1978 single by Rod Stewart
"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" |
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![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/0e/Da%27_Ya%27_Think_I%27m_Sexy_single_cover.jpg/220px-Da%27_Ya%27_Think_I%27m_Sexy_single_cover.jpg) |
Single by Rod Stewart |
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from the album Blondes Have More Fun |
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B-side | - "Dirty Weekend" (UK)
- "Scarred and Scared" (US)
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Released | 10 November 1978 (UK)[1] |
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Genre | Disco[2] |
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Length | - 5:31 (album version)
- 6:29 (12-inch version)
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Label | Warner Bros. |
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Songwriter(s) | - Rod Stewart
- Carmine Appice
- Duane Hitchings
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Producer(s) | Tom Dowd |
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Rod Stewart singles chronology |
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"Ole Ola (Mulher Brasileira)" (1978) | "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" (1978) | "Ain't Love a Bitch" (1979) | |
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Music video |
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"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" on YouTube |
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"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?", also written "Da' Ya' Think I'm Sexy", is a song by British singer Rod Stewart from his ninth studio album, Blondes Have More Fun (1978). It was written by Stewart, Carmine Appice, and Duane Hitchings,[3] though it incorporates the melody from the song "Taj Mahal" by Jorge Ben Jor and the string arrangement from the song "(If You Want My Love) Put Something Down On It" by Bobby Womack.[4]
The song was released as the first single from Blondes Have More Fun in November 1978. It spent one week atop the UK Singles Chart in December 1978 and four weeks atop the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1979. Billboard ranked it number four on its Top Singles of 1979 year-end chart.[5] It also topped the charts in Canada for four weeks and in Australia for two weeks.
Royalties from the song were donated to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Stewart performed the song at the Music for UNICEF Concert at the United Nations General Assembly in January 1979.[6]
Background and writing
Carmine Appice, who played drums on this song, told Songfacts: "This was a story of a guy meeting a chick in a club. At that time, that was a cool saying. If you listen to the lyrics, 'She sits alone, waiting for suggestions, he's so nervous...' it's the feelings of what was going on in a dance club. The guy sees a chick he digs, she's nervous and he's nervous and she's alone and doesn't know what's going on, then they end up at his place having sex, and then she's gone."[7] In a 2007 interview, co-writer Duane Hitchings noted that "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" was "a spoof on guys from the 'cocaine lounge lizards' of the Saturday Night Fever days. We Rock and Roll guys thought we were dead meat when that movie and the Bee Gees came out. The Bee Gees were brilliant musicians and really nice people. No big egos. Rod, in his brilliance, decided to do a spoof on disco. VERY smart man. There is no such thing as a "dumb" super success in the music business."[8]
After Rod Stewart rejected the original arrangement for the song, Appice instead used it for "I Just Fell in Love Again" on Carmen Maki's 1979 album Night Stalker, which he was working on at the same time.[9]
Reception
The song was criticised by many in the rock press as a betrayal of Stewart's blues-oriented rock roots, due to its disco-like arrangement, but Stewart and others were quick to point out that other widely respected artists, such as Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones, had also released disco-flavoured songs. However, the song has since experienced some retrospective acclaim as Rolling Stone placed the song at number 301 in its 2004 list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[10]
Cash Box said it has "a clipping bass line [by Phil Chen], steady kick drum and soaring synthesized strings," as well as "alternately gentle and dashing rhythm guitar work and a commanding sax solo."[11]
Plagiarism
It has been noted that Stewart created parts of the song through musical plagiarism. A copyright infringement lawsuit by Brazilian musician Jorge Ben Jor claimed the chorus of the song had been derived from his song "Taj Mahal". The case was "settled amicably" according to Jorge Ben Jor, in Ben Jor's favor.[12] Stewart admitted in his 2012 autobiography to "unconscious plagiarism" of the Ben Jor song, which he had heard while attending the Rio Carnival in 1978.[4] He also admitted that he had consciously lifted the song's signature synthesizer riff from the string arrangement on Bobby Womack's "(If You Want My Love) Put Something Down On It". Stewart contends that it is legal to lift a line from any song's arrangement as long as the core melody line is not copied.[4]
Charts
Weekly charts | Year-end charts Chart (1978) | Position | Australia (Kent Music Report)[35] | 95 | UK Singles (OCC)[36] | 18 | Chart (1979) | Position | Australia (Kent Music Report)[37][38] | 7 | Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[39] | 47 | Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[40] | 90 | Netherlands (Single Top 100)[41] | 71 | US Billboard Hot 100[42] | 4 | West Germany (Official German Charts)[43] | 39 | All-time charts Chart (1958–2018) | Position | US Billboard Hot 100[44] | 180 | |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
Belgium | — | 100,000[45] |
Denmark | — | 10,000[46] |
France (SNEP)[47] | Gold | 500,000* |
United Kingdom (BPI)[48] | Gold | 500,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[49] | Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Revolting Cocks version
Industrial supergroup Revolting Cocks recorded a version of "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" for their album Linger Ficken' Good. The song was released as a single in September 1993 with the songs "Sergio Guitar" and "Wrong Sexy Mix" as B-sides. This version includes slightly altered lyrics (the lyric "Give me a dime so I can call my mother" is replaced with "Give me a buck so I can buy a rubber" and "He says, I'm sorry, but I'm out of milk and coffee" is replaced with "He says, I'm sorry, but I'm out of KY Jelly").[51]
N-Trance featuring Rod Stewart version
In 1997, the song was remixed by English electronic dance music group N-Trance for their second album, Happy Hour (1998), and features lyrics from the Millie Jackson version (as performed by vocalist Kelly Llorenna). It was featured in the film A Night at the Roxbury the following year. This version became a hit in late 1997, topping both the New Zealand Singles Chart for three weeks and the Czech Republic singles chart.[53] Additionally, the song peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart and earning a double-platinum sales certification in Australia, where it charted at number three.
Critical reception
Larry Flick from Billboard described the song as "another slice of flashback fever". He noted that "with its recognizable hook, booty-shakin' baseline, guest rap by Ricardo da Force, diva wailings by Kelly Llorenna, and Stewart himself, this updated remake could very well become the surprise radio hit of the summer. Of course, it could also become this month's novelty record."[54] British magazine Music Week rated N-Trance's version four out of five in their review.[55]
Charts
Weekly charts | Year-end charts Chart (1997) | Position | Australia (ARIA)[76] | 11 | Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[77] | 99 | Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[78] | 80 | Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[79] | 67 | New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[80] | 43 | Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[81] | 62 | UK Singles (OCC)[82][83] | 86 | |
Certifications
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
Australia (ARIA)[84] | 2× Platinum | 140,000^ |
New Zealand (RMNZ)[85] | Platinum | 10,000* |
Norway (IFPI Norway)[86] | Gold | |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
2017 DNCE remix version
On August 25, 2017, Rod Stewart released a remix version, which features a guest appearance from American band DNCE. He sings along with Joe Jonas, the lead singer of the band.[87] The singer and the band performed the song together at 2017 MTV Video Music Awards two days later.[88][89]
Track listing
Digital download - 2017[87]No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" (featuring DNCE) | 3:50 |
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Charts
Weekly charts | Year-end charts Chart (2017) | Position | US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[97] | 32 | Chart (2018) | Position | US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[98] | 46 | |
Release history
2021 Carmine Appice/Fernando Perdomo Project version
In 2021, Appice and Fernando Perdomo released an instrumental rock album, Energy Overload,[99] that includes what Eric Harabadian of Music Connection Magazine describes as a "harmonic and rhythmic renovation" of Do Ya Think I'm Sexy.[100]
Parodies
- In 1979, Steve Dahl along with his band Teenage Radiation released a parody titled "Do You Think I'm Disco?"
References
- ^ "British single certifications – Rod Stewart – Da Ya Think I'm Sexy". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (15 November 2022). "George McCrae - "Rock Your Baby". The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music. New York: Hachette Book Group. p. 108.
- ^ "Duane Hitchings – A Country Writer's Rock Roots". Yamaha All Access. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
- ^ a b c Stewart, Rod. Rod: The Autobiography (2012): 225-226
- ^ "Top Singles of the Year" Billboard 22 December 1979: TIA-10
- ^ (AP) "Frost Sets UNICEF Show" The Robesonian 30 November 1978: 1
- ^ "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?". Songfacts.com. Retrieved 8 May 2009.
- ^ Urban "Wally" Wallstrom (23 March 2007), "Duane Hitchings, The Man Behind the Hits", RockUnited.com, retrieved 18 January 2013
- ^ Appice, Carmine (29 April 2022). Carmine Appice recalls Carmen Maki's Night Stalker album 1979 カルメン・マキ (video). Australian Rock Show. Retrieved 18 February 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Rolling Stone (11 December 2003). "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
- ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 16 December 1978. p. 20. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
- ^ Interview with Ben Jor Archived 15 April 2008 at the Wayback Machine Expatica.com
- ^ "Cash Box - International Best Sellers" (PDF). worldradiohistory.com. Cash Box. 18 August 1979. p. 41.
- ^ "Australia n°1 Hits - 70's". Worldcharts.co.uk. Archived from the original on 24 April 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
- ^ "Rod Stewart – Da' Ya' Think I'm Sexy" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
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- ^ "Da ya think I'm sexy? in Canadian Top Singles Chart". Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ^ "Da ya think I'm sexy? in Canadian Adult Contemporary Chart". Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ^ "Da ya think I'm sexy? in Canadian Disco 30 Chart". Library and Archives Canada. Archived from the original on 12 September 2014. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ^ Danyel Smith, ed. (1979). "Billboard - Google Livres". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 29 June 2013.
- ^ Hung Medien. "Da ya think I'm sexy? in French Chart". Archived from the original on 26 October 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013. You have to use the index at the top of the page and search "Rod Stewart"
- ^ a b Search for Irish peaks Archived 2 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
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- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Rod Stewart – Da' Ya' Think I'm Sexy" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
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- ^ "Danish Growth". Billboard. 12 May 1979. p. SC-9. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
- ^ "French single certifications – Rod Stewart – Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 24 November 2021. Select ROD STEWART and click OK.
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- ^ "American single certifications – Rod Stewart – Do Ya Think I'm Sexy". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
- ^ "Single Releases". Music Week. 4 September 1993. p. 25.
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- ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 18 October 1997. p. 35. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
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- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 46. 15 November 1997. p. 25. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
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1970s | |
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1980s | |
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1990s | |
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2000s | |
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2010s | |
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- Kevin O'Toole
- Dale Longworth
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Studio albums | |
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Singles | |
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Related articles | |
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Studio albums | |
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Extended plays | - Swaay (2015)
- People to People (2018)
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Singles | |
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Featured singles | - "Rock Bottom"
- "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"
- "Hands Up"
- "Dancing Feet"
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Related articles | |
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