This article is about the Rick James song. For "De Super Freek Show", the Belgian TV show, seeEvi Hanssen. For "Super Freek", the song from the soundtrack of Observe and Report, seeObserve and Report.
"Super Freak" is a 1981 single produced and performed by American singerRick James. The song, co-written by James and Alonzo Miller, was first released on James' fifth album,Street Songs (1981) and became one of James'signature songs. "Freak" is a slang term for the sexually adventurous, as described in the song's lyrics, "She's a very kinky girl / The kind you don't take home to mother".Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song number 477 in its list of the500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004,[7] number 481 in 2010, and number 153 in an updated list in 2021.[8] The song was nominated forthe Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the1982 Grammys.[9] The song has been sampled byMC Hammer in 1990,Jay-Z in 2006, andNicki Minaj in 2022.[10]
"Super Freak" was recorded with other tracks for theStreet Songs album during December 1980 – January 1981 at theRecord Plant, inSausalito, California andMotown /Hitsville U.S.A. Recording Studios,Hollywood, California. It features background vocals from James' Motown labelmatesthe Temptations—whose bass singer,Melvin Franklin, was one of James's idols—and Canadian singerTaborah Johnson. The bass was played by Oscar Alston. The tenor saxophone solo is by Stone City Band member Daniel LeMelle. James' improvised lyrics were later toned down by Los Angeles DJ Alonzo Miller, who received co-writing credit. James apparently was not particularly excited about the song, but reputedly wanted to have something on the album that "white folks could dance to."[11]
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
In 2006, Dutch music groupBeatfreakz covered the song as "Superfreak" and released it as a single. This cover reached number seven on theUK Singles Chart and number six in Finland and Hungary.
The chorus of the song appears in a scene inTransformers: Revenge of the Fallen where Sam Witwicky, one of the main protagonists, is driving hisCamaro, which is actually the AutobotBumblebee, with a college girl named Alice, who is aDecepticon in disguise.[54]
^Superfreak (UK 12-inch single sleeve). Beatfreakz.Data Records. 2006. DATA135T.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^abSuperfreak (UK CD1 liner notes). Beatfreakz. Data Records. 2006. DATA135CDS.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^Superfreak (UK CD2 liner notes). Beatfreakz. Data Records. 2006. DATA 135CDX.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 45. týden 2006 in the date selector. Retrieved January 14, 2020.
