* 01/25/08 New! - Serious Fun - Serious Fun - Live at Jumpin' Jack Flash, Boston MA, January 18, 1984
The Beat (WBCN)
19 January 1985
by Carter Alan
The Count has been busy, as usual, running his VAR International label and his latest project is the Boston Rock and Roll Anthology Volume 4...highlights include the band
Serious Fun which has the elusive talent of writing catchy pop without allowing terminal blandness to set in. "Pasted On Pout" and "Arrest My Heart" are easily the best on
the LP and were engineered by local production maestro Andy Mendelssohn.
The Boston Globe
Wednesday, January 23, 1985
by Brett Milano, special to the Golbe
Boston rockeers launch new album -
Loud guitars and hummable tunes prevail on "Anthology Volume 4," released this week. ... The standout bands - notably Serious Fun and Body Politics - serve up commercial
rock with hooks and humor.
*Sweet Potato - Vol. 7, Issue 7
Boston Rock 'N' Roll Anthology, Volume 4 -
The first side of Volume Four is more successful. It starts off with a good cut from Serious Fun, "Pasted On Pout" (they also have a song on side two, "Arrest My Heart,"
...). This trio goes for a zippy beat and an understated instrumental approach, but the thing that makes it click is the octave-wide vocal blend from Doug Osborne and
Stephen Wild, kind of like a more mournful Difford and Tillbrook blend. By holding back a little, the band captures your attention more effectively.
Boston Rock 'N Roll Anthology, Vol. 4 released February, 1984 With Serious Fun - Pasted On Pout and Serious Fun - Arrest My Heart Allmusic.com listing
*April 3, 1984
The Boston Globe, - by Brett Milano, special to the Globe Twilley reveals his tougher side
"Serious Fun's songwriting (and) ambitious pop ... lives up to their name". January 13, 1984
The Boston Globe
Weekend by Ernie Santosuosso
...The fans of Serious Fun take their fun seriously. The group whose single is due for imminent release will perform Wednesday at Jumpin' Jack Flash, 88 Queensbury St.,
Back Bay....
Boston Phoenix, January, 1983 Hotline to the Underground - Ms. Janis Reed
"This writer was treated to a private performance at the very private party thrown at the home of the band Serious Fun. It was one of the more serious parties I've been to
in quite some time - everyone was so solemn including people from the Phantoms and The Workers. What is this, the new Lou Rude look - instead of laughing and joking
everyone sits in a circle and says "groovy, man." Anyway, even though the party was slow, the band cooked. ...
Serious Fun (is) Doug Osborne's new ensemble. Doug has always been a first rate composer and singer and yes, he's still doing his classic songs Jeanette and Cambridge
Nights. I've only got the band's demo tape, but hopefully they are stil playing his big WBCN hit from a couple of years back You Can Cry. Liz DeSessa plays the drums and
Stephen Wild is on the bass".
This is the original Serious Fun!
Not the acapella group in Boston that adopted the name, or the Los Angeles cover band,
and we have nothing to do with the Knack!
Why this name?
In a band meeting in 1982! We each brought in as many name candidates that we could come up with, and this was chosen by vote.
Do you play live?
04/23/1983 Chet's Last Call with Richard Nolan
05/09/1983 Jumpin' Jack Flash
05/24/83 The Rat
05/25/83 Bunratty's
05/19/83 Chet's Last Call
7/13/83 Jumpin' Jack Flash
07/20/83 Jumbos
07/26/83 The Rat
08/13/83 Bunratty's with Del Fuegos, Gary Shane, etc.
08/31/83 Jumpin' Jack Flash
09/15/83 Bunratty's
10/1/83 Jumbos w/Reflectors
10/04/83 Inn Square Mens Bar
01/18/84 Jumpin' Jack Flash with Cheapskates
04/02/84 Paradise with Dwight Twilley
04/03/84 Storyville with New Deal
04/04/84 The Rat
Your influences?
A three piece band with slammin' drums, rocking guitar, and deep rhythmic bass in '83? I'd have to say The Police, U2, the Jam, the Clash, but on the pop side with great
melodies and sophisticated harmonies. People said at the time that they heard everything from Rush to Joni Mitchell to Talking Heads in Serious Fun's music.
The last voted round of the Emergenza Battle of the bands is June 22nd at the Paradise in Boston. Come out for the last big push. After this if we make it through, all the rounds are judged. You have come with us this far, help us one last time!
