Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)
"Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)" is a song by American singer Janet Jackson from her third studio album, Control (1986). It was released on November 25, 1987, by A&M Records as the album's seventh and final single. The song was written and produced by Jackson and collaborators Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. While "Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)" was officially released in the United Kingdom and Australia, it was released solely for airplay in the United States in 1987. The single reached number 59 on the UK Singles Chart and number 24 on the Irish Singles Chart. In the US, though it never charted, it became a quiet storm staple on adult R&B and soul radio stations. No music video was filmed for the single. The song's chorus melody (excluding the French-speaking introductions) bears resemblance to her brother's 1982 hit "The Lady In My Life" released five years earlier. In the middle of the song, Janet sings a few lines from "The Lady In My Life."
"Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)" | ||||
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Single by Janet Jackson | ||||
from the album Control | ||||
B-side | "When I Think of You" | |||
Released | November 25, 1987 | |||
Recorded | 1985 | |||
Studio | Flyte Tyme, Minneapolis, Minnesota | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 4:29 | |||
Label | A&M | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis | |||
Janet Jackson singles chronology | ||||
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Jazz musician Stanley Clarke covered the song for his 1988 album If This Bass Could Only Talk.[1] The song was also sampled on The Lost Boyz's "Renee" and on Camp Lo's "Coolie High", both from 1996. In 2014, it was sampled on Tinashe's "How Many Times" from her debut album Aquarius. Two years later, it was sampled on SWV's "MCE (Man Crush Everyday)".
Live performances
Jackson included the song as an instrumental interlude on her Rhythm Nation World Tour 1990. She performed the full song on her 2008 Rock Witchu Tour. Jackson also included the song in her performances at the 2010 and 2018 Essence Music Festival, held in New Orleans, Louisiana. The song was used as an interlude for the video introduction on the Unbreakable World Tour (2015–2016), and was later included on the second leg of the 2018 State of the World Tour. Jackson included the song at her 2019 Las Vegas residence Janet Jackson: Metamorphosis.
Track listings
- UK and Australian 7-inch single
- A. "Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)" – 4:29
- B. "When I Think of You" – 3:57
- UK 12-inch single
- A1. "Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)" – 4:29
- A2. "Nasty" (Cool Summer Mix – Part One) – 7:57
- B1. "When I Think of You" (Dance Remix) – 6:25
Charts
Chart (1987) | Peak position |
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Ireland (IRMA)[2] | 24 |
UK Singles (OCC)[3] | 59 |
References
- "Never Can Say Goodbye:Tribute to Michael Jackson overview". AllMusic.
- "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Funny How Time Flies". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved February 17, 2020.
- "Janet Jackson: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 17, 2020.