Fun Boy Three

Fun Boy Three

Company type	Group or band
Industry	Music
Founded	1981
Founder	Terry Hall, Neville Staple, Lynval Golding
Defunct	1983
Headquarters	England
Area served	United Kingdom
Products	Studio albums, singles

Fun Boy Three was an English new wave pop group active between 1981 and 1983, formed by vocalists Terry Hall, Neville Staple, and Lynval Golding following their departure from the Specials. They produced two studio albums and secured seven singles within the UK top 20 charts.

History

Transitioning from the ska influences of the Specials, Fun Boy Three adopted a more stripped-down approach emphasizing percussion and vocal harmonies. Their sophomore album saw the band expand into a six-member ensemble, incorporating instruments such as cello and trombone to enrich their sound and enhance live shows. The group attained six UK top 20 singles, including "The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)" alongside top 10 hits like "It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)", "Tunnel of Love", and "Our Lips Are Sealed". While their debut album, Fun Boy Three, achieved greater commercial success, the follow-up Waiting, produced by David Byrne, garnered strong critical praise.

Following their final UK chart entry with "Our Lips Are Sealed"—a collaboration between Hall and Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go's—they embarked on a US tour before ultimately disbanding.

In 1982, they played a pivotal role in launching Bananarama’s career after Hall discovered them featured in The Face magazine. Bananarama contributed backing vocals to Fun Boy Three’s "It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)", while Fun Boy Three appeared on Bananarama’s "Really Saying Something"; both tracks reached the UK top five.

Studio albums

Overview of studio albums with key details and chart rankings

Title	Details	Chart positions					Certifications (sales thresholds)
		UK	AUS	NL	NZ	US
The Fun Boy Three	Released: March 1982 Label: Chrysalis	7	84	10	17	—	BPI: Gold
Waiting	Released: February 1983 Label: Chrysalis	14	—	47	11	104	BPI: Silver
"–" indicates releases that either did not chart or were unavailable in that region.

Live albums

Catalogue of live albums with relevant information

Title	Details
Live on the Test	Released: 1994 Format: CD Label: Windsong International Recorded in 1983

Compilation albums

Compilation album listings with pertinent data

Title	Details
The Best of Fun Boy Three	Released: 1984 Format: LP, CS Label: Chrysalis
Really Saying Something: The Best of Fun Boy	Released: 1997 Format: CD Label: Chrysalis
The Complete Fun Boy Three	Released: 4 August 2023 Format: 5×CD + DVD Label: Chrysalis Catalogue

Singles

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Year	Title	Chart rankings						Certifications	Album
		UK	AUS	IRL	NL	NZ	US Club Play
1981	"The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)"	20	43	28	—	46	—		Fun Boy Three
1982	"It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)" (Fun Boy Three featuring Bananarama)	4	55	5	3	37	49	BPI: Silver
	"Really Saying Something" (Bananarama featuring Fun Boy Three)	5	74	9	16	—	16	BPI: Silver	Deep Sea Skiving (Bananarama album)
	"The Telephone Always Rings"	17	—	29	49	—	—		Fun Boy Three
	"Summertime"	18	—	13	—	—	—
	"The More I See (The Less I Believe)"	68	—	—	—	—	—		Waiting
1983	"The Tunnel of Love"	"10"	"—"	"14"	"38"	"—"	"—"
	"Our Lips Are Sealed"	"7"	"—"	"13"	"—"	"—"	"—"
	"The Farm Yard Connection" (Released only in Germany)	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"	"—"