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| B-side = Crazyman Dance
| B-side = Crazyman Dance
| released = {{start date|1992|6|1|df=y}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1992/MW-1992-05-30.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=21|date=30 May 1992|access-date=20 June 2021}}</ref>
| released = {{start date|1992|6|1|df=y}}<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1992/MW-1992-05-30.pdf|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=21|date=30 May 1992|access-date=20 June 2021}}</ref>
| recorded =
| recorded = 1991
| studio =
| studio =
| venue =
| venue =

Revision as of 04:25, 11 October 2021

"Too Funky"
Single by George Michael
from the album Red Hot + Dance
B-side"Crazyman Dance"
Released1 June 1992 (1992-06-01)[1]
Recorded1991
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"
(1993)
Music video
"Too Funky" on YouTube

"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-10 hit in several regions, including Europe, Australia, and North America.

In 2020, Slant Magazine placed the song at number 55 in their list of "The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time".[2]

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 included 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.

A line by Anne Bancroft's ("I am not trying to seduce you... Would you like me to seduce you? Is that what you're trying to tell me?") from The Graduate appears in the 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".[3]

Critical reception

Scottish newspaper Aberdeen Press and Journal commented, "George obviously having a go at trying to get into the dance scene with this too-fiinky number which rings of Bobby Brown and Michael Jackson."[4] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote that the singer "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." He added, "This bears all the marks of a well-deserved multiformat smash."[5] BuzzFeed listed it at number 60 in their list of "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s" in 2017.[6] Cashbox deemed it a "simple, funky dance send-up".[7] Amy Linden from Entertainment Weekly called it a "slinky, disco-fever-redux hit".[8] Evening Herald said that the "steamy" single is about a "big build-up to a seduction", "but it's got a depressing end. Some things never change, but we can definitely tell you that although George's hair is shorter these days, he's still got the same beard."[9] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report stated 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".[10]

Music & Media described the song as a "funky and catchy number, underpinned by a persistent keyboard pattern."[11] Alan Jones from Music Week commented, "Released 10 years to the week after George made his recording debut with the instantly successful Wham Rap, it's a muscular, mid-tempo urban dance contender bass-based with some nice piano fills. George groupies, dance fans and casual record buyers alike will warm to it, with obvious chartresults."[12] Victoria Segal from NME wrote, "A consummate narcissist - "I'd love to see you naked, baby... maybe tonight, if that's alright", he intones coolly on the staccato seduction of 'Too Funky'".[13] Porcys listed the song at number 62 in their ranking of "100 Singles 1990-1999" in 2012.[14] Bunny Sawyer from Smash Hits gave it four out of five, commenting, "a fab stomp-along beat...a triumphant return to form."[15]

Commercial performance

"Too Funky" reached number 4 on the UK Singles Chart in 1992[16] and became that year's most played record in Europe.[citation needed] As of October 2017, the single sold 168,000 copies in UK.[17] In the US, the single debuted at number 84 on Billboard Hot 100, reaching its peak position of number 10 by its fourth week.[18] It sold more than 500,000 copies, being certified Gold by the RIAA.[19]

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.[20] "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.[21]

Music video

Fashion designer Thierry Mugler designed and created the costumes for the models in the song's video,[22] which shows 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 appearing 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 shown. 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.

Track listing

Charts and certifications

References

  1. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 30 May 1992. p. 21. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  2. ^ "The 100 Best Dance Songs of All Time". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  3. ^ Fulton, Rick (1 November 2013) "Soul singer Jocelyn Brown," The Daily Record. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  4. ^ Aberdeen Press and Journal. 28 May 1992. p. 11. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Billboard: Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  6. ^ Stopera, Matt; Galindo, Brian (11 March 2017). "The 101 Greatest Dance Songs of the '90s". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 31 March 2020.
  7. ^ "Music Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Cashbox. 27 June 1992. p. 5. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Red Hot + Dance". Entertainment Weekly. 14 August 1992. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  9. ^ Evening Herald. 13 June 1992. p. 30. Retrieved 28 November 2020.
  10. ^ Sholin, Dave (5 June 1992). "Gavin Picks > Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report. No. 1908. p. 56. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  11. ^ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 6 June 1992. p. 12. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  12. ^ "Mainstream: Singles - Pick of the Week" (PDF). Music Week. 9 May 1992. p. 10. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  13. ^ Segal, Victoria. "GEORGE MICHAEL – Ladies And Gentlemen - The Best Of George Michael". NME. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  14. ^ "100 Singli 1990-1999". Porcys (in Polish). 20 August 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  15. ^ "New Singles". Smash Hits. 13 May 1992. p. 56. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  17. ^ a b "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.
  18. ^ a b "George Michael Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  19. ^ a b "American single certifications – George Michael – Too Funky". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
  20. ^ a b "George Michael – Too Funky". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  21. ^ a b "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1953." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ "George Michael – Too Funky" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  24. ^ "George Michael – Too Funky" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  25. ^ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 1991." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  26. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 1956." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  27. ^ a b c "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 27. 4 July 1992. p. 24. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  28. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 26. 27 June 1992. p. 23. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  29. ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  30. ^ "George Michael – Too Funky" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  31. ^ "George Michael – Too Funky" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  32. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Too Funky". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  33. ^ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 34. 22 August 1992. p. 24. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  34. ^ "ジョージ・マイケルのシングル売り上げランキング" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  35. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 27, 1992" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  36. ^ "George Michael – Too Funky" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  37. ^ "George Michael – Too Funky". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  38. ^ "George Michael – Too Funky". VG-lista. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  39. ^ "George Michael – Too Funky". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  40. ^ "George Michael – Too Funky". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  41. ^ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 13 June 1992. p. 18. Retrieved 29 September 2020.
  42. ^ "George Michael Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
  43. ^ "George Michael Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  44. ^ "1992 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
  45. ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1992" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  46. ^ "The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1992" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 56, no. 25. 19 December 1992. p. 8. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  47. ^ "The RPM Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1992" (PDF). RPM. Vol. 56, no. 25. 19 December 1992. p. 25. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  48. ^ "1992 Year-End Sales Charts" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9, no. 51/52. 19 December 1992. p. 17. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  49. ^ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1992" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  50. ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1992". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  51. ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1992" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  52. ^ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1992" (in German). Retrieved 12 May 2019.
  53. ^ "Year End Charts: Top Singles". Music Week. 16 January 1993. p. 8.
  54. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1992". Retrieved 30 July 2010.
  55. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2016 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 15 August 2016.
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