YAHOOOEEEE, it’s an 80s pop inspired feel-good number that launches Tim Bell, aka TIMO, onto the NZ music scene. Not that he’s a novice, having written music for years, including the full length musical Not Another High School Musical. And here comes the Whangarei born vocalist, all guns, and what a way to say hi!

Waiting for You was written, Tim says, while he lived in Brisbane. Written for a lady he was acquainted with who is no longer in his life, but at the time joked that she and Tim should marry. This was the wedding song he wrote back then – and he’s sharing with us now.

This is a happy song, I have to say, in case the above paragraph makes you think otherwise. Tim‘s vocal range sits at the higher end of the Baritone range, and therefore sits perfectly in the echoes of the genre he’s paying tribute to – the early 1980s. At a time when we heard the likes of Glenn Gregory from Heaven 17, Tony Hadley from Spandau Ballet, Phil Oakey from the Human League, Gary Numan, and the list goes on, the timbre was regularly this one – so Tim really does suit this style.

A fabulous 2024 production of 1982-84’s choices of orchestration is done by none other than Scott Seabright, who hits yet another home run here. The balances are exquisite. Some great, jovial synths meet some Nile Rogers-esque rhythm guitars, with a rumbling, inch perfect bottom end. It could easily pass as a ’24 cover version of an ’83 top ten hit. Modern day production brings it into the here and now, but none of the smile-inducing nostalgia vibe is lost. Brilliant work!

Onto the song. It’s got charming lyrics, and is absolutely catchy as all hell. The video on the You Tubes is a cross of live performance with audience, and some storyboarding. I won’t give up any spoilers, but it’s really well lit and angled, and it’s just… well, great! Filmed across Aucks and Whangarei, pop online and check it out.

I see this song on many different types of stations, as it rocks as well as bops. We’ll be seeing and hearing a lot from Tim Bell based on this extra strong debut. This one has gone onto my personal Spotify playlist as well as the Flash-Trax one, so show some support please, and go find TIMO – Waiting For You. Tell him Jack from the 80s sent you.