Fun, Fun, Fun

{{About|the Beach Boys song|the music festival|Fun Fun Fun Fest|the Shonen Knife album|Fun! Fun! Fun!|other uses|fun (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Fun, Fun, Fun

| cover = The Beach Boys - Fun, Fun, Fun.PNG

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = the Beach Boys

| album = Shut Down Volume 2

| B-side = Why Do Fools Fall in Love

| released = February 3, 1964

| recorded = January 1 and 8–9, 1964

| studio = United Western Recorders, Hollywood

| venue =

| genre =

Pop rock{{cite web|last1=Guarisco|first1=Donald A.|title=Fun, Fun, Fun|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/fun-fun-fun-mt0012653047|publisher=AllMusic}}
surf vocalRichie Unterberger, Samb Hicks, Jennifer Dempsey. Music USA: the rough guide, {{ISBN|185828421X}}, p. 383.
power popAltham, Keith. "Lily Isn't Pornographic, Say Who" New Musical Express May 20, 1967
car song{{cite book|last1=Hoffmann|first1=Frank W.|last2=Bailey|first2=William G.|title=Arts & Entertainment Fads, Volume 1|date=1990|publisher=Haworth Press|location=Binghamton|isbn=9780866568814|pages=61–62|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_tR1owszUR0C&pg=PA61}}

| length = 2:16

| label = Capitol

| writer = {{flatlist|

}}

| producer = Brian Wilson

| prev_title = Little Saint Nick

| prev_year = 1963

| next_title = I Get Around

| next_year = 1964

| misc = {{Audio sample

| type = single

| file = Fun, Fun, Fun.ogg

}}

"Fun, Fun, Fun" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1964 album Shut Down Volume 2. Written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love, it is one of their early songs that defined the idyllic pop aesthetic later dubbed the "California myth".{{cite book|last=Sumrall|first=Harry|title=Pioneers of Rock and Roll: 100 Artists Who Changed the Face of Rock|url=https://archive.org/details/pioneersofrockro0000sumr|url-access=registration|year=1994|publisher=Billboard Books|isbn=978-0-8230-7628-4|page=[https://archive.org/details/pioneersofrockro0000sumr/page/15 15]}} It was released as a single in February, backed with "Why Do Fools Fall in Love", and reached number five in the U.S. charts.

Lyrics and inspiration

The song was written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love. The lyrics are partly inspired by events from Dennis Wilson's life.{{cite book|last=Leszczak|first=Bob|title=Who Did It First?: Great Rock and Roll Cover Songs and Their Original Artists|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4egLBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA68|year=2014|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|isbn=978-1-4422-3322-5|pages=68–69}} Love stated that his lyrics were modeled after Chuck Berry's 1964 song "Nadine".{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9VY3zbCt24 | title=Google Play: The Beach Boys Interview | website=YouTube | date=June 6, 2012 }}{{dubious|reason=Both songs were issued in the same month, according to the Nadine article|date=April 2025}} Russ Titelman recalled that he visited Brian while he was working on the song, and that its original lyric was "Run, Run, Run".{{cite magazine|title=Russ Titelman 35th Anniversary Salute|magazine=Billboard|date=June 1996|page=44|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qQkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA44|last=White|first=Timothy|author-link=Timothy White (editor)}}

The lyrics describe a teenage girl who deceives her father so she can go hot-rodding with his Ford Thunderbird. At the end, her father discovers her deception and takes the keys from her. Near the end of the song, the song's narrator suggests that the girl accompany him, so that they may "have fun, fun, fun" engaging in other activities, "now that Daddy took the T-Bird away."

According to Salt Lake City radio manager Bill "Daddy-O" Hesterman of KNAK, an early promoter of the Beach Boys who brought them to Utah for appearances and concerts, the song was inspired by an incident involving Shirley Johnson, the station owner's daughter.{{cite web|url=https://www.deseret.com/2005/10/11/19916687/shirley-s-had-fun-fun-fun-with-her-41-years-of-fame/|title=Shirley's had fun, fun, fun with her 41 years of 'fame'|first=Doug|last=Robinson|date=October 11, 2005|website=Deseretnews.com|access-date=December 11, 2018}} Johnson had borrowed her father's 1963 Thunderbird, which had a University of Utah parking sticker, ostensibly to go study at the University library. Instead, she went to Shore's Drive In, a hamburger shop on the corner of 33rd South and 27th East. When the deception came to light, her driving privileges were revoked. In 2007, Johnson told KSL News that she was complaining loudly about the incident at the radio station, where she worked as a part-time secretary, when the Beach Boys happened to be there for an interview. Hesterman said that Brian Wilson and Love, amused by the incident, jotted down the beginnings of the song as he took them to the airport that afternoon.{{cite web|url=https://www.ksl.com/?sid=886044|title=Beach Boys' Hit Inspired by a Utah Gal Having All the Fun|website=Ksl.com|access-date=December 11, 2018}}

Composition

The opening electric guitar introduction of the song was based on Berry's "Johnny B. Goode",Brown, Pete and Harvey P. Newquist (1997) Legends of Rock GuitarMiklitsch, Robert (2006) Roll Over Adorno: Critical Theory, Popular Culture, Audiovisual Media and the track's punctuated drum fills were inspired by the work of Phil Spector. Musicologist Philip Lambert noted that the initial two phrases of the song are based on almost the same chord progression as the first two phrases of "Da Doo Ron Ron", and are melodically similar.{{cite book|last=Lambert|first=Philip|title=Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: the Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7XsZAQAAIAAJ|year=2007|publisher=Continuum|isbn=978-0-8264-1876-0}}, p.138

Recording

The song was recorded on January 1, 1964, at United Western Recorders Studio 3. Vocals and additional overdubs followed on either January 8 or 9. An earlier session was cancelled by band manager Murry Wilson, as he had felt dissatisfied with the song. Brian rescheduled the session after discovering what happened.{{cite book|last=Gaines|first=Steven|author-link=Steven Gaines|title=Heroes and Villains: The True Story of The Beach Boys|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-qkJvajmU4EC|year=1986|publisher=Da Capo Press|location=New York|isbn=0306806479|pages=112–113}}

The stereo and mono mixes stem from the same recording but have a significant difference: the fadeout on the stereo mix fades out early into the song's outro, with the instruments fading away before the vocals (and an overdubbed drum part). The mono mix, as heard on the 45 as well as mono copies of Shut Down Volume 2 has an extended outro.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}

Release

The "Fun, Fun, Fun" single backed with "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" was released in the United States in February 1964. Cash Box described it as "a contagious steady rock beat" song with a "great teen arrangement."{{cite magazine |title=CashBox Record Reviews |date=February 8, 1964 |page=10 |access-date=January 12, 2022 |url=https://worldradiohstory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1964/CB-1964-02-08.pdf |magazine=Cash Box}}{{dead link|date=May 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} The single peaked at the number-five spot on the Billboard chart. In the United Kingdom, the single was released in March 1964 through Capitol Records, but failed to chart.{{cn|date=April 2022}} In Australia, the single peaked at the number-six position, which was the band's highest charting single in Australia at that time. In West Germany, the single became their first single to chart in the country when it peaked at the number-49 position.

Status Quo version

{{Infobox song

| name = Fun, Fun, Fun

| cover =

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Status Quo and The Beach Boys

| B-side = "Mortified" (Status Quo)

| album = Don't Stop

| released = {{start date|1996|2|19}}{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1996/Music-Week-1996-02-17.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=31|date=February 17, 1996|access-date=June 29, 2021}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

| length =

4:03 (album version)
3:05 (short version)

| label = PolyGram

| writer =

| producer = Pip Williams

| chronology = Status Quo

| prev_title = When You Walk in the Room

| prev_year = 1995

| next_title = Don't Stop

| next_year = 1996

}}

The song was covered in 1996 by the then-current lineups of the Beach Boys and Status Quo, with a new verse written for the song. The Beach Boys sang mainly backing vocals, with Status Quo's Francis Rossi performing the lead vocal for the entire song, except the new verse, which was sung by Mike Love. It was released under PolyGram Records as a single in the United Kingdom. The single, featuring another artist on the B-side, peaked at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart.

Personnel

Track details courtesy of session archivist Craig Slowinski.{{cite AV media notes| title = Keep an Eye On Summer 1964 | others= The Beach Boys| year = 2014| first = Slowinski| last = Craig|publisher=Capitol Records|type=Digital Liner|url=http://www.thebeachboys.com/#?news=4111}} [http://fridaynightboys300.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/the-beach-boys-1964-keep-eye-on-summer.html Mirror]{{Cite web|url=http://smileysmile.net/board/index.php/topic,20204.msg584533.html#msg584533|title=Fun, Fun, Fun Backing Track Session}}

The Beach Boys

Al Jardine – harmony and backing vocal, bass guitar
Mike Love – lead and bass vocal
Brian Wilson – harmony and backing vocal, producer, piano, Hammond B3 organ
Carl Wilson – harmony and backing vocal, lead and rhythm guitars
Dennis Wilson – harmony and backing vocal, drums

Additional musicians

Hal Blaine – tambourine, additional drums
Steve Douglas – tenor saxophones
Jay Migliori – baritone saxophones
Ray Pohlman – 6-string electric bass guitars

Charts

class="wikitable sortable"

|+Beach Boys version

!Chart (1964)

!Peak
position

Australian Singles Chart{{cite web | title=Australian Singles Charts | website=Mountvernonandfairway.de | url=http://www.mountvernonandfairway.de/charts10.htm | access-date=November 12, 2007}}{{better source needed|date=August 2015}}

|align="center"|6

Canada CHUM Chart{{cite web|url=http://chumtribute.com/64-03-23-chart.jpg| title=CHUM Hit Parade - March 23, 1964}}

|align="center"|6

{{single chart|Wallonia Tip|Tip|artist=The Beach Boys|song=Fun, Fun, Fun}}

New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[http://www.flavourofnz.co.nz/index.php?qpageID=search%20lever&qsongid=902#n_view_location Flavour of New Zealand, 26 March 1964]

|align="center"|8

{{single chart|Billboardhot100|5|artist=The Beach Boys|song=Fun, Fun, Fun}}

{{single chart|West Germany|49|artist=Beach Boys|song=Fun, Fun, Fun|songid=90825|year=1964}}

class="wikitable sortable"

|+ Status Quo version

!Chart (1996)

!Peak
position

Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1996/MM-1996-03-09.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=13|issue=10|page=27|date=March 9, 1996|access-date=July 19, 2020}}

|align="center"|43

{{single chart|Germany|81|artist=Status Quo & The Beach Boys|song=Fun, Fun, Fun|songid=33903|access-date=August 24, 2019}}

{{single chart|Scotland|21|date=19960302|access-date=August 24, 2019}}

{{single chart|UK|24|date=19960302|access-date=August 24, 2019|refname="uk"}}