. 220.
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