Super Freak

This article is about the Rick James song. For "De Super Freek Show", the Belgian TV show, see Evi Hanssen. For "Super Freek", the song from the soundtrack of Observe and Report, see Observe and Report.

"Super Freak" is a 1981 single produced and performed by American singer Rick 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 the 500 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 for the Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the 1982 Grammys.^[9] The song has been sampled by MC Hammer in 1990, Jay-Z in 2006, and Nicki Minaj in 2022.^[10]

"Super Freak"
French 7-inch cover art
Single by Rick James
from the album Street Songs
B-side	"Super Freak (instrumental)"
Released	August 1981[1]
Genre	Funk[2][3] synth-funk[4] new wave[5] R&B[6]
Length	3:24 (album/7" version) 7:05 (12" version)
Label	Gordy
Songwriter(s)	Rick James Alonzo Miller
Producer(s)	Rick James
Rick James singles chronology
"Give It to Me Baby" (1981) "Super Freak" (1981) "Ghetto Life" (1981)
Music video
"Super Freak" on YouTube

Recording

"Super Freak" was recorded with other tracks for the Street Songs album during December 1980 – January 1981 at the Record Plant, in Sausalito, California and Motown / Hitsville U.S.A. Recording Studios, Hollywood, California. It features background vocals from James' Motown labelmates the Temptations—whose bass singer, Melvin Franklin, was one of James's idols—and Canadian singer Taborah 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]

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1981–1982) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report)[12] 26 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[13] 2 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[14] 40 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[15] 2 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[1] 3 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] 4 US Billboard Hot 100[17] 16 US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard)[17] 1 US Hot Soul Singles (Billboard)[17] 3 US Cash Box Top 100[18] 17 US Record World Singles[19] 14

Year-end charts Chart (1981) Position Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[20] 54 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[21] 24 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[22] 26

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[23]	Gold	50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[24]	Platinum	30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[25]	Gold	400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[26]	Gold	500,000*
* Sales figures based on certification alone. ^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Beatfreakz version

"Superfreak"
Single by Beatfreakz
Released	2006
Studio	Beatfreakz (Weesp, Netherlands) Scorccio.com (Barcelona, Spain)
Genre	House
Length	3:25
Label	Spinnin'
Songwriter(s)	Rick James Alonzo Miller
Producer(s)	Beatfreakz
Beatfreakz singles chronology
"Somebody's Watching Me" (2006) "Superfreak" (2006) "Bring the Ghost" (2007)

In 2006, Dutch music group Beatfreakz covered the song as "Superfreak" and released it as a single. This cover reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart and number six in Finland and Hungary.

Track listings

Dutch CD single^[27]

1. "Superfreak" (radio edit)
2. "Superfreak" (club mix)
3. "Superfreak" (Fonzerelli remix)
4. "Superfreak" (Dennis Christopher De-Electro remix)
5. "Streetgirl" (album version)

UK 12-inch single^[28]

A1. "Superfreak" (Beatfreakz club mix)

A2. "Superfreak" (Fonzerelli remix)

B1. "Superfreak" (Dennis Christopher De-Electro remix)

B2. "Superfreak" (Friday Night Posse remix)

UK CD1^[29]

1. "Superfreak" (radio edit)
2. "Superfreak" (Beatfreakz club mix)

UK CD2^[30]

1. "Superfreak" (radio edit)
2. "Superfreak" (Fonzerelli remix)
3. "Superfreak" (Dennis Christopher De-Electro remix)
4. "Superfreak" (Verdez remix)
5. Extended interactive CD-ROM

Credits and personnel

Credits are lifted from the Dutch and UK CD1 liner notes.^[27][29]

Studios

• Recorded at Beatfreakz Studios (Weesp, Netherlands)
• Sample replays recorded at Scorccio.com Studio (Barcelona, Spain)

Personnel

• Rick James, Alonzo Miller – writing
• Sandro – vocals
• Jassy Tamar Husk – additional vocals
• Beatfreakz – production
• Hal Ritson – vocal production
• Mark Summers – sample replay production
• Ben Cook – executive production
• Dipesh Parmar – executive production assistant
• Antonio Petronzio – photography

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2006–2007) Peak position Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[31] 5 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Dance Flanders)[31] 8 CIS Airplay (TopHit)[32] 20 Czech Republic (Rádio – Top 100)[33] 34 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[34] 6 France (SNEP)[35] 56 Hungary (Dance Top 40)[36] 6 Hungary (Single Top 40)[37] 6 Ireland (IRMA)[38] 20 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[39] 34 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[40] 26 Romania (Romanian Top 100)[41] 66 Russia Airplay (TopHit)[42] 24 Scotland (OCC)[43] 6 UK Singles (OCC)[44] 7 UK Dance (OCC)[45] 5

Year-end charts Chart (2006) Position CIS (TopHit)[46] 195 Russia Airplay (TopHit)[47] 200 UK Singles (OCC)[48] 189 Chart (2007) Position CIS (TopHit)[49] 128 Russia Airplay (TopHit)[50] 171

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
Netherlands	2006	CD	Spinnin'	[27]
United Kingdom	9 October 2006	12-inch vinyl CD	Data	[51]

Sampling

The predominant riff of the song was most popularly sampled in 1990 by MC Hammer in "U Can't Touch This".^[52] The song would then be sampled by Jay-Z in his 2006 song "Kingdom Come", by American group Black Eyed Peas in their 2020 single "Vida Loca", and by Nicki Minaj in her 2022 single, "Super Freaky Girl".^[10] Minaj previously appeared in the remix of Big Sean's "Dance (A$$)" (2011), which sampled "U Can't Touch This".^[53]

The chorus of the song appears in a scene in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen where Sam Witwicky, one of the main protagonists, is driving his Camaro, which is actually the Autobot Bumblebee, with a college girl named Alice, who is a Decepticon in disguise.^[54]

See also

• List of number-one dance singles of 1981 (U.S.)