“Rod Stewart Ultimate Hits” is released this week on Friday June 27th and to celebrate the release we are bringing you the low down on all the classic tracks that have been brought together for the first time in the compilation that includes songs ranging from his 1971 hit, “Maggie May” to selections from 2024’s “Swing Fever,”
Rod wasn’t on his own in the 70’s dabbling in disco David Bowie, The Rolling Stones. Paul McCartney and even Kiss all had a go but none of them were as popular or as criticised as Rod’s monster “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?”
Taken from Rod’s ninth studio album 1978’s “Blondes Have More Fun” It was written by Rod Stewart, Carmine Appice, and Duane Hitchings. The song was released as the first single from the album in November 1978. It spent one week atop the UK Singles Chart in December 1978 and four weeks at the top the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1979. Billboard ranked it number four on its Top Singles of 1979 year-end chart. It also topped the charts in Canada for four weeks and in Australia for two weeks.
It was not only a blockbuster hit for Rod but caused strong disagreements between Rod’s fans, Rod stated in Rod: The Autobiography “music was strewn with battle lines in those days, in ways that (God be praised) it no longer is.”
“Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” was about two people meeting at a club and getting together and it was done in full disco floor filler style but Rod didn’t get the respect he deserved for the extremely well crafted effort rather than just a band wagon jumping track, The song was criticised by many in the rock press as a betrayal of Rod’s blues-oriented rock roots but Rod’s vocals fitted the song perfectly and it was sang in a soulful and sexy style that also fitted the disc genre, Guitarist Jim Cregan attributed the song’s success to the bass guitar line played by Phil Chen, saying “That particular bass pattern, when he played that, the whole song seemed to fall into place. I was doing my Nile Rogers impersonations.” Rod pointed out that he had always “mixed things up” on his records, genre-wise, so recording disco felt like a logical progression. He had also said that while the song was taking shape, he was listening to Chic and the classic dance floor track “Native New Yorker” by Odyssey and The Rolling Stones‘ 1978 smash “Miss You” “a rock band’s take on disco, a blend that really appealed to me. And so the question was ‘Can we come up with something along the lines of that?'” Rod.
Jim Cregan also claimed that the song was “inspired in part” by The Rolling Stones‘ “Miss You” and Rod’s old Faces mate Ian McLagan, who played electric piano on “Miss You” claimed that “It’s a rip-off of ‘Miss You'”.
The hit uses the melody from the song “Taj Mahal” by Jorge Ben Jor and the string arrangement from the song “(If You Want My Love) Put Something Down On It” by one of Rod’s heroes Bobby Womack. A copyright infringement lawsuit by Brazilian musician Jorge Ben Jor was issued and case was settled amicably according to Jorge Ben Jor, in his favor. Rod later admitted in his 2012 autobiography to “unconscious plagiarism” of the Jorge Ben Jor song, which he had heard while attending the Rio Carnival in 1978. He also admitted that he had consciously lifted the song’s signature synthesizer riff from the string arrangement from Bobby Womack but that it is legal to lift a line from any song’s arrangement as long as the core melody line is not copied.
“If I ever wrote a song which put a fly in the ointment or a spanner in the works – it’s this one,” Rod said in his 1989 “Storyteller” collection. “It was frightening, stirring up so much love and hate at the same time: most of the public loved it; all of the critics hated it. I can understand both positions.” And also in Rod: The Autobiography he said, “Music critics… wrote off ‘Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?’ as the work of a terrible show-off. It was only a pop record, but you’d have thought I’d poisoned the water supply… It didn’t help that the marketing campaign for the single had me stretched out in full Spandex-clad glory beneath the slogan ‘Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?'” But critics change and in 2004 Rolling Stone placed the song at number 301 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Speaking in Esquire in 2012, Rod said: “I used to be embarrassed to sing ‘Da Ya Think I’m Sexy,’ but people love it. So it’s in the show.”
Royalties from the song were donated to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Rod performed the song at the Music for UNICEF Concert at the United Nations General Assembly in January 1979.
Carmine Appice, who played drums on this song, told Songfacts: “This was a story of a guy meeting a chick in a club. At that time, that was a cool saying. If you listen to the lyrics, ‘She sits alone, waiting for suggestions, he’s so nervous…’ it’s the feelings of what was going on in a dance club. The guy sees a chick he digs, she’s nervous and he’s nervous and she’s alone and doesn’t know what’s going on, then they end up at his place having sex, and then she’s gone.”.
“Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” was promoted by a great video of Rod and the band performing the song on a television screen. watched by Rod and his love interest played by Norwegian Playboy model Lillian Müller.
Bruce Gowers who directed the video told SMILER 2022 “This time round the girl in the video Lillian Müller actually was given a proper audition, This video was innovative at the time, when most bands wanted performance, we shot the song on stage and then it’s on the TV in the bar when Rod meets the girl, mixing performance and story was a new angle. The bedroom was a set on the same stage, that scene went very well, convincing…Rod really fancied Lillian.”
And in 2023 Lillian told SMILER “I received a call from my agent about doing an audition, I wasn’t sure how many other girls were being considered, but I recall finding out very quickly that I was chosen, I remember feeling that this was somehow meant to be, Back then there were a few times that I was mistaken for Britt Ekland.”
Keeping at the front of current trends Rod released a limited to 300,000 edition 12″ re-mix version by Jim Burgess And the album was also released as a limited edition 100,000 copy picture disc.
Rod also earned Grammy nominations in three different genres, “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” was nominated for Best Pop Vocal, Male, and for Best Disco Recording . Rod also had a nomination for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male, for “Blondes (Have More Fun).”
Chart (1978–1979)
Argentina 2
Australia (Kent Music Report) 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) 8
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) 3
Canada Top Singles (RPM) 1
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) 1
Canada Disco 30 (RPM) 7
Finland (Finnish Singles Chart) 9
France (SNEP) 2
Ireland (IRMA) 5
Japan (Oricon) 12
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 4
Netherlands (Single Top 100) 6
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 2
Norway (VG-lista) 2
Portugal Singles Chart 1
Spain (AFYVE) 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) 11
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) 8
UK Singles (OCC) 1
US Billboard Hot 100 1
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard) 5
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard) 1
US Cash Box Top 100 Singles 1
West Germany (GfK) 9
Year-end charts 1978
Australia (Kent Music Report) 95
UK Singles (OCC) 18
Year-end charts (1979)
Australia (Kent Music Report) 7
Belgium (Ultratop) 47
Canada Top Singles (RPM) 15
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 90
Netherlands (Single Top 100) 71
US Billboard Hot 100 4
West Germany (Media Control) 39
All-time charts (1958–2018)
US Billboard Hot 100 180
Certifications
Belgium — 100,000
Denmark — 10,000
France (SNEP) Gold 500,000
United Kingdom (BPI) Gold 500,000
United States (RIAA) Platinum 2,000,000
In 1997, the song was remixed by British electronic dance music group N-Trance for their second album, “Happy Hour” that features remixed vocals sampled from Rod’s version and lyrics from the Millie Jackson version performed by vocalist Kelly Llorenna. It was featured in the film A Night at the Roxbury the following year. This version became a hit in late 1997, topping both the New Zealand Singles Chart for three weeks and the Czech Republic singles chart. Additionally, the song peaked at number seven on the UK Singles Chart and earning a double-platinum sales certification in Australia, where it peaked at number three on the ARIA Singles Chart.
On 25 August 2017, Rod released a remix version, which features a guest appearance from American band DNCE. He sings along with Joe Jonas, the lead singer of the band. Rod and DNCE performed the song together at 2017 MTV Video Music Awards two days later.
Most of the music for this song was written by drummer Carmine Appice, who had recently joined The Rod Stewart Group .
In 2004 Appice recorded his own version with Vanilla Fudge and again with Pat Travers in 2005, In 2021, Carmine Appice and Fernando Perdomo released an instrumental rock album, Energy Overload, that includes what Eric Harabadian of Music Connection Magazine describes as a “harmonic and rhythmic renovation” of “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” And after Rod rejected the original arrangement for the song, Appice instead used it for “I Just Fell in Love Again” on Carmen Maki’s 1979 album “Night Stalker”, which he was working on at the same time.
It is Rod’s most re-mixed song and several [Far too many to list] remixes of “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” are available online. including the “Blow-Up Remix“, a Halou Remix, and edits by Barry&Gibbs. There are also other remixes, like one by Mason Flint and a Zimmer rework, plus a remix radio version. You can find some of these on platforms like Spotify, SoundCloud, and YouTube.
And also Rod’s most covered song with covers of all different styles and quality by [Are you sitting comfortably?]….In no particular order
Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Paris Hilton, Cassandra Beck, Şenay, Revolting Cocks, Girls of FHM, Seitsemän Seinähullua Veljestä, Tom Jones, Zdzisława Sośnicka, Tiny Tim, Sabrina, Cumbia Moderna De Soledad, I’M’L, Cam Fox, Steve Dahl and Teenage Radiation, Gabriel Iglesias and Gustavo Santaolalla, Denise LaSalle, Milly Carlucci, K, KGB Chicken, Queen of Japan, Fausto Papetti, Romina Johnson, The Benzedrine Monks of Santo Domonica, Suna Yıldızoğlu, Gene Summers, Danny Darko, Glee Cast feat. Darren Criss, Hybrid Kids, Millie Jackson, , Those Darn Accordions feat. Clyde Forsman, Eldissa, Kayah, Triggerfinger feat. Little Trouble Kids, Disco Light Orchestra, Cacciola feat. Felicia Punzo, Garou, The Weather Girls, Brotherhood of Man, Vargas Blues Band, Ima (Canadian Singer), Hermes House Band, Dekret, Power Music Workout, Nomady Soul, Los Omni, LM.ORG and Donna Sisley, Van Jones and Mary Diggs, The Hindley Street Country Club, Smilers, Star Academy, Pink Lady, The Top of the Poppers, 8 Bit Universe, Doc Severinsen and National Philharmonic Orchestra, Christopher John, Filip D’haeze, Azucarillo Kings, Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star, International YOYO Orchestra and Margaux De Fouchier….Thanks to https://www.whosampled.com/ for this amazing list.
Blondes Have More Fun Personnel
Rod Stewart Band
Rod Stewart – vocals
Gary Grainger, Billy Peek – guitar
Jim Cregan – guitar, backing vocals
Phil Chen – bass guitar, backing vocals
Carmine Appice – drums, backing vocals
Invited guests
Fred Tackett – acoustic guitars
Nicky Hopkins – piano
Duane Hitchings – keyboards, synthesizer
Roger Bethelmy – drums
Paulinho Da Costa, Tommy Vig – percussion
Gary Herbig – flute
Phil Kenzie, Tom Scott – tenor saxophone
Steve Madaio – trumpet
Mike Finnigan – background vocals
Max Carl Gronenthal – background vocals
Linda Lewis – vocals
Catherine Allison – piano, background vocals
Del Newman – string arrangements
Production
Tom Dowd – producer, mixing
Andy Johns – engineer, mixing
George Tutko, David Gerts – assistant engineers
Mixed at Smoke Tree and Cherokee Studios.