Superfly (song)
Encyclopedia
"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 Pop
chart. The lyrics
celebrate the craftiness and determinaton of the film's main character. The song plays over the film's closing credits
.
The bassline
and the rototom
percussion
break
from the song's introduction
(performed by Joseph "Lucky" Scott and "Master" Henry Gibson, respectively) have repeatedly been sampled
in songs including Beastie Boys
' "Egg Man
", The Notorious B.I.G.
's "Ready to Die
Intro", 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
.
The song appeared in the 2009 film Madea Goes to Jail.
and R&B
band jacksoul
on their album mySOUL
.
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
, the title track from his 1972
1972 in music
-Events:*January 17 – Highway 51 South in Memphis, Tennessee is renamed "Elvis Presley Boulevard"*January 20 – The début of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon at The Dome, Brighton, is halted by technical difficulties,...
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)
Freddie's Dead
"Freddie's Dead" is a song by Curtis Mayfield. It was the first single from his 1972 soundtrack album for the film Super Fly. The single was released before the Super Fly album, and in fact before the film itself was in theaters. The song peaked at #4 on the U.S...
", and reached #8 on the Billboard Pop
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...
chart. The lyrics
Lyrics
Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of...
celebrate the craftiness and determinaton of the film's main character. The song plays over the film's closing credits
Closing credits
Closing credits or end credits are added at the end of a motion picture, television program, or video game to list the cast and crew involved in the production. They usually appear as a list of names in small type, which either flip very quickly from page to page, or move smoothly across the...
.
The bassline
Bassline
A bassline is the term used in many styles of popular music, such as jazz, blues, funk, dub and electronic music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass, double bass, tuba or keyboard...
and the rototom
Rototom
Rototoms are drums which have no shell. They consist of a single head in a die-cast zinc or aluminum frame. Unlike most other drums, they have a variable definite pitch. Composers are known to write for them as tuned instruments, demanding specific pitches. Rototoms are often used to extend the tom...
percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
break
Break (music)
In popular music, a break is an instrumental or percussion section or interlude during a song derived from or related to stop-time – being a "break" from the main parts of the song or piece....
from the song's introduction
Introduction (music)
In music, the introduction is a passage or section which opens a movement or a separate piece. In popular music this is often abbreviated as intro...
(performed by Joseph "Lucky" Scott and "Master" Henry Gibson, respectively) have repeatedly been sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
in songs including Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
' "Egg Man
Egg Man
Egg Man is the 4th track on Paul's Boutique by American hip hop group the Beastie Boys, released on July 25, 1989.* Produced & written by the Beastie Boys & the Dust Brothers.* Engineered by Mario Caldato & Allen Abrahamson.-Samples:*Aliens...
", The Notorious B.I.G.
The Notorious B.I.G.
Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
's "Ready to Die
Ready to Die
Ready to Die is the debut album of American rapper The Notorious B.I.G., released September 13, 1994 on Bad Boy Records. The first release on the label, it features production by record producer and Bad Boy founder Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier, and Lord Finesse,...
Intro", and Nelly's "Tilt Ya Head Back
Tilt Ya Head Back
"Tilt Ya Head Back" is a single by rapper Nelly that features pop singer Christina Aguilera, released in 2004, from Nelly's album Sweat.-Background:...
" featuring Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera
Christina María Aguilera is an American recording artist and actress. Aguilera first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993–1994...
. Mayfield himself sampled the original song in "Superfly 1990", a duet he recorded with rapper Ice-T
ICE-T
* Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains...
.
The song appeared in the 2009 film Madea Goes to Jail.
Covers
The song was covered by Canadian soulSoul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
and R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
band jacksoul
Jacksoul
jacksoul, sometimes stylized as jackSOUL, was a Canadian soul and R&B band. Based in Toronto, the band was fronted by singer Haydain Neale, and was best known for their hits "Can't Stop" and "Still Believe in Love"....
on their album mySOUL
MySOUL
mySOUL is the fourth album by Canadian R&B/soul band jacksoul, released in 2006. The album comprises mainly covers of rock, pop and soul songs, although it also includes one original song by jacksoul singer and songwriter Haydain Neale....
.