867-5309/Jenny
| "867-5309/Jenny" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "Not Say Goodbye" |
"867-5309/Jenny" is a song written by Alex Call and Jim Keller and performed by Tommy Tutone that was released on the album Tommy Tutone 2, on the Columbia Records label. It peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number one on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in 1982. Co-writer Call came up with both "Jenny" and the telephone number and completed the song with Keller. [1]
Many believed 867-5309 was the real phone number of a girl named Jenny. The song caused a fad of people dialing 867-5309 (which was then a valid phone number in dozens of North American area codes) and asking for "Jenny".[2]
Although Tommy Tutone is primarily remembered for this song and commonly considered a "one-hit wonder," they actually had a Billboard Top 40 hit in 1980 — two years before "Jenny" — with "Angel Say No", which peaked at number 38.[3]
Charts
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 4 |
| U.S. Mainstream Rock Tracks | 1 |
Covers
Jenny has been covered by a number of artists, including Everclear, Less Than Jake, Blink-182, Bracket and The Goo Goo Dolls.
In 2003, singer-songwriter Mark Weigle included the song on his album Different but the Same. Weigle, who is gay, changed the title to "867-5309 Jimmy". In the album's liner notes, Weigle explained how the song's dynamics changed, when altering the subject's gender from female to male (since it would be unlikely that "Jenny" had written her own number on the restroom wall, while "Jimmy", on the other hand, most likely had done so).
In popular culture
- In a project he called Jenny, are you there?, Dan Stecz, a New Jersey man, called all the 867-5309s in every area code within North America and found that nearly all the numbers were not in service. A handful of the numbers did refer to Jenny, however, and some even played bits of the song on their answering machine greeting.[4][5]
- In March 2008, several residents in Wilmington, Delaware reported receiving telemarketing calls during the early morning hours, where the caller had spoofed its Caller ID to "867-5309."[6]
Litigation
Brown University transferrred the number to Gem Plumbing & Heating[7], a local business. In 2002, Gem began using the number in advertising campaigns both in Rhode Island and in eastern Massachusetts (area code 617). Gem trademarked the number in 2005.
In 2006, Benjamin Franklin Franchising LLC, a large national plumbing firm, began using a toll-free version of the number (+1-866-867-5309). In 2007, Gem brought suit against Clockwork Home Services, the parent company of Benjamin Franklin Franchising, alleging a violation of its trademark. Clockwork contended that Gem's trademark was invalid. Effective in May 2007, Clockwork was ordered by a court to stop using the number in New England. [8] [9]
See also
- 555 - the telephone exchange used for fictional numbers
- Bruce Almighty telephone controversy
- Diary (song), another song whose release spurred listeners to call a phone number from the lyric
References
- ^ "Jenny (867-5309)" Songfacts. Songfacts. Retrieved July 27 2007.
- ^ Urban Legends Reference Pages: Jenny 867-5309
- ^ http://www.80smusiclyrics.com/artists/tommytutone.htm
- ^ Misery Loves (Cyber) Company, Wired, June 30, 2005
- ^ Dan Stecz, Jenny, are you there?
- ^ Telemarketer's Call Invokes Old Hit Song, (Associated Press, March 11, 2008)
- ^ Gem Plumbing Inc. - Plumbing Contractor RI
- ^ Plumbing Firm Sues to Keep Famous Phone Number
- ^ Jenny, they got your number; now 2 firms fighting over it - The Boston Globe