Here’s your ticket to some of the best (or, perhaps, most infamous) 7″ singles ever released! No adapter is required, although in my opinion the device pictured below is right up there with the Slinky as one of the best inventions of the 20th century.
If a truly great b-side should properly compliment the track on the a-side, then R.E.M. really nailed it when they released “Get Up” as a single in 1989. “Get Up” is a crazy and chaotic slice of glam rock, and it needed something similar on the back of the 45. All aboard for “Funtime!”
The original version of “Funtime” was first released on Iggy Pop’s 1977 album The Idiot. David Bowie co-wrote the track with Pop, and Bowie also produced the session (in addition to playing most of the instruments). The result was a punk classic that has been covered by multiple artists (The Cars and Peter Murphy, to name a couple), but the ragged live-in-the-studio version from R.E.M. is probably my favorite.
“Get Up” didn’t even make it into the Billboard Hot 100 in 1989, but I can assure you that I wore out my copy of that 45 (especially the flip side). It took me a few years to find a CD copy of “Funtime,” and I used that pristine source to create the release I have shared below.
Like many of you, I have been struggling all week long as I try to process the sad news about David Bowie’s passing. I could attempt to write something beautiful and poetic about Bowie here, but I think that territory has been properly covered by many of the artists that he inspired. Instead, let’s just crank up “Funtime,” OK? Baby baby, we want in! We want some, we want some!
![Get Up [U.S. 7_]](https://analogkidblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/get-up-u-s-7_.png)
R.E.M.: Get Up [U.S. 7″]
Warner Bros. Records, 1989
A-side: “Get Up” (Berry/Buck/Mills/Stipe)
B-side: “Funtime” (David Bowie/Iggy Pop)
_____________________________________________________________
Bonus Tracks!
The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.
Iggy Pop: “Funtime” (David Bowie/Iggy Pop)
From the album The Idiot
RCA Records, 1977
Peter Murphy: “Funtime” (David Bowie/Iggy Pop)
From the album Love Hysteria
RCA/Beggar’s Banquet Records, 1988
![Just What I Needed_ The Cars Anthology [Disc 2]](https://analogkidblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/just-what-i-needed_-the-cars-anthology-disc-2.png)
The Cars: “Funtime” [Demo] (David Bowie/Iggy Pop)
From the album Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology
Rhino Records, 1995
The Analog Kid 
Hiya AnalogKid, yeah, this was a pretty decent version. There’s nothing to stop you playing something by Bowie and I’d like to suggest “Without You I’m Nothing” (Unkle Remix) by Placebo & Bowie from 1999. If I knew how to upload stuff I would, but I’m just too old and tech useless. But it’s fair to say I’m really good at playing records & cd’s.
Cheers.
I’ll try to find it– thanks for the tip!