"Jimmy" is a song recorded by British artist
M.I.A. for her second studio album, ''
Kala'' (2007). The song was written by
Maya "M.I.A." Arulpragasam,
Dave "Switch" Taylor and
Bappi Lahiri
Bappi Aparesh Lahiri (born Alokesh Aparesh Lahiri; 27 November 1952 – 15 February 2022), also known as Bappi Da was an Indian singer, composer and record producer. He popularised the use of synthesised disco music in Indian music industry and ...
and produced by Switch and M.I.A..
A cover of "Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja" from the film ''
Disco Dancer
''Disco Dancer'' is a 1982 Indian dance film, written by Rahi Masoom Raza and directed by Babbar Subhash. It stars Mithun Chakraborty and Kim in leading roles, with Om Puri, Gita Siddharth and Karan Razdan in supporting roles with Rajesh K ...
'' (1982), the song was re-arranged as an uptempo
pop-
electro tune with
disco influences by modifying the orchestration, instrumentation and beats and the addition of original English lyrics for the single. During the recording and production sessions, M.I.A. and Switch wanted to create a
dance-pop disco record using a song that the singer was familiar with from her childhood; the song's lyrics portray M.I.A. being invited by British journalist
Ben Anderson on a date while covering a genocide tour across nations in Africa, and both eventually pursuing a romantic relationship.
The original ''Disco Dancer'' song "Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Aaja" was itself inspired by the 1980 song "T'es OK" ("You're OK" for international markets) by French
Eurodisco
Eurodisco (also spelled as Euro disco) is the variety of European forms of electronic dance music that evolved from disco in the late 1970s, incorporating elements of pop and rock into a disco-like continuous dance atmosphere. Many Eurodisco ...
group
Ottawan
Ottawan is a French pop music duo, who had the hit singles " D.I.S.C.O." and "Hands Up (Give Me Your Heart)" in the early 1980s. Fronted by Patrick Jean-Baptiste and Annette Eltice, they were masterminded through a cooperation between French pro ...
.
Following the moderate chart performance of "
Boyz", "Jimmy" was released in Japan in July 2007 as the album's lead
single, and the second single in other countries.
XL Recordings
XL Recordings is a British independent record label founded in 1989 by Tim Palmer and Nick Halkes. It has been ran and co-owned by Richard Russell since 1996. It forms part of the Beggars Group.
Although only releasing an average of six albu ...
distributed "Jimmy" in CD single, 7" and 12" formats in the UK on 10 November 2007, however the song leaked in the country prior to release while the singer was on tour.
[Archived a]
Ghostarchive
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Wayback Machine
Despite this, the song topped the UK Indie Chart and charted in Greece and Japan where it was a major commercial success. The single began to gain traction on the US ''
Billboard''
Hot Dance Club Songs chart, peaking at number twenty eight following nine weeks on the chart. "Jimmy" was well received by contemporary music critics, who cited its distinct 1970s style pop sound compared with most songs featured on the album, and complimented its
hook
A hook is a tool consisting of a length of material, typically metal, that contains a portion that is curved or indented, such that it can be used to grab onto, connect, or otherwise attach itself onto another object. In a number of uses, one e ...
and lyrical themes. The bassline has similarities with the hook of
Blur's hit single "
Girls & Boys".
''Stylus'' magazine placed "Jimmy" at number 5 on their list of the "Top 50 Songs of 2007".
Background
M.I.A. explained that "Jimmy Jimmy Aaja" was a track she used to dance to when she was a child. "My mum used to hire me out when I was a kid...as a party buffer.... 'Jimmy' was my track that I used to do my routine to. I had a little
tape recorder
An audio tape recorder, also known as a tape deck, tape player or tape machine or simply a tape recorder, is a sound recording and reproduction device that records and plays back sounds usually using magnetic tape for storage. In its present ...
, and a cloak and a cardboard cut out guitar, and that was my joint."
Describing the recording and writing processes, she revealed that she had already recorded the strings and other parts of the song in India, but initially didn't attempt to do "Jimmy" when she was with co-producer Switch, explaining "I had to be drunk enough to be that
disco. It all came together that week."
The 1970s
disco-pop style of the song stands in marked contrast with other songs on ''Kala.'' ''Stylus'' magazine placed "Jimmy" at number 5 on their list of the "Top 50 Songs of 2007".
"Jimmy" has been covered by the indie pop band
Of Montreal.
Chart performance
Following the moderate chart performance of "
Boyz", "Jimmy" was released in Japan in July 2007 as the album's lead
single, and the second single in other countries.
XL Recordings
XL Recordings is a British independent record label founded in 1989 by Tim Palmer and Nick Halkes. It has been ran and co-owned by Richard Russell since 1996. It forms part of the Beggars Group.
Although only releasing an average of six albu ...
distributed "Jimmy" in CD single, 7" and 12" formats in the UK on 10 November 2007, however the song leaked in the country prior to release while the singer was on tour.
The song topped the UK Indie Chart and reached number sixty six on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. The song and music video became huge mainstream successes in Japan, reaching number four in the country. On 10 November 2007 the single reached number 49 in Greece, a position it maintained for two weeks. In February 2008, the single began to gain traction on the US ''
Billboard''
Hot Dance Club Songs chart, peaking at number twenty eight following five weeks on the chart.
Music video
The music video for "Jimmy" was directed by childhood friend
Nezar Khammal. It premiered in Japan in July 2007,
and was premiered elsewhere around the world in August, the month of her second album release ''
Kala''. The music video features M.I.A. dancing with a golden crown on her head, with eleven dancers dressed in yellow in an Indian fashion, all dancing a variation of the
Thousand Hand Bodhisattva. Occasionally the video cuts to show M.I.A. dancing by herself and two other girls in a different style of clothing against a white backdrop.
The video has received some airplay on
MuchMusic in Canada and
Viva in Poland.
A slightly different version of the music video, using the Dan Carey Radio Mix of the song, was used to promote "Jimmy" in the UK and Italy.
Track listings and formats
UK CD single
#"Jimmy"
#"Jimmy (DJ Eli Remix)"
UK 12" vinyl
#"Jimmy"
#"Jimmy (Instrumental)"
#"Jimmy (DJ Eli Remix)"
UK 7" vinyl
#"Jimmy"
#"What I Got (Ruff Ruff Version)"
iTunes Digital Single
#"Jimmy"
#"Jimmy (Dan Carey Radio Mix)"
#"Jimmy (DJ Eli Remix)"
Charts
References
{{authority control
2007 singles
M.I.A. (rapper) songs
Songs written by M.I.A. (rapper)
XL Recordings singles
Of Montreal songs
Songs written by Switch (house DJ)
2007 songs