Funplex
Encyclopedia
Funplex is the seventh studio album
(eighth overall) by The B-52s, recorded during 2006 and 2007. The album was released on March 25, 2008 by Astralwerks Records with holdings by Go! Discs
It is the first album of new material that the group has released since Good Stuff
in 1992, although the band did record two new songs for their 1998 compilation album
Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation
.
The album came as a result of the band's renewed touring, and a feeling that they needed something new to perform. Guitarist Keith Strickland was inspired to create an updated sound for the band when listening to the New Order
album Get Ready
and hired producer Steve Osborne
as a result. A more modern use of electronica production is the most distinct mark of the band's new sound.
The first single from the album was released digitally on January 29, 2008, and is the title track, "Funplex
". A music video was filmed in West Hollywood on March 1, 2008 and featured a cameo appearance by RuPaul
who appeared in the video for "Love Shack
".
The CD, packed in the Digipak
format, was released in three front cover color variants in the lettering for the album title and the band's shadows: the original (shown above) in gray, multi-colored, and hot pink. In the colored versions, the coloring also extends to the band's instruments. The band members themselves, along with the band's logotype, retain their original rendering throughout all versions.
Exclusive, limited-edition autographed copies were offered by Newbury Comics
and FYE
, and a special limited-edition double-disc set of Funplex is available only at Target
stores in the U.S. The bonus disc features five live tracks recorded at the band's November 16, 2007 concert at the Roxy in Los Angeles. Two additional live tracks from that same concert are available exclusively on iTunes
.
Funplex debuted at number 11 on the U.S. Billboard 200
chart, selling about 30,000 copies in its first week.
The second single from the album was "Juliet of the Spirits
".
, lyrics and melodies by Kate Pierson
, Fred Schneider
, and Cindy Wilson
.
iTunes-exclusive deluxe version bonus tracks
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
(eighth overall) by The B-52s, recorded during 2006 and 2007. The album was released on March 25, 2008 by Astralwerks Records with holdings by Go! Discs
It is the first album of new material that the group has released since Good Stuff
Good Stuff
Good Stuff is the sixth studio album by New Wave band The B-52s, released in 1992. This is the first B-52s album in which vocalist Cindy Wilson does not appear, though she rejoined some years later....
in 1992, although the band did record two new songs for their 1998 compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation
Time Capsule: Songs for a Future Generation
Time Capsule: Songs For a Future Generation is a greatest hits album released by the B-52's in 1998. The album presents sixteen of their single releases and fan-favorite album tracks in chronological order, with the addition of two newly-recorded songs exclusive to this collection. One of them,...
.
The album came as a result of the band's renewed touring, and a feeling that they needed something new to perform. Guitarist Keith Strickland was inspired to create an updated sound for the band when listening to the New Order
New Order
New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980 by Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris...
album Get Ready
Get Ready (New Order album)
Get Ready is the seventh studio album by the English rock band New Order. Released in August 2001 by London Records, this was the group's first album in eight years, following 1993's Republic....
and hired producer Steve Osborne
Steve Osborne
Steve Osborne is a multi-platinum selling British record producer. He has worked with a wide variety of musicians, such as New Order, Doves, U2 and KT Tunstall. During the 1990s, Osborne was half of the Perfecto Records team, a production and remix collaboration with Paul Oakenfold; the artists...
as a result. A more modern use of electronica production is the most distinct mark of the band's new sound.
The first single from the album was released digitally on January 29, 2008, and is the title track, "Funplex
Funplex (song)
"Funplex" is a song recorded by The B-52's. It is the title track and first single from the band's eighth full-length studio album Funplex...
". A music video was filmed in West Hollywood on March 1, 2008 and featured a cameo appearance by RuPaul
RuPaul
RuPaul Andre Charles , best known as simply RuPaul, is an American actor, drag queen, model, author, and singer-songwriter, who first became widely known in the 1990s when he appeared in a wide variety of television programs, films, and musical albums. Previously, he was a fixture on the Atlanta...
who appeared in the video for "Love Shack
Love Shack
"Love Shack" is a single by rock band The B-52's. Originally released in 1989 from their album Cosmic Thing, the single was the band's biggest hit song and first million-copy seller...
".
The CD, packed in the Digipak
Digipak
Digipak is a patented style of CD, DVD or BD packaging, and is a registered trademark of AGI World Ltd., an Atlas Holdings company.-Features:...
format, was released in three front cover color variants in the lettering for the album title and the band's shadows: the original (shown above) in gray, multi-colored, and hot pink. In the colored versions, the coloring also extends to the band's instruments. The band members themselves, along with the band's logotype, retain their original rendering throughout all versions.
Exclusive, limited-edition autographed copies were offered by Newbury Comics
Newbury Comics
Newbury Comics is a New England-based music retailer. Newbury Comics began as a comic book vendor on Newbury Street in Boston. The company was founded in 1978 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology students John Brusger and Mike Dreese. Over the next few years, the focus of the company changed...
and FYE
Fyé
Fyé is a commune in the Sarthe department in the region of Pays-de-la-Loire in north-western France.-References:*...
, and a special limited-edition double-disc set of Funplex is available only at Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
stores in the U.S. The bonus disc features five live tracks recorded at the band's November 16, 2007 concert at the Roxy in Los Angeles. Two additional live tracks from that same concert are available exclusively on iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
.
Funplex debuted at number 11 on the U.S. Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart, selling about 30,000 copies in its first week.
The second single from the album was "Juliet of the Spirits
Juliet of the Spirits (song)
"Juliet of the Spirits" is a song recorded by The B-52's. It is the second single from the band's eighth full length studio album, Funplex. A digital single and remix were released on September 9, 2008....
".
Track listing
All songs written and arranged by the B-52s; music by Keith StricklandKeith Strickland
Julian Keith Strickland is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, and one of the founding members of the The B-52s. Originally the band's drummer, Strickland switched to guitar after the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson in 1985...
, lyrics and melodies by Kate Pierson
Kate Pierson
Catherine Elizabeth "Kate" Pierson is an American vocalist and one of the lead singers and founding members of The B-52's. One of the multi-instrumentalists in the band, Pierson played guitar, bass and various keyboard instruments...
, Fred Schneider
Fred Schneider
Frederick William "Fred" Schneider III is an American rock singer, best known as the frontman of the rock band The B-52's, of which he is a founding member. Schneider is well-known for his sprechgesang which he developed from reciting poetry over guitars.-Early life:Schneider was born in Newark,...
, and Cindy Wilson
Cindy Wilson
Cynthia Leigh Wilson is a vocalist and a founding member of new wave rock band The B-52s.- Career :...
.
- "Pump" – 4:53
- "Hot Corner" – 3:24
- "Ultraviolet" – 4:25
- "Juliet of the SpiritsJuliet of the Spirits (song)"Juliet of the Spirits" is a song recorded by The B-52's. It is the second single from the band's eighth full length studio album, Funplex. A digital single and remix were released on September 9, 2008....
" – 4:22 - "FunplexFunplex (song)"Funplex" is a song recorded by The B-52's. It is the title track and first single from the band's eighth full-length studio album Funplex...
" – 4:07 - "Eyes Wide Open" – 5:35
- "Love in the Year 3000" – 4:14
- "Deviant Ingredient" – 4:50
- "Too Much to Think About" – 3:47
- "Dancing Now" – 4:02
- "Keep This Party Going" – 4:31
iTunes-exclusive deluxe version bonus tracks
- "Private IdahoPrivate Idaho (song)"Private Idaho" is a single released by The B-52's from their album Wild Planet.The single was their second Billboard Hot 100 chart entry, at #74...
" (Live at the Roxy) – 4:00 - "Planet ClairePlanet Claire"Planet Claire" is the second single released by The B-52's from their self-titled debut album The B-52's. The single was their second single to chart anywhere, at #43 in Australia and #24 on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart, along with album tracks "Rock Lobster" and "Dance This Mess Around"...
" (Live at the Roxy) – 5:28- Target-exclusive bonus CD: Live at the Roxy in L.A.
- "Party Out of BoundsParty Out of Bounds"Party Out of Bounds" is the title of a 1980 song by The B-52s, from their album Wild Planet. It is also the name of a music show on Sirius Satellite Radio hosted by the band's lead male vocalist, Fred Schneider....
" – 3:45 - "Channel ZChannel Z (song)"Channel Z" is a single by The B-52's from their 1989 album Cosmic Thing. The song was about a fictional radio station whose motto was "Channel Z: All static, all day, Forever!". Television sets of the era typically had two analog channel selector dials, one for VHF band and one for UHF. The UHF...
" – 5:26 - "RoamRoam"Roam" was the fourth single from The B-52's' 1989 hit album Cosmic Thing, following " Cosmic Thing," "Channel Z," and "Love Shack." Roam was a number-three hit on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in January 1990. The vocals are sung by Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson.The Discovery Channel used...
" – 5:13 - "Strobe Light" – 4:38
- "Rock LobsterRock lobsterJasus edwardsii, the southern rock lobster, red rock lobster, or spiny rock lobster, is a species of spiny lobster found throughout coastal waters of southern Australia and New Zealand including the Chatham Islands. This species is commonly called crayfish or crays in New Zealand and in Māori...
" – 5:33
Personnel
- Fred SchneiderFred SchneiderFrederick William "Fred" Schneider III is an American rock singer, best known as the frontman of the rock band The B-52's, of which he is a founding member. Schneider is well-known for his sprechgesang which he developed from reciting poetry over guitars.-Early life:Schneider was born in Newark,...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Kate PiersonKate PiersonCatherine Elizabeth "Kate" Pierson is an American vocalist and one of the lead singers and founding members of The B-52's. One of the multi-instrumentalists in the band, Pierson played guitar, bass and various keyboard instruments...
– vocals - Keith StricklandKeith StricklandJulian Keith Strickland is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, and one of the founding members of the The B-52s. Originally the band's drummer, Strickland switched to guitar after the death of guitarist Ricky Wilson in 1985...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, programming, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments... - Cindy WilsonCindy WilsonCynthia Leigh Wilson is a vocalist and a founding member of new wave rock band The B-52s.- Career :...
– vocals - Tracy WormworthTracy WormworthTracy Wormworth is a bass guitarist working for more than 30 years in the music and television industry in the United States. She is the sister of percussionist James Wormworth....
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Sterling CampbellSterling CampbellSterling Campbell in New York City, New York, is an American rock drummer who has worked with numerous high-profile acts. He rose to attention in 1986, touring with Cyndi Lauper on her her True Colors World Tour, in 1986, and in 1987, joined Duran Duran...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Producers: Steve OsborneSteve OsborneSteve Osborne is a multi-platinum selling British record producer. He has worked with a wide variety of musicians, such as New Order, Doves, U2 and KT Tunstall. During the 1990s, Osborne was half of the Perfecto Records team, a production and remix collaboration with Paul Oakenfold; the artists...
Album
| Chart (2008) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
93 |
| French Albums Chart | 104 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 71 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
73 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
11 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | "Funplex" | Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... (U.S.) |
14 |
| 2008 | "Juliet of the Spirits" | Billboard Hot Dance Club Play Hot Dance Club Play The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs... (U.S.) |
8 |