They were only the third artist ever to have their first three releases go to number one on the UK singles chart, a feat they achieved between July and December 1989. The previous bands to do so were Gerry & The Pacemakers and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. They also went to number one in several other countries around the world.
Jive Bunny's three number ones were "Swing the Mood", "That's What I Like" and "Let's Party". All three songs used sampling and synthesisers to combine pop music from the early rock and roll era together into a medley. The results were somewhat like Jaap Eggermont's Stars on 45, although he had hired "sound-alike" singers and musicians to recreate the music from scratch.
Each song used a sampled instrumental theme to join the old songs together, in much the same way as dance music megamixes. "Swing the Mood" began with Glenn Miller's famous "In the Mood" (a recording dating back to 1939), followed immediately by rhythmic re-editing of Bill Haley and His Comets' "Rock Around the Clock", Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti," and the Everly Brothers' "Wake Up, Little Susie." "Swing the Mood" was #1 for five weeks on the UK singles chart in 1989, and quickly caught on in America.
"That's What I Like" featured the theme music from the television police drama Hawaii Five-O, with overlaid excerpts from rock hits like Chubby Checker's "The Twist" and Ernie Maresca's "Shout, Shout (Knock Yourself Out)". "Let's Party" (released originally in the US as "March of the Mods") used "March of the Mods" (also known as the Finnjenka Dance), interpolating Del Shannon's "Runaway" and The Wrens' "Come Back My Love," among others.
The original European medleys featured the original recordings by the original artists. Legalities prevented certain of the original recordings to be reused in America, so the American Jive Bunny releases substituted later re-recordings of the same tunes by Bill Haley, Del Shannon, and others.
The original idea for the project came from Les Hemstock on the DJ-only Mastermix DJ service. Andy Pickles then become the front man largely on his own. John Pickles (his father) was strictly speaking never in the band, but the owner of the label and effectively the manager. Rebecca Male, a relation of John Pickles, was and is heavily involved in the production of the records.
Andy Pickles later went on to found hard house record label Tidy Trax with fellow DJ Amadeus Mozart.
December
Jive Bunny And The Mastermixers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Late December back in sixty-three
What a very special time for me,
As I remember, what a night
Oh, what a night, you know I didn't even know her name,
But I was never gonna be the same
What a lady, what a night
Oh my, as I recall it ended much too soon
Oh what a night hypnotizin' mesmerizing me,
She was ev'rything I dreamed she'd be
Sweet surrender, what a night
I felt a rush like a rollin' ball of thunder,
Spinnin' my head around n' takin' my body under
Oh, what a night
Why'd it take so long to see the light,
Seemed so wrong, but now it seems so right
What a lady, what a night
I felt a rush like a rollin' ball of thunder,
Spinnin' my head around n' takin' my body under
Oh what a night!
Oh what a night!
Oh what a night!
Oh what a night!
Oh what a night!
The song "December 1963" by Jive Bunny And The Master Mixers is a funky tune that encapsulates the excitement and joy of a memorable night in late December 1963. The lyrics talk about the singer's experience of meeting a beautiful lady on this special night, without even knowing her name. However, her presence had a profound impact on the singer, transforming his world in ways he never thought possible. He remembers feeling a rush of excitement and being completely hypnotized by her presence.
As the night progressed, the singer felt a bond with this lady that was "hypnotizing" and "mesmerizing" him. He knew that he had found someone special and that the night had been magical. The song captures the essence of the exhilarating feeling that comes with falling in love and experiencing something new and exciting. The chorus captures this feeling with the repetition of the phrase "Oh, what a night," which emphasizes the singer's sense of awe and wonder.
Overall, "December 1963" is a nostalgic and upbeat tune that celebrates the joy and thrill of an unforgettable night from the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, what a night, Late December back in sixty-three
Reflecting on the memory of an eventful night in December 1963
What a very special time for me, As I remember, what a night
Recalling the night as a special moment in their life
Oh, what a night, you know I didn't even know her name, But I was never gonna be the same What a lady, what a night
Expressing the strong impact a woman had on them despite being a stranger
Oh, I, I got a funny feelin' when she walked in the room Oh my, as I recall it ended much too soon
Recollecting how the night started with a peculiar feeling upon seeing the woman, ending too soon
Oh what a night hypnotizin' mesmerizing me, She was ev'rything I dreamed she'd be Sweet surrender, what a night
Feeling captivated and entranced by the woman, with a sense of sweetness in the moment
I felt a rush like a rollin' ball of thunder, Spinnin' my head around n' takin' my body under
Experiencing a rush of emotions and sensations due to the moment
Oh, what a night Why'd it take so long to see the light, Seemed so wrong, but now it seems so right What a lady, what a night
Wondering why it took so long to realize the importance of the night and the woman, considering it right and significant now
Oh what a night
A continuation of the emphasis on how memorable the night was
Oh what a night!
An emotional exclamation of how impactful the night was
Oh what a night!
Another emotional exclamation of how impactful the night was
Oh what a night!
One more emotional exclamation of how impactful the night was
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bob Gaudio, Judy Parker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind