Right Said Fred
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- "Right Said Fred" is also a 1962 UK hit single by Bernard Cribbins.
Right Said Fred is the name of a British pop band, which was founded in 1989 by brothers Richard Fairbrass and Fred Fairbrass from East Grinstead. The group is named after a novelty song which was a hit for Bernard Cribbins in 1962.
In 1991 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 sung from the point of view of a vain male fashion model, became a huge hit in Britain, spending six weeks at number two behind Bryan Adams' blockbuster "(Everything I Do) I Do It For You". The song also went to number one on the charts in the United States and went on to become a hit around the world. 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 soul diva Jocelyn Brown, was released for the Christmas market and made number three in the UK charts. In 1992 they released their third single, Deeply Dippy. Although it was their lowest-selling single to date, it was also up against weaker opposition and therefore became their first, and to date only, UK number one single. The success of the singles resulted in their debut album Up. In 1993 they released their second album, Sex and Travel. Their third album was called Smashing.
After failing to attract substantial interest in the UK, Right Said Fred went to Germany in order to work with Alex Christensen's U96 and released a single called "You're My Mate" and an album titled "Fredhead" in 2002, which both became successful in Germany (at number five on the German Top 100 and gold status), Switzerland and Austria. "You're My Mate" was also used as the official anthem of the South African national rugby union team in 2002, and remained in the German Top 100 for 23 weeks, while the album Fredhead reached number two. "You're My Mate" achieved gold status in South Africa and reached the Top 20 in the UK.
A long-time member of the band, Rob Manzoli, departed the band prior to their latest album release, For Sale.[1]
Fred went on to open a gym while brother Richard became a member of Gaytime TV on BBC2.
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[edit] 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.
[edit] References in popular culture
In 2001, the band was parodied on a Saturday Night Live episode, with host Conan O'Brien as a member of the band, speaking before a Congressional Committee on the subject of Napster.
The song "I'm Too Sexy has also been used in parody in The Fairly Oddparents, The Simpsons, and Family Guy.
In early 2007, Daz, a UK washing powder brand, featured the band's members and music in a TV advertisement involving the play on words: "'White' Said Fred".
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | US Chart Position | UK Chart Position | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul | 1991 | "I'm too sexy" | #1 | #2 |
| Dec | 1991 | "Don't talk just kiss" | – | #3 |
| Mar | 1992 | "Deeply Dippy" | – | #1 |
| Jul | 1992 | "Those simple things" / "Daydream" | – | #28 |
| Feb | 1993 | "Stick it out" | – | #4 |
| Oct | 1993 | "Bumped" | – | #32 |
| Dec | 1993 | "Hands up (4 Lovers)" | – | #60 |
| Mar | 1994 | "Wonderman" | – | #55 |
| Oct | 2001 | "You're my mate" | – | #18 |
