I'm Too Sexy

"I'm Too Sexy" is the debut song 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.

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

In May 1992, the song was nominated for a Ivor Novello Award for Best Selling 'A' Side. "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. In June 2007, the song was voted No. 80 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '90s. In April 2011, it was voted No. 2 on VH1's 40 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the '90s.

Critical reception
In November 1991, Billboard wrote about the song: "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."

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, however his passengers latched onto the song's "I’m a model, you know what I mean" hook and he 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".

Track listing

 * UK CD (CD SNOG 1)
 * 1) "I'm Too Sexy" (Betty's mix)
 * 2) "I'm Too Sexy" (7" mix)
 * 3) "I'm Too Sexy" (12" instrumental)
 * 4) "I'm Too Sexy" (Italian version)


 * UK 7" (SNOG 1) / cassette (CA SNOG 1)
 * 1) "I'm Too Sexy"
 * 2) "I'm Too Sexy" (instrumental)


 * UK 12" (12 SNOG 1)
 * 1) "I'm Too Sexy"
 * 2) "I'm Too Sexy" (7" version)
 * 3) "I'm Too Sexy" (12" instrumental)


 * U.S. single
 * 1) "I'm Too Sexy" (7" version)
 * 2) "I'm Too Sexy" (Extended Club Mix)
 * 3) "I'm Too Sexy" (Betty's Mix)
 * 4) "I'm Too Sexy" (Instrumental)
 * 5) "I'm Too Sexy" (Catwalk Mix)
 * 6) "I'm Too Sexy" (Tushapella)
 * 7) "I'm Too Sexy" (Spanish version)

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..."
 * 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. 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. The song can also be found on the reissue of 2009 of Saint Etienne's album So Tough.
 * Alvin and the Chipmunks recorded a cover version for the album Club Chipmunk: The Dance Mixes (1996).
 * In August 2009, English girl group Sugababes included an interpolation of the song in their single "Get Sexy".
 * 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.
 * 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.
 * 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".