'Superfly' is the best movie of the short-lived 1970s blaxploitation boom which gave the world the better known, but less substantial 'Shaft'. The 'Shaft' series are incredibly entertaining movies, no argument there, but most of the films from this period starring Richard Roundtree, Fred Williamson, Jim Kelly,et al are essentially action movies which feature 'a black Dirty Harry', 'a black. 13 movie gaffes that made their scenes much better. From Leonardo DiCaprio dripping blood in 'Django Unchained' to Jamie Lee Curtis falling over mid-striptease in 'True Lies'. Super Fly is a 1972 American blaxploitation crime drama film directed by Gordon Parks Jr. And starring Ron O'Neal as Youngblood Priest, an African American cocaine dealer who is trying to quit the underworld drug business. The film is well known for its soundtrack, written and produced by soul musician Curtis Mayfield. It was released on August 4, 1972. O'Neal reprised his role as Youngblood Priest in the 1973 film Super Fly T.N.T., which he also directed. Producer Sig Shore directed a second se. If you've hummed along, tapped your feet, or even danced in your seat while watching 'Purple Rain,' 'Saturday Night Fever' or 'Trainspotting,' you're not alone.
| 'Superfly' | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Curtis Mayfield | ||||
| from the album Superfly | ||||
| B-side | 'Love to Keep You in My Mind' | |||
| Released | October 1972 | |||
| Genre | Funk, soul | |||
| Length | 3:08 (single edit) 3:53 (album version) | |||
| Label | Curtom/Buddah CR-1978 | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Curtis Mayfield | |||
| Producer(s) | Curtis Mayfield | |||
| Curtis Mayfield singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
'Superfly' is a song by Curtis Mayfield, the title track from his 1972soundtrack album for the film of the same name. It was the second single released from the album, following 'Freddie's Dead (Theme From Superfly)', and reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #5 on the Best Selling Soul Singles chart.[1] The lyrics celebrate the craftiness and determination of the film's main character. The song plays over the film's closing credits.
The bassline and the rototompercussionbreak from the song's introduction (performed by Joseph 'Lucky' Scott and 'Master' Henry Gibson, respectively)[2] have repeatedly been sampled in songs including Beastie Boys' 'Egg Man', The Notorious B.I.G.'s 'Ready to Die Intro', Goldie Lookin Chain's 'Pusherman' and Nelly's 'Tilt Ya Head Back' featuring Christina Aguilera. Mayfield himself sampled the original song in 'Superfly 1990', a duet he recorded with rapper Ice-T.[3]
Chart history[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
| Year-end charts[edit]
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Later uses[edit]
The song appeared in the 2009 film Madea Goes to Jail. The song also appeared in the 2012 movie Dark Shadows.
The song also appeared in the 2019 supernatural horror film The Curse of La Llorona.
Covers[edit]
The song was covered by Canadiansoul and R&B band jacksoul on their album mySOUL.
The song was sampled by hip hop group Outkast on their album Aquemini on the track 'Return of the 'G'.
References[edit]
- ^Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 285.
- ^Galloway, A. Scott (1999). In Super Fly (p. 8) [CD liner notes]. Burbank, CA: Rhino Records.
- ^'Superfly'.Rap Sample FAQ. Accessed October 31, 2007.
- ^'Official Charts Company'. Officialcharts.com.Missing or empty
|url=(help) - ^Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN0-89820-089-X
- ^Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 285.
- ^Cash Box Top 100 Singles, January 20, 1973
- ^Musicoutfitters.com
- ^Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 29, 1973
Superfly The Movie On Youtube
External links[edit]
Superfly Movie Full Movie
- Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
- Curtis Mayfield - Superfly on YouTube