When Fun Boy Three burned an American flag while covering The Doors song ‘The End’
By 1981, the English ska and 2-tone band The Specials were breaking down. After rising to prominence in the late 1970s, aided by The Clash inviting the band to support them on tour, they found success with albums such as The Specials and More Specials. Their 1981 single ‘Ghost Town’ was a huge hit, yet, shortly after its release, Terry Hall, Neville Staple and Lynval Golding decided to leave the band.
In an interview with The Guardian, Horace Panter recalled the recording of ‘Ghost Town’: “Everybody was stood in different parts of this huge room with their equipment, no one talking. Terry stormed out a couple of times virtually in tears, and I went after him. It was hell to be around.”
When Hall, Staple and Golding walked away from the band, they decided to form their own group, Fun Boy Three. They were active for just two years; however, during that time, they released multiple songs that managed to chart in the top ten of the UK Singles Chart with songs such as ‘Tain’t What You Do (It’s the Way That You Do It)’ and ‘Tunnel of Love’. The band released two albums, finding success with their debut record, The Fun Boy Three, followed by the David Byrne-produced Waiting.
Discussing Fun Boy Three, Hall told Dave Haslam, “The Fun Boy Three was the way out. We went into Chrysalis and said we had an amazing album and we’re going to call ourselves the Fun Boy Three, and they were begging me not to leave the Specials; that was good fun, watching them beg, I enjoyed that. Then we went into a studio, hired some instruments and made a record. But it was a total release from that eight-month period.”
However, when Fun Boy Three realised their short period of success was coming to a close, they took to performing The Doors’ ‘The End’ during live performances. While appearing on Channel 4’s Switch, the band performed the song, controversially burning an American flag in the process.
According to The Rough Guide to Rock, “Tensions were growing within the band, aggravated by a punishing touring schedule to try to break the group in America. Including The Doors’ ‘The End’ in their set may not have been the wisest move they ever made, especially when they climaxed it by burning an American flag.”
The decision was sure to offend some American audiences, although many people praised the band for their bold move, which certainly wouldn’t fly on television today. When Fun Boy Three finally split, the members went their separate musical ways, although they eventually reunited to play as The Specials in the coming years.
Revisit the clip below.
