I'm Too Sexy

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"I'm Too Sexy"
Single by Right Said Fred
from the album Up
Released15 July 1991
Genre
Length2:50
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)TommyD
Right Said Fred singles chronology
"I'm Too Sexy"
(1991) 		"Don't Talk Just Kiss"
(1991)
Right Said Fred singles chronology
"Where Do You Go to My Love?"
(2006) 		"I'm Too Sexy 2007"
(2007) 		"I'm a Celebrity"
(2008)
Music video
"I'm Too Sexy" on
YouTube

"I'm Too Sexy" is a song by British

catwalk. In 2023, Billboard magazine ranked "I'm Too Sexy" among the 500 best pop songs of all time.[4]

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".[5]

Release

The single was released on 15 July 1991.

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 equalled the previous record set by Father Abraham's 1978 hit "The Smurf Song
").

In May 1992, the song was nominated for an Ivor Novello Award for Best Selling 'A' Side.

UK Singles Chart with "Deeply Dippy
" in April 1992.

Chart performance

"I'm Too Sexy" was successful on the singles charts worldwide, becoming a hit on several continents. It made its way to the number-one position in Australia, Austria, Canada (

Modern Rock Tracks
chart. Additionally, it was a top 10 hit also in Belgium (3), Ecuador (5), Greece (5) and Sweden (8).

"I'm Too Sexy" was certified gold in Australia (70,000), Austria (25,000), Canada (50,000), New Zealand (5,000) and the UK (470,000). In the US, the single received platinum status with a sale of 1 million units.

Critical reception

J.D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun wrote, "With its prodding piano and insistently tuneful bass line, "I'm Too Sexy" is an insidiously catchy single - the sort that sticks in your memory whether you want it to or not. Fortunately, head Fred Richard Fairbrass handles the vocals with enough good humor that the single's annoyance factor remains relatively low.[10] David Taylor-Wilson from Bay Area Reporter called it "a campy send-up of the fashion world."[11] Larry Flick from Billboard commented, "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."[12] Andy Kastanas from The Charlotte Observer stated, "This midtempo "techno/house" beat has a catchy hook and unusual deep male vocals (a la Elmer Fudd on steroids) that'll put a meltdown on any ladies in the vicinity. You'll dance whether you like it or not and the lyrics are sure to give you some chucks when you sing along (and you WILL sing along)... "I'm too sexy for my car, too sexy for your party, too sexy for this song, too sexy it hurts" and on and on."[13]

British magazine

12-inch, along with its video, is the most inescapable assault on mass consciousness since "Gypsy Woman". Prepare to be impaled on a throbbing slice of masculinity courtesy of three roughnecks who've already had Mick Jagger down on all fours (they were once his trainers). Lie back and enjoy it."[19]

Music video

A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by James Lebon.

catwalk at different fashion shows. James Muretich from Calgary Herald described the video as "campy".[25] In the clubs, many people would imitate the band's "catwalk" dance as seen on the video, which was released in January 1992.[26]

Impact and legacy

NME ranked "I'm Too Sexy" number 15 in their list of "Singles of the Year" in December 1991.[27] In 1993, the song was awarded one of BMI's Pop Awards in the category for Most Performed College Radio Song of 1992.[28] In June 2007, it was voted No. 80 on VH1's list of "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s".[29] In April 2008, the song was rated No. 49 on "The 50 Worst Songs Ever! Watch, Listen and Cringe!" by Blender.[30] In April 2011, it was voted No. 2 on VH1's "40 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the '90s".[31] In 2017, BuzzFeed ranked it No. 90 in their list of "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s", adding, "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."[32] In 2019, Billboard listed the song at No. 210 in their ranking of "Billboard's Top Songs of the '90s".[33] Four years later, in October 2023, the magazine ranked it at No. 475 in their "Best Pop Songs of All Time" list.[4]

Track listing

Charts

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[66] Platinum 70,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[67] Gold 25,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[68] Gold 50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[69] Gold 5,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[6] Gold 470,000[70]
United States (RIAA)[71] Platinum 1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Covers and adaptations

See also

References

  1. The Raw Story. Archived from the original
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  2. Cleveland.com
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  3. ^ Rutherford, Kevin (2 August 2018). "Rewinding the Charts: In 1992, Right Said Fred Wasn't 'Too Sexy' for No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved 8 September 2023. In 1991, British brothers Fred and Richard Fairbrass and Rob Manzoli — who had dubbed themselves Right Said Fred — released their debut song, "I'm Too Sexy," a Eurodance number satirizing the narcissism of fashion culture.
  4. ^ a b "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. 19 October 2023. Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  5. ^ Simpson, Dave (4 April 2017). "How we made Right Said Fred's I'm Too Sexy". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  6. ^ a b "British single certifications – Right Said Fred – I'm Too Sexy". British Phonographic Industry.
  7. ^ "The Ivors 1992 > Best Selling 'A' Side". Theivors.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  8. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 75 11 August 1991 - 17 August 1991". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  9. ^ Schnee, Stephen. "Right Said Fred – Up". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 February 2020.
  10. Considine, J.D. (1992). "Right Said Fred – Up". The Baltimore Sun – via Star Tribune
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  13. ^ Kastanas, Andy (4 December 1991). "Sounds of Progress". The Charlotte Observer. p. 10.
  14. ^ "Export of the Year: Right Said Fred" (PDF). Music Week. 26 December 1992. p. 10. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  15. ^ "Dance" (PDF). Music Week. 3 August 1991. p. 8. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  16. ^ Clark, Randy; DeVaney, Bryan (21 December 1991). "Music Reviews > Singles" (PDF). Cashbox. Vol. LV, no. 19. p. 5. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
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Further reading

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