Superfly (song)

"Superfly" is a song by Curtis Mayfield, the title track from his 1972 soundtrack 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.[3] The lyrics celebrate the craftiness and determination of the film's main character. The song plays over the film's closing credits.

"Superfly"
Single by Curtis Mayfield
from the album Superfly
B-side"Love to Keep You in My Mind"
ReleasedOctober 1972
Genre
Length3:08 (single edit)
3:53 (album version)
LabelCurtom/Buddah
CR-1978
Songwriter(s)Curtis Mayfield
Producer(s)Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield singles chronology
"Freddie's Dead (Theme From Superfly)"
(1972)		 "Superfly"
(1972)		 "Future Shock"
(1973)

The bassline and the rototom percussion break from the song's introduction (performed by Joseph "Lucky" Scott and "Master" Henry Gibson, respectively)[4] 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.[5]

Chart history

Later uses

"Superfly" was sampled at the end of the 1973 break-in record, "Super Fly Meets Shaft" (US #31).

The song appeared in the 2009 film Madea Goes to Jail, the 2012 film Dark Shadows, and the 2019 supernatural horror film The Curse of La Llorona.

Covers

"Superfly" was sampled in the 1973 break-in record, "Super Fly Meets Shaft" (US #31).

The song was sampled by hip hop group Outkast on their 1998 album Aquemini on the track "Return of the 'G'".

The song was covered by Canadian soul and R&B band jacksoul on their 2006 album mySOUL.

References
  1. "100 Greatest Funk Songs". Digital Dream Door. August 7, 2008. Archived from the original on September 25, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  2. Reed, Ryan (November 10, 2022). "Psych-Rap: A Trippy History: Inside hip-hop's legacy of mind expansion, from acid-rock to A$AP Rocky". Tidal. Retrieved 2023-08-16.
  3. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 285.
  4. Galloway, A. Scott (1999). In Super Fly (p. 8) [CD liner notes]. Burbank, CA: Rhino Records.
  5. "Superfly". Rap Sample FAQ. Accessed October 31, 2007.
  6. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
  7. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 285.
  8. Cash Box Top 100 Singles, January 20, 1973
  9. Musicoutfitters.com
  10. Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 29, 1973


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