Right Said Fred
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Right Said Fred |
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Right Said Fred are an English pop band, formed in 1989 by brothers Richard Fairbrass and Fred Fairbrass, later joined by their friend Rob Manzoli, all from East Grinstead. The group is named after a song of the same name which was a hit for Bernard Cribbins in 1962.
History
Brothers Richard and Fred Fairbrass began performing as Right Said Fred in 1989, and were joined by Rob Manzoli in 1990.[1]
In 1991, they released their single, "I'm Too Sexy", which was released by the Gut Reaction firm on an especially-created record label called Tug. The song, a tongue-in-cheek dance song which takes a gentle swipe at the fashion industry, became a huge hit in the United Kingdom, spending six weeks at number two behind Bryan Adams' "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You". The song also went to number one in the United States on the Billboard Hot 100 chart[2] and in 30 other countries around the world. Right Said Fred are the first UK artist since The Beatles to reach the #1 slot in the U.S. with a debut single. It also made the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, peaking at #4.[3] The song's instrumental break is based on the chorus of the 1974 instrumental hit "Dance with the Devil" by Cozy Powell which itself is based on "Third Stone from the Sun" by Jimi Hendrix.
Their second single, "Don't Talk Just Kiss", which featured background vocals by soul singer Jocelyn Brown, was released in October 1991 and made #3 at Christmas in the UK charts, in addition to #8 on the US dance chart.[3] In February 1992, they released their third single, "Deeply Dippy". This was #1 in the UK for 3 weeks and peaked at #9 on the US dance chart.[3] The success of the singles resulted in their Platinum debut album, Up, staying in the UK Top 40 for almost one year. In February 1993, they contributed to the Comic Relief single, "Stick It Out", and later in the year released their second album, Sex and Travel. Their third album was called Smashing!
Manzoli departed the band in 1996.[1] After failing to attract substantial interest in the UK, Right Said Fred signed to BMG Berlin in Germany. The second single, "You're My Mate", reached #4 in GSA and the Gold album titled Fredhead entered the German charts at #2 and stayed in the Top 10 for most of that year. The single reached #18 in the UK in October 2001; it was their first top-twenty hit since 1993's "Stick It Out". "You're My Mate" was also used as the official anthem of the South Africa national rugby union team in 2002. Other singles included the album's lead-off single "Mojive" and "Love Song".
The second BMG album Stand Up went straight into the German Top 10 and the single "Stand Up (For the Champions)" went on to become a heavily used track at sports events all over the world. The NFL in the U.S. used the song as part of their regular promotion. The song also reached #1 in Japan.
Between 2004 and 2006, Right Said Fred toured extensively through Europe playing festivals and arenas and were special guests on German superstar Nena's Tour. During this period they performed at the 2006 World Cup opening ceremony in front of 200,000 people at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.
In 2008, Right Said Fred returned to the UK to write and record their sixth album I'm a Celebrity. The title track was the first single from the album, and parodied "celebrity culture".
In late July 2009, Right Said Fred issued a press release through their website to announce that a new single, called "Sexy Bum", would be available for download. It was released first in Germany and then in other countries. It was the first new single from the forthcoming 'Best Of' album, due in late 2009, celebrating 18 years in the pop business.
In 2009, they both came out of the closet.
Heavenly Records
In 1992, Heavenly Records released an EP that featured the label's acts covering Right Said Fred songs for charity.
The artists and songs involved on The Fred EP were as follows:
- The Rockingbirds - "Deeply Dippy"
- Flowered Up - "Don't Talk Just Kiss"
- Saint Etienne - "I'm Too Sexy"
The Saint Etienne version of "I'm Too Sexy" had different lyrics from the original, managing to reference both Right Said Fred and Jeff Barrett, the founder of Heavenly Records, in the same sentence.
Discography
Albums
- Up (1992) #1 UK, #46 U.S.
- Sex and Travel (1993) #35 UK
- Smashing! (1996)
- Fredhead (2001)
- Stand Up (2002)
- For Sale (2006)
- I'm a Celebrity (2008)
- forthcoming Best of album (due late 2009)
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK[4] | U.S. | |||
| 1991 | "I'm Too Sexy" | 2 | 1 | Up |
| "Don't Talk Just Kiss" | 3 | 76 | ||
| 1992 | "Deeply Dippy" | 1 | – | |
| "Those Simple Things" / "Daydream" | 29 | – | ||
| 1993 | "Stick It Out" | 4 | – | Non-album single |
| "Bumped" | 32 | – | Sex and Travel | |
| "Hands Up (4 Lovers)" | 60 | – | ||
| 1994 | "Wonderman" | 55 | – | |
| 2001 | "Mojive" | – | – | Fredhead |
| "You're My Mate" | 18 | – | ||
| 2002 | "Love Song" | – | – | |
| "Stand Up (For the Champions)" | – | – | Stand Up | |
| 2006 | "Where Do You Go to My Love?" | – | – | For Sale |
| 2007 | "I'm Too Sexy 2007" | 56 | – | Non-album single |
| 2008 | "I'm a Celebrity" | – | – | I'm a Celebrity |
| 2009 | "Sexy Bum" | – | – | forthcoming Best Of album |
References
- ^ a b "Story". Right Said Fred official website. Retrieved 25 September 2009.
- ^ Bronson, Fred (2003). The Billboard Book of #1 Hits, 5th Edition (Billboard Publications)
- ^ a b c Whitburn, Joel (2004). Hot Dance/Disco 1974-2003, (Record Research Inc.)
- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 463. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
External links
- http://www.rightsaidfred.com Official website