I'm Too Sexy
"I'm Too Sexy" is the debut single by British group Right Said Fred. The single peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside the United Kingdom, "I'm Too Sexy" topped the charts in six countries, including Australia, Ireland, and the United States.
"I'm Too Sexy" | ||||
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Single by Right Said Fred | ||||
from the album Up | ||||
Released | 1991 | |||
Genre | Dance-pop[1] | |||
Length | 2:50 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) | TommyD | |||
Right Said Fred singles chronology | ||||
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Right Said Fred singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"I'm Too Sexy" on YouTube |
Composition and recording
The idea for the song came about when the Fairbrass brothers were running a gym in London where, according to Richard, there was "lots of narcissism and posing". One day, he took his shirt off and started singing "I'm too sexy for my shirt" in front of a mirror as a joke. The band originally recorded it as an indie rock song.
It was rejected by multiple record companies before they played it to radio plugger Guy Holmes. He was initially unimpressed after playing it on his car stereo, but his passengers latched onto the song's "I'm a model, you know what I mean" hook and Holmes asked the band if they could rework it as a dance track.
DJ TommyD, an acquaintance of Richard Fairbrass, programmed electronics around the original vocal, whilst guitarist Rob Manzoli added a riff borrowed from the Jimi Hendrix song "Third Stone from the Sun".[2]
In the clubs, everyone imitated their "catwalk" dance as seen on the video clip by January 1992.[3]
Release
The single equalled the record for the most weeks at number two on the UK Singles Chart without ever topping the chart, staying at number two for six weeks in a row while held back by Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" (this equaled the previous record set by Father Abraham's hit of 1978 "The Smurf Song").
In May 1992, the song was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for Best Selling 'A' Side.[4] "I'm Too Sexy" was the act's first of several hits, particularly in the United Kingdom. They went on to have a number one single on the UK Singles Chart with "Deeply Dippy" in April 1992. In April 2008, the song was rated No. 49 on "The 50 Worst Songs Ever! Watch, Listen and Cringe!" by Blender.[5]
Critical reception
AllMusic editor Stephen Schnee described "I'm Too Sexy" as a "humorous yet misunderstood swipe at self centered male bodybuilders and models."[6] David Taylor-Wilson from Bay Area Reporter called it "a campy send-up of the fashion world."[7] In November 1991, Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Thoroughly fun and goofy ditty recently heated up international dance floors and radio airwaves. Fred cheekily boasts about his physical attributes over a festive pop/house groove, which should have no trouble duplicating its success here."[8] Music Week said it is a "eccentric"[9] and "amusingly muttered 121.7bpm pop rattler".[10] Matt Stopera and Brian Galindo from BuzzFeed put the song at number 90 in their list of The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s. They commented, "Yes, this song is cheesy as hell, but it doesn't ever try to be anything other than what it is: a fun, catchy, campy dance song."[11] Cashbox said, "Here is a fun, tongue-in-cheek dance tune that should get lots of club play." They added that the group "have put together a clever dance/club put-down of what could only be the whole fashion-model "poser" attitude that's so much in vogue."[12] People noted it as a "dopey dance tune mocking fashion models and voguers—but it'll keep you moving."[13]
In June 2007, the song was voted No. 80 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s.[14] In April 2011, it was voted No. 2 on VH1's 40 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the '90s.
Track listing
- UK CD (CD SNOG 1)
- "I'm Too Sexy" (Betty's mix)
- "I'm Too Sexy" (7" mix)
- "I'm Too Sexy" (12" instrumental)
- "I'm Too Sexy" (Italian version)
- UK 7" (SNOG 1) / cassette (CA SNOG 1)
- "I'm Too Sexy"
- "I'm Too Sexy" (instrumental)
- UK 12" (12 SNOG 1)
- "I'm Too Sexy"
- "I'm Too Sexy" (7" version)
- "I'm Too Sexy" (12" instrumental)
- U.S. Single
- "I'm Too Sexy" (7" version)
- "I'm Too Sexy" (Extended Club Mix)
- "I'm Too Sexy" (Betty's Mix)
- "I'm Too Sexy" (Instrumental)
- "I'm Too Sexy" (Catwalk Mix)
- "I'm Too Sexy" (Tushapella)
- "I'm Too Sexy" (Spanish version)
Chart positions
Weekly charts
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Year-end charts
Decade-end charts
Certifications
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Covers and adaptations
- In the 1990s, the song was featured in a television advert for the sweets Fruittella, with reworked lyrics about the chews being "too fruity..." and "too juicy..."[49]
- In 1992, the song was recorded by the band Saint Etienne for The Fred EP, profits from the sale of which went to the Terrence Higgins Trust.[50] The Fred EP also featured version of two other songs by Right Said Fred: "Don't Talk Just Kiss" by Flowered Up and "Deeply Dippy" by the Rockingbirds. It entered the UK Singles Chart in the week commencing 1 November 1992 at number 26, its highest chart position.[51]
- Alvin and the Chipmunks recorded a cover version for the album Club Chipmunk: The Dance Mixes (1996).[52]
- In August 2009, English girl group Sugababes included an interpolation of the song in their single "Get Sexy".[53][54]
- In May 2013, Right Said Fred re-recorded the song as "I'm Too Smurfy" for World Smurfs Day, and for the soundtrack to the film The Smurfs 2.[55]
- In June 2014, the band appeared on the first season of the American satirical news program Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and performed lyrics aimed against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.[56]
- In August 2017, American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her single "Look What You Made Me Do", and credited Right Said Fred, as the chorus to her track follows the same rhythmic pattern of the line "I'm too sexy for my shirt".[57]
See also
- Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1992
- List of number-one singles in Australia during the 1990s
- List of Top 25 singles for 1991 in Australia
- List of number-one hits of 1992 (Austria)
- List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1992
- List of Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles in 1992
- List of number-one singles of 1991 (Ireland)
- List of number-one singles from the 1990s (New Zealand)
- List of RPM number-one dance singles of 1992
References
- Boggioni, Tom (9 June 2014). "John Oliver asks Right Said Fred to annoy Syria's Assad with 'too awful' song". The Raw Story. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- Simpson, Dave (4 April 2017). "How we made Right Said Fred's I'm Too Sexy". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
- "Spotlight: Right Said Fred" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9 no. 3. 18 January 1992. p. 21. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
- "The Ivors 1992 > Best Selling 'A' Side". Theivors.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- "The 50 Worst Songs Ever! Watch, Listen and Cringe!". Blender. Archived from the original on 26 December 2010.
- Schnee, Stephen. "Right Said Fred – Up". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
- Taylor-Wilson, David (2 April 1992). "View from the Top". Bay Area Reporter. 22 (14). p. 26. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
- "Single Reviews > New and Noteworthy" (PDF). Billboard. 16 November 1991. p. 81.
- "Export of the Year: Right Said Fred" (PDF). Music Week. 26 December 1992. p. 10. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- "Dance" (PDF). Music Week. 3 August 1991. p. 8. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
- Stopera, Matt; Galindo, Brian (11 March 2017). "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
- Clark, Randy; DeVaney, Bryan (21 December 1991). "Music Reviews > Singles" (PDF). Cashbox. Vol. LV no. 19. p. 5. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
- "Picks and Pans Review: Prime Cuts". People. Vol. 37 no. 5. 10 February 1992. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
- "The 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s". VH1. Archived from the original on 12 June 2013.
- "Australian-charts.com – Right Said Fred – I'm Too Sexy". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- "Austriancharts.at – Right Said Fred – I'm Too Sexy" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- "Ultratop.be – Right Said Fred – I'm Too Sexy" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 2043." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
- "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2066." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
- Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Right Said Fred – I'm Too Sexy". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8 no. 44. 2 November 1991. p. 31. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
- "The Irish Charts – Search Results – I'm Too Sexy". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- "Nederlandse Top 40 – Right Said Fred - I m Too Sexy" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – Right Said Fred – I'm Too Sexy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- "Charts.nz – Right Said Fred – I'm Too Sexy". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- "Norwegiancharts.com – Right Said Fred – I'm Too Sexy". VG-lista. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- "Swedishcharts.com – Right Said Fred – I'm Too Sexy". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 24 August 1991. p. 20. Retrieved 28 September 2020.
- "Right Said Fred – Awards". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 8 April 2015. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
- "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending FEBRUARY 22, 1992". Archived from the original on 8 October 2012.. Cash Box magazine.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
- "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 50 Singles 1991". ARIA Charts. Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- "Jaaroverzichten 1991" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- "End of Year Charts 1991". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
- "Chart Archive – 1990s Singles". everyHit.com. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- "Jahreshitparade 1992" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- "End of Year Charts 1992". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
- "Top 100 Hits for 1992". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- "Bestenlisten – Singles 1990er". Austriancharts.at (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
- "Hot 100 Singles of the '90s". Billboard. Vol. 111 no. 52. 25 December 1999. p. 20. ISSN 0006-2510.
- "Australian Fun Countdowns – Accreditation Awards". Australian Fun Countdowns. 7 April 2011. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- "Austrian single certifications – Right Said Fred – I'm Too Sexy" (in German). IFPI Austria.
- "Canadian single certifications – Right Said Fred – I'm Too Sexy". Music Canada.
- "New Zealand single certifications – Right Said Fred – I_m Too Sexy". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
- "British single certifications – Right Said Fred – I'm Too Sexy". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Gold in the Certification field. Type I'm Too Sexy in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
- "American single certifications – Right Said Fred – I_m Too Sexy". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH.
- Reynolds, John (16 March 2010). "Fruittella 2Fruity range gets TV ad backing". Marketing. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
- The Fred EP (liner notes). Heavenly. 1992. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- "Official Singles Chart Top 75: 01 November 1992 – 07 November 1992". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
- Fawthrop, Peter. "Alvin & the Chipmunks – Club Chipmunk: The Dance Mixes". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- Balls, David (31 August 2009). "Sugababes: 'Get Sexy'". Digital Spy. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- McAlpine, Fraser (25 August 2009). "Sugababes – 'Get Sexy'". The Chart Blog. BBC Online. Retrieved 21 November 2017.
- Reynolds, Simon (3 May 2013). "Exclusive: Right Said Fred record 'I'm Too Smurfy' for Global Smurfs Day – video". Digital Spy. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: iTunes, Assad, and Right Said Fred (HBO)". HBO/YouTube. 8 June 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
- "Taylor Swift: Why Right Said Fred are credited on Look What You Made Me Do". BBC News. 25 August 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2017.