Fun Boy Three (album)

The Fun Boy Three is the debut album by English new wave pop band the Fun Boy Three, a band consisting of three ex-members of the UK ska band the Specials: Terry Hall, Neville Staples and Lynval Golding. It was released in 1982 by Chrysalis Records and was re-released in 1999 by EMI as Fame. Several songs on the album feature backing vocals by the female pop trio Bananarama. Three singles were released from the album: "The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)", "It Aint What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)", and a remix (with overdubbed horns) of "The Telephone Always Rings".

The Fun Boy Three
Studio album by
The Fun Boy Three
ReleasedMarch 1982
StudioThe Bridge, London
Genre
Length32:53
LabelChrysalis
Producer
  • Dave Jordan
  • The Fun Boy Three
The Fun Boy Three chronology
The Fun Boy Three
(1982)		 Waiting
(1983)

"The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)" reached No. 20 in the UK Singles Chart in November 1981 and spent 12 weeks in the Top 100.[1] "It Aint What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)" reached No. 4 and spent 7 weeks in the Top 40.[2]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
The Daily Telegraph[4]
Pitchfork8.4/10[5]
Record Collector[6]
Record Mirror[7]
The Village VoiceB[8]

Shaad D'Souza of Pitchfork described the album as having a "mysterious electro-pop sound haunted by the racist violence entrenched in British history" and commented that it "still sounds as mischievous and enigmatic as it likely did upon release. Its status as a relatively forgotten cultural artifact only adds to its mystique: This album of Gregorian-style chants and absurdist one-liners made for an entirely unexpected entrant to the UK Top 10".[5]

Track listing

All songs by Lynval Golding, Terry Hall and Neville Staples, except where noted.

Side one

  1. "Sanctuary" (with Bananarama) – 1:21
  2. "Way on Down" – 2:54
  3. "The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)" – 3:14
  4. "Life in General (Lewe in Algemeen)" – 3:19
  5. "Faith, Hope and Charity" – 2:48
  6. "Funrama 2" (with Bananarama) – 3:08

Side two

  1. "Best of Luck Mate" – 3:19
  2. "T'aint What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)" (with Bananarama; written by Melvin "Sy" Oliver and James "Trummy" Young) – 2:53
  3. "The Telephone Always Rings" – 3:39
  4. "I Don't Believe It" – 3:26
  5. "Alone" (with Bananarama) – 3:00

2009 extended version CD bonus tracks

  1. "Just Do It" (with Bananarama) – 2:59
  2. "The Funrama Theme" (extended version) – 6:03
  3. "Summertime" (extended version) – 6:26
  4. "Summer of '82" – 4:01
  5. "The Telephone Always Rings" (extended version) – 5:34
  6. "The Alibi (The Station's Full of Pipes)" – 2:49

Personnel

Credits adapted from 2009 "extended version" liner notes.[9]

Charts
Chart performance for Fun Boy Three
Chart (1982) Peak
position
Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[10] 84
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[11] 10
New Zealand (RIANZ)[12] 17
UK Albums (Official Charts Company)[13][14] 7

Certifications
Certifications for Fun Boy Three
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[15] Gold 100,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/fun-boy-three-the-lunatics-have-taken-over-the-asylum/
  2. "IT AINT WHAT YOU DO IT'S THE WAY THAT YOU DO IT". Official Charts. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  3. Greene, Jo-Ann. "Fun Boy Three – Fun Boy Three". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  4. Green, Thomas H. (16 September 2009). "The Fun Boy Three, CD review". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  5. D'Souza, Shaad (26 November 2023). "Fun Boy Three: Fun Boy Three Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  6. Kennedy, Jake (December 2009). "The Fun Boy Three – The Fun Boy Three: Extended Version". Record Collector. No. 369. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  7. Nicholls, Mike (13 March 1982). "Fun Boys take over...". Record Mirror. p. 17.
  8. Christgau, Robert (1 June 1982). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
  9. The Fun Boy Three (2009). The Fun Boy Three (Extended Version) (CD liner notes). London: Cherry Pop. CRPOP27.
  10. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 119. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  11. "charts.org.nz - Discografie Fun Boy Three". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  12. "charts.nz - Discography Fun Boy Three". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  13. "Fun Boy Three - Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 December 2021.
  14. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 216. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  15. "British album certifications – Fun Boy Three – Fun Boy Three". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
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