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Fun Boy Three
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<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>Fun Boy Three reduced the <a href="/facts/Ska/lswkm6MY">ska</a> sound that they and <a href="/facts/Jerry_Dammers/bIpEt4We">Jerry Dammers</a> had crafted with great success with <a href="/facts/The_Specials/olBqoJpW">the Specials</a> and initially took a more minimal approach with the focus on percussion and vocals.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> For their second album they assembled a six-piece backing group including a <a href="/facts/Cello/IeYEXr96">cellist</a> and a <a href="/facts/Trombone/yI8vuH6n">trombone</a> player, allowing the record to feature more diverse and expansive arrangements, and also enabling them to play live instead of being a purely studio group as previously. The band enjoyed six UK top 20 singles, starting with "The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)" and including the top 10 hits "<a href="/facts/T%2527ain%2527t_What_You_Do_(It%2527s_the_Way_That_You_Do_It)/0IbqmdQc">It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)</a>", "<a href="/facts/The_Tunnel_of_Love_(Fun_Boy_Three_song)/LsFLaeuC">Tunnel of Love</a>" and "<a href="/facts/Our_Lips_Are_Sealed/mLdMDWlt">Our Lips Are Sealed</a>".<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> They created two albums of which the eponymous <a href="/facts/Fun_Boy_Three_(album)/QICv0uHc">debut</a> was the more successful. The follow-up album <i><a href="/facts/Waiting_(Fun_Boy_Three_album)/36MVYxw8">Waiting</a></i>, produced by <a href="/facts/David_Byrne/0jjmmAy1">David Byrne</a>, was well-received critically.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p><p>Following the trio's last UK hit "Our Lips Are Sealed", co-written by Terry Hall and <a href="/facts/Jane_Wiedlin/okEQE566">Jane Wiedlin</a> of <a href="/facts/The_Go-Go%2527s/hWUqXfNU">the Go-Go's</a>, who had a U.S. hit with the song a year earlier, they then toured the United States and split afterwards. </p><p>They were credited with helping launch the career in 1982 of <a href="/facts/Bananarama/gDjkEs7j">Bananarama</a>, whom Hall first saw in <i><a href="/facts/The_Face_(magazine)/B85hUacy">The Face</a></i> magazine. The three women provided credited <a href="/facts/Choir/kzLHDhPh">chorus</a> vocals on the hit "<a href="/facts/T%2527ain%2527t_What_You_Do_(It%2527s_the_Way_That_You_Do_It)/0IbqmdQc">It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)</a>"; the Fun Boy Three later sang on the Bananarama song "<a href="/facts/Really_Saying_Something/P6V1votw">Really Saying Something</a>", both reaching the top 5 in the UK.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="discography">Discography</h2> <h3>Studio albums</h3> List of studio albums, with selected details and chart positions<table><tbody><tr><th rowspan="2">Title</th><th rowspan="2">Details</th><th colspan="5">Chart positions</th><th rowspan="2"><a href="/facts/Music_recording_sales_certification/zGzLFa9l">Certifications</a>(<a href="/facts/List_of_music_recording_sales_certifications/6CPQFNNn">sales thresholds</a>)</th></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/UK_Albums_Chart/h1hyzP13">UK</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a></th><th><a href="/facts/Kent_Music_Report/HdgVXfSz">AUS</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a></th><th><a href="/facts/Dutch_Album_Top_100/dG4dLtW3">NL</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a></th><th><a href="/facts/Official_New_Zealand_Music_Chart/Ukp3oqXG">NZ</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a></th><th><a href="/facts/Billboard_200/XtbnoFSM">US</a></th></tr><tr><th scope="row"><i><a href="/facts/Fun_Boy_Three_(album)/QICv0uHc">The Fun Boy Three</a></i></th><td><ul><li>Released: March 1982</li><li>Label: <a href="/facts/Chrysalis_Records/IrHj9tyQ">Chrysalis</a></li></ul></td><td>7</td><td>84</td><td>10</td><td>17</td><td>—</td><td><ul><li><a href="/facts/British_Phonographic_Industry/G1QjcwBq">BPI</a>: Gold<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a></li></ul></td></tr><tr><th scope="row"><i><a href="/facts/Waiting_(Fun_Boy_Three_album)/36MVYxw8">Waiting</a></i></th><td><ul><li>Released: February 1983</li><li>Label: Chrysalis</li></ul></td><td>14</td><td>—</td><td>47</td><td>11</td><td>104</td><td><ul><li>BPI: Silver<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a></li></ul></td></tr><tr><td colspan="8">"–" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.</td></tr></tbody></table> <h3>Live albums</h3> List of live albums, with selected details<table><tbody><tr><th>Title</th><th>Details</th></tr><tr><th scope="row"><i>Live on the Test</i></th><td><ul><li>Released: 1994</li><li>Format: CD</li><li>Label: Windsong International</li><li>Note recorded 1983</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table> <h3>Compilation albums</h3> List of compilation albums, with selected details<table><tbody><tr><th>Title</th><th>Details</th></tr><tr><th scope="row"><i>The Best of Fun Boy Three</i></th><td><ul><li>Released: 1984</li><li>Format: LP, CS</li><li>Label: Chrysalis</li></ul></td></tr><tr><th scope="row"><i>Really Saying Something: The Best of Fun Boy </i></th><td><ul><li>Released: 1997</li><li>Format: CD</li><li>Label: Chrysalis</li></ul></td></tr><tr><th scope="row"><i>The Complete Fun Boy Three</i></th><td><ul><li>Released: 4 August 2023</li><li>Format: 5×CD + DVD</li><li>Label: Chrysalis Catalogue</li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table> <h3>Singles</h3> <table><tbody><tr><th rowspan="2">Year</th><th rowspan="2">Title</th><th colspan="6">Chart positions</th><th rowspan="2">Certifications</th><th rowspan="2">Album</th></tr><tr><th><a href="/facts/UK_Singles_Chart/s2yyGUlD">UK</a> <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a></th><th><a href="/facts/Kent_Music_Report/HdgVXfSz">AUS</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a></th><th><a href="/facts/Irish_Singles_Chart/CcEaTjyS">IRL</a> <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a></th><th><a href="/facts/MegaCharts/j0qav538">NL</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19"><sup>19</sup></a></th><th><a href="/facts/Recording_Industry_Association_of_New_Zealand/KlQ6jDS4">NZ</a> <a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:20" href="#fn:20"><sup>20</sup></a></th><th><a href="/facts/Hot_Dance_Club_Play/TNav6YJl">US Club Play</a></th></tr><tr><td>1981</td><td>"The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)"</td><td>20</td><td>43</td><td>28</td><td>—</td><td>46</td><td>—</td><td></td><td rowspan="2"><i>Fun Boy Three</i></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="5">1982</td><td>"<a href="/facts/T%2527ain%2527t_What_You_Do_(It%2527s_the_Way_That_You_Do_It)/0IbqmdQc">It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)</a>" (Fun Boy Three with <a href="/facts/Bananarama/gDjkEs7j">Bananarama</a>)</td><td>4<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:21" href="#fn:21"><sup>21</sup></a></td><td>55</td><td>5</td><td>3</td><td>37</td><td>49</td><td><ul><li>BPI: Silver<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:22" href="#fn:22"><sup>22</sup></a></li></ul></td></tr><tr><td>"<a href="/facts/He_Was_Really_Sayin%2527_Somethin%2527/P6V1votw">Really Saying Something</a>" (Bananarama with Fun Boy Three)</td><td>5<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:23" href="#fn:23"><sup>23</sup></a></td><td>74</td><td>9</td><td>16</td><td>—</td><td>16</td><td><ul><li>BPI: Silver<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:24" href="#fn:24"><sup>24</sup></a></li></ul></td><td><i>Deep Sea Skiving</i> (<a href="/facts/Bananarama/gDjkEs7j">Bananarama</a> album)</td></tr><tr><td>"The Telephone Always Rings"</td><td>17</td><td>—</td><td>29</td><td>49</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td></td><td><i>Fun Boy Three</i></td></tr><tr><td>"<a href="/facts/Summertime_(George_Gershwin_song)/1xJrmzjU">Summertime</a>"</td><td>18</td><td>—</td><td>13</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td></td><td>—</td></tr><tr><td>"The More I See (The Less I Believe)"</td><td>68</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td></td><td rowspan="4"><i>Waiting</i></td></tr><tr><td rowspan="3">1983</td><td>"<a href="/facts/The_Tunnel_of_Love_(Fun_Boy_Three_song)/LsFLaeuC">The Tunnel of Love</a>"</td><td>10</td><td>—</td><td>14</td><td>38</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"<a href="/facts/Our_Lips_Are_Sealed/mLdMDWlt">Our Lips Are Sealed</a>"</td><td>7</td><td>—</td><td>13</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>"The Farm Yard Connection" (Germany only)</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td>—</td><td></td></tr><tr><td colspan="10">"–" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.</td></tr></tbody></table> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/Fun+Boy+Three">Fun Boy Three</a> discography at <a href="/facts/Discogs/wdyMoREv">Discogs</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3186385/">Fun Boy Three</a> at <a href="/facts/IMDb_(identifier)/uWrqVYVy">IMDb</a></li></ul> Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fun Boy Three. <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Fun Boy Three Allmusic bio <a href="https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4322/biography" target="_blank">https://www.allmusic.com/artist/p4322/biography</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>Green, Jim & Robbins, Ira "Fun Boy Three", Trouser Press, retrieved 27 January 2010 <a href="http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=fun_boy_three" target="_blank">http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=fun_boy_three</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>"Fun Boy Three". Official Charts. <a href="https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/19346/fun-boy-three/" target="_blank">https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/19346/fun-boy-three/</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Review from Allmusic <a href="https://www.allmusic.com/album/r7880" target="_blank">https://www.allmusic.com/album/r7880</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Fun Boy Three from Christgau's website <a href="http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=1944" target="_blank">http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=1944</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Robert Palmer (10 August 1983). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. Retrieved 11 November 2009. <a href="/wiki/Robert_Palmer_(American_writer)" target="_blank">/wiki/Robert_Palmer_(American_writer)</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"Fun Boy Three". Official Charts. <a href="https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/19346/fun-boy-three/" target="_blank">https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/19346/fun-boy-three/</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"Fun Boy Three | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 January 2016. <a href="http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/19346/fun-boy-three/" target="_blank">http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/19346/fun-boy-three/</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 216. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. <a href="1-904994-10-5" target="_blank">1-904994-10-5</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives: Australian Chart Book. p. 119. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. <a href="0-646-11917-6" target="_blank">0-646-11917-6</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"charts.org.nz - Discografie Fun Boy Three". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 September 2011. <a href="http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Fun+Boy+Three" target="_blank">http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Fun+Boy+Three</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>"charts.nz - Discography Fun Boy Three". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 November 2009. <a href="https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Fun+Boy+Three" target="_blank">https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Fun+Boy+Three</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>"Albums in the Year 1982". © 2007-9, Steve Hawtin et al. Retrieved 7 November 2009. <a href="http://tsort.info/music/ay1982.htm" target="_blank">http://tsort.info/music/ay1982.htm</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>"British certificates: searchable database". bpi.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 September 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2010. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090924015932/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/Search.aspx" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20090924015932/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/Search.aspx</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>"Fun Boy Three | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 January 2016. <a href="http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/19346/fun-boy-three/" target="_blank">http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/19346/fun-boy-three/</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 519. ISBN 1-904994-10-5. <a href="1-904994-10-5" target="_blank">1-904994-10-5</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St Ives: Australian Chart Book. p. 119. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. <a href="0-646-11917-6" target="_blank">0-646-11917-6</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>"The Irish Charts". IRMA 2006 - 2008. Archived from the original on 26 January 2010. Retrieved 30 May 2009. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100126040745/http://www.irishcharts.ie/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20100126040745/http://www.irishcharts.ie/</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:19"><p>"charts.org.nz - Discografie Fun Boy Three". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 September 2011. <a href="http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Fun+Boy+Three" target="_blank">http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Fun+Boy+Three</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:20"><p>"charts.nz - Discography Fun Boy Three". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 November 2009. <a href="https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Fun+Boy+Three" target="_blank">https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Fun+Boy+Three</a> <a href="#fnref:20" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:21"><p>"Fun Boy Three | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 January 2016. <a href="http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/19346/fun-boy-three/" target="_blank">http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/19346/fun-boy-three/</a> <a href="#fnref:21" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:22"><p>"British certificates: searchable database". bpi.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 September 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2010. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090924015932/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/Search.aspx" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20090924015932/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/Search.aspx</a> <a href="#fnref:22" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:23"><p>"Fun Boy Three | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 January 2016. <a href="http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/19346/fun-boy-three/" target="_blank">http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/19346/fun-boy-three/</a> <a href="#fnref:23" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:24"><p>"British certificates: searchable database". bpi.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 September 2009. Retrieved 30 June 2010. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090924015932/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/Search.aspx" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20090924015932/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/Search.aspx</a> <a href="#fnref:24" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>