‘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, number 481 in 2010, and number 153 in an updated list in 2021. The song was nominated for the Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the 1982 Grammys.
Explaining how he came up with this song, James he told Musician magazine in 1983: "I wanted to write a silly song. I was in the studio and everything else for the album (Street Songs) was done. I just put 'Super Freak' together really quickly. I wanted a silly song that had a bit of new wave texture to it. So I just came up with this silly little lick and expounded on it. I came up with the bass part first. Then I put a guitar on it and keyboards, doing the 'ehh ehh,' silly keyboard part. Then I found a tuning on my Oberheim OB-Xa that I'd been wanting to use for a long time - it sounds like ghosts. And I put a very operatic vocal structure on it 'cause I'm really into opera and classical music. You probably hear a lot of that in my music. So I put (sings in a deep voice) 'She's all right'; very operatic, sort of funny, stuff."
‘Super Freak’ was the biggest pop hit for Rick James, reaching #16 in the US. He had just modest success on the Hot 100 but had four #1 R&B hits and secured a legend as a prolific producer and innovator of funk. The big R&B hit from the album was ‘Give It to Me Baby’; ‘Super Freak’ made #3.
This was released on Motown Records, and featured backup vocals by The Temptations, something James points out in the song when he screams: "Temptations sing." One of their members, Melvin Franklin, was Rick James' uncle. When James implores, "Blow, Danny!," he's talking to his sax player Daniel LeMelle just before his solo.
A Los Angeles DJ named Alonzo Miller is credited as a writer on this track along with James. Miller worked on the lyrics with James, helping tone them down so the song had a better chance of getting airplay and crossing over to a white audience. Miller was able to get the song played at the station where he worked, KACE. MC Hammer sampled the famous bass line for his biggest hit, ‘U Can't Touch This.’ James filed suit against Hammer, which ended in an out-of-court settlement giving James a songwriting credit on the track. This resulted in James' only Grammy Award when ‘U Can't Touch This’ won in 1991 for Best R&B Song.
Label – Gordy
Songwriters – Rick James, Alonzo Miller
Producer – Rick James
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]She's a very kinky girl
The kind you don't take home to mother
She will never let your spirits down
Once you get her off the street, ow, girl
She likes the boys in the band
She says that I'm her all-time favorite
When I make my move to her room, it's the right time
She's never hard to please, oh no
[Pre-Chorus]
That girl is pretty wild now
The girl's a super freak
The kind of girl you read about
In new-wave magazines
That girl is pretty kinky
The girl's a super freak
I really love to taste her
Every time we meet
She's alright, she's alright
That girl's alright with me, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, hey
[Chorus]
She's a super freak, super freak
She's super freaky, yow
Everybody sing
Super freak, super freak
[Verse 2]
She's a very special girl
The kind of girl you want to know
From her head down to her toenails
Down to her feet, yeah
And she'll wait for me at backstage with her girlfriends
In a limousine
Long and black and shining bright
Three's not a crowd to her, she says (Ménage à trois, oui la la)
"Room 714, I'll be waiting"
When I get there she's got incense, wine and candles
It's such a freaky scene
[Pre-Chorus]
That girl is pretty kinky
The girl's a super freak
The kind of girl you read about
In new-wave magazines
That girl is pretty wild now
The girl's a super freak
I really like to taste her
Every time we meet
She's alright, she's alright
That girl's alright with me, yeah
Hey, hey, hey, hey
[Chorus]
She's a super freak, super freak
She's super freaky, yow
[Bridge]
Temptations, sing
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Super freak, super freak
That girl's a super freak
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
[Outro]
She's a very kinky girl
The kind you don't take home to mother
She will never let your spirits down
Once you get her off the street
Blow, Danny
Oh, girl
Oh, girl