Everybody Have Fun Tonight
{{Short description|1986 Single by Wang Chung}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Everybody Have Fun Tonight
| cover = Everybody_Have_Fun_Tonight.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Wang Chung
| album = Mosaic
| B-side = Fun Tonight: The Early Years
| released = September 1986
| recorded = 1986
| studio =
| genre = * New wave
| length = 4:47 (album version)
4:15 (7"/video version)
| label = Geffen
| writer = * Nick Feldman
| producer = Peter Wolf
| prev_title = Wake Up, Stop Dreaming
| prev_year = 1985
| next_title = Let's Go!
| next_year = 1987
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|BoXu6QmxpJE|"Everybody Have Fun Tonight"}}
}}}}
"Everybody Have Fun Tonight" is a song by the English new wave band Wang Chung, released as a single from their fourth studio album Mosaic in 1986. Collaboratively written by Jack Hues, Nick Feldman, and Peter Wolf, it reached no. 2 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart during the 1986 Christmas season. It also hit No. 1 on the Canada RPM Top 100 Singles chart the week of 17 January 1987. With some different lyrics, the original ballad version of the song was placed on the B-side.
After their break-up in 1991, Wang Chung reunited in 2005 to perform this song on the television show Hit Me, Baby, One More Time.{{fact|date=August 2024}}
The song is featured on numerous 1980s compilation albums and still receives some radio airplay across the United States and Canada. It has appeared in the "#2s" episode of VH1 Classic's One Hit Wonders series, even though the band is also known for "Let's Go!" and "Dance Hall Days".{{fact|date=August 2024}}
Critical reception
Billboard called it a "self-celebrating dance rocker" that "[coins] a new verb."{{cite magazine|magazine=Billboard|date=4 October 1986|accessdate=2022-08-04|page=79|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yyQEAAAAMBAJ|title=Reviews}}
Track listing
7-inch Geffen / 7-28562 (USA)
- "Everybody Have Fun Tonight (edit)"
- "Fun Tonight: The Early Years"
7-inch Geffen / GEF 13F (UK)
- Side one
- "Everybody Have Fun Tonight (edit)"
- "Fun Tonight: The Early Years"
- Side two
- "Dance Hall Days"
- "Don't Let Go"
7-inch Geffen / P-2193 (JPN)
- "Everybody Have Fun Tonight (edit)"
- "Fun Tonight: The Early Years"
12-inch Geffen / 0-20551 (USA) and TA 2589 (UK)
- Side one
- "Everybody Have Fun Tonight (12 Inches of Fun)" – 6:45
- "Everybody Have Fun Tonight (edit)" – 3:59*
- Side two
- "Everybody Dub Tonight" – 6:02*
- "Fun Tonight: The Early Years" – 4:12
*times as indicated on the record label (not actual)
12-inch (Promo) Geffen / PRO-A-2581 (USA)
- Side one
- "Everybody Have Fun Tonight (Edit)" – 3:59
- Side two
- "Everybody Have Fun Tonight (LP Version)" – 4:47
Music video
The music video, directed by Godley & Creme, features scenes of the band playing in a wood-lined room with very rapid editing between different takes of the same performance. The band, additional musicians, and dancers are seen in several formations throughout the video. They are shown in close portrait and seated along a row of chairs; the seating arrangement changes with each take. Each shot flips through up to four takes of the same shot, with some shots approaching up to 1/25th of a second between edits. The video was later banned from airing after its premiere when a medical expert retained by the BBC's screening committee stated it could trigger "epileptic fits".{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-01-11-ca-3634-story.html|title=Banned video of the month: Wang Chung's...|date=11 January 1987|website=Los Angeles Times}}
Other versions
In 2020, Wang Chung released a rewritten version of the song known as "Everybody Stay Safe Tonight" featuring the American pop and jazz singer Valerie Day.{{cite news
| last = Friedlander
| first = Matt
| date = 2020-06-10
| title = Wang Chung releases COVID-themed "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" remake featuring Nu Shooz singer
| url = http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2020/6/10/wang-chung-releases-covid-themed-everybody-have-fun-tonight.html
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210907062137/http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2020/6/10/wang-chung-releases-covid-themed-everybody-have-fun-tonight.html
| work = ABC News Radio
| location =
| archive-date = 2021-09-07
| access-date = 2021-09-07
| url-status = dead
}} The rewritten lyrics reflected the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement.{{cite news
| last = Meredith
| first = Kyle
| date = 2020-07-14
| title = Wang Chung on Rewriting Old Hits for New Times
| url = https://consequence.net/2020/07/kyle-meredith-with-wang-chung/
| work = Consequence
| location =
| access-date = 2021-09-07
}} It was released on 8 June 2020.{{cite news
| last =
| first =
| date = 2020-06-08
| title = Wang Chung have fun with "Everybody" by encouraging people to stay safe tonight
| url = https://www.wangchung.com/news
| work = Wang Chung
| location =
| access-date = 2021-09-07
}}
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Chart (1986–1987) ! Peak |
| Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, New South Wales|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=332}} N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 12 June 1988.
| align="center" | 8 |
| {{singlechart|Flanders|19|artist=Wang Chung|song=Everybody Have Fun Tonight|access-date=18 June 2023}} |
| Canada The Record{{Cite book|title=Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide|last=Lwin |first=Nanda|author-link=Nanda Lwin |publisher=Music Data Canada |location=Mississauga, Ontario |year=2000 |isbn=1-896-594-13-1}}
| align="center" | 1 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)
| align="center" | 1 |
| {{singlechart|Dutch100|28|artist=Wang Chung|song=Everybody Have Fun Tonight|access-date=18 June 2023}} |
| {{singlechart|New Zealand|23|artist=Wang Chung|song=Everybody Have Fun Tonight|access-date=18 June 2023}} |
| {{singlechart|UKsinglesbyname|76|artist=Wang Chung|song=Everybody Have Fun Tonight|access-date=14 April 2017}} |
| {{singlechart|Billboardhot100|2|artist=Wang Chung|access-date=3 November 2018}} |
| US Radio & Records CHR/Pop Airplay Chart{{cite web|title=Wang Chung|website=Wweb.uta.edu|url=http://wweb.uta.edu/faculty/gghunt/charts/wangchung.html}}
| align="center" | 1 |
| {{singlechart|Billboarddanceclubplay|4|artist=Wang Chung|access-date=14 April 2017}} |
| US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)
| align="center" | 25 |
= Year-end charts =
| class="wikitable" |
| Chart (1987)
! Position |
|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite web|url=https://i.imgur.com/sPdqqRt.jpg|title=Australian Music Report No 701 – 28 December 1987 > National Top 100 Singles for 1987|publisher=Australian Music Report, via Imgur.com|access-date=11 December 2019}}
| style="text-align:center;" | 57 |
| US Top Pop Singles (Billboard){{cite magazine |date=26 December 1987 |title=1987 The Year in Music & Video: Top Pop Singles |magazine=Billboard |volume=99 |issue=52 }}
| style="text-align:center;" | 12 |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{discogs master|type=single|128647}}
{{Wang Chung}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Everybody Have Fun Tonight}}
Category:Wang Chung (band) songs
Category:Cashbox number-one singles
Category:Music videos directed by Godley and Creme
Category:RPM Top Singles number-one singles
Category:Songs written by Jack Hues
Category:Songs written by Nick Feldman