Good Thing (Fine Young Cannibals song)

"Good Thing"
Single by Fine Young Cannibals
from the album The Raw & the Cooked
A-side Good Thing
B-side Social Security
Released 14 April 1989
Format 7" single
12" maxi
CD maxi
Recorded 1987
Genre College rock
Length 3:24
Label London Records
Writer(s) Roland Gift, David Steele
Producer(s) Fine Young Cannibals
Fine Young Cannibals singles chronology
"She Drives Me Crazy"
(1989)		 "Good Thing"
(1989)		 "Don't Look Back"
(1989)

"Good Thing" is a song recorded by Fine Young Cannibals, the second single from their 1989 album The Raw & the Cooked. The song was their second U.S. number one, topping the Billboard Hot 100 on 8 July 1989. It also peaked at #7 on the UK singles chart.

The song made its first appearance in the 1987 film Tin Men. Fine Young Cannibals portrayed a nightclub band in the movie, performing this song and three others (including the single's b-side "Social Security").[1] The film is set in Baltimore in 1963, and the song's retro-soul style is consistent with that setting.

Track listings

7" single
  1. "Good Thing" – 3:22
  2. "Social Security" – 3:26
12" maxi
  1. "Good Thing" (Prince Paul remix) – 5:30
  2. "Good Thing" (7" mix) – 3:22
  3. "Good Thing" (nothing like the single mix - instrumental) – 4:38
CD maxi
  1. "Good Thing" (7" mix) – 3:25
  2. "Good Thing" (nothing like the single mix) – 4:42
  3. "She Drives Me Crazy" (Monie Love remix) – 5:59

Music video

The video features many scenes with the Orribly Good scooter club the Jokers and A41 Eagles displaying their motor scooters, both at rest and in motion, as well as scooter culture. The scooters featured include stock scooters, as well as highly stylised scooters and minimalist cutdown scooters.[2][3]

In popular culture

Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song in 1990 for The Chipmunks Go to the Movies episode "Daytona Jones and the Pearl of Wisdom" (a spoof of the Indiana Jones films).[4]

Charts

Chart (1989) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[5] 7
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[6] 12
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] 13
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 1
France (SNEP)[9] 29
Germany (Media Control Charts)[10] 8
Ireland (IRMA)[11] 4
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] 4
Spain (AFYVE)[13] 16
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[14] 12
UK Singles (The Official Charts Company)[15] 7
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[16] 1
U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks[16] 12
U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks[16] 2
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[16] 20
Preceded by
"Baby Don't Forget My Number" by Milli Vanilli		 Billboard Hot 100 number-one single
8 July 1989 (1 week) 		Succeeded by
"If You Don't Know Me by Now" by Simply Red

References

  1. ↑ Tin Men (1987) Soundtracks
  2. ↑ Fine Young Cannibals. "Good Thing". Music Video. London Records. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  3. ↑ A41 Eagles SC. "Fine Young Cannibals - Good Thing". Biography. A41 Eagles SC. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  6. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  7. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  8. ↑ Canadian peak
  9. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing" (in French). Les classement single.
  10. ↑ "Chartverfulgong > Fine Young Cannibals > Good Thing – musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  11. ↑ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved 7 April 2008)
  12. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing". Top 40 Singles.
  13. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  14. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing". Swiss Singles Chart.
  15. ↑ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved 7 April 2008)
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 Billboard Allmusic.com (Retrieved 7 April 2008)

External links