I want this song to just keep going and going and going with the rhymes. "Are you Marvin Gaye?" "Are you Michael Bay?" "Are you Tony Jay?" "Are you Mary Kay?"
Man, I'm glad you mentioned "Who Wants to Know", because that's honestly a pretty good song. The thing that's interesting about it is that even though the lyrics are mostly the same as "Are You Jimmy Ray", the tone of the song feels very different. It feels way less braggadocios and more like he's leaning into the irony of singing "who wants to know about me?" when he's kind of a nobody now. There's a part near the end where he goes "Stingray, Link Wray, it's all the same to me / Fay Wray, Johnnie Ray, be who you wanna be" which I really like, because in the original song those names are basically just nonsense rhymes, but here it's more like he doesn't even care if you get his name wrong as long as you're acknowledging that he exists. It's basically a song about him being a one-hit wonder, while also being *a cover of the song that made him a one-hit wonder*. There's something very fun about that.
That's a really good analysis. As far as meta-songs about one's big hit goes it's a lot less morose than I Took A Pill In Ibiza and a lot less bitter than My Iron Lung
@DestinyKiller Given that he was in a techno duo before he made his solo debut, I think he's always had diverse tastes. He does say in his LinkedIn article from 2016 that he felt like too much of his stylistic direction was determined for him, but he probably allowed it to happen because he was up for anything. Like Todd said, he didn't realize that "Are You Jimmy Ray" would be the single. He only regretted it when he realized that it would be.
"I'm going for rockabilly revival." Jimmy Ray ends up sounding like Fatboy Slim, Junkie XL, and Savage Garden on his first three singles. How... do you miss the mark so spectacularly and yet manage to crank out three decent singles?
@@unmutedtones6086 It's not so much that he had range. His management and record label took what he wanted to do and turned it into something completely different, just to make him fit into what was cool at the time.
That eerie feeling when you were just humming *this exact song* this morning while cleaning and wondering, “Say, what was Jimmy Ray’s deal anyway? This song would probably be an interesting One Hit Wonderland!” Well! I’m both delighted and kind of freaked out. O_o
@@MaynardCrow Sugar Ray was actually pretty Pop Punk before Fly made them big. Going through their Discography you'll notice they switch their sound very quickly after the Album fly was on.
Well, the thing is, the song is from 1997, and likely written before Sugar Ray rose to fame, so I'm not that surprised that there isn't a reference to them.
There's a dream sequence where he's the caretaker of a troop of miniature stop-motion chimps who reenact random moments from his childhood. And they're all wearing smoking jackets.
No way! I loved this shit. When I was a kid, I actually won this single (on CD) from a puck shooting contest at a roller skating rink. 13 year old me just loved the totally unjustified machismo of it.
I've been dying for that one for ages! Especially since Irving Berlin was still alive when it charted, meaning he was the oldest person to ever get a charting hit during his lifetime.
It’s funny how half the comments are people saying that they never heard of this guy. Meanwhile I remember this guy being EVERYWHERE for, like, three weeks in 1997. Definitely the 90s version of an industry plant.
I think this must have been the 3 weeks that I discovered mp3 file sharing. I remember I first got mp3 in 1996 or so, but 97 was when I started listening to the radio a lot less.
I had no idea what this song was until I watched the video and then was like 'oh.... this actually does ring a bell' This song is the 'it's me bitch' song for a guy breaking out from a boy band, but I guess there weren't any boy bands to split up/go solo in 1997.
I was listening to Todd playing it on the piano like 'ah this was my jam back in the day' then when the song started I realized I'd never heard it before in my life.
@N K The song Millennium. Had to look it up but I knew there was at least one that hit the US. It was pretty forgettable and only hit 72 on the Billboards hot 100. But I remember it because the video was him parodying James Bond and it came out here in 1999. Which means overplayed on the radio requested by no one. At least in my area. And now to forget it again until someone brings up Robbie Williams name.
@N K The record company tried really, *really* hard to break Robbie Williams in the US, but it just never happened. Strangely, people in the US seemed to know who he was. He was famous for being famous in Britain.
@@paulludwigewaldvonkleist4039 It's a comedy advice podcast where listeners can submit Yahoo answers questions. They referenced this song every time a person named Ira Wray sent in a question. It's a hilarious podcast, you should really check it out sometime
As someone who has never heard this song a single time in their life, I can say without a doubt that to my ears, the songwriter and producer were CLEARLY going for "Unbelievable" by EMF. And it's like....70% there. Who wants to knOOHHH! OW! OW!
Out of all the questions asked by songs - "What is love?", "Do you really want to hurt me?", "What's love got to do with it?", "How deep is your love?", "Should I stay or should I go?", "Wouldn't it be nice?", "Wouldn't it be good?", "Can you feel the love tonight?", "Who are you?", "Who let the dogs out?" and "How much is that doggy in the window?" this one is certainly the most philosophical and the least interesting.
@Quix Billy ended up having the last laugh. His inclusion on Old Town Road's preferred version means he can legitimately say he's one of the all time most successful country stars. Well played Billy, well played. That's some Palpatine-level machinations there. You hooked your star well.
@@CT_Phipps Billy Ray has had such an odd career track. Big country hit, then descending into one hit wonder-dom, then doing some bit acting roles, then starring in a Disney show with his pop star daughter, then having a chart bustingly huge success late in his life with an unexpected hip hop collab.
This song and video feel like they were written for a movie about a washed-up former pop star and this was his "big hit" back in his heyday Like, it reminds me of "Pop Goes My Heart" from Music + Lyrics, only it's not as good
Sadly, Jimmy Ray was overshadowed by the similarly named Sting Ray who would become infamous after killing Steve Irwin. I imagine that must have made public appearances awkward.
I KNOW RIGHT? That is just so...not proportional. That's not really a good look to begin with, and it really doesn't work on someone who looks like they're about 6' tall and 110 pounds.
I think he has a 10 year waiting period, meaning that Orianthi, in theory, could be coming out soon. We're still a few years away from Alex Clare and Capital Cities, though.
Man, I love the idea of "popabilly" and wish it was a thing now. I kinda feel like Panic at the Disco has a hint of this at least in asthetic though, if not in his actual music.
So, this song is the Sharkboy and Lavagirl of songs. Something that you just...randomly remember, and can't figure out if it actually happened or was just a collective fever dream, so you Google it to confirm it's existence.
Raviv Ulman is the actor's name. Which shocked me, i always knew him as Ricky Ulman! guess that was just so he'd sound more American on the Disney Channel
"An odd, collected half-memory that we're not sure had happened." The fact that I looked up this song, heard the "I'm meaner and leaner" part, and immediately snapped my mind-fingers in an "OH, I KNOW THIS" moment, well, I can't say I disagree with you.
@@MisterH37 He's definitely a OHW (in the US at least - in the UK he actually had 4 other Top 10 Hits!) but "Return of the Mack" wasn't his debut (he had at least two other singles before this) so I'm not sure if he fits with the three others. I could see an argument to be made that "S Club Party" is an "I'm Here Bitch" single tho!
YES I AM SO HAPPY YOU'RE DOING THIS ONE A while back I went through the 90s year end hot 100 lists and came across this song. I was actively listening to pop music during this time period and had no recollection of this guy or this song. I really really hoped you'd cover it because I wanted to know who the hell IS Jimmy Ray and why don't I remember him?? Why is his only song echoing this sentiment??
I agree... Though I have to admit, as one of their fiercely dedicated pre-MTV fans (not even sure how many times I saw them in those days), that album & everything that followed was a tremendous let-down (except 1-2-8, the last true Bosstones song). Of course, I'm also an old-school Chumbawamba fan, and Todd's video on them was excellent. So yes, please. Show everyone who they REALLY were. Mighty! Mighty! Boss-tones!
Another ska banger to go over would be Superman by Goldfinger. I mean, that one managed to take the happiest chord progression in the world, mix it with one of the most slapping genres there is, and then made a super sad song about depression and excessive emotional labor.
Does "Superman" even count as a hit song for the purposes of this channel? It was never a single so it never had a chart position. It was certainly very popular due to the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater franchise, but I don't think it's quantifiable as a hit.
@@einootspork Maybe if they're British and old enough, considering it was a #1 hit there. I was honestly thinking the same as Oren Bernstein above - "Tic Tac Toe" is probably the most obscure OHW Todd has ever done.
Here's a few songs I think you should listen to. I'm like a Rain Man for music. Grand Funk Railroad's "I'm You Captain", "96 Tears" by Question Mark and the Mysterians, and "Get On Up" by The Esquires.
@@skiprockjr.6881 Oh please there's still Imani Coppolas Legend of a Cowgirl and Whiyetownas Your woman to go from the late 90s before we hit any more of the 60s One hit wonders
This friggin thing was #2 in Canada in 1998. I was 13 at the time and didn't have many CDs so I listened to whatever radio station wasn't playing commercials or opera. So I heard this. The entire time I was wondering "am I missing something? what the hell is this?". Turns out the answer is, 22 years later, "nope, it's just stupid".
This is why I love Todd's videos, because I learn so much from them, and he's been digging deep lately. I'm a sucker for '90s pop culture, but I had no idea who sang "Rhythm of the Night", I had no idea Arrested Development had a second album beyond 1992, and I had no idea this song even existed, despite listening to a ton of pop radio in 1998. Todd, please never stop teaching us 🙂
Working in a Target electronics department in the 90's. I got to hear this song from the TV's demo every 20 minutes for months. Certainly a new level of hell.
Rule #1: Don’t name your first song after yourself. Same problem plagued Vanilla Ice, Living in a Box, Big Country, Cupid, Soulja Boy and dozens of other artists
This reminds me of The Simpsons episode about Poochie. To quote Roger Myers Jr., “One, Jimmy Ray needs to be louder, angrier, and have access to a time machine. Two, whenever Jimmy Ray’s not onscreen, all the other characters should be asking 'Where's Jimmy Ray?' ”
I was twelve when this dropped, and in the 20 some years since I'd convinced myself that it was a figment of my imagination. Thanks Todd for awakening this unholy earworm.
I had no idea that he was British. As gloriously weird and unique as this song is, I could imagine an artist spinning this into a career by going a little more Beck with it, leaning into the assembly of oddball elements and playing up the modernity just as much as the rockabilly. But respect to him for really wanting to go Elvis, if that was his deal.
That would be a great episode. So much drama surrounding the sample, and it took FOREVER for the band to be able to make any money off of their biggest hit.
@@faeriegraver Nope, we missed that one. You know, as big a name as The Verge are, I would've assumed they were bigger, but no - only the one hit, and it only went to 12. I'm shocked.
When I heard "popabilly hip-hop", I got excited. Then I realized they took out both the "billy" and the "hip" and it's just run-of-the-mill late-90s pop-hop...
Okay if you are watching in 2022 there is a PERFECT cut between the moment of Jimmy Ray singing "well" at the start of his song and Elvis singing "well" in the trailer for that Elvis movie. Like I legit thought it was part of the video for a second it was so well timed. Not to give to much credit to ads but if that wasn't intentional it was a hell of a serendipitous moment.
I’m an older millennial and I definitely remember this song. I had occasionally wondered what happened to Jimmy Ray so this video was really interesting to me.
Kind of/sort of remember this song. I think I remember liking it, but then it just passing through my consciousness and forgetting it. Certainly a blast from the past.
@@menicman7044 on the first nigthmare on Alem street freddy came through the wall above a girls bed. When fred started pushing thro the plaster It kind of looked like the bulge on Todd's wall
Jesus Christ, I all but forgot about this song... "For anyone who was there, 'Are You Jimmy Ray' has lingered on in the back of their minds like an odd, collective memory that we're not sure actually happened." YES, that is the perfect way to describe that feeling. That is it *exactly*, thank you, Todd!
As a British person who listened to music in the 90's, I can honestly say I do not remember this song at all. Shampoo on the other hand, that song was awesome. Hey Todd, if you read your comments. What about a Drinking in LA by Bran Van 3000 as a One Hit Wonderland?
I always thought it was the same group that had that "Jellyhead" song around the same time. Over and over I feel it Boyfriend you're alone You must be out of your mind Jellyhead You really blown it! :)
It's actually a hell of a story, and I'm not sure anyone else has gone from riot grrl to Spice Girl!! (From Bouffont Headbutt to Girl Power!!) And 'Trouble' absolutely still kicks ass to this day!!!
I feel bad for Jimmy Ray because if his record label didn't try to push him to be a pop idol and he had more creative control, he could have been a cult figure like Marshall Crenshaw. However, instead of becoming his generation's Gene Vincent, Jimmy Ray became his generation's Olly Murs.
And the weird thing is I can totally hear that snotty 50s rockabilly yelp in his singing and a few of the references he makes like Link Wray are great 50s deep cuts. If you took out the weird 90s dancehall production and put Scotty Moore guitar stings in there it would be a derivative but convincing homage to music of the era.
I was in college when this came out, and I really liked the song. I think it was a blip of rockabilly aesthetic connected to Edwyn Collins' "A Girl Like You". Those songs always seemed paired in my mind.
One hit wonderland for Edwin Collins? (A clip from the “A Girl Like You” video is used for the “we brought back lounge” bit) His career is extensive and he basically invented indie pop with his band Orange Juice Edit: I’d love a one hit wonderland on Edwin Collins
The way Todd describes people remembering this hit, as a "half-memory" that we vaguely remember due to it's eccentric, catchy sound is EXACTLY how I remembered it until I looked it up a few years ago. Must have heard it a handful of times at the most, but the catchy nature of the chorus and the combination of a wonderful late 90s childhood and the draining fatigue of life since those times have made sure the Nostalgia kept some parts of it alive in my mind for nearly 2 decades.
This came out when I was watching MTV religiously. I never outright loved the song but I liked it enough to want to see more but then like 2 weeks later he disappeared off the face of the earth. Thanks for answering my "what happened to that Jimmy Ray guy?" question that pops up in my head once a year Todd!
One Hit Wonder? More like Zero Hit Wonder... at least in my country, I'm gonna assume. I'm 40, so I got a pretty good recollection of what was played on the radio/music TV channels and what wasn't back in the late 90s, and seriously... this is the very first time I hear about this dude. And I'm sure as heck that I'd remember that hubcap-sized belt buckle & pompadour-wearing mannequin if I had seen it before.
Weirdly enough when he shows this song on the Billboard charts at 4:46 you can see The Mummers' Dance three slots below it. Meaning these happened at the same time.
What on earth is with the Manic Street Preachers connections? -a British man named "Richey Edwards" - Shampoo, who were two girls who were the founders of the manic street preachers fanclub, are literally the girls in the "little baby nothing" video and that was the only reason they were even a thing ... OK both are really tenuous links but it stuck out to me.
"Are you Sting Ray?"
"Yes."
*swims away, song abruptly ends*
Sounds like a decent YTP
Steve Irwin abruptly ended
Sting Ray and the Police
Chevy Corvette Stingray pulls up.
There was a TV show called “Stingray” from 1964, from the same people that brought you “Thunderbirds” and “Captain Scarlett”, it was Gerry Anderson.
They always ask "Are you Jimmy Ray?" but never *"How* are you Jimmy Ray?"
Woah
But how can they ask that, if they don't confirm that you are Jimmy Ray first?
That would just be impolite
I'll do you one better, *WHY* is Jimmy Ray?
He keeps asking who wants to know, but never WHY anyone wants to know.
Did he ever think about that?
No, he only thinks about himself. :P
I got a good idea for a next one hit wonder:Hot Hot Hot by Arrow
Jimmy Ray looks like somebody gave Brendon Urie an Elvis costume and then put him through a taffy puller.
Then how does he look more Costello than Presley?
Exactly what I thought
@@georgegrenvillethe7thpm176 Nextralife never specified which Elvis..........
Taffy Puller!
that’s exactly it, you hit the nail on the head
"There was just no market for a teen idol British hip-hop Elvis" and _that's_ how I know we're in the wrong timeline
As if we don’t have...ANY amount of other proof.
@@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick actually yeah this is it. Everything else is totally on track
@@theoneandonlymichaelmccormick.
Are you Michael McCormick?
@@TotoDG Who wants to know?
"The guy behind the Spice Girls tries to make a new Elvis" sounds like something out of a fever dream.
It doesn't make any sense, yet it makes perfect sense at the same time
The weird 50s-homage-except-not-at-all aesthetic reminds me of another bygone Jimmy: Jimmy Neutron
This is based as fuck
Gotta blast
Skeet did nothing wrong
Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Neutron.
Or another: Charlie Sexton.
I want this song to just keep going and going and going with the rhymes.
"Are you Marvin Gaye?"
"Are you Michael Bay?"
"Are you Tony Jay?"
"Are you Mary Kay?"
I think you win for best comment!
“You use Ben Gay?”
"Are you Mary J?"
"Are you Charlie Day?"
Are you Billy Ray?
"Are you Doris Day?"
"Are you Gerard Way?"
Todd: so he wanted to be Elvis
Jimmy Ray: I wanted to be Jane Goodall
Todd: you wanted to be ELVIS dammit
Jimmy Ray: but the chimps-
Todd: NO
he really wanted to be the 4th most famous jane that worked with chimps.
It sounds like the intro-theme to a shitcanned Nickelodeon Show that never made it past its pilot
Wow that's a great analogy. I wonder if the producer tried to sell this song to Nickelodeon.
The intro to "Gibby: The Show"
@@basedkhajiitdon't you DARE knock down GIBBY!
Hilarious considering Nickelodeon did use it in an ad: ua-cam.com/video/0QgOSIK8F6I/v-deo.htmlsi=2Nv-Q1dvJfLMS3E6&t=962
This is a man who doesn't have a pencil moustache but really should
how can you tell, he is always in the shadows
@@JeremyForTheWini think he meant jimmy ray. Maybe.
Jimmy ray walked so brenden urie could run
First thing I thought of when I looked at him. Hell, Brendan Urie is also all about old-time rock and roll and Vegas.
Yeah they're very similar looking and sounding.
I was gonna say! Especially with that Vegas song. Got the look and the sound/personality
@@SuperJNG18 Brendon Urie, old time ROCK N' ROLL?!?!?! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 THAT couldn't be ANY further from the truth.
@@InkAndPoet What do you mean? He loves classic rock. He covers Billy Joel and Kansas.
I love how Todd is consistent during a world virus and riots. Like this is the only time Todd consistent ever.
I mean, when you're stuck at home all the time...
He must be behind it all.
@@Mia-W2 All for us!😅😜
For us it's a lockdown, for him it's was Tuesday.
you truly know the world is over when Todd is consistent
Brendon Urie stole this man's look so hard
Facts.
Jimmy Ray stole a guy named Charlie Sexton's look. Look up "Beat's So Lonely", by Sexton in 1989(?)
Honestly, he kinda SOUNDS like Jimmy Ray too.
In fact...
TODD!
I KNOW WHERE JIMMY RAY IS!
Brendon Urie was more Morrissey, with his jackets and glasses
He absolutely looks like he'd be a minor character in Showgirls
Man, I'm glad you mentioned "Who Wants to Know", because that's honestly a pretty good song. The thing that's interesting about it is that even though the lyrics are mostly the same as "Are You Jimmy Ray", the tone of the song feels very different. It feels way less braggadocios and more like he's leaning into the irony of singing "who wants to know about me?" when he's kind of a nobody now.
There's a part near the end where he goes "Stingray, Link Wray, it's all the same to me / Fay Wray, Johnnie Ray, be who you wanna be" which I really like, because in the original song those names are basically just nonsense rhymes, but here it's more like he doesn't even care if you get his name wrong as long as you're acknowledging that he exists. It's basically a song about him being a one-hit wonder, while also being *a cover of the song that made him a one-hit wonder*. There's something very fun about that.
That's a really good analysis. As far as meta-songs about one's big hit goes it's a lot less morose than I Took A Pill In Ibiza and a lot less bitter than My Iron Lung
I feel bad for him, it looks like he really wanted to be rockabilly but got squished into a certain mold by the company
The whole 2017 record is definitely worth checking out. It's very quirky and catchy.
@DestinyKiller Given that he was in a techno duo before he made his solo debut, I think he's always had diverse tastes. He does say in his LinkedIn article from 2016 that he felt like too much of his stylistic direction was determined for him, but he probably allowed it to happen because he was up for anything. Like Todd said, he didn't realize that "Are You Jimmy Ray" would be the single. He only regretted it when he realized that it would be.
He looks like he'd be an enemy racer in a Speed Racer sequel
Except he gets a redemption arc.
He could play Snake Oiler.
He looks like Brendon Urie.
He looks like Josuke from Jojo
In car 13 is Jimmy Ray in the Sting Ray Special
"I'm going for rockabilly revival."
Jimmy Ray ends up sounding like Fatboy Slim, Junkie XL, and Savage Garden on his first three singles. How... do you miss the mark so spectacularly and yet manage to crank out three decent singles?
ZanraiKid ikr
How ? By being a pop artist in the late 90's. That's how.
He got the wrong label where they only seem to care about S Club.
He had range, I'll give him that
@@unmutedtones6086 It's not so much that he had range. His management and record label took what he wanted to do and turned it into something completely different, just to make him fit into what was cool at the time.
That eerie feeling when you were just humming *this exact song* this morning while cleaning and wondering, “Say, what was Jimmy Ray’s deal anyway? This song would probably be an interesting One Hit Wonderland!”
Well! I’m both delighted and kind of freaked out. O_o
That is a wacky coincidence. Although Todd does have 353k followers, so it was bound to happen to one of them. You got to be the lucky one today.
I was literally just thinking about a weirdo dude who used to wear a "are you Jimmy Ray" badge at my school and then this pops up. FREAKY
Sometimes life just hits you that way
Well, he is Todd IN the Shadows. >.> Lol
You manifested this episode into reality.
WIIITCH! 👉
Surprised no WWE wrestler ever went by Jimmy Ray and licensed this for their theme
Until now. Thanks to this beautiful insight, I’m creating that guy in WWE 2k24 today.
@@DisgruntledWatcherplease find a way to film their entrance
I mean, there was "Gigolo" Jimmy Del Ray.
Missed opportunity for “Are you Sugar Ray”. Fly was a #1 hit the year prior in 1997.
Also the boxer, who the band was named after
@@MaynardCrow more punkish? They were more Nu Metal or Funk Metal then Punk
@@MaynardCrow Sugar Ray was actually pretty Pop Punk before Fly made them big. Going through their Discography you'll notice they switch their sound very quickly after the Album fly was on.
Well, the thing is, the song is from 1997, and likely written before Sugar Ray rose to fame, so I'm not that surprised that there isn't a reference to them.
Anybody else think this sounds like the backstory of a character who would die in a David Lynch movie?
Ohmigod. Yes!
There's a dream sequence where he's the caretaker of a troop of miniature stop-motion chimps who reenact random moments from his childhood. And they're all wearing smoking jackets.
I'd watch that
This guy is literally Dean Stockwell in Blue Velvet. "Suave! You are so fucking suave!"
Funny you say that, I’m getting James from Twin Peaks vibes from this guy.
Except, sadly, James from Twin Peaks did not die.
This song gets stuck in my head, unprovoked, several times a year. I know who you are, Jimmy Ray, please leave me alone
I know right?! Ever since I watched this episode it gets in my head a couple times a month!
No way! I loved this shit. When I was a kid, I actually won this single (on CD) from a puck shooting contest at a roller skating rink. 13 year old me just loved the totally unjustified machismo of it.
“An odd collective half memory we are not sure actually happened” the perfect synopsis
So the Mandela Effect?
this description could be applied to the summer of 2018
The majority of Bee Movie & Jimmy Neutron.
To paraphrase another One Hit Wonderland subject: “Poor old Jimmy Ray”
lol at 8:11 "Are you Fay Wray?"
The singer so cool, he can be easily confused with a 90 year-old actress!
Maybe he was thinking of the Weimaraner?
"I always wanted to work with chimps"
A MAN OF THE PEOPLE
"And whenever Poochie's not on screen, all the other characters should be asking, 'Where's Poochie?'"
Where is Poochie?
CONFIRMED: Todd in the Shadows is Jimmy Ray.
Jimmy who?
@@andrewgwilliam4831 Saville.
As far as you know he could be. Although if was I feel his channel would at least be Jimmy in tha Shadows.
Who wants to know?
"Everybody's talking about Jimmy Ray!"
"They are?"
"Yes, they are. Take our word for it."
That's more hilarious than it should be to me.
I think Taco's "Putting on the Ritz" would make a great One Hit Wonderland.
You're so right
I've been dying for that one for ages! Especially since Irving Berlin was still alive when it charted, meaning he was the oldest person to ever get a charting hit during his lifetime.
Taco would also be the first one hit wonderland artist to give a loving tribute to another one hit wonderland artist, Falco.
I love the song, I need this in my life
Still waiting for Little Green Bag
It’s funny how half the comments are people saying that they never heard of this guy. Meanwhile I remember this guy being EVERYWHERE for, like, three weeks in 1997. Definitely the 90s version of an industry plant.
I think this must have been the 3 weeks that I discovered mp3 file sharing. I remember I first got mp3 in 1996 or so, but 97 was when I started listening to the radio a lot less.
lol i remember absolutely hating this song and changing the channel every time it came on MTV
I had no idea what this song was until I watched the video and then was like 'oh.... this actually does ring a bell' This song is the 'it's me bitch' song for a guy breaking out from a boy band, but I guess there weren't any boy bands to split up/go solo in 1997.
I was 5 when this came out so it felt more like a fever dream rather than something that actually existed.
I remember the hook and part of the beat, but until this video I wasn't even sure this song existed... since nobody remembered!!!
Me: This is weird, I have no memory of this.
Me after hearing backup singers for one second: This is weird, I have vivid memories of this.
I was listening to Todd playing it on the piano like 'ah this was my jam back in the day' then when the song started I realized I'd never heard it before in my life.
"James your sister forget the turkey platter."
*James whips off giant belt buckle* "I've got it covered mum!"
Let’s hope James here doesn’t use the urinal much. XP
“Are you IRA RAY?
Who wants to know?
This yahoo was sent in by...”
literally the only reference I've ever seen to this song
Glad I’m not the only one.
I had no idea that recurring joke was a reference to a song.
This video provided that much needed context. Thank you, Todd, for clarifying that goof.
NOW I understand....
This is the exact kind of novelty pop song I'd hear on Radio Disney when I was a kid. I can see a direct line from this to "That's How I Beat Shaq."
"Yes, I'm Jimmy Ray."
"Jimmy Ray Who?"
"Jimmy Rey Skywalker."
Jimmy Rayd Shadow Legends.
Jimmy everybody loves Raymond
Hitting below the belt again? We took your 'Cats'' challenge! Let us be!
Jimmy Ray Cyrus
Get out.
"There just wasn't room for a British teen idol hip-hop Elvis."
*Robbie Williams has entered the chat.*
RW wasn't really reminiscent of Elvis at all, he started out as more of a pop version of Oasis
@N K
The song Millennium. Had to look it up but I knew there was at least one that hit the US. It was pretty forgettable and only hit 72 on the Billboards hot 100. But I remember it because the video was him parodying James Bond and it came out here in 1999. Which means overplayed on the radio requested by no one. At least in my area.
And now to forget it again until someone brings up Robbie Williams name.
I think Robbie Williams was kind of pretending to be Morrissey, and Morrissey was pretending to be a 50s teen idol. So....kinda?
@N K The record company tried really, *really* hard to break Robbie Williams in the US, but it just never happened.
Strangely, people in the US seemed to know who he was. He was famous for being famous in Britain.
@@zombiedodge1426 Yeah. He's definitely just one of those dudes a lot of people in the U.S. know about, despite maybe only having heard Millenium.
Finally I’ll know the MBMBaM Ira Wray lore
This was my exact thought
This was my first thought when I saw this video
?
Champiness yes! ua-cam.com/video/2ex7IEZQ7G0/v-deo.html
@@paulludwigewaldvonkleist4039 It's a comedy advice podcast where listeners can submit Yahoo answers questions. They referenced this song every time a person named Ira Wray sent in a question.
It's a hilarious podcast, you should really check it out sometime
As someone who has never heard this song a single time in their life, I can say without a doubt that to my ears, the songwriter and producer were CLEARLY going for "Unbelievable" by EMF. And it's like....70% there.
Who wants to knOOHHH! OW! OW!
I love how colorful and eclectic 90s pop was. Quality of music may vary but at least people were having fun.
Out of all the questions asked by songs - "What is love?", "Do you really want to hurt me?", "What's love got to do with it?", "How deep is your love?", "Should I stay or should I go?", "Wouldn't it be nice?", "Wouldn't it be good?", "Can you feel the love tonight?", "Who are you?", "Who let the dogs out?" and "How much is that doggy in the window?" this one is certainly the most philosophical and the least interesting.
Rhiannon, will you ever win?
"Am I a man or am I a Muppet?" (The Muppets, feat. Jim Parsons)
"Who wrote the book of love?"
Do you believe in life after love?
When will we fall down?
Why don't you get a job?
Do you have to let it linger?
How do we sleep while the beds are burning?
Oh say, can you see by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
I'm kinda surprised he didn't mention Billy Ray. Although I suppose no one wanted to be associated with Billy Ray by 1998.
@Quix Billy ended up having the last laugh. His inclusion on Old Town Road's preferred version means he can legitimately say he's one of the all time most successful country stars. Well played Billy, well played. That's some Palpatine-level machinations there. You hooked your star well.
Quix except david lynch
@@bananajoe404 oh god that was a surprise while watching that movie
@@CT_Phipps Billy Ray has had such an odd career track. Big country hit, then descending into one hit wonder-dom, then doing some bit acting roles, then starring in a Disney show with his pop star daughter, then having a chart bustingly huge success late in his life with an unexpected hip hop collab.
This song and video feel like they were written for a movie about a washed-up former pop star and this was his "big hit" back in his heyday
Like, it reminds me of "Pop Goes My Heart" from Music + Lyrics, only it's not as good
Walk Hard!!
It's like the Buckaroo Banzai of pop songs: as if it was taken from an alternate universe where Jimmy Ray indeed became a bonafide pop star
I love Pop! Goes My Heart! And most of the songs from that movie. It's amazing how well it recaptures the 80's.
It does, but rather than being an eighties new wave band, it's a Disney teen star from the late 90s
Sadly, Jimmy Ray was overshadowed by the similarly named Sting Ray who would become infamous after killing Steve Irwin. I imagine that must have made public appearances awkward.
“Stingray” was a 60’s TV show if you are not familiar with.
@@Musicradio77Network Yes. Stingray is also a type of fish, like a shark, but a bit flatter.
@@nicpennsylvania but unlike a shark, it stings.
Too soon, man.
@Unknown# It didn't fly over their head; it swam.
Jimmy lost his background dancers in the third single. That’s probably why it flopped
That’s what happens when you’re so paranoid that you don’t tell them your name or where you’re playing.
If that was true, that would be depressing.
He looks like the lovechild of David Bowie and Egon Spengler.
Ryan Downey
Real Ghostbusters Egon Spengler?
@@leonardogomez8812 Harold Ramis' Egon in the movies. It's the hair.
@@ryandowney8743 I wonder if Egon was a rockabilly...
@@rattyeely I've always thought that he was either into 50s easy listening or some extreme experimental atonal whacky stuff.
Here, here!
His hip size to belt buckle ratio is... odd. He looks like someone glued a flattened penny on an emaciated Ken doll
Are you Jimmy Ray?
~_~
There's something about his appearance that just accentuates what a beanpole he is, and I'm not sure they went the best direction with it.
I KNOW RIGHT? That is just so...not proportional. That's not really a good look to begin with, and it really doesn't work on someone who looks like they're about 6' tall and 110 pounds.
Now that the 2020s are here, Todd should do some 2010s One Hit Wonders like Orianthi, Alex Clare and Capital Cities.
When I was a kid, Capital Cities were the shit.
@@TheRealAuxide dang how old are you? their hit was like 2012
Gotye!!!!
I think he has a 10 year waiting period, meaning that Orianthi, in theory, could be coming out soon. We're still a few years away from Alex Clare and Capital Cities, though.
Yes, Capital Cities were great and they deserved another hit
Man, I love the idea of "popabilly" and wish it was a thing now.
I kinda feel like Panic at the Disco has a hint of this at least in asthetic though, if not in his actual music.
So, this song is the Sharkboy and Lavagirl of songs. Something that you just...randomly remember, and can't figure out if it actually happened or was just a collective fever dream, so you Google it to confirm it's existence.
Oh my lord, that’s the PERFECT description
He looks like Phil of the Future.
Phil of the Past
Raviv Ulman is the actor's name. Which shocked me, i always knew him as Ricky Ulman! guess that was just so he'd sound more American on the Disney Channel
"An odd, collected half-memory that we're not sure had happened."
The fact that I looked up this song, heard the "I'm meaner and leaner" part, and immediately snapped my mind-fingers in an "OH, I KNOW THIS" moment, well, I can't say I disagree with you.
Funny that the next "I'm Here Bitch" single that comes to mind (after Kid Rock and Eminem) is another OHW: MIMS' "This Is Why I'm Hot"
Mine was a different OHW: Mark Morrison's "Return of the Mack."
@@MisterH37 He's definitely a OHW (in the US at least - in the UK he actually had 4 other Top 10 Hits!) but "Return of the Mack" wasn't his debut (he had at least two other singles before this) so I'm not sure if he fits with the three others.
I could see an argument to be made that "S Club Party" is an "I'm Here Bitch" single tho!
Jared Low Someone get a request put in for that one!! I need Todd to talk about how crappy mid-2000s hip hop was again!!
The thing that came to mind to me is Tally Hall's "Welcome to Tally Hall". Not super well known band but they do have a cult following.
I would love for Todd to do this one
YES I AM SO HAPPY YOU'RE DOING THIS ONE
A while back I went through the 90s year end hot 100 lists and came across this song. I was actively listening to pop music during this time period and had no recollection of this guy or this song. I really really hoped you'd cover it because I wanted to know who the hell IS Jimmy Ray and why don't I remember him?? Why is his only song echoing this sentiment??
I didn't expect to find you here. What a pleasant surprise. 😊
Christ, this is like seeing your teacher outside of school.
I dontremember
the ska mention is making me want a one hit wonderland for the mighty mighty bosstones' "the impression that i get" (a 10/10 banger of a song)
I agree... Though I have to admit, as one of their fiercely dedicated pre-MTV fans (not even sure how many times I saw them in those days), that album & everything that followed was a tremendous let-down (except 1-2-8, the last true Bosstones song). Of course, I'm also an old-school Chumbawamba fan, and Todd's video on them was excellent. So yes, please. Show everyone who they REALLY were. Mighty! Mighty! Boss-tones!
Another ska banger to go over would be Superman by Goldfinger.
I mean, that one managed to take the happiest chord progression in the world, mix it with one of the most slapping genres there is, and then made a super sad song about depression and excessive emotional labor.
@@brifox except Goldfinger are far from one hit wonders
Our House would be another great One Hit Wonder for that.
If you know, you know~
Does "Superman" even count as a hit song for the purposes of this channel? It was never a single so it never had a chart position. It was certainly very popular due to the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater franchise, but I don't think it's quantifiable as a hit.
This is the first One Hit Wonderland I’ve never heard. Learned something new everyday.
Tyler Hackner I literally only know about this song from an old video countdown of the top British pop songs in 1998.
have you heard Living In A Box
You heard Tic Tac Toe?!
I very much doubt you ever heard the 70's Float On before Todd's episode on it
@@einootspork Maybe if they're British and old enough, considering it was a #1 hit there. I was honestly thinking the same as Oren Bernstein above - "Tic Tac Toe" is probably the most obscure OHW Todd has ever done.
Why am I now imagining Brendon Urie fronting The Stray Cats?
Christ that's an image that hurts my brain
"Are you Sugar Ray?"
No, no he's not. Also, I've never heard this song until today.
He looks more like Brendon Urie trying to be Rockabilly
Here's a few songs I think you should listen to. I'm like a Rain Man for music. Grand Funk Railroad's "I'm You Captain", "96 Tears" by Question Mark and the Mysterians, and "Get On Up" by The Esquires.
‘Sup. Are you Jimmy Ray?
~_~
@@skiprockjr.6881 Oh please there's still Imani Coppolas Legend of a Cowgirl and Whiyetownas Your woman to go from the late 90s before we hit any more of the 60s One hit wonders
@Cole TV I was simply recommending songs for that guy to listen to. However, 96 Tears should be next.
He's leaner, he's meaner, now he works as a cleaner
Good God, he’s a warehouse receiver!
This friggin thing was #2 in Canada in 1998. I was 13 at the time and didn't have many CDs so I listened to whatever radio station wasn't playing commercials or opera. So I heard this. The entire time I was wondering "am I missing something? what the hell is this?". Turns out the answer is, 22 years later, "nope, it's just stupid".
why does jimmy ray look like the result of brendon urie and dallon weekes doing the fusion dance with a british filter
This is why I love Todd's videos, because I learn so much from them, and he's been digging deep lately. I'm a sucker for '90s pop culture, but I had no idea who sang "Rhythm of the Night", I had no idea Arrested Development had a second album beyond 1992, and I had no idea this song even existed, despite listening to a ton of pop radio in 1998. Todd, please never stop teaching us 🙂
Working in a Target electronics department in the 90's. I got to hear this song from the TV's demo every 20 minutes for months. Certainly a new level of hell.
Rule #1: Don’t name your first song after yourself. Same problem plagued Vanilla Ice, Living in a Box, Big Country, Cupid, Soulja Boy and dozens of other artists
Black Sabbath and Bad Company did it and they're both classic songs and classic bands
@@Trolling4Jesus exceptions not the rule
tfw almost every one hit wonderland introduces you to a song instead of helps you relive it
This reminds me of The Simpsons episode about Poochie. To quote Roger Myers Jr., “One, Jimmy Ray needs to be louder, angrier, and have access to a time machine. Two, whenever Jimmy Ray’s not onscreen, all the other characters should be asking 'Where's Jimmy Ray?' ”
Actually, it was Homer who said that, not Roger Meyers Jr
Are we sure this wasn't some Panic! At the Disco side project?
It's a shame Urie was, like, 10 years old at the time
@@Annafyz no, now they can do a time travel music video
i was gonna say something like that
I was twelve when this dropped, and in the 20 some years since I'd convinced myself that it was a figment of my imagination. Thanks Todd for awakening this unholy earworm.
I had no idea that he was British. As gloriously weird and unique as this song is, I could imagine an artist spinning this into a career by going a little more Beck with it, leaning into the assembly of oddball elements and playing up the modernity just as much as the rockabilly. But respect to him for really wanting to go Elvis, if that was his deal.
I've decided that the only reason Todd did this episode was so he could bring up the song "I Got Rolled" and Rickroll us.
PLEASE DO Bittersweet Symphony By The Verve
PLEASE DO IT, A Great Band and a Great Song
That would be a great episode. So much drama surrounding the sample, and it took FOREVER for the band to be able to make any money off of their biggest hit.
I could have sworn he already had
The Verve are a one-hit wonder in America?
"The Drugs Don't Work" was at least as massive over here (UK), I don't know about America off the top of my head.
@@faeriegraver Nope, we missed that one. You know, as big a name as The Verge are, I would've assumed they were bigger, but no - only the one hit, and it only went to 12. I'm shocked.
Yeah this is going up there with "Living in a Box" and "The Night Chicago Died" for best name of a song you've covered
AnvilPro100 What about Lukas Graham???? 😂😂😂😂😂
@@kylehegedus5498 I think he means OHW reviews, not PSRs
When I heard "popabilly hip-hop", I got excited. Then I realized they took out both the "billy" and the "hip" and it's just run-of-the-mill late-90s pop-hop...
Okay if you are watching in 2022 there is a PERFECT cut between the moment of Jimmy Ray singing "well" at the start of his song and Elvis singing "well" in the trailer for that Elvis movie. Like I legit thought it was part of the video for a second it was so well timed. Not to give to much credit to ads but if that wasn't intentional it was a hell of a serendipitous moment.
Ah the return of One Hit Wonderland featuring a song and artist most Todd viewers are unfamiliar with
I think I'm too zoomer to know this song, lol. But a Todd episode is the best introduction to anything music.
I’m an older millennial and I definitely remember this song. I had occasionally wondered what happened to Jimmy Ray so this video was really interesting to me.
I'm Gen X and I remember this song very well, unfortunately.
Kind of/sort of remember this song. I think I remember liking it, but then it just passing through my consciousness and forgetting it. Certainly a blast from the past.
Awake at 4am? Questioning all the craziness of the world? Finally getting round to that pile of dishes? Thank goodness for Todd's odd upload schedule!
Anyone else see Freddy Krueger trying to come through Todd’s wall?
what?
Goddammit, I was just starting to not notice the wall bulge.
@@menicman7044 on the first nigthmare on Alem street freddy came through the wall above a girls bed. When fred started pushing thro the plaster It kind of looked like the bulge on Todd's wall
@@phlog_dog7336 owo
Them edibles finally kick in or what?
Jesus Christ, I all but forgot about this song...
"For anyone who was there, 'Are You Jimmy Ray' has lingered on in the back of their minds like an odd, collective memory that we're not sure actually happened."
YES, that is the perfect way to describe that feeling. That is it *exactly*, thank you, Todd!
As a British person who listened to music in the 90's, I can honestly say I do not remember this song at all.
Shampoo on the other hand, that song was awesome.
Hey Todd, if you read your comments. What about a Drinking in LA by Bran Van 3000 as a One Hit Wonderland?
I’d go for that.
They played the video quite often on German music television. XD
And yeah, "Drinking in L.A.', awesome, awesome song!
but did that belt buckle go on to have a career of its own tho?
It went on to be the AEW championship.
I heard it took over a small island nation in the south Pacific.
It went on to cameo in Game of Thrones as a dinner table at Joffrey's wedding
It was a stunt double for Captain America's Shield.
My money's on a Pootie Tang taking care of that sadatay.
4:00 Shampoo "Trouble" - Do it, Todd! I don't care if it wasn't a hit in the USA. It's a classic! (I bought their album)
I’d love it if for no reason other than to hear Todd mention the Manics... which is something I desperately want.
I always thought it was the same group that had that "Jellyhead" song around the same time.
Over and over I feel it
Boyfriend you're alone
You must be out of your mind
Jellyhead
You really blown it!
:)
It's actually a hell of a story, and I'm not sure anyone else has gone from riot grrl to Spice Girl!! (From Bouffont Headbutt to Girl Power!!) And 'Trouble' absolutely still kicks ass to this day!!!
I actually recognized it because M.I.A. sampled it in her song Double Bubble Trouble
I'm definitely more familiar with "Trouble" than "Are You Jimmy Ray"- I think it was also in other movies/TV besides power rangers
Who would win in a fight between Jimmy Ray and Rico Suave?
Rico has some muscle on him at least.
Who has the most swag?
Jimmy Ray will win the fight but Rico Suave will win the lawsuit
Jimmy, because he's meaner, leaner, and ain't no inbetweener.
Jimmy Ray. You don’t mess around with him unless you’re feeling dangerous.
I loved Jimmy Ray's album. The fact that almost three hundred thousand people have viewed this video, tells you that he was somehow captivating.
I feel bad for Jimmy Ray because if his record label didn't try to push him to be a pop idol and he had more creative control, he could have been a cult figure like Marshall Crenshaw.
However, instead of becoming his generation's Gene Vincent, Jimmy Ray became his generation's Olly Murs.
Same
And the weird thing is I can totally hear that snotty 50s rockabilly yelp in his singing and a few of the references he makes like Link Wray are great 50s deep cuts. If you took out the weird 90s dancehall production and put Scotty Moore guitar stings in there it would be a derivative but convincing homage to music of the era.
Billy Ray looks like if Space Dandy tried to launch a music career.
Jimmy ray
I’d say Alvin Stardust, but no one needs to remember him.
I swear it's "Johnny Ray" instead of Jimmy, but apparently I warped into the Berenstain universe at some point so this is the new normal.
Well Johnny Ray is real and was mentioned in "come on Eileen" so that's what could be ringing you bell.
Johnny Ray is mentioned in this very song, too.
AVGN-ish... :-)
roguishpaladin He was a singer from the 1950’s where he did “Cry”, “Just Walkin’ In the Rain”, and “The Little White Cloud That Cried”.
My parents remember an alternate timeline where Dean Stockwell died but he's still alive.
I love his backup dancers. That’s the one dance crew I could slip into, and no one will notice.
I was in college when this came out, and I really liked the song. I think it was a blip of rockabilly aesthetic connected to Edwyn Collins' "A Girl Like You". Those songs always seemed paired in my mind.
One hit wonderland for Edwin Collins? (A clip from the “A Girl Like You” video is used for the “we brought back lounge” bit) His career is extensive and he basically invented indie pop with his band Orange Juice
Edit: I’d love a one hit wonderland on Edwin Collins
The way Todd describes people remembering this hit, as a "half-memory" that we vaguely remember due to it's eccentric, catchy sound is EXACTLY how I remembered it until I looked it up a few years ago. Must have heard it a handful of times at the most, but the catchy nature of the chorus and the combination of a wonderful late 90s childhood and the draining fatigue of life since those times have made sure the Nostalgia kept some parts of it alive in my mind for nearly 2 decades.
This came out when I was watching MTV religiously. I never outright loved the song but I liked it enough to want to see more but then like 2 weeks later he disappeared off the face of the earth. Thanks for answering my "what happened to that Jimmy Ray guy?" question that pops up in my head once a year Todd!
Okay, I'mma gon' hate myself for saying this, but Jimmy Ray looks like he could've inspired Jojo characters.
Josuke Higashikata irl
IS THAT A JOJOS REFERENCE?
I actually did hear this song once on Mix 94.1’s “Hot 90s Weekend” way back when. I forgot about it until this video.
Todd's usage of the phrase "brat pop" in 2020 deserves a mention considering the current music zeitgeist of 2024....
it's funny that he's referring to a scene Charli was a part of... and actually sounded like what the name implies
One Hit Wonder? More like Zero Hit Wonder... at least in my country, I'm gonna assume.
I'm 40, so I got a pretty good recollection of what was played on the radio/music TV channels and what wasn't back in the late 90s, and seriously... this is the very first time I hear about this dude. And I'm sure as heck that I'd remember that hubcap-sized belt buckle & pompadour-wearing mannequin if I had seen it before.
Better then a Negative One Hit Wonder
Great, another song from the 1990s I try to talk to others about to their utter confusion (see “The Mummer’s Dance”)!
Weirdly enough when he shows this song on the Billboard charts at 4:46 you can see The Mummers' Dance three slots below it. Meaning these happened at the same time.
Sammie1053
Great catch!
The second I saw this title I immediately thought “OH MY GOD ILL GET THE MBMBAM JOKE”
Yes, samee
Only reason I know this song!
i was scrolling looking for another mbmbambino haha!! 🎶 are you ira ray? 🎶
@@shledzguohn Who wants to know?!
Same lol
I have literally never heard this song before.
if they made a Dune movie in 1997 they absolutely would have got Jimmy Ray to play Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen
The sheer mention of Reverend Horton Heat in this video makes me incredibly happy. They are so good, they should be more widely known.
What on earth is with the Manic Street Preachers connections?
-a British man named "Richey Edwards"
- Shampoo, who were two girls who were the founders of the manic street preachers fanclub, are literally the girls in the "little baby nothing" video and that was the only reason they were even a thing
... OK both are really tenuous links but it stuck out to me.
5 degrees of Kevin bacon
Well I guess the Ricky wasn't 4 real.
@@LexMan82 i see what you did there. :)
Actually mental
That’s weird. Somehow I knew Shampoo from the terrible song they made, but the fact they were manic fan club founders blows my mind.