Too Funky

"Too Funky" is a song written and performed by English singer George Michael and released by Columbia Records in the United States and Epic Records elsewhere in 1992. It reached number one in Denmark and became a top-ten hit in several regions, including Europe, Australia and North America.

"Too Funky"
Single by George Michael
from the album Red Hot + Dance
B-side"Crazyman Dance"
Released12 July 1992
Format
Recorded1990
GenreDance-pop
Length
  • 5:37 (album version)
  • 3:45 (single edit)
  • 3:58 (video edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)George Michael
Producer(s)George Michael
George Michael singles chronology
"Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me"
(1991)
"Too Funky"
(1992)
"Somebody to Love"
(1992)
Music video
"Too Funky" on YouTube

History

"Too Funky" was Michael's final single for his recording contract with Sony Music before he started legal action to extricate himself from his contract. "Too Funky" had been initially earmarked for a follow-up to the album Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1 but Michael shelved the idea, instead donating it, along with two other songs, to the project Red Hot + Dance, which raised money for AIDS awareness. Michael subsequently donated the royalties to the same cause. The song didn't appear on any of Michael's studio albums, although later it was included on his solo collection Ladies & Gentlemen: The Best of George Michael and in the 2017 reissue of Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, which also featured the two other songs from Red Hot + Dance and its B-side "Crazyman Dance", all of which were recorded for the aborted follow-up of the 1990 album.

Song

Lyrically, the song is a basic, animalistic plea for sexual activity.

It features a clip from The Graduate; Anne Bancroft's line of "I am not trying to seduce you... Would you like me to seduce you? Is that what you're trying to tell me?" as an intro of the song and is repeated during the final crescendo. The song then ends with a sample from an episode of the Tony Hancock Show called "The Radio Ham", spoken by actress Annie Leake ("Would you stop playing with that radio of yours? I'm trying to get to sleep," a sample that also appeared in the song "Let Mom Sleep" from the video game Jet Set Radio).

The song's hook also samples Jocelyn Brown's 1984 hit "Somebody Else's Guy".[1]

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that Michael "works up an impressive sweat amid a swirling array of funk-driven guitars and keyboards. Slinky urban/dance jam is one of several new songs by the singer on the new "Red Hot + Dance" benefit album. All artist and label profits will be donated to AIDS organizations. This bears all the marks of a well-deserved multiformat smash."[2] In 2017, BuzzFeed listed the song at number 60 in their list of "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs Of the '90s".[3] Amy Linden from Entertainment Weekly called it a "slinky, disco-fever-redux hit".[4] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report commented that Michael "delivers just the type of sound a lot of longtime fans were hoping for. He rides this groove with a sexy undercurrent reinforced by sampling the voice of Anne Bancroft seducing Dustin Hoffman in "The Graduate".[5] Music & Media described the song as a "funky and catchy number, underpinned by a persistent keyboard pattern."[6] In 2012, Porcys listed the song at number 62 in their ranking of "100 Singles 1990-1999".[7]

Music video

Fashion designer Thierry Mugler designed and created the costumes for the models in the song's video,[8] which features Michael in two- to three-second appearances as a director filming a number of supermodels on the catwalk at a fictitious runway show, a concept similar to the one he used in the video for his 1990 single "Freedom '90."

The models featured in this video were Eva Herzigova, Linda Evangelista, Nadja Auermann, Emma Sjöberg, Estelle Hallyday, Shana Zadrick, Tyra Banks and Beverly Peele. Actresses Julie Newmar and Rossy de Palma, and the performance artists Joey Arias and Lypsinka are also featured. A "making of" video was also created.

The video's concept was written by Jeff Beasley after attending a benefit fashion show held by Mugler several months before in Los Angeles. Beasley worked at Propaganda Films, the production company where David Fincher directed "Freedom! '90" — the supermodel video on which "Too Funky" is based. Originally the same models from Fincher's video were going to be used, namely Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, and Tatjana Patitz. Mugler decided, however, that he wanted new models and only kept Evangelista for the project. The video was produced by Beasley and filmed by Mike Southon.

A rare "alternate edit" of the video includes several male models, including eventual Grey's Anatomy star Justin Chambers and Oscar-nominated actor Djimon Hounsou, who was discovered by Mugler in Paris, and sometimes can be found online.

Commercial performance

"Too Funky" reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart in 1992[9] and became that year's most played record in Europe. As of October 2017, the single sold 168,000 copies in UK.[10] In the US, the single debuted at number 84 on Billboard Hot 100, reaching its peak position of number 10 by its fourth week.[11] It sold more than 500,000 copies, being certified Gold by the RIAA.[12]

In Australia, "Too Funky" became the biggest gainer song ever in the top 50 of the Australian ARIA Singles Chart when it jumped from number 50 to number 8 (42 places), before reaching its peak position at number 3.[13] "Too Funky" held this record until 2009, when "3" by Britney Spears rose from number 50 to number 7 (43 places). In Canada, "Too Funky" peaked at number 6 on the RPM singles chart.[14]

Track listing

Charts and certifications

References

  1. Fulton, Rick (1 November 2013) "Soul singer Jocelyn Brown," The Daily Record. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  2. "Billboard: Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  3. Stopera, Matt; Galindo, Brian (11 March 2017). "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  4. "Red Hot + Dance". Entertainment Weekly. 14 August 1992. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  5. Sholin, Dave (5 June 1992). "Gavin Picks > Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report. No. 1908. p. 56. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  6. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 6 June 1992. p. 12. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  7. "100 Singli 1990-1999". Porcys (in Polish). 20 August 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  8. Borrelli-Persson, Laird (20 April 2016). ""Moulin Rouge Meets Vegas!" An Oral History of George Michael's 1992 "Too Funky" Video". Vogue. New York. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  9. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  10. "Remembering George Michael's Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1". Official Charts Company. 13 October 2017. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  11. "George Michael Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  12. "American single certifications – George Michael – Too Funky". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 15 August 2016. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  13. "Australian-charts.com – George Michael – Too Funky". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  14. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1953." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  15. "Austriancharts.at – George Michael – Too Funky" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
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  19. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9 no. 27. 4 July 1992. p. 24. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  20. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9 no. 26. 27 June 1992. p. 23. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  21. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
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  26. George Michael singles sales ranking. Retrieved 22 May 2011.
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  31. "Notowanie nr547" (in Polish). LP3. 14 August 1992. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  32. "Top 10 Portugal" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9 no. 32. 8 August 1992. p. 14. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
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  34. "Swisscharts.com – George Michael – Too Funky". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  35. "George Michael Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  36. "George Michael Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  37. "ARIA Charts - End Of Year Charts - Top 50 Singles 1992". ARIA. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  38. "Jaaroverzichten 1992" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
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  40. "The RPM Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1992" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 56 no. 25. 19 December 1992. p. 25. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
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