I’m Too Sexy – R*S*F* (Right Said Fred) | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#1 for 3 weeks); 1992
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Right Said – the name – was cribbed from the title of a 1962 British hit by comedian Bernard Cribbens. Brothers Richard and Fred Fairbrass chose it precisely because it sounded so stupid, and with guitarist Rob Manzoli, R*S*F* set about making a demo.
During a recording break, Richard began singing, “I’m too sexy for my shirt,” a line that stuck in his head and wouldn’t let go. The theme for Sexy‘s lyrics came from the Dance Attic, a gymnasium where Richard and Fred worked, with its daily parade of attitudes and posturing.
The resulting rough mixes of the demo were “road tested” as a workout song, but the recording was deemed too ragged for commercial release and the boys had it remixed. Even then the major labels avoided Sexy, so it came out on indieTag Records in England, peaking at #2 in late summer 1991.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- TommyD
Lyrics Written by:
- Fred Fairbrass
- Richard Fairbrass
- Rob Manzoli
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).