View source for Fun Boy Three (album)

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = The Fun Boy Three
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Fun Boy Three|The Fun Boy Three]]
| cover      = Fun Boy Three album.jpg
| border     = yes
| alt        =
| released   = March 1982
| recorded   =
| studio     = The Bridge, London
| genre      =
* [[New wave music|New wave]]
* [[Pop music|pop]]
| length     = 32:53
| label      = [[Chrysalis Records|Chrysalis]]
| producer   =
* Dave Jordan
* The Fun Boy Three
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title = [[Waiting (Fun Boy Three album)|Waiting]]
| next_year  = 1983
}}
'''''The Fun Boy Three''''' is the debut album by English new wave pop band [[Fun Boy Three|the Fun Boy Three]], a band consisting of three ex-members of the UK [[ska]] band [[the Specials]]: [[Terry Hall (singer)|Terry Hall]], [[Neville Staple|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)", "[['Tain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)|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 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.<ref>https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/fun-boy-three-the-lunatics-have-taken-over-the-asylum/ {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2024}}</ref> "It Aint What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)" reached No. 4 and spent 7 weeks in the Top 40.<ref>{{Cite web |title=IT AINT WHAT YOU DO IT'S THE WAY THAT YOU DO IT |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/fun-boy-three-and-bananarama-it-aint-what-you-do-its-the-way-that-you-do-it/ |access-date=2 April 2024 |website=Official Charts}}</ref>
== Critical reception ==
{{expand section|date=November 2023}}
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/fun-boy-three-mw0000466763|title=Fun Boy Three – Fun Boy Three|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|accessdate=29 October 2018|last=Greene|first=Jo-Ann}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]''
| rev2score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/cdreviews/6198629/The-Fun-Boy-Three-CD-review.html|title=The Fun Boy Three, CD review|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|date=16 September 2009|accessdate=29 October 2018|last=Green|first=Thomas H.}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| rev3score = 8.4/10<ref name="PF">{{cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/fun-boy-three-fun-boy-three/|title=Fun Boy Three: ''Fun Boy Three'' Album Review|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|last=D'Souza|first=Shaad|date=26 November 2023|access-date=26 November 2023}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Record Collector]]''
| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/the-fun-boy-threeextended-version|title=The Fun Boy Three – The Fun Boy Three: Extended Version|magazine=[[Record Collector]]|issue=369|date=December 2009|accessdate=29 October 2018|last=Kennedy|first=Jake}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Record Mirror]]''
| rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Fun Boys take over...|magazine=[[Record Mirror]]|date=13 March 1982|last=Nicholls|first=Mike|page=17}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[The Village Voice]]''
| rev6score = B<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv6-82.php|title=Christgau's Consumer Guide|newspaper=[[The Village Voice]]|date=1 June 1982|accessdate=29 October 2018|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau}}</ref>
}}
Shaad D'Souza of ''[[Pitchfork (website)|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".<ref name="PF"/>
== Track listing ==
All songs by Lynval Golding, Terry Hall and Neville Staples, except where noted.
'''Side one'''
#"Sanctuary" (with [[Bananarama]]) – 1:21
#"Way on Down" – 2:54
#"The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)" – 3:14
#"Life in General (Lewe in Algemeen)" – 3:19
#"Faith, Hope and Charity" – 2:48
#"Funrama 2" (with Bananarama) – 3:08
'''Side two'''
#<li value="7">"Best of Luck Mate" – 3:19
#"[['Tain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)|T'aint What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)]]" (with Bananarama; written by [[Sy Oliver|Melvin "Sy" Oliver]] and [[Trummy Young|James "Trummy" Young]]) – 2:53
#"The Telephone Always Rings" – 3:39
#"I Don't Believe It" – 3:26
#"Alone" (with Bananarama) – 3:00
'''2009 extended version CD bonus tracks'''
#<li value="12">"Just Do It" (with Bananarama) – 2:59
#"The Funrama Theme" (extended version) – 6:03
#"Summertime" (extended version) – 6:26
#"Summer of '82" – 4:01
#"The Telephone Always Rings" (extended version) – 5:34
#"The Alibi (The Station's Full of Pipes)" – 2:49
== Personnel ==
Credits adapted from 2009 "extended version" liner notes.<ref>{{Cite AV media notes |author=[[The Fun Boy Three]] |title=The Fun Boy Three (Extended Version) |date=2009 |type=CD liner notes |publisher=[[Cherry Red Records|Cherry Pop]] |id=CRPOP27 |location=[[London]]}}</ref>
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''The Fun Boy Three'''
– all instruments and vocals
*[[Terry Hall (singer)|Terry Hall]]
*[[Neville Staple|Neville Staples]]
*[[Lynval Golding]]
'''Bananarama'''
– featured vocals (tracks 1, 6, 8, 11)
*[[Siobhan Fahey]]
*[[Keren Woodward]]
*[[Sara Dallin]]
{{col-2}}
'''Additional musicians'''
*[[Dick Cuthell]] – the horn player
*Sean Carasov – on the telephone
'''Technical'''
*Dave Jordan – producer
*[[The Fun Boy Three]] – producers, arrangers
*Allan Ballard – cameraman
*John Teflon Sims – visual effects
*Frank Elton – screen illustrations
*Terry Day – cover colour effects
{{col-end}}
== Charts ==
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Chart performance for ''Fun Boy Three''
!scope="col"|Chart (1982)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
!scope="row"|Australian Albums ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=119}}</ref>
| 84
|-
!scope="row"|Dutch Albums ([[MegaCharts]])<ref name="NL">{{Cite web|url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Fun+Boy+Three|title=charts.org.nz - Discografie Fun Boy Three| publisher=Hung Medien| access-date=25 December 2021}}</ref>
|10
|-
!scope="row"|New Zealand ([[Recording Industry Association of New Zealand|RIANZ]])<ref name="Nzcharts">{{Cite web|url=https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Fun+Boy+Three|title=charts.nz - Discography Fun Boy Three|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=25 December 2021}}</ref>
| 17
|-
!scope="row"|UK Albums ([[UK Albums Chart|Official Charts Company]])<ref name=occ>{{cite web|title=Fun Boy Three - Full Official Chart History|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/19346/fun-boy-three/|website=Official Charts Company|access-date=25 December 2021}}</ref><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{Cite book| first= David| last= Roberts| year= 2006| title= British Hit Singles & Albums| edition= 19th| publisher= Guinness World Records Limited | location= London| isbn= 1-904994-10-5| page= 216}}</ref>
| 7
|}
== Certifications ==
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for ''Fun Boy Three''}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=album|award=Gold|artist=Fun Boy Three|title=Fun Boy Three|relyear=1982|certyear=1982|id=2439-1002-2|access-date=26 November 2023}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:1982 debut albums]]
[[Category:Fun Boy Three albums]]
[[Category:Chrysalis Records albums]]