The Breakthrough of “I’m Too Sexy”

The band, along with guitarist Rob Manzoli, wrote “I’m Too Sexy” in 1990. Fred and Richard had to borrow money to demo the song, recording at night in a studio in Ealing that was in receivership to keep costs down. The final session was in London in early 1991.

Despite being rejected by every record label they approached, the band followed their gut feeling that the song was special. Opening with Richard’s a cappella vocal featuring the iconic lines, “I’m Too Sexy for my love, too sexy for my love, love’s going to leave me,” the single’s tongue-in-cheek, fun nature and independent spirit stood apart from other chart toppers of the time. Fred recalls that they “knew we had recorded something new and very different, we just didn’t know how successful it would prove to be”.

Fate intervened when the band’s teenage manager, Tamzin Aronowitz, got the track to DJ Gary Crowley and, crucially, to the producer of the Simon Bates Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 1. Simon Bates played the track, and its success rapidly followed. “I’m Too Sexy” spent six weeks at the No. 2 spot in the UK charts and four months in the UK top 10. Internationally, it was a No. 1 hit for three weeks on the US Billboard Charts and topped the charts in 32 countries.

Their next single, “Don’t Talk Just Kiss,” reached No. 3 in the UK charts at Christmas, hit No. 1 on the US dance chart, and found international success from Japan to South America. However, it was their third single, “Deeply Dippy,” that finally gave Right Said Fred their first UK No. 1, just nine months after “I’m Too Sexy” had secured its place in pop history.

Albums, Tours, and Independent Success

Following their initial hits, the band embarked on a world tour, spending much of 1992 on the road to promote their debut album, Up. The album was a massive success, achieving seven million sales worldwide, hitting No. 1 on the UK Album Chart, and reaching the top 10 globally.

They released their second album, Sex and Travel, which received critical acclaim and reached almost a million sales, prompting another tour. That same year, the band wrote and recorded the single “Stick It Out” for Comic Relief, which became another top 5 hit. The boys performed at the Royal Variety Performance with the Muppets in 1993 and performed with Spinal Tap in 1992 at MTV’s Spring Break.

After releasing two albums with Tug Records, Right Said Fred declared their independence, parting ways and releasing their third album, Smashing, on their own label, Happy Valley. This independent, self-funding spirit, combined with “being stubborn and sounding different,” became a defining factor, allowing them to avoid compromises.

Their success continued, with songs like “Living on a Dream” and “Big-Time” becoming chart-topping hits and fueling numerous tours around the world. Their fourth album, Fredhead, reached No. 2 in Germany, and the single “You’re My Mate” hit the No. 4 spot, with both achieving gold status. “You’re My Mate” was also adopted as the official song for the South African Rugby Team.

In 2002, they scored their first No. 1 in Japan with the single “Stand Up (For The Champions),” which became a huge sports anthem. The track was adopted by the Cincinnati Wild Cats when they won the NFL in 2003, and is regularly used by major football clubs like Borussia Dortmund, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich, and has been featured in successive FIFA World Cup Competitions. Right Said Fred performed at the 2006 World Cup opening ceremony in Germany in front of 200,000 fans and again in 2014 in front of 500,000 people.

Co-Writes and Modern Recognition

Fred and Richard Fairbrass have co-written ten international number one hits in countries including the US, Japan, and the UK. These include their own tracks like “I’m Too Sexy,” “Up,” and “Deeply Dippy,” as well as major modern hits like Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do,” Drake’s “Way Too Sexy,” and Beyoncé’s “Alien Superstar”. The success of “Stand Up” and Fredhead helped dismiss the “one hit wonder” tag, leading to global sporting event appearances.

In 2017, Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” was released, co-written by Right Said Fred and inspired by “I’m Too Sexy,” introducing their music to a new generation of fans. The single broke the record for the highest first-day streaming for a single track on Spotify and topped the charts in over 15 countries. In 2021, they went 5x Platinum as co-writers on Drake’s “Way Too Sexy”, and in 2022, they achieved their fourth US Billboard No. 1 as songwriters with Beyoncé’s “Alien Superstar”. They received their fifth Broadcast Music Award (BMI) for “Alien Superstar” in 2024. They were also honoured at the 2018 BMI Awards for Outstanding US Radio Airplay and Streaming.

Right Said Fred’s music has appeared in dozens of television shows and films, including Shrek, The Simpsons, Family Guy, Sex and the City, and Love Island, among many others.

In 2023, the Singles Album was released to critical acclaim, selling out its physical pre-orders and featuring the brand-new single “Spiritual War”. The brothers reached 1.5 billion streams as songwriters and artists in the same year.

Right Said Fred currently has over 1.3 million monthly Spotify listeners. They also released their first autobiography Still Too Sexy (Surviving Right Said Fred) to critical acclaim.

In 2024, they were back in the charts with “Sweet Harmony,” a cover of The Beloved’s 1993 hit, which reached the Top 5 across all UK club charts. Eric Kupper’s 2024 Remix of “I’m Too Sexy” reached No. 2 on the Pop Download Chart.

In 2025, Right Said Fred released “Wunderbar”  Featuring Bunny Tangent-Stitch, which reached No. 1 on the Heritage Chart, marking their 11th number one hit. Their shows in 2025 included South Africa, Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, New York, and Spain.

Right Said Fred are living proof that an independent approach to creating and promoting new music can survive and thrive in an industry dominated by major labels.

Call +44 1753 439 289 or email Great British Speakers today to book Right Said Fred for your corporate event. 

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