House of fun - Madness

The European sleeve of Madness's 'House of fun' looks suspiciously like a picture disc... and it's probably because it is based on one. This picture disc should be seen as proof.

'House of fun' was released as a one-off single on 14 May 1982 and reached number one in the UK singles chart, spending nine weeks in the charts. The song was re-released in 1992, reaching number 40. It is the band's only number one single in the UK and in 2015 the British public voted it as the nation's 8th favourite 1980s number one in a poll for ITV.

The song is about coming of age. The lyrics tell the story of a boy on his 16th birthday attempting to buy condoms at a chemist. The UK age of consent is 16, and he makes a point of stating that he is "16 today and up for fun". However, the boy is misunderstood by the chemist, as he asks for the condoms using slang euphemisms, such as "box of balloons with a featherlight touch" and "party hats with the coloured tips". The confused chemist behind the counter eventually informs the boy that the establishment is not a joke shop, and directs him towards the "House of Fun". 

My collection: 7" single no. 7221
Found: Record fair, Den Haag, 1 June 2024
Tracks: 'House of fun' / 'Don't look back'