'Tain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)

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'Tain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)' is a song that began as a jazz tune written by Sy Oliver and Trummy Young. Early jazz artists, including Mildred Bailey, helped bring it to life. It was first recorded and released in 1939 by Jimmie Lunceford, with other famous versions by Ella Fitzgerald, Fats Waller, Adelaide Hall, Harry James, and Nat Gonella and His Georgians. The tune is often linked with the shim sham dance.

In 1982, the tune was transformed into a pop/new wave song with ska influences. It was retitled It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It) and recorded as a collaboration between Fun Boy Three and Bananarama. The song appeared on Fun Boy Three’s debut album, and Bananarama later included a version on their Greatest Hits Collection (1988).

How it happened
- Terry Hall of Fun Boy Three liked Bananarama after seeing their earlier work and asked them to sing background vocals for the track.
- The collaboration turned the jazz tune into a big UK hit, reaching number 4 on the UK Singles Chart and charting in several other countries.

Key chart highlights
- United Kingdom: No. 4
- Belgium: No. 3
- Ireland: No. 5
- Luxembourg: No. 2
- Netherlands: No. 3
- Australia: No. 55
- New Zealand: No. 37
- United States (Dance Club Songs): No. 49

Track listings (short)
- 7" single: It Ain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It) / The Funrama Theme
- 12" single: Includes extended versions of It Ain't What You Do and The Funrama Theme, plus a longer remix version on some releases

Media appearances
- The cover version was used in a Hewlett-Packard color printers commercial in 2012 (U.S.).
- B&Q used Fun Boy Three’s version in the early to mid-2010s.
- The song was used in a UK Chrysler PT Cruiser ad in the early 2000s.
- The Lunceford version has appeared in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
- The tune has appeared in other films and media, including the 1998 film Lolita (sung by Ella Fitzgerald) and the 2009 film Youth in Revolt.

Overall, It Ain't What You Do... is a 1980s pop reimagining of a 1939 jazz standard, turning a classic shuffle into a catchy, danceable hit that crossed genres and generations.