ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK
THE LES HUMPHRIES SINGERS
It’s Timex Time (Decca 6611021, 7”, promo, Germany, 1975) £2
Boy/girl vocal group The Les Humphries Singers meant nothing in the UK but were huge in Germany and Belgium where, between 1969 and 1976, they had a string of hit singles and albums. Their line-up grew and shrank but at one time there were 12 members including future Boney M singer Liz Mitchell and Uriah Heap frontman John Lawton. Their albums were full of catchy pop songs, rock gospel numbers and medleys of glam and soul hits. Something for everyone, in fact.
Then there was Timex Time, a special single released in 1975 to promote Timex watches. The back cover of the sleeve shows the singers, or at least four of them, superimposed on the dial of a wristwatch. Sadly, you couldn’t get Les Humphries Singers watches for real but perhaps they should have made some.
The song has a nagging “Ticka-ticka Timex” chorus refrain and verse lyrics clearly influenced by Chuck Berry’s classic Reelin’ And Rockin’. “I looked at the time, it was quarter to nine/couldn’t be wrong because it’s Timex time/i looked at the time it was quarter to two/looked at my maid she had a Timex, too.” The rocking groove is spiced up with a harmonica solo, screaming guitar and those trademark harmony vocals, most notably those of John Lawton. If he couldn’t convince you to get a Timex, no one could.
Flip it over and hear California from the band’s latest album Family Show (Decca 622292, Germany, 1975, £8) also advertised on the back sleeve. It’s a superb pop nugget with a layered harmony chorus sounding like an outtake from an early-70s Beach Boys album.
Hopefully Timex sold a lot of watches on the strength of this special single which was presumably given away rather than sold. Humphries called time on the group in 1976 when, shortly after representing Germany at Eurovison, he fled the country accused of tax avoidance. But find a copy of this ticka-ticka timepiece jingle single and watch what happens. You won’t be disappointed; a load of old Rolex it is not.