Born in 1959, John Benitez, already nicknamed Jellybean by his sister, Debbie, set foot inside Manhattan's Sanctuary club, and a yearning to mix dance music was born. Jellybean immersed himself in the burgeoning disco scene of the mid-70's and was soon in demand as DJ at legendary clubs including New York, New York, Studio 54 and Xenon. In 1981 Jellybean gained a residency at the FunHouse that would last for the next three years. The FunHouse became a key venue for the development of Dance music known as Latin Freestyle. The live DJ shows and a weekend gig mixing Dance music for New York radio station WKTU built a tremendous reputation for Jellybean in the Dance community.
From live work, it was natural for Jellybean to move into studio mixing and eventually production work. One of his early remix projects, the Arthur Baker-produced Walking On Sunshine by Rocker's Revenge, topped the national Dance charts in 1982. This began an incredible run of 7 years in which Jellybean mixed or produced at least one number one Dance hit each year.
Through his work at the FunHouse, Jellybean met a regular dancer and aspiring singer, Madonna Ciccone. She recruited him to produce a final track, Holiday, for her first album and do remix chores for Lucky Star and Burning Up. The results topped the Dance chart in 1983 and studio partnerships as well as a romance were born. Jellybean's other 1983 projects bore fruit in number one Dance hits for Hall and Oates, the Romantics, and Irene Cara. Remixing work on Flashdance tracks was one of Jellybean's first assignment for film music. His success led to extensive work over the next decade on producing film soundtracks as well as remixing individual songs for the clubs.
In 1984, the Wotupski?! EP marked Jellybean's debut as a recording artist. His reworking of the group Babe Ruth's early 70's recording The Mexican topped the dance chart as did its follow-up Sidewalk Talk, written by Madonna. The romance and studio collaboration with Madonna ended in 1985 after Jellybean proved he could produce stunning pop ballads for Madonna (Crazy For You) as well as incendiary dance cuts. Not long after the end of his work with Madonna, Jellybean went to work on tracks by a new pop music diva, Whitney Houston. Jellybean's work with Whitney Houston would result in two more number one dance tracks, So Emotional and Love Will Save the Day and a top 3 hit, How Will I Know?.
Jellybean's first full-length album Just Visiting This Planet was released in 1987 and included two hits that made the top 3, Who Found Who with Elisa Fiorillo and The Real Thing with Adele Bertei. A second album, Jellybean Rocks the House appeared in 1988 and a third, Spillin' the Beans in 1991. All included top 5 Dance hits. By the early 1990's, Jellybean's production and remix work slowed as he became more involved in other aspects of his career. This included film soundtrack work and encouragement of new artists.
In 1995, Jellybean co-founded H.O.L.A. (Home of Latino Artists) Recordings as a unique project to develop mainstream Pop, R&B, and Hip Hop music by bilingual artists for simultaneous release in English and Spanish language markets. This project has borne fruit in a number of musical genres. Jellybean also heads Jellybean Recordings, which has released a number of major Dance hits including The Lover That You Are by PULSE with Antoinette Roberson and Think It Over by Jennifer Holliday. Jellybean's music publishing venture, JB Music Publishing, has published the music of such major artists as Mary J. Blige, LL Cool J, and BoyzIIMen. In 2000 Jellybean amply demonstrated his mixing skills are fully intact as he mixed the album Jellybean's House Party featuring hits from his record label such as Soul Solution's All Around the World and Johnny Vicious' Move Your Body.
Jingo
Jellybean Lyrics
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Jellybean's song "Jingo" is a dance track with repetitive lyrics that urge the listener to "jingo." The word "jingo" is a slang term from the 1960s that means to party or dance with abandon. The lyrics encourage the listener to let go of their inhibitions and enjoy themselves. The beat and rhythm of the song are infectious and impossible not to move to. The song is a celebration of youth, fun, and carefree living.
Beyond its literal meaning, the song can be interpreted as a call to action to live each day to the fullest and to revel in the moment. The lyrics urge the listener to leave their worries behind and to embrace life with both hands. The song speaks to the universal human desire for joy, freedom, and expression. Through its catchy lyrics and infectious beat, "Jingo" is a timeless anthem of youthful exuberance and celebration.
Line by Line Meaning
I was walking down the street the other day
I was strolling on the pavement on a random day
Trying to distract myself by making my way
I was attempting to divert my attention by moving forward
To see a friend who just happens to live not far away
To visit a pal who coincidentally resides nearby
I had not seen him in such a long time
It had been ages since I last caught a glimpse of him
And we talked and reminisced and had a drink or two
We conversed, recalled the past memories and drank a couple of beverages
But then I looked outside, what I saw blew my mind
However, when I glanced through the window, the scene outside astonished me
There were people fighting in the street
There were individuals engaged in physical conflict on the road
Using sticks and stones and anything they could reach
They were employing sticks, stones, and anything they could grab for the combat
I couldn't believe that this was happening
I was unable to accept that such an event was occurring
This was a peaceful neighborhood, what's the reasoning?
The area was tranquil, so what could have led to this chaos?
Why do people fight and act so hateful?
Why do people engage in brawls and demonstrate animosity?
Why can't we see that love is much more powerful?
Why can't we understand that love holds greater power?
It's time we all realize that we're all the same
It's high time we comprehend that we are all equal
We should spread love and help put out the flame
We must spread love and endeavor to quell the fire
Of hate that's burning in our hearts and in our brains
Of animosity that's raging in our minds and in our souls
Jingo, jingo, what the world needs now
Jingo, jingo, what the world needs presently
Is love, sweet love, that's the message we must loud
Is love, sweet love, that's the message we must shout
Jingo, jingo, what the world needs now
Jingo, jingo, what the world needs presently
Is love, sweet love, that's the one thing we must allow
Is love, sweet love, that's the one thing we must permit
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Michael Babatunde Olatunji
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind