Fun in Space
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Fun in Space
| type = Studio
| artist = Roger Taylor
| cover = Roger Taylor Fun In Space.png
| alt =
| released = 6 April 1981
| recorded = 1978 – 1981
| venue =
| studio = Mountain, Montreux, Switzerland
| genre = Rock
| length = 40:12
| label = {{hlist|EMI|Parlophone|Elektra}}
| producer = Roger Taylor
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = Strange Frontier
| next_year = 1984
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Fun in Space
| type = studio
| single1 = Future Management
| single1date = 30 March 1981
| single2 = Let's Get Crazy
| single2date = 15 May 1981 (Japan, Canada, Australia and US only)
| single3 = My Country
| single3date = 29 June 1981 (UK only)
}}
}}
Fun in Space is the debut solo album by English musician Roger Taylor, the drummer of Queen. It was released on 6 April 1981 in the UK and 9 May in the US. The album peaked at number 18 in the British charts, while it performed poorly in the US.
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|4|5}}{{AllMusic |class=album |id=fun-in-space-mw0000461714 |label=Roger Taylor: Fun in Space > Review |first=Geoff |last=Orens |accessdate=6 January 2019}}
| rev2 = MusicHound Rock
| rev2Score = {{rating|3.5|5}}{{cite book|editor1-last=Graff|editor1-first=Gary|editor2-last=Durchholz|editor2-first=Daniel|title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide|publisher=Visible Ink Press|location=Farmington Hills, MI|year=1999|section=Queen|isbn=1-57859-061-2|pages=909–910}}
}}
The album was recorded in between legs of Queen's tours for The Game and Flash Gordon albums. Taylor wrote, produced, sang and performed all of the songs himself.
The album's credits state "P.P.S. 157 synthesizers", a joke referring to Queen's usual statement of "No synthesizers" in the liner notes of all albums up to The Game.
"Future Management" was issued as a single in Europe, while "Let's Get Crazy" was released in the US. The album was re-released as a digitally remastered CD in 1996.
Cover
The original cover art was created by American artist Jim Laurier. The piece was commissioned for the July 1980 issue of Creepy magazine. The back cover of the album shows Roger Taylor reading that issue.
The 'alien' writing on the magazine on the front cover consists mainly of upside down Hebrew characters. The actual words are meaningless.
Coincidentally, the alien on the cover art was designed by Roger Taylor's former Smile bandmate Tim Staffell. The alien was commissioned by Jim Laurier and Tim Staffell wasn't aware of the album cover until he found his alien on Roger Taylor's mantlepiece when visiting his home.
Track listing
{{track listing
| all_writing = Roger Taylor
| headline = Side one
| title1 = No Violins
| length1 = 4:30
| title2 = Laugh or Cry
| length2 = 3:07
| title3 = Future Management
| length3 = 2:57
| title4 = Let's Get Crazy
| length4 = 3:42
| title5 = My Country I & II
| length5 = 6:55
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Side two
| title1 = Good Times Are Now
| length1 = 3:28
| title2 = Magic Is Loose
| length2 = 3:24
| title3 = Interlude in Constantinople
| length3 = 2:04
| title4 = Airheads
| length4 = 3:41
| title5 = Fun in Space
| length5 = 6:25
}}
- Sides one and two were combined as tracks 1–10 on CD reissues.
{{track listing
| headline = Bonus tracks (2015 Hollywood Records reissue)
| title1 = I Wanna Testify (1977 non-album single version)
| length1 = 3:45
| title2 = Turn on the TV
| length2 = 3:27
| title3 = My Country (1981 single version)
| length3 = 3:50
| total_length = 10:22
}}
Personnel
- Roger Taylor – drums, percussion, lead and backing vocals, guitars, bass guitar, keyboards
- David Richards – engineer, approximately 50% of keyboards
- Hipgnosis – artwork, cover design
Singles
- Future Management
A-Side: "Future Management"
B-Side: "Laugh Or Cry"
Released on 30 March 1981.
Reached #49 in the UK Singles Chart.
Released in the UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Brazil and Ireland.
- Let's Get Crazy
A-Side: "Let's Get Crazy"
B-Side: "Laugh Or Cry"
Released on 15 May 1981.
Released in Japan, USA, Canada and Australia.
- My Country
A-Side: "My Country"
B-Side: "Fun In Space"
Released on 29 June 1981.
Did not chart.
Only released in the UK.
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| Chart (1981)
! Peak |
|---|
| {{Album chart|Germany4|42|id=32102|artist=Roger Taylor|album=Fun in Space|accessdate=6 January 2019}} |
| {{Album chart|UK|18|artist=Roger Taylor|album=Fun in Space|refname=UK albums|accessdate=6 January 2019}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Roger Taylor}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Roger Taylor (Queen drummer) albums
Category:Albums with cover art by Hipgnosis
Category:Hard rock albums by British artists