"I Wanna Sex You Up" is a hit single for R&B group Color Me Badd

Color Me Badd

Color Me Badd was an R&B vocal group that was formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. The original members of the group were Bryan Abrams ; Mark Calderon ; Sam Watters and Kevin Thornton...

 in 1991, released as the first single from their debut album C.M.B.

C.M.B.

C.M.B. is the debut album of American recording act Color Me Badd, released July 23, 1991, on Giant Records. It was produced by several record producers, including Dr...

. It achieved a huge success in the U.S., UK and New Zealand, where it reached #1 on the charts. It spent four weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, but topped both the Billboard R&B and Dance charts.

Song information

The song spent three weeks at number-one on the UK Singles Chart

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

 and reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

. It was the 10th best-selling single of 1991 in the UK. An alternate version also appeared on the New Jack City

New Jack City

New Jack City is a 1991 crime film starring Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Mario Van Peebles, Judd Nelson, and Chris Rock. Snipes stars as Nino Brown, a rising drug dealer and crime lord in New York City during the crack epidemic...

soundtrack

New Jack City (soundtrack)

New Jack City is the original soundtrack to the 1991 film New Jack City released by Giant Records through Reprise Records and distributed by Warner Bros. Records. The soundtrack consists of eleven original songs, most of which were performed by chart-topping R&B and hip-hop artists of the time....

, and in 1992 the song won the group a Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Group, Band or Duo

Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Single, Group, Band or Duo

The Soul Train Music Award winners for Best R&B/Soul Single, Group, Band or Duo The Soul Train Music Award winners for Best R&B/Soul Single, Group, Band or Duo The Soul Train Music Award winners for Best R&B/Soul Single, Group, Band or Duo (sometimes awarded as Best Single - Group, Band or Duo,...

 and Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Song of the Year

Soul Train Music Award for Best R&B/Soul Song of the Year

The Soul Train Music Award winners for Best R&B/Soul Song of the Year The Soul Train Music Award winners for Best R&B/Soul Song of the Year The Soul Train Music Award winners for Best R&B/Soul Song of the Year (sometimes awarded as Best Single – of the Year or Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Song of...

. The "to the heart tick tock ya don't stop" soundbite is sampled from Doug E. Fresh

Doug E. Fresh

Douglas E. Davis , better known by the stage name Doug E. Fresh, is an American rapper, record producer, and beat boxer, also known as the Human Beat Box...

's "La Di Da Di

La Di Da Di

"La Di Da Di" is a rap song performed by Doug E. Fresh the beatboxer, and MC Ricky D as the rapper. It was originally released in 1985 as the B-side to "The Show". The song has since gained a reputation as an early hip hop classic, having been referenced in other hip hop songs.There are two...

." The bassline and the "I know you not gonna sing that song!" soundbite are sampled from Betty Wright

Betty Wright

Bessie Regina Norris, better known by her stage name, Betty Wright , is a Grammy winning Miami-based soul and R&B singer-songwriter, who won fame in the 1970s with hits such as "Clean Up Woman" and "Tonight Is the Night"...

's "Tonight is the Night." The chorus melody is from The Brothers Johnson song "Strawberry Letter 23". The song was also ranked at #40 on Blender

Blender (magazine)

Blender was an American music magazine that billed itself as "the ultimate guide to music and more". It was also known for sometimes steamy pictorials of celebrities....

's list of the "50 Worst Songs Ever" and VH1

VH1

VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...

's "100 Greatest Songs of the 90s".

Certain radio stations edited the word "sex" out of the song, so DJ

Disc jockey

A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...

's refer to the song as "I Wanna Love You Up".

Trivia

A sample of "I Wanna Sex You Up" has been used in the Kardinal Beats remix of "Tick Tock"

Tick Tock (song)

"Tick Tock" is the third single taken from British R&B singer Lemar's third album The Truth About Love. The single was confirmed for release by music retailer HMV UK and was released on 19 March 2007....

 by Lemar

Lemar

Lemar Obika , professionally known simply as Lemar, is an English recording artist. Obika has had a run of chart success in the UK, Europe and Australia...

.

The song can be heard in an episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their...

and in the films New Jack City

New Jack City

New Jack City is a 1991 crime film starring Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Mario Van Peebles, Judd Nelson, and Chris Rock. Snipes stars as Nino Brown, a rising drug dealer and crime lord in New York City during the crack epidemic...

, You Don't Mess with the Zohan

You Don't Mess with the Zohan

You Don't Mess with the Zohan is a 2008 American comedy film directed by Dennis Dugan, written by Carlito Cabardo, and produced by and starring Adam Sandler. This is the fourth film which has starred Sandler and has been directed by Dugan...

, and Nothing Like the Holidays.

It was recently covered by the Acafellas on the Episode 3 of Glee

Glee (TV series)

Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...

"Acafellas".

In an episode of Beavis & Butt-Head, comments were made saying that Color Me Badd

Color Me Badd

Color Me Badd was an R&B vocal group that was formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. The original members of the group were Bryan Abrams ; Mark Calderon ; Sam Watters and Kevin Thornton...

 was a "Super Suck Group" which included Kenny G

Kenny G

Kenneth Bruce Gorelick , better known by his stage name Kenny G, is an American, adult contemporary and smooth jazz saxophonist. His fourth album, Duotones, brought him breakthrough success in 1986...

, George Michael

George Michael

George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...

, and Snow

Snow (musician)

Darrin O'Brien , better known by his stage name Snow, is a Juno Award-winning Canadian rap and reggae musician. He is best known for his 1992 single "Informer", which reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.-Life and work:...

 when viewing the music video for this song. Butt-Head

Butt-head

Butt-head is a fictional character from the MTV animated series Beavis and Butt-head. He was voiced by the show's creator, Mike Judge.Mike Judge got the name Butt-head from his university days, when he knew a couple of kids who had the nicknames 'Iron Butt' and 'Butt-head'...

, who made the comments was of course referring to group members Sam Watters

Sam Watters

Sam Watters is a Grammy nominated American songwriter, record producer, singer, and record executive. Watters was a member of the multi-platinum selling 1990’s R&B group Color Me Badd and co-authored many of their hits including “I Wanna Sex You Up”, “I Adore Mi Amor”, and “All 4 Love”...

, Mark Calderon, and Bryan Abrams respectively. Butt-Head

Butt-head

Butt-head is a fictional character from the MTV animated series Beavis and Butt-head. He was voiced by the show's creator, Mike Judge.Mike Judge got the name Butt-head from his university days, when he knew a couple of kids who had the nicknames 'Iron Butt' and 'Butt-head'...

 also commented that if he "sang like a wuss" that he would get chicks.

Track listings

7" single

1. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (master mix) — 4:05
2. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (smoothed out mix) — 3:38

12" maxi

1. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (smoothed out mix) — 3:38
2. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (smoothed out - long version) — 5:13
3. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (instrumental) — 4:04
4. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (master mix) — 4:05
5. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (freeze mix) — 4:06

CD maxi

1. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (smoothed out mix) — 3:39
2. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (smoothed out mix - long version) — 5:14
3. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Instrumental) — 4:04
4. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (master mix) — 4:05
5. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (freeze mix) — 4:07

Cassette

1. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (master mix)
2. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (smoothed out mix)
3. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (master mix)
4. "I Wanna Sex You Up" (smoothed out mix)

Official Versions

• "I Wanna Sex You Up" (album version) — 4:06
• "I Wanna Sex You Up" (freeze mix) — 4:07
• "I Wanna Sex You Up" (Instrumental) — 4:04
• "I Wanna Sex You Up" (master mix) — 4:05
• "I Wanna Sex You Up" (smoothed out mix) — 3:39
• "I Wanna Sex You Up" (smoothed out mix - long version) — 5:14

Personnel

• Co-producer : Howie Tee
  Howie Tee
  Hitman Howie Tee is an English-born hip-hop DJ and producer of West Indian origin but raised in Brooklyn NY. Howie Tee is best known for his work with U.T.F.O, Chubb Rock, Special Ed and The Real Roxanne....
  
   , Spyderman
• Engineer : Angela Piva, Warren Woods
• Mastered by Eddy Schreyer
• Mixed by Dr. Freeze, Howie Tee
  Howie Tee
  Hitman Howie Tee is an English-born hip-hop DJ and producer of West Indian origin but raised in Brooklyn NY. Howie Tee is best known for his work with U.T.F.O, Chubb Rock, Special Ed and The Real Roxanne....
  
  
• Producer : Dr. Freeze

Cover versions

The television show Glee

Glee (TV series)

Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...

 featured a cover of the song in the episode "Acafellas

Acafellas

"Acafellas" is the third episode of the American television series Glee. The episode premiered on the Fox network on September 16, 2009. It was directed by John Scott and written by series creator Ryan Murphy...

". It was released as a bonus track on Glee: The Music, Volume 1

Glee: The Music, Volume 1

Glee: The Music, Volume 1 is the debut soundtrack album by the cast of the musical television series Glee, which airs on Fox in the United States. It features cover versions from the first nine episodes of the first season and was released on November 2, 2009 by Columbia Records and 20th...

 sold at Target.

Peak positions

Chart (1991)	Peak position
Australian ARIA Singles Chart	4
Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann...	11
Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays....	20
Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting...	2
French SNEP Singles Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry...	20
German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie...	4
Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured...	9
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand...	1
Norwegian Singles Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by...	5
Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association ....	5
Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75...	7
UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...	1
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...	2
U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales Hot Dance Singles Sales is a chart released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States, established in 1985. It measures the sale of commercially released singles that deal with dance music and remixes...	1
U.S. Billboard Hot R&B Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,...	1

End of year charts

End of year chart (1991)	Position
Australian Singles Chart	21
Dutch Top 40	18
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	2

Certifications

Country	Certification	Date	Sales certified
UK	Silver	June 1, 1991	200,000
U.S.	2x Platinum	June 27, 1991	2,000,000+

See also

• R&B number-one hits of 1991 (USA)
  R&B number-one hits of 1991 (USA)
  These are the Billboard magazine R&B singles chart number one hits of 1991:-Chart history:-Chart comparisons:*Seven songs have reached number-one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: "The First Time," "Gonna Make You Sweat ," "All the Man That I Need," "I Like the Way These are the Billboard magazine...
  
  
• List of number-one singles from the 1990s (UK)
• List of number-one singles in 1991 (NZ)