Jimmy James (song)
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| "Jimmy James" | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Single by Beastie Boys | ||
| from the album Check Your Head | ||
| Released | August 1992 | |
| Format | "12, CD, Cassette | |
| Genre | Rap | |
| Length | 3:14 (album version), 3:05 (original/single version) | |
| Label | Capitol Records | |
| Producer(s) | Mario Caldato Jr. | |
"Jimmy James" is a 1992 rap song by The Beastie Boys released as the third single off of their third album, Check Your Head. The song, described as a tribute to Jimi Hendrix by Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch (better known as MCA), contains samples from several Hendrix songs including "Foxy Lady", "Happy Birthday", and "Still Raining, Still Dreaming". The song also samples the drum beat from "I'm Chief Kamanawanalea (We're the Royal Macadamia Nuts)" by The Turtles.
"Jimmy James" originally started out as an instrumental track with scratching done by Yauch (this version of the song appears on the "Jimmy James" single EP as the "Original Original Version"). Later on, lyrics were written and the other two Beastie Boys, Mike "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "King Adrock" Horovitz, asked to lend their vocals to the song along with Yauch.
However, Hendrix's family, who own the rights to most of his catalogue, denied the Beasties clearance to use the samples (the Beasties were somehow able to keep the "Happy Birthday" samples in, though). Determined to keep the song on Check Your Head, the group rerecorded "Jimmy James" using samples that sounded like the Hendrix ones. This version ended up being released as the first track on the album.
A few months after Check Your Head was released, Hendrix's family finally relented and gave the Beastie Boys clearance to use the samples. As a result, the original version of "Jimmy James" was released as the third single off of Check Your Head and a music video was made for it which premiered in August 1992.
MTV and VH1 credit the "Jimmy James" music video to Nathaniel Hörnblowér, Adam Yauch's director alter ego. However, on the Beastie Boys' "Sabotage" VHS tape released in 1994, the "Jimmy James" music video is listed as being co-directed by Yauch (under his real name) and Lisa Ann Cabasa, an actress, and Yauch's girlfriend at the time the video was made. Cabasa appeared in the video as one of the silhouetted female dancers.
