JIMMY JONES - “Good Timin’”
(9th July 1960)
In the film The Hudsucker Proxy, the hero’s irritant and eventual nemesis is a guy called Buzz. Buzz is shrill, unshakably upbeat and entirely dumb; he is the living spirit of chirp. His traits include a glintful eye, a manic handshake and the habit of repeating his just-made jokes in order to cackle loudly at them. When I hear “Good Timin’” with its hyena chorus I think of Buzz.
But what infuriates on film can entertain on vinyl. “They had timin’” sings Jimmy Jones, “Ticka-ticka-ticka-tock timin’”, and really he could end it there, it’s catchy enough, but hold on, “TAY-AY-AY-AY!” - what makes this record isn’t the wisecracking, or the beat, it’s how gratuitous its hook is. 6
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FT's Doctor Mod on October 16th, 2006
Strange how something this silly can actually give one pleasure….
FT's Doctor Mod on October 16th, 2006
….which is to say that it actually does.
FT's SteveIson on July 21st, 2008
Its a lovely chirpy song with a really sweet melody..Long live innocent pleasures RIP 6
rosie on July 21st, 2008
Have I never mentioned that this is the last one for some considerable time that I didn’t know before I discovered Popular? I must have done, on Haloscan if not in the comments regime that prevailed before then.
Anyway, I think this is quite remarkable and if I’d known it then (aged not-quite 6), I’m sure I would have loved it. I like it a lot even now - worth a 7 at least in my book.
DJ Punctum on July 21st, 2008
RIP??? Last I heard Jimmy Jones was still with us.
Didn’t listen to POTP yesterday (1985 for the 48th time this year was a bridge too far - what is it with this programme’s obsession with crap years?) but one of the charts featured was 1960 and this was on top.
Billy Smart on July 21st, 2008
The same chart that they did 2 years ago - I’m all for going earlier than the mid-sixties in theory, but 1960 vs 1985 made for a dull afternoon!
At least he didn’t play ‘What A Mouth’ this time around, though…
DJ Punctum on July 21st, 2008
In POTP World (motto: First Simplify, Then Exaggerate) the fifties don’t exist :-(