| "Funtime" | |
|---|---|
| Song byIggy Pop | |
| from the albumThe Idiot | |
| Released | 1977 |
| Recorded | 1976–1977 |
| Genre | Gothic rock[1] |
| Length | 2:54[2] |
| Label | RCA |
| Songwriter(s) |
|
| Producer(s) | David Bowie |
"Funtime" is a song written byIggy Pop andDavid Bowie, first released by Iggy Pop on his 1977 album entitledThe Idiot.[2]It reflects Iggy and Bowie's growing fascination with the German music scene, and bears marked similarities to "Lila Engel" bykrautrock bandNeu!. It has since been covered by multiple artists includingBlondie,Boy George,Bebe Buell,Peter Murphy,R.E.M. andThe Cars.
Iggy had the idea for the song after hearing theSex Pistols cover the song "No Fun" by his bandThe Stooges, lyrically the song's ironic take on fun is similar to the song in question.David Bowie wrote the music as well as plays guitar, synthesizers, piano and sings the main chorus on the track. Most notably one of the riffs he plays is a parody of the main riff ofThe Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". The song would also appear to have been inspired by the Sly & The Family Stone song "Fun", which appeared on their 1968 album Life.
The song was used in the movieThe Hunger along with the song "Bela Lugosi's Dead" bygoth rock bandBauhaus, whose frontmanPeter Murphy later covered "Funtime".The Hunger also stars the co-writer of "Funtime", David Bowie.
Following its studio appearance onThe Idiot, a live version of "Funtime" was included on Pop'sTV Eye Live 1977.[3] Pop also performed the song on the television showDinah! in 1977 with Bowie accompanying on keyboards and backing vocal.[4]
During the sessions for 1981'sShake It Up, members ofThe Cars recorded a version of "Funtime" featuring bassistBenjamin Orr on vocals.[5]According toBrett Milano's liner notes forJust What I Needed: The Cars Anthology, Pop was present at the recording session and complimented Orr's vocal impersonation of him, telling the bassist "You sound more like me than me."[5] The song was later stripped of Orr's vocals and re-sung by fashion modelBebe Buell, whom Cars singerRic Ocasek had befriended.[5] The version with Buell's vocals was included on her 1981 EPCovers Girl;[6]the Cars version was released on 1995'sJust What I Needed anthology.[7]
FormerBauhaus singerPeter Murphy included a cover of "Funtime" on his 1988 albumLove Hysteria.[8]In 1989,R.E.M. released their own version as the B-side to theGreen track "Get Up".[9]A live version of "Funtime" was also recorded by R.E.M. on November 19, 1992, and included on 1995'sStrange Currencies EP.[10]A fifteen-minute live medley ofT. Rex's "Bang a Gong" and "Funtime" was performed in 1980 by American bandBlondie and released on the 1997 albumPicture This Live, also released asBlondie Live - Philadelphia 1978/Dallas 1980.AllMusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the medley as a highlight of the disc.[11]
English pop singerBoy George released a cover of "Funtime" as the lead track on his 1995 albumCheapness and Beauty; AllMusic reviewer William Ruhlmann described George's cover as "a screaming guitar rock version."[12]A music video was created for the song[12] and it was released as a single, reaching number 45 on theUK Singles Chart in April 1995[13] and number 60 in Australia in June 1995.[14]
