Funtime (Iggy Pop song)
Encyclopedia
"Funtime" is a song written by David Bowie
and Iggy Pop
, first released by Pop on his 1977 album The Idiot
.
It has since been covered by multiple artists, including Blondie
, Boy George
, Bebe Buell
, R.E.M.
and The Cars
.
. Pop also performed the song on The Dinah Shore Show
in 1977 with Bowie accompanying on keyboards and backing vocal.
During the sessions for 1981's Shake It Up, members of The Cars
recorded a version of "Funtime" featuring bassist Benjamin Orr
on vocals.
According to Brett Milano's liner notes for Just 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." The song was later stripped of Orr's vocals and re-sung by fashion model Bebe Buell
, whom Cars singer Ric Ocasek
had befriended. The version with Buell's vocals was included on her 1981 EP Covers Girl;
the Cars version was released on 1995's Just What I Needed anthology.
Former Bauhaus
singer Peter Murphy
included a cover of "Funtime" on his 1988 album Love Hysteria
.
In 1989, R.E.M.
released their own version as the B-side to the Green track "Get Up
".
A live version of "Funtime" was also recorded by R.E.M. on November 19, 1992, and included on 1995's Strange Currencies
EP.
A fifteen-minute live medley of T. Rex
's "Bang a Gong
" and "Funtime" was performed in 1980 by American band Blondie
and released on the 1995 album Picture This Live, also released as Blondie Live - Philadelphia 1978/Dallas 1980; allmusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the medley as a highlight of the disc.
English pop singer Boy George
released a cover of "Funtime" as the lead track on his 1995 album Cheapness and Beauty
; allmusic reviewer William Ruhlmann described George's cover as "a screaming guitar rock version."
Boy George created a music video to go along with the song and released it as a single, which reached number 45 on the UK Singles Chart
in April 1995.
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Though considered an innovator of punk rock, Pop's music has encompassed a number of styles over the years, including pop, metal, jazz and blues...
, first released by Pop on his 1977 album The Idiot
The Idiot (album)
The Idiot is the debut solo album by American rock singer Iggy Pop. It was the first of two LPs released in 1977 which Pop wrote and recorded in collaboration with David Bowie...
.
It has since been covered by multiple artists, including Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
, Boy George
Boy George
Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
, Bebe Buell
Bebe Buell
Beverle Lorence "Bebe" Buell is an American fashion model and singer, and Playboy magazine's November 1974 Playmate of the Month. She is also known for dating rock musicians. She is actress Liv Tyler's mother from a brief relationship with Aerosmith vocalist Steven Tyler...
, R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
and The Cars
The Cars
The Cars are an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, lead singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson...
.
Details
Following its studio appearance on The Idiot, a live version of "Funtime" was included on Pop's TV Eye Live 1977TV Eye Live 1977
TV Eye Live 1977 or is a live album by Iggy Pop originally released in 1978. Iggy took a $90 000 advance from RCA Records to finish out his contract with a live album. According to allmusic.com, the album was assembled from soundboard tapes. Iggy Pop doctored them in a German studio, quickly and...
. Pop also performed the song on The Dinah Shore Show
The Dinah Shore Show
The Dinah Shore Show is an American variety show which was broadcast by NBC from November 1951 to January 1956, sponsored by General Motors' Chevrolet division...
in 1977 with Bowie accompanying on keyboards and backing vocal.
During the sessions for 1981's Shake It Up, members of The Cars
The Cars
The Cars are an American rock band that emerged from the early New Wave music scene in the late 1970s. The band consisted of lead singer and rhythm guitarist Ric Ocasek, lead singer and bassist Benjamin Orr, guitarist Elliot Easton, keyboardist Greg Hawkes and drummer David Robinson...
recorded a version of "Funtime" featuring bassist Benjamin Orr
Benjamin Orr
Benjamin Orr was an American rock musician best known as the bassist and vocalist for the Boston based rock band, The Cars....
on vocals.
According to Brett Milano's liner notes for Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology
Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology
Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology is a career compilation from the 80s New Wave rock group The Cars...
, 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." The song was later stripped of Orr's vocals and re-sung by fashion model Bebe Buell
Bebe Buell
Beverle Lorence "Bebe" Buell is an American fashion model and singer, and Playboy magazine's November 1974 Playmate of the Month. She is also known for dating rock musicians. She is actress Liv Tyler's mother from a brief relationship with Aerosmith vocalist Steven Tyler...
, whom Cars singer Ric Ocasek
Ric Ocasek
Ric Ocasek is an American musician and music producer. He is best known as lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for the rock band, The Cars....
had befriended. The version with Buell's vocals was included on her 1981 EP Covers Girl;
the Cars version was released on 1995's Just What I Needed anthology.
Former Bauhaus
Bauhaus (band)
Bauhaus was an English rock band formed in Northampton in 1978. The group consisted of Peter Murphy , Daniel Ash , Kevin Haskins and David J . The band was originally Bauhaus 1919 before they dropped the numerical portion within a year of formation...
singer Peter Murphy
Peter Murphy (musician)
Peter John Murphy is an English rock vocalist. He was the vocalist of the rock group Bauhaus, and later went on to release a number of solo albums, such as Deep and Love Hysteria...
included a cover of "Funtime" on his 1988 album Love Hysteria
Love Hysteria
Love Hysteria is the second album by the British solo artist Peter Murphy, formerly of the gothic rock band Bauhaus. It was released in 1988....
.
In 1989, R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
released their own version as the B-side to the Green track "Get Up
Get Up (R.E.M. song)
"Get Up" was the fourth and final single to be released by R.E.M. from the band's sixth studio album Green. It was included in the limited edition Singleactiongreen box set released in November 1989. The song was released as a single only in the U.S. but failed to chart on the Billboard Hot...
".
A live version of "Funtime" was also recorded by R.E.M. on November 19, 1992, and included on 1995's Strange Currencies
Strange Currencies
"Strange Currencies" is a song by R.E.M.. It was included on the album Monster and was also released as a single in 1995. The single hit #9 in the UK singles chart and peaked at #47 in the United States....
EP.
A fifteen-minute live medley of T. Rex
T. Rex (band)
T. Rex were a British rock band, formed in 1967 by singer/songwriter and guitarist Marc Bolan. The band formed as Tyrannosaurus Rex, releasing four folk albums under the name...
's "Bang a Gong
Get It On (T. Rex song)
"Get It On" was covered by the Power Station in 1985. Their version – titled "Get It On " – was released as their second single from their debut album. The track was a hit in both the UK, reaching number 22 on the UK Singles Chart, and the U.S., where the song peaked at number nine on the...
" and "Funtime" was performed in 1980 by American band Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
and released on the 1995 album Picture This Live, also released as Blondie Live - Philadelphia 1978/Dallas 1980; allmusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine described the medley as a highlight of the disc.
English pop singer Boy George
Boy George
Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
released a cover of "Funtime" as the lead track on his 1995 album Cheapness and Beauty
Cheapness and Beauty
Cheapness and Beauty is an album by Boy George, released in 1995. It peaked at number 44 on the UK Albums Chart.-Overview:The album opens with a cover version of Iggy Pop's "Funtime", which was released as a single and reached #45 in the UK Singles Chart...
; allmusic reviewer William Ruhlmann described George's cover as "a screaming guitar rock version."
Boy George created a music video to go along with the song and released it as a single, which reached number 45 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in April 1995.