Right Said Fred Biography
British dance-pop trio Right Said Fred scored a U.S. number one single in early '92 with "I'm Too Sexy," perhaps the most ubiquitous novelty song of the '90s. The group was formed by brothers and Sussex-natives Richard and Fred Fairbrass (the latter of whom handled lead vocals); guitarist Rob Manzoli was added to flesh out the sound, and their name was actually the title of a 1962 U.K. Top Ten single by Bernard Cribbins. Inspired by the male models who frequented the gym where the Fairbrass brothers worked, the group cut a rough demo of "I'm Too Sexy" and, convinced that they were on to something, borrowed £1,500 to produce a finished master with a proper mix. Dismayed by the lack of record company interest, promoter Guy Holmes released the single on his own Tug label, and there was no stopping it once it hit the BBC airwaves. The song's campy, tongue-in-cheek lyrics, coupled with Fairbrass' deadpan speak-sing, made it a worldwide smash, and the video -- prominently showcasing the brothers' shaven heads and bare chests -- became just as incessant as the catchphrase. "I'm Too Sexy" topped the American charts for three weeks, making Right Said Fred the first British act to accomplish that feat with a debut single since the Beatles. The follow-ups, "Don't Talk Just Kiss" and "Deeply Dippy" (taken from the group's debut album Up), were major U.K. hits, with the latter becoming Right Said Fred's first number one hit in their homeland; however, neither single made much of an impact in the U.S. outside of dance clubs, since they weren't quite as campy as the public had come to expect. The non-album single "Stick It Out," a benefit for Comic Relief, became Right Said Fred's fourth Top Five hit in the U.K. in 1993, the same year their second album Sex and Travel was issued; however, with the group already pegged as a one-hit wonder in the U.S., the record wasn't even released Stateside. Frustrated, Right Said Fred formed their own label and in 1996 returned with their third album, Smashing!, which featured the British hit "Big Time"; however, its limited distribution hurt its overall chances for commercial success. The band continued to tour Europe and record new material, though, with a new album having been rumored since about 1998. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
Popular Biographies:
Air formation Biography: Shoegazing's "classic" days in the U.K. may have been the early '90s, but that's not to say British bands after that couldn't find their own way to that combination of feedback, volume, and blissed...
Jaga jazzist Biography: Plenty of your hipper bands might vary their influences list with acts like Tortoise, Charles Mingus, and the Neptunes just to prove they are cool. With the risky, sprawling, and somehow serene Jaga...
Space Biography: Stealing from the campy styles of Echo & the Bunnymen and the infectious sounds of the Boo Radleys, Liverpool's Space wasn't going to become just another U.K. band to burst onto the "alternative"...
Heavenwood Biography: Largely inspired by the work of Scandinavian bands like Tiamat and Crematory, as well as homegrown heroes Moonspell, Portugal's Heavenwood released a pair of portentous goth metal albums in the...
Morifade Biography: Power metal -- an aggressive and hard-driving, yet melodic style of heavy metal that is associated with headbangers like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Helloween, King Diamond, and Queensrÿche --...
Popol vuh Biography: Of the many now-legendary artists to emerge from the Krautrock movement, few anticipated the rise of modern electronic music with the same prescience as Popol Vuh -- the first German band to employ a...
Eidolon Biography: One of Canada's premiere power metal bands, Toronto's Eidolon centers around brothers Glen (guitar) and Shawn Drover (drums), who launched the group simultaneously with their own studio (also dubbed...
Scarface Biography: Scarface quickly became the South's most admired rapper and remained so throughout the '90s after breaking away from the Geto Boys to launch his solo career in 1991. Even if he never scored any...