Good Thing (Fine Young Cannibals song)


"Good Thing" is a song recorded by Fine Young Cannibals, the second single from their album from 1989, The Raw & the Cooked. The song was their second and most recent U.S. #1, topping the Billboard Hot 100 on 8 July 1989. It also peaked at #7 on the UK Singles Chart.
The song made its first appearance in Tin Men. Fine Young Cannibals portrayed a nightclub band in the movie, performing this song and three others. The film is set in Baltimore in 1963, and the song's retro soul style is consistent with that setting.
Jools Holland played piano on the track, noting that it was "one of the biggest selling records I've ever played on".

Track listings

; 7" Single
  1. "Good Thing" – 3:22
  2. "Social Security" – 3:26
; 12" Maxi
  1. "Good Thing" – 5:30
  2. "Good Thing" – 3:22
  3. "Good Thing" – 4:38
; 10" Limited Edition
  1. "Good Thing" – 3:22
  2. "Good Thing " – 3:22
  3. "Social Security" – 3:26
; CD maxi
  1. "Good Thing" – 3:25
  2. "Good Thing" – 4:42
  3. "She Drives Me Crazy" – 5:59

    Music video

The video features many scenes with the Orribly Good Scooter Club, the Jokers and A41 Eagles displaying their motor scooters, both at rest and in motion, as part of Mod revival culture. The scooters featured include stock scooters, as well as highly stylised scooters and minimalist cutdown scooters.

In popular culture

The song was featured in the trailer for Mad Dog and Glory.
Twice during 1998, the song was featured in episodes of Top Gear, first in a used car review of the Volkswagen Golf, with a voiceover by presenter Quentin Willson, the second in the beginning of the review of the Alfa Romeo 166, with scenes showing Alfa Romeo 156s. In 2007, the song was used in adverts for the Chevrolet Captiva.
The song appears in Doomsday, starring Rhona Mitra, in a surreal scene involving the film's main antagonist. It was also used in the film It's Complicated, in the scene at the graduation party. It plays as Alec Baldwin walks towards Meryl Streep and Steve Martin, after noticing the two are obviously high.

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts