Dakota (formerly The Buoys) - Timothy live

[Houdini774]

Can everyone please relax, "Timmothy" is a nickname the miners use to use for a pepperoni pizza. He and Joe were just upset because it had anchovies.

[DJMovit]

Rupert Holmes, who wrote it, has always said he wrote it about 3 miners. The label decided to claim it was a mule when it started climbing the charts. So many stations banned it because of cannibalism. To get those stations to play it, Sceptor Records claimed it was a mule...it wasn't. Only song to become a hit singing about cannibalism.

[monkusbee]

still hittin that last note after all these years

[deanmadonia]

an all time fav

[Leviathan0999]

I'm sorry, is anybody REALLY buying that Timothy was a donkey?

[arcanacoelestia]

Thanks for posting this fine live performance of one of my fav songs -- but it's definitely not about a mule or a canary! Wikipedia indicates Holmes wanted to generate publicity by writing a song that would be banned. Holmes himself stated that "Timothy" was inspired partly by Ernie Ford's song "16 Tons" and partly by the film SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER, which has cannibalism as one of its themes. In the late 1970s, wacky DJ Dr. Demento often played "Timothy" on his radio show. Great stuff!

[natmingmcf1]

how could your stomach be so full if you just ate a canary?

[SouthernFryd]

I've always remembered this song...and I never knew at the time it was about cannibalism. I thought Timothy just died.

Still, it affected me even back then. I always remembered it. I've never found anyone, even of the same age as me, who remembered this song...To now see so many responses to a song I haven't heard since, hell, I don't know when...maybe 60's? It's just nice to know I wasn't alone in remembering.

Thanks for this video...a lot.

[oceancowboy52]

i know these guys personaly and they DONT lip synk and its not about canabalism . Timothy was a canary

[martysomoco]

Awesome Bill, Jerry et. al. I sat next to you in class at King's, Bill. Thank you for the unequalled performances.

[dmullsr]

think the track is in playback of the video not lip -sync

[rowdymax1]

Eat To The Beat..TIMOTHEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

[rowdymax1]

effing epic..love that song...irresistable beat.

[faltraz69]

Absolutely love this song. I remember it when it first came out. Just turned 16, driving around in my first car, a 4 door 1963 Mercury Comet, the AM radio blasting out tunes. Whenever this song came on, we would go nuts singing along with it. Glad to see it still continuing on today!

And yup, the video itself is slightly out of sync. The band is not lip syncing, unless the drummer is also drum syncing (LOL).

[souldeep69]

It is a friggin' MIRACLE that Bill Kelly still sounds as fantastic as he did on the original hit record from almost 40 years ago, can still hit those high notes and roll them around with perfect control, and the fact that anybody could possibly mistake this for a lip synched performance is merely evidence that he hasn't lost a bit of his vocal chops. I love your voice, Bill, and as great as you've sounded on other songs, none of them show your voice off as well as "Timothy".

[7188181]

@souldeep69 well said. And Bill is a great guy on top of being an excellent musician and vocalist. He's always been very gracious and up front in the comments.

[MSGBobLee]

When this song came out...I had the evening shift on a small market Pennsylvania AM radio station...playing Top 40. I was also the music director. It was "really like" at first needle drop on this 45 vinyl. I immediately put it on our play list.  For 3 weeks, I was playing it at least twice a night. A young caller informed me of what really happened to Timothy. At first, I didn't believe it. After all, I had immediately figured out "Lola's" true identity. Despite the topic, we kept playing it.

[natmingmcf]

Such a good Voice

[jellymon51]

The band sounds as great as the record did so many years ago. I don't know about lip-synching, but it sounded good to me. But I love this song no matter what.

[Johngtr13]

Good song. The year I graduated from high school. My favorite song about cannibalism. I'm kind of hungry now.

[FylthyBeest]

@Johngtr13 You should eat and enjoy the music.

[Farrah300]

I love this live version. They sound awesome!!!!

[RavenAngelxX]

I've loved this song since I first heard it, lol. Does that make me weird since it is apparently about cannibalism...?

[FylthyBeest]

@RavenAngelxX No it does not. It means you enjoy the talents of an amazing group of musicians. Read earlier posts or go their website. These are, in my estimation, a great group of performers.

[princesjwk]

This is not lip-synched AND that live orchestra played splendidly.

[FylthyBeest]

If you look back at postings from about a year ago, you'll find that the lead singer, Bill Kelly, personally answered many questions and provide unique insight. Interesting reading from an interesting man.

[mattlove1]

A mule? come on. where is the controversy in eathing a mule? Holmes himself said it's about 3 boys trapped in a cave in, it's about cannibalism.

[AnBon74]

First of all, they are NOT lip-syncing, and secondly, Timothy was NOT a mule. WTF would a mule be doing deep down in a mine?? This song is about human cannibalism. 'Nuff said.

[rocknrob11]

I used to see these guys when they were the Buoys at Pete's Pizza on Route 11 in Exeter, PA. I was 14 when they played at the dance hall. I remember this, and there were so many other talented bands in our area that noone ever noticed. The El Caminoes, Thee Browne Cow, 8th Street Bridge, which later became The Great Rock Scare. Anyone remember these days with me?

[BluezGuitarz]

Could a pair of cannibals lip-sync eating Timothy?

[CuteCatFaith]

Timothy was a mule.

[souldeep69]

Dakota is not actually the Buoys and never was. The group was formed in the mid 70's and signed to Columbia. One member of Dakota had been in the Buoys - that was Bill Kelly, the lead singer. I thought he was absolutely great on the original "Timothy" and had such an appealing voice! I wanted to hear a lot more of that voice, but there was only one Buoys album. In Dakota, who also only had one album, he was one of four lead singers. The good news: he still sounds incredible today! Thanks!

[BMWLANCE61]

@souldeep69 Dakota evolved from a band named Jerry-Kelly Band, Jerry being Jerry Hludzik,Kelly being Bill Kelly. Bill Kelly and Jerry Hludzik were both original members of the "Buoys". Jerry-Kelly band released one album for Columbia Records which you can get on CD on line. Dakota released TWO albums and toured with Queen for an entire Summer in the early '80's.

[kevinomreb]

Not about a mule at all. Timothy was a miner. No controversy eating a mule. Eating Timothy is another story.

[QBAN2010]

@kevinomreb Timothy was a little boy. Read Billy Kelly's (lead singer) own comment from 2 years ago....

[pr3egl]

okay, you're so smart....I've seen 2 different lyrics posted on the web:

'with water enough to drink for two, and Joe says to me "I'll take a STEAK...

or "I'll take a SWIG". ?

I think it's "steak".

[AnBon74]

@pr3egl Swig.

[pr3egl]

@AnBon74 Respectfully, without a Buoys answer, I think the steak line makes more sense; drinking water isn't controversial or scandalous, but 'steak' reveals the murderous thoughts of Joe, then is followed with the chorus line

"Timothy, Timothy, Joe was lookin' at you."

I remember cruising the high school before classes, listening to the newly released Timothy, & realized what was going on.

I said "Did you hear that? They're flippin eating that guy!"

I still play it!

[AnBon74]

@pr3egl The line is "WATER enough to drink for two, and Joe said to me I'll take a SWIG, and then, there's some, for you" Steak doesn't make sense in that context, since they were talking about DRINKING water in that line. The entire song is controversial, since it's about 3 humans trapped in a mine, who decided to eat the 3rd one. My guess is that the 3rd one was dead or unconscious, the other 2 were starving, and ate the 3rd guy in order to survive.

[pr3egl]

@AnBon74 I contacted Rupert...and yes, it's 'swig'! He was amused by it. (Hey, I found the steak line a long time ago when I Google'd 'lyrics' and...what the hell, it fits! ).

Want a swig? ;-)

[AnBon74]

@pr3egl You really contacted Rupert Holmes? WOW, way cool! Sure, I'll take a swig of water, but I'll pass on the steak!

[pr3egl]

@AnBon74 Yes, and he responded within an hour of me sending the 'contact' email. He even wrote back after my reply, and here's some of it:

"I recall when I wrote the song several centuries ago it that I debated "swig" versus "sip." The latter was perhaps more clear (and more like the way people really talk) but it sounded a bit prim, considering the circumstances."

Cool, huh!

We play it in Em...I could never hit those notes!

[AnBon74]

@pr3egl So I see that you are a musician too. I am a singing drummer. I've never played this song, but it's sounds easy enough to play. I too use to be able to hit very high notes, but not as well these days. Guess I'm getting old :(

[pr3egl]

@AnBon74 I could hit those Bill Kelly notes before I hit puberty, but not since!

It took U2 about 4yrs before they dropped Pride a step, and Bangles dropped Eternal Flame a step within 6 yrs. Time is cruel...

[ferlbahoo]

His voice still sounds fantastic. He can hit those high notes just like he did 40 years ago.

[mortishia99]

tim.. its whats for dinner!

[phildirt3]

love old guys rockin one hit wonders

[stumblemouth]

limeytrash....

....if you listen closely, someone is playing a synth, replicating both the horn and string parts.

[7188181]

@stumblemouth that's true, but on the 45, the violin was very loud after the word Timothy.

[limeytrash]

not exactly, violins were prominent in the 45 and can't be heard here.

[BasswipeNC]

That is a great version. Those dudes are still rockin.

[DROly1]

WOW!! Amazing that the 2 guys can still sing the song like it was yesterday....some bands as they get on in the years change the pitch and key ...and make the song sound like crap...Good job!! Dakota!! keep rocking!!!

[largolady]

Wow, I can't believe that this a new live recording of this song. I was 10 when, I first heard this song, and I still know every word. It was my first 45 and my first music search/download many years later when Music was available online. My family were coalminers for 100 years, and 16 tons, noted as an inspiration for the lyrics was said to be part of our family history. The song "Timothy" is still an amazing song, 39 years later!!!!!! I'll look for "Dakota" music. Happy New Year, Debbie

[newper]

Great song but it is about a human not a mule, c'mon.

[rlpete2]

While the lyrics are disturbing, it is a beautifully crafted song. Great chord progression, memorable melody and an infectious rhythm.

The whole album was good. My second favorite cut was "Prince of Thieves," ( think that is the title.)

[korpklone]

great song; my buddies from college (70-74) played this on the jukebox at our local campus billiard bar all the time. Today we are reuniting for last weekend of whitetail; and camp may be frozen over. I wanted to remind them of consequences. Glad I found yr video.

butts ESC

[markess48]

Great song, I bought the original album just to get this song.

[FylthyBeest]

Mr. Kelly, I thoroughly enjoyed this as a teenager two years before I joined the Service. And now, nearly four decades later, I enjoy your and Dakota's music even more. Please, keep up the good work. 70sClassicRock, thank you for posting. Dan

[EmpressOfWyoming58]

It's not about a mule. Mules can't tell a tale. "The only ones left the tell the tale..." The mule rumor came up to try to diffuse some of the controversey. I was 11 or 12 then. What fun, heated discussions we had over this one.

[DDG51]

Boy where did time go ...not to forget ole Timothy ... my band and I were guilty of playing this cover song also....Consolidated Rock.

[har6236]

I was 11 when this song came out. I had the 45rpm. I still remember all the lyrics!!!! Whoah... am I sick, or what? No... It was a donkey..right???

[qwertyuioptimothy]

nice name :P XD ^^

[thueron]

great live version! It does prove you had to be dam good back then without all the synthesizers, etc.

Song is kind of creepy, too.

But at least two guys ate well....:-)

[poppyamelia]

I was in high school when this record came out...Timothy was not a mule but a miner...

[Hatewhenthathappens]

Moi Aussi!

[Saraswatiji]

Timothy....YUMMMMM!

[Grantalonus]

That was impressive!!!

[amishavenger]

About a mule? You have to be kidding. It's about Jeffrey Dahmer like cannibalism. What the hell was a mule doing in a mine shaft?

[jesselovemacc1311]

Obviously your not from coal country. Mules were used extensively in coal mining in the 19th century

[MW277j]

Hoping and waiting for the next live Dakota concert. Its been over 2 years since we saw them at the Northeast fair. Bill, Jerry, Jon, Eli, Jeff, Lou were great what a show ( actually both shows ) OMG what a night. !

[gravano2]

If this is live it is great , vocal is right on ,It shows you used to have to be good in the old days

[gofyerself]

one of the best live versions of ANY song i've ever heard. kudos, guys. sounds awesome.

[teleny2]

I remember this was going to be about a canary.

[lerakse]

Great performance & nice to read Bill Kelly's first hand comments.

Here in The Netherlands The Buoys were all but a one hit wonder.

Besides Timothy, Give Up Your Guns was a Top 10 hit twice, in the early AND the late 70s. Don' t Try To Run and Look Back America received huge airplay but kept bubbling under.

[keljoy48]

As the lead singer of the Buoys for many years I feel qualified to answer a few things here today. First Timothy was actually fictitious and the subject was a little boy. When the press picked up on the miner thing happening in Sheppton we went along. To TomTiger, sorry mate but the performance here is live. The Buoys and Dakota were always very well rehearsed and were kicked off more than one major tour for showing up the headliner. Thank you all for your comments and interest. Bill Kelly

[meldawolf]

Whats funny is I thought the song was about an Elephant. My brother thought it was about a Dog. . Wasn't sure who Timothy was. I always asked people if they remembered the song Thank God i found it. I never forgot Timothy. Good job to the Buoys.

[tdizzo123]

I was a teenager attending St John the Evangelist High School in Pittston, PA. The best band, and a real treat for us, was when the Buoys showed up at Friday night dances in our gym. The Buoys debuted Timothy at the SJHS gym just before I graduated in 1970. The basic story was well known in the NE PA area where there were many mine cave-ins. So, although we all knew the song was about the cannabalism of a miner, none of us were shocked and we damn sure knew it wasn't a mule!

[dkmets31]

I thought they debuted it at South Scranton Central Catholic H.S. :)

Great band, great memories!

[getonoverit]

this is a fantastic live performance it sounds exactly like the record did forty years ago

[motorizedfun]

No, it doesn't sound just like the record if you listened to them both side by side, but it's a great live performance. It should be since these guys have played it a few thousand times.

[music60spro]

Love this group and song but this a lip sunk performance

[70sClassicRock]

You started an entirely new youtube i.d. just to repeat your obsession about lip syncing. And you say you're not obsessed? HAHAHA. I'll keep blocking you and we'll all sit back and watch and see how many new I.D.s you're willing to start just to keep posting the same crap.

[FylthyBeest]

@music60spro You're an idiot. I believe 70sClassicRock

[BMWLANCE61]

@music60spro Sorry Buddy,but you are totally wrong.As a Live sound engineer for 15 years (Prince,Joan Jett)I can spot lip-syncing 99 timess out of 100.What you are mistaking for lip-syncing is a slight mis-sync between the sound and video. Know these guys personally and they do not need any help performing live versions of any of their songs.Watch some of the other live video from this concert ......these guys can capital P,PLAY!

[SaganAppreciationSoc]

@music60spro

It's not lipsynced. The howl video is out of sync.

[TomTIGER69]

This happens to be one of my all time favorite songs no obsession just a fact. Yes i have looked at both video's and in my humble professional opinion I am 100% sure they are lip syncing .The song maybe creepy being about cannibalism but them lip syncing is not creepy its okay

[70sClassicRock]

You, sir, seem to be very unqualified to make judgments on music and the word "professional" seems totally irrelevant in regard to you. I've seen the band perform this song many times in the last 10 years and it's completely live. You've already proven yourself wrong in your statements on jdzines video, which you are also obsessed with. Too bad you can't recognize pro musicians with real talent when you see them. If it's so okay with you, why don't you just shut up?

[wallyworldusa]

If you're such a fan of the group, why do you compare them with Milli Vanilli and Britney Spears? No real fan would spew such crap. You really should seek professional help.

[souldeep69]

@TomTIGER69 One way you can positively tell he's not lip syncing is that on the record when he sings "just a piece of meat", he makes "just" into two syllables, which I've always loved. In this version he sings it as just one syllable. Another way you can tell he's not lip syncing is by having ears.

[CuteCatFaith]

@TomTIGER69 It is about a mining accident. They were trapped. They ate their mule. Timothy was the mule.  They did not eat a human. This was TOLD on all the radio stations then. We all know this.

[TomTIGER69]

They Definitely needed a back track on this. quite evident it is a lip sunk performance of the song timothy. Not obsessed just 100 % positive this is lip sunk

[keljoy48]

Just so you hear it from the horse's mout...we never used backing tracks for anything. Quite simply...the band was good. Bill Kelly

[AnitaLife27]

Agreed! You guys are great and should have been bigger stars--your music is all so wonderful!!!!! Well, you're still loved and remembered! Thanks for posting!!!!!!--a Scranton girl.

[limeytrash]

But this isn't a lip sunk performance. It's completely live. Just because youtube gets video and audio out of sync during the upload doesn't mean the performance isn't live.. You seem totally obsessed with it and you're wrong. And there is no comparison between these guys and Britney Spears type music. Dakota's music is straightforward rock and no backing tracks are needed. No safety net needed.

[TomTIGER69]

Magicians never tell others tricks of the trade.Lip syncing and backing tracks are quite common on live performance. Especially for hit songs that people are use to hearing in a certain way. One would not expect the production crew or filming crew to say hey they are lip syncing Timothy just as the crew at a magic show are not going to say these are all tricks not real magic. It does not bother me that they are lip syncing Timothy it isn't a big whoop that they are lip syncing its quite common.

[smartkart]

You're quite an idiot and have no idea what you're talking about. Why do you say it's no big deal to you yet you are so obsessed? Very creepy. Just look at jdzine's copy of the same video. It's not out of sync like this one and you can see it's a live performance all the way.

[keljoy48]

Thanks limey...you got it right....Bill Kelly, lead singer

[mcknigs]

Cool to see Mr. Kelly posting here. FWIW - I saw Dakota at George Mason University in the early '80s. The rumor in the crowd was that they were related to the Buoys. For an encore they did Timothy and it sounded enough like the record to prove the rumor... When Timothy first came out I heard rumors that the Buoys were connected to the Washington DC area. Any truth to that?

[keljoy48]

Hey guy. Jerry Hludzik and I were original members of the Buoys and left to eventually form Dakota. I sang Timothy so that's why it sounded the way it did.lol Timothy broke out of the DC area and that's the only connection we have to DC...thanks for you comments and your interest. See what I'm doing today as producer/writer/player in Nashville @ Oliver Kelly on youtube.

[nighthawk48509]

what was the difference between the censored and the uncensored versions? i have this on have a nice day hits of the 70's

[keljoy48]

Hi nighthawk. I cut a version that changed the line "my stomach was full as it could be" to "both of us fine as it could be". Plus there was a version that bleeped out the word hell. Ha go figure! Bill Kelly

[nighthawk48509]

thank you for the reply bill, i'm a free lance dj i used to have this song on my jukebox. i used to dj at an oldies bar and played this people were surprised that i had this.

[TomTIGER69]

Even people who are considered real singers, like, say, Bruce Springsteen and Jennifer Hudson, perform alongside pre-recorded vocals. During the Super Bowl, when Hudson sang the national anthem and Bruce did the half-time show, they weren't out there without a safety net. They used backing tracks--Why are people so upset by the idea of Britney lip-synching? Maybe because she didn't even indulge the illusion of live vocals with the usual "Hi ya'all! What's up?

[TomTIGER69]

This is a lip sunk performance. No big whoop most performances are at least partially prerecorded. Even if they performed this song the day after recording it wouldn't sound like their recording never mind thirty years later.

[BestTits]

no it is not a lip sync, the audio video sync gets messed up sometimes when you upload to youtube

[BakuKuro]

The writer disproved the 'Timothy was a mule' theory. Timothy was a boy. They ate him. It's cannibalism.

[BoilingPoint212F]

Just to add: Scepter record executives did not catch that it was about cannibalism until after it started climbing the charts, after which they claimed that Timothy was a mule, a concept Rupert Holmes found more offensive than cannibalism, which he intended.

[CuteCatFaith]

@BoilingPoint212F No, it was actually about a mule. It was based on a mining accident. They loved the reverse wag the dog however and did not stop that.

[TomTIGER69]

yes one hit wonders need only hold a guitar and move and show up

[TomTIGER69]

even when they figure it ou.t idiots will think this is sung live. you must have been a fan of millie vinili and still think they were singing Even if the lips line up on this video it's figures of the band mouthing a recording

[BestTits]

this is not a lip sync, the audio and video are a little off on this persons post, they are no on the other posts

[TomTIGER69]

its still a great song so what if their performance is lip sunk most performances are anyways

[TomTIGER69]

unfortunately 99.9% of earthlings are retarded. "planet retard" thats why they can get away with this lip sunk performance 99.9 of earthlings have no idea whats real or Fake. Thats why its called the matrix.Take a good look at your planet and your surroundings maybe you could wake up to your retardation i'm not from earth, their lip synching and they ain't even good at it and i think your not one of the retards and really putting me on that you think their not lip syncing

[shamwowwow]

I think we can all see who the real retard is. I actually know real retards who are more intelligent.

[TomTIGER69]

shamwowwow  i'm absolutely sure that you are telling the truth that you know real retards that are more intelligent than you and that ain't saying much. i don't need a 'we all" to see that. All i need is me to see that

Thanks for you truthfullness

[TomTIGER69]

lip sunk

[TomTIGER69]

AWESOME THANKS

[russellosmianski]

I saw the Buoys at the Electric Flag in Wheeling, West Virginia in 1971. They were great.

[keljoy48]

Thank you Russell. As I remember it we had a great time too. Bill Kelly, lead singer

[kentgraovac]

Great job....they sound almost the same...not an easy feat almost 40 yrs later!

[sparky42]

great man , used to go see these cats at the alley in pottsville and at shannanigans in hazleton. Yea them were the days. Thanks Jerry and Kelly