Timex Social Club released their R&B hit ‘Rumors’ in 1986, a track that expresses a desire to be free from jealous people. That’s something we can all get behind, right?

Fast forward 37 years and it seems that we still can’t get away from those rumours and jealous people the Timex Social Club were singing about.

The music scene has evolved greatly since the 80s, and for this 2023 rendition, Stephen Oaks has created a true foot-shuffling House remix with Rico Bernasconi. Oaks is a renowned DJ, composer and producer with over 430,000 monthly Spotify listeners that has featured some of today’s biggest pop stars in his dancehall-infused tracks, including Pitbull, Snoop Dogg, Jason Derulo, Flo Rida, Sean Paul, Nicky Minaj & more!

Meanwhile, Rico Bernasconi began DJ’ing at the age of 15 in 1986 – a coincidence? – and has worked as a DJ Promoter with legendary record company House Nation, released music with Sony Records which has shot to the top-10 of the German Sale Charts, and in 2005 he founded Vinylshakerz – a trio that has released some big hits including One Night in Bangkok and has garnered over 250,000 monthly Spotify listeners.

Now, these two mighty figureheads have come together to create something new from something timeless.


Listen to Rumours by Rico Bernasconi, Stephen Oaks, and Timex Social Club

How do rumours get started? Well, according to Timex Social Club, they’re started by jealous people that “get mad seein’ somethin’ they had and somebody else is holdin'”. I’m not here to dispute that, but I am here to start a rumour of my own… out of admiration.

Whereas the original opens up with shimmering synth keys that sound like Roland’s Jupiter swimming in lush delay taps accompanied by a head-bopping drum beat, Bernasconi & Oaks’ modern remix opens with rolling snares and a snappy drum beat before the Social Club lyrics burst onto the scene.

Tension builds & builds before ice-fresh keys mark the build-up that same snappy drum beat kicks back in, compelling you to bop your heads and shuffle your feet. Reese basses compliment the lyrics while keeping the song fresh & interesting while the producers have used clever panning tricks with vocal adlibs to give the vocals more space in the mix.

Stream “Rumours” by Rico Bernasconi, Stephen Oaks, and Timex Social Club here!


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