'Tain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)
"It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)" is a calypso song written by jazz musicians Melvin "Sy" Oliver and James "Trummy" Young. It was first recorded in 1939 by Jimmie Lunceford, Harry James, and Ella Fitzgerald.[1] The "shim-sham" is often danced to the Lunceford recording of this song.
Cover versions
| "'Tain't What You Do" | |
|---|---|
| Song | |
| B-side | "The Funrama Theme" |
The jazz tune was transformed into a pop song with ska elements in 1982. With the title slightly altered to "It Ain't What You Do....", it was included on Fun Boy Three's debut self-titled album, but it was not available on a Bananarama album until 1988's Greatest Hits Collection.
Terry Hall of Fun Boy Three owned a copy of Bananarama's previous single "Aie a Mwana" and after seeing an article about the trio in The Face he decided he wanted them to sing background vocals on this song, solely based on the fact that he liked their look. "It Ain't What You Do...." became a big hit in the UK, climbing to number four in the UK singles chart. The success of this single also prompted Bananarama to return the favor and have Fun Boy Three sing on their next single "Really Saying Something".
Remixes
- 7-inch single
- "It Ain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It)" - (2:54)
- "The Funrama Theme" - (2:56)
Charts
| Chart (1982) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 4 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play | 49 |
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 55 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 37 |
| Dutch Singles chart | 3 |
References
 | This 1930s song article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This 1980s single–related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |