Good Thing (Fine Young Cannibals song)

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"Good Thing"
Single by Fine Young Cannibals
from the album The Raw & the Cooked
B-side"Social Security"
Released14 April 1989
Recorded1987
Genre
Length3:24
LabelLondon
Songwriter(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 by British band Fine Young Cannibals, released as the second single from their second and last album, The Raw & the Cooked (1989). The song was their second and final US number-one, topping the Billboard Hot 100 on 8 July 1989.[4] It also peaked at #7 on the UK Singles Chart.[5] The song made its first appearance in Tin Men (1987). Fine Young Cannibals portrayed a nightclub band in the movie, performing this song and three others (including the single's B-side "Social Security").[6] The film is set in Baltimore in 1963, and the song's retro soul style is consistent with that setting. Jools Holland played piano on the track, noting that it was "one of the biggest selling records I've ever played on".[7]

Music video[edit]

The accompanying music video for "Good Thing" 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 part of scooter boy culture. The scooters featured include stock scooters, as well as highly stylised scooters and minimalist cutdown scooters.[8][9]

In popular culture[edit]

The song was featured in the trailer for Mad Dog and Glory (1993) and in TV spots for Passed Away (1992) Twice during 1998, the song was featured in episodes of Top Gear, first in a used car review of the Volkswagen Golf, with a voiceover by presenter Quentin Willson, the second in the beginning of the review of the Alfa Romeo 166, with scenes showing Alfa Romeo 156s. In 2007, the song was used in adverts for the Chevrolet Captiva (United Kingdom).[7]

The song appears in Doomsday (2008), starring Rhona Mitra, in a surreal scene involving the film's main antagonist. It was also used in the film It's Complicated (2009), in the scene at the graduation party. It plays as Alec Baldwin walks towards Meryl Streep and Steve Martin, after noticing the two are obviously high.

Track listings[edit]

  • 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
  • 10" limited edition
  1. "Good Thing" – 3:22
  2. "Good Thing (Double Groove Alternate)" – 3:22
  3. "Social Security" – 3:26
  • 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

Charts[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Breihan, Tom (28 July 2021). "Fine Young Cannibals' 'Good Thing'". Stereogum. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b Greene, Jo-Ann, Fine Young Cannibals -The Raw & the Cooked Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic
  3. ^ Smith, Troy L. (13 May 2021). "Every No. 1 song of the 1980s ranked from worst to best". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  4. ^ "Billboard > Fine Young Cannibals Chart History > Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  5. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 200. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  6. ^ "Tin Men (1987) Soundtracks". IMDb. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  7. ^ a b Holland, Jools (2007). Barefaces Lies and Boogie-woogie Boasts (1st ed.). London, England: Penguin Books. p. 192. ISBN 9780718149154.
  8. ^ Fine Young Cannibals. "Good Thing". Music Video. London Records. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2011.
  9. ^ A41 Eagles SC. "Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing". Biography. A41 Eagles SC. Archived from the original on 2 September 2011. Retrieved 29 June 2011.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ "Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  11. ^ "Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  12. ^ "Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  13. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 6388." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 6401." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 20. 20 May 1989. p. 21.
  16. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "Fine Young Cannibals". Sisältää hitin – 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 (PDF) (in Finnish). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 80. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
  17. ^ "Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing" (in French). Les classement single.
  18. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Good Thing". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  19. ^ "Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing". Top 40 Singles.
  20. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  21. ^ "Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing". Swiss Singles Chart.
  22. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  23. ^ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. 8 July 1989. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  24. ^ "Dance Singles Sales". Billboard. 22 July 1989. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  25. ^ "Adult Contemporary". Billboard. 12 August 1989. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  26. ^ "Dance Club Songs". Billboard. 15 July 1989. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  27. ^ "Alternative Airplay". Billboard. 6 May 1989. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  28. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Fine Young Cannibals – Good Thing" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 3 March 2020.
  29. ^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – 1989". ARIA. Retrieved 3 February 2020 – via Imgur.
  30. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1989" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  31. ^ "Top 100 Singles of '98". RPM. 23 December 1989. Retrieved 14 August 2023 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  32. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 1989". Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 51. 23 December 1989. p. 6.
  33. ^ "End of Year Charts 1989". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  34. ^ "1989 The Year in Music: Top Pop Singles". Billboard. Vol. 101, no. 51. 23 December 1989. p. Y-22.
  35. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1989".
  36. ^ "1989 The Year in Music: Top Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 101, no. 51. 23 December 1989. p. Y-58.
  37. ^ "Top 100 Single–Jahrescharts 1989" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 24 September 2021.