The Jukebox Rebel

“Presenting the FUN BOY THREE… One of the most WONDERFUL recordings of our time. Gasp, wonder and thrill to the sound of the 80s. Starring: Terry Hall, Neville Staples, Lynval Golding as The FUN BOY THREE. Co-starring: Siobhan, Keren & Sarah as BANANARAMA. In gorgeous FUNBOYSCOPE TECHNISOUND.” In March, 1982, record store browsers who would casually turn over front covers to read the back notes would have been intrigued at the prospect that some sort of cinematic extravaganza might lie within these new long-play grooves. Those who bought the spiel may have been surprised at what they actually heard, for this was pretty much alien to the 80s decade, or to any particular decade for that matter. As side one veers from the ancient gregorian (“Sanctuary”) to the afro-pop (“Way On Down”) to a middle-eastern dirge (“The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum)”) to a bit of shamanic tribalism (“Life In General”) to a bit of dub-rap (“Faith, Hope And Charity”) to some sort of new Afro-Swing-Jazz genre (“Funrama 2”), the sheer audacity of the thing leaves me agog. The aforementioned “Lunatics” had served as the debut single some 5 months earlier and in many ways took the baton from “Ghost Town”, both in terms of the musical gloom and political critique. Terry Hall: “Each verse is about a different lunatic. It’s written about people like Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan – people who take over countries they’re not capable of running. A song of today.”

Over on side two, tom-toms and piano are prominent on “Best Of Luck Mate” as Neville comes on all Kwesi-Johnson; a darkness looms large as the financial pressures of life take their toll. Almost on cue, Bananarama enter stage left with some sage advice for our struggler, “It Ain’t What You Do, It’s The Way That You Do It”, that's what gets results. The swinging tune had originally been done by Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra way back in 1939; the reinvention is inspired. The troubles continue on “The Telephone Always Rings”, an all-time classic which finds Terry Hall confronting his agoraphobia. He does not want to answer that phone. What a tune! It would be reworked in a few months time as a 45 with added horns; you can't go wrong with either version. Drummy and dubby, “I Don’t Believe It” finds Neville rightly pissed off at being harrassed by neighbours and police, purely on the grounds of the colour of his skin. The LP signs off with the girls backing Terry on the wistful “Alone”, recalling the casio-bossa-nova vibe of “Stereotypes” from the second Specials LP. Whether percussion heavy through necessity or intent it's not clear, but there had never been an album like this, nor has there been one since. It's engaging as it's unique and, for that, the utmost respect is due. One of the most wonderful recordings of 1982; that should suffice for the Trade Descriptions Act.

The Jukebox Rebel
21–Jul–2007

A1	[01:22] Fun Boy Three and Bananarama - Sanctuary (Terry Hall, Neville Staple, Lynval Golding) Avant-Garde
A2	[02:55] Fun Boy Three - Way On Down (Terry Hall, Neville Staple, Lynval Golding) New Wave
A3	[03:13] Fun Boy Three - The Lunatics (Have Taken Over The Asylum) (Terry Hall, Neville Staple, Lynval Golding) New Wave
A4	[03:18] Fun Boy Three - Life In General (Lewe In Algemeen) (Terry Hall, Neville Staple, Lynval Golding) Africana
A5	[02:48] Fun Boy Three - Faith, Hope And Charity (Terry Hall, Neville Staple, Lynval Golding) New Wave
A6	[03:06] Fun Boy Three and Bananarama - Funrama 2 (Terry Hall, Neville Staple, Lynval Golding) New Wave
B1	[03:20] Fun Boy Three - Best Of Luck Mate (Terry Hall, Neville Staple, Lynval Golding) New Wave
B2	[02:52] Fun Boy Three and Bananarama - It Ain’t What You Do, It’s The Way That You Do It (Sy Oliver, Trummy Young) Big Band / Jive / Swing
B3	[03:38] Fun Boy Three - The Telephone Always Rings (Terry Hall, Neville Staple, Lynval Golding) New Wave
B4	[03:26] Fun Boy Three - I Don’t Believe It (Terry Hall, Neville Staple, Lynval Golding) Dubbeat
B5	[03:00] Fun Boy Three and Bananarama - Alone (Terry Hall, Neville Staple, Lynval Golding) Moodcore

ratings by TJR