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 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. "It Aint What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)" reached No. 4 and spent 7 weeks in the Top 40.

Critical reception
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".

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.

The Fun Boy Three – all instruments and vocals
 * Terry Hall
 * Neville Staples
 * Lynval Golding

Bananarama – featured vocals (tracks 1, 6, 8, 11)
 * Siobhan Fahey
 * Keren Woodward
 * Sara Dallin

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