Timex Social Club

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

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, Timex Group USA bears no sponsorship of the group). They fused funk and urban R&B.

In 1986, the group released the Vicious Rumors album produced by Jay Logan on Danya/Fantasy Records (A&M in Canada; Mercury in Europe; CBS/Sony in Japan). Its one major hit, "Rumors", written by Thompson, Hill, and Marshall, peaked at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, number 13 in the UK,^[2] and number 1 on the Billboard R&B, Hot Dance Club Play, and Hot Dance/Disco-12 inch Singles-Sales charts. The two follow-up singles, "Thinkin' About Ya" and "Mixed-Up World", reached the R&B top 20.^[3] Also in 1986 Ocea Savage was added on keyboards and background vocals.

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.^[4] 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.^[5]

Timex Social Club disbanded shortly after the success of "Rumors". The band's producer Jay King, Denzil Foster, and Thomas McElroy formed Club Nouveau, whose first single was "Jealousy", an answer song to "Rumors" that references Timex Social Club's split. Club Nouveau subsequently had a #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit in 1987 with a go-go cover of Bill Withers's "Lean on Me".^[6]

As of 2011, the current Timex Social Club roster consisted of founding member Marcus Thompson as DJ and Samuelle Prater on vocals.

• List of number-one hits (United States)
• List of number-one dance hits (United States)
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Dance chart
• List of artists who reached number one on the US Dance chart
• List of artists who reached number one on the Hot 100 (U.S.)
• List of bands from the San Francisco Bay Area

• Thompson, Marcus A. (2011). How Do Rumors Get Started: The True Story of Timex Social Club. US. ISBN 978-1329954939.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Turner, Patricia A. (1993). I Heard It Through the Grapevine: Rumor in African-American Culture. US. p. 260. ISBN 978-0-520-08936-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Stone, Joseph (2005). Mad Season: (Changing Stations). US. p. 220. ISBN 978-0-595-37007-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

• Timex Social Club at AllMusic
• Official Website
• Timex Social Club discography at Discogs