Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?

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"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy"
Single by Rod Stewart
from the album Blondes Have More Fun
B-side "Dirty Weekend" (UK)
"Scarred and Scared" (US)
Released 10 November 1978
Format 7" vinyl, 12" vinyl
Recorded 1978
Genre Disco
Length 5:28 (Album version)
6:29 (12" Version)
4:05 (Single Version)
Label Warner Bros.
Writer(s) Rod Stewart, Carmine Appice, Duane Hitchings
Producer(s) Tom Dowd
Rod Stewart singles chronology
"I Was Only Joking"
(1978)
"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"
(1978)
"Ain't Love a Bitch"
(1979)
Music video
"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" on YouTube

"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" is a song by the British singer Rod Stewart from his 1978 album Blondes Have More Fun. It was written by Stewart, Carmine Appice and Duane Hitchings,[1] though it incorporates elements of the melody from the song "Taj Mahal" by Jorge Ben Jor.

The song featured on Stewart's album Blondes Have More Fun, and was released as a single in November 1978. It spent one week at the top of the British charts in December 1978 and four weeks at the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 in February 1979. Billboard ranked it number four on its Top Singles of 1979 year-end chart.[2] It also topped the charts in Australia for two weeks.

Royalties from the song were donated to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and Stewart performed the song at the Music for UNICEF Concert at the United Nations General Assembly in January 1979.[3]

Rolling Stone ranked the song at #308 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[4]

Background and writing

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."[5] In a 2007 interview, co-writer Duane Hitchings noted that "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" was <templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />

"a spoof on guys from the 'cocaine lounge lizards' of the Saturday Night Fever days. We Rock and Roll guys thought we were dead meat when that movie and the Bee Gees came out. The Bee Gees were brilliant musicians and really nice people. No big egos. Rod, in his brilliance, decided to do a spoof on disco. VERY smart man. There is no such thing as a "dumb" super success in the music business."[6]

Criticism

The song was criticized by many in the rock press as a betrayal of Stewart's blues-oriented rock roots, due to its disco-like arrangement, but Stewart and others were quick to point out that other widely respected artists, such as Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones, had also released disco-flavoured songs. It was also alleged that Stewart created the song through partial musical plagiarism. A copyright infringement lawsuit by Brazilian musician Jorge Ben Jor claimed the song had been derived from his song "Taj Mahal". The case was "settled amicably" according to Jorge Ben Jor.[7] Stewart admitted to "unconscious plagiarism" of the Ben Jor song in his 2012 autobiography Rod: The Autobiography.[8] However, the song has since experienced some retrospective acclaim as Rolling Stone placed the song at #308 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[9]

Charts and certifications

N-Trance featuring Rod Stewart version

"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy"
File:N-Trance - Da Ya single.jpg
Single by N-Trance featuring Rod Stewart
from the album Happy Hour
Released 13 October 1997
Format CD single
Genre Eurodance
Length 3:59
Label Sony
Writer(s) Rod Stewart, Carmine Appice, Duane Hitchings
Producer(s) Curds, Whey
N-Trance featuring Rod Stewart singles chronology
"The Mind of the Machine"
(1997)
"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?"
(1997)
"Paradise City"
(1998)

In 1997, the song was remixed by English techno-house group N-Trance for their second album Happy Hour and features lyrics from the Millie Jackson version (as performed by vocalist Kelly Llorenna). It was featured in the film A Night at the Roxbury the following year.

Chart positions

Chart (1997–1998) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[34] 3
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[35] 9
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[36] 15
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[37] 10
Denmark (IFPI)[38] 7
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[39] 5
France (SNEP)[40] 33
Germany (Official German Charts)[41] 15
Ireland (IRMA)[19] 10
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[42] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[43] 13
Norway (VG-lista)[44] 10
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[45] 15
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[46] 21
UK (Official Charts Company)[47] 7

Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
New Zealand (RMNZ)[48] Platinum 15,000

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

|}

References

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  2. "Top Singles of the Year" Billboard December 22, 1979: TIA-10
  3. (AP) "Frost Sets UNICEF Show" The Robesonian 30 November 1978: 1
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  7. Interview with Ben Jor Expatica.com
  8. Stewart, Rod. Rod: The Autobiography (2012): 225-226
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  11. "Austriancharts.at – Rod Stewart – Da' Ya' Think I'm Sexy" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  12. "Ultratop.be – Rod Stewart – Da' Ya' Think I'm Sexy" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
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  17. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. You have to use the index at the top of the page and search "Rod Stewart"
  18. "Officialcharts.de – Rod Stewart – Da' Ya' Think I'm Sexy". GfK Entertainment.
  19. 19.0 19.1 Search for Irish peaks
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    13. Da ya think I'm sexy? - Rod Stewart [#3]
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  22. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Rod Stewart search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  23. "Charts.org.nz – Rod Stewart – Da' Ya' Think I'm Sexy". Top 40 Singles.
  24. "Norwegiancharts.com – Rod Stewart – Da' Ya' Think I'm Sexy". VG-lista.
  25. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  27. "Swedishcharts.com – Rod Stewart – Da' Ya' Think I'm Sexy". Singles Top 60.
  28. "Swisscharts.com – Rod Stewart – Da' Ya' Think I'm Sexy". Swiss Singles Chart.
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  32. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Enter Da Ya Think I'm Sexy in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
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  34. "Australian-charts.com – N-Trance feat. Rod Stewart – Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  35. "Austriancharts.at – N-Trance feat. Rod Stewart – Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  36. "Ultratop.be – N-Trance feat. Rod Stewart – Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  37. "Ultratop.be – N-Trance feat. Rod Stewart – Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  38. Billboard: Hits of the World (20 December 1997)
  39. "N-Trance feat. Rod Stewart: Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  40. "Lescharts.com – N-Trance feat. Rod Stewart – Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" (in French). Les classement single.
  41. "Officialcharts.de – N-Trance feat. Rod Stewart – Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?". GfK Entertainment.
  42. "Charts.org.nz – N-Trance feat. Rod Stewart – Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?". Top 40 Singles.
  43. "Nederlandse Top 40 – N-Trance featuring Rod Stewart search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40.
  44. "Norwegiancharts.com – N-Trance feat. Rod Stewart – Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?". VG-lista.
  45. "Swedishcharts.com – N-Trance feat. Rod Stewart – Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?". Singles Top 60.
  46. "Swisscharts.com – N-Trance feat. Rod Stewart – Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?". Swiss Singles Chart.
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Preceded by UK number-one single
2 December 1978
Succeeded by
"Mary's Boy Child – Oh My Lord" by Boney M
Preceded by Billboard Hot 100 number-one single (Rod Stewart version)
10 February 1979 - 3 March 1979
Succeeded by
"I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor
Preceded by
"Keep on Dancin'" / "Do It at the Disco" / "Let's Lovedance Tonight" by Gary's Gang
Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one single
24 February 1979 – 10 March 1979
Succeeded by
"I Got My Mind Made Up (You Can Get It Girl)" by Instant Funk
Preceded by Australian Kent Music Report number-one single
29 January 1979 – 5 February 1979
Succeeded by
"C'mon Aussie C'mon" by The Mojo Singers