Superfly
Soundtrack by Curtis Mayfield
Released	July 1972
Recorded	1971 - 1972
Genre	Funk/Soul
Length	37:05
Label	Curtom
Producer(s)	Curtis Mayfield
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link BBC online link Pitchfork Media 98%link Q (9/94, p.128) Robert Christgau A- link Rolling Stone (not rated; erroneously listed as Superfly 1990 on the Rolling Stone website)link Tiger Sushi link warr.org link
Curtis Mayfield chronology
Roots (1971)	Superfly (1972)	Back to the World (1973)
Alternate cover
Deluxe 25th Anniversary Edition Cover

Superfly is a 1972 film soundtrack by Curtis Mayfield for the blaxploitation film Superfly. Widely considered a classic of early-1970s soul and released in July of 1972, Superfly was a nearly immediate hit. Its sales were bolstered by two million-selling singles, "Freddie's Dead" (#2 R&B, #4 Pop) and the title track (#5 R&B, #8 Pop). Cover of the Curtis Mayfield album Superfly. ... Soundtrack refers to the recorded sound accompanying a visual medium such as a motion picture, television show, or video game. ... Curtis Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, funk and R&B singer, songwriter and guitarist probably best known for his soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Superfly. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... Funk is a distinct style of music originated by African-Americans, e. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Curtom Records was the record label started by Curtis Mayfield after he left The Impressions in 1968. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the performers, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes . ... Curtis Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, funk and R&B singer, songwriter and guitarist probably best known for his soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Superfly. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 5_stars. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork and occasionally shortened to P4K or pfork,[1] is a United States-based daily Internet publication devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. ... Q is a music and entertainment magazinepublished monthly in the United Kingdom. ... Image File history File links 5_stars. ... Robert Christgau (sometimes abbreviated in print to Xgau), born April 18, 1942, is an American essayist, music journalist, and rock critic. ... Rolling Stone is an American magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published bi-weekly. ... Image File history File links 5_stars. ... Image File history File links 4_stars. ... Curtis Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, funk and R&B singer, songwriter and guitarist probably best known for his soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Superfly. ... Curtis Mayfield’s second studio album, containing the seminal “Beautiful Brother of Mine. ... The World was what US GIs in Vietnam called America, and acclimating back into the world could be a harrowing experience. ... Image File history File links Superfly25. ... See also: other events of 1972 list of years in music 1970s in music // January 17 - Highway 51 South in Memphis, Tennessee is renamed Elvis Presley Blvd January 20 - Pink Floyd debuts Dark Side of the Moon during a performance at The Dome, in Brighton, but due to technical difficulties... Curtis Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, funk and R&B singer, songwriter and guitarist probably best known for his soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Superfly. ... Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (Melvin Van Peebles 1971) Blaxploitation is a film genre that emerged in the United States in the early 1970s when many exploitation films were made that targeted the urban African American audience; the word itself is a combination of the words black and exploitation. Blaxploitation... Post of film Superfly is a 1972 (see 1972 in film) blaxploitation film known primarily for its soundtrack by soul singer Curtis Mayfield (see Superfly (soundtrack)). In fact, Superfly is the only movie ever to have been outgrossed by its soundtrack. ... For other uses, see Soul music (disambiguation). ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ...

Superfly, along with Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, was one of the pioneering soul concept albums, with its then-unique socially aware lyrics about poverty and drug abuse making the album stand out. The film and the soundtrack may be perceived as dissonant, since the Superfly film holds rather ambiguous - some will say sympathetic - views on drug dealers, whereas Curtis Mayfield's position is far more critical. Marvin Gaye (born Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr. ... Whats Going On is an album by American soul singer Marvin Gaye. ... A boy from an East Cipinang trash dump slum in Jakarta, Indonesia shows his find. ... Drug abuse has a wide range of definitions, all of them relating either to the misuse or overuse of a psychoactive drug or performance enhancing drug for a non-therapeutic or non-medical effect. ... Post of film Superfly is a 1972 (see 1972 in film) blaxploitation film known primarily for its soundtrack by soul singer Curtis Mayfield (see Superfly (soundtrack)). In fact, Superfly is the only movie ever to have been outgrossed by its soundtrack. ... Retail selling Street selling is the bottom of the chain and can be accomplished through purchasing from prostitutes, through cloaked retail stores or refuse houses for users in the act located in red-light districts which often also deal in paraphernalia, dealers marketing merriment at night clubs and other events... Curtis Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, funk and R&B singer, songwriter and guitarist probably best known for his soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Superfly. ...

Like What's Going On, the album was a surprise hit that record executives felt had little chance at significant sales. Due to its success, Mayfield was tapped for several film soundtracks over the course of the decade.

In 2003 the TV network VH1 named Superfly the 63rd greatest album of all time. Track number two, "Pusherman", has been selected among The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll . A television network is a distribution network for television content whereby a central operation provides programming for many television stations. ... VH1 (spelled VH-1: Video Hits One until 1994) is an American cable television channel that was created in January 1985 by Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, at the time a division of Warner Communications and owners of MTV. It and sister channel MTV are currently part of the MTV Networks... The Rock and Roll Hall of Fames 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll is based on the permanent exhibit of the same name. ...

In 2003, the album was ranked number 69 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Rolling Stone is an American magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture that is published bi-weekly. ... The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2003. ...

Track listing

All selections written and produced by Curtis Mayfield.

1. "Little Child Runnin' Wild" – 5:23
2. "Pusherman"– 4:50
3. "Freddie's Dead" – 5:27
4. "Junkie Chase" [instrumental] – 1:36
5. "Give Me Your Love (Love Song)" – 4:14
6. "Eddie You Should Know Better" – 2:16
7. "No Thing on Me (Cocaine Song)" – 4:53
8. "Think" [instrumental] – 3:43
9. "Superfly" – 3:55

Deluxe 25th Anniversary Collection

On November 11, 1997 Rhino Records released a 25th Anniversary collection of the Superfly album with a bonus disc of demo versions of songs, radio spots and interviews. November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rhino Entertainment is a specialty record label originally known for releasing retrospectives of famous comedy performers, including Stan Freberg, Tom Lehrer, and Spike Jones. ... A radio commercial (often called an advert in the United Kingdom) is a form of advertising in which goods, services, organizations, ideas, etc. ...

1. "Freddie's Dead (Theme from Superfly)" – 3:20
2. "Superfly" (Mayfield) – 3:08
3. "Ghetto Child (demo version)" (Mayfield) – 3:18
4. "Pusherman" (Mayfield) – 6:10
5. "Freddie's Dead" (Mayfield) – 4:48
6. "Junkie Chase (instrumental)" (Mayfield) – 4:18
7. "No Thing on Me (Cocaine Song)" (Mayfield) – 4:36
8. "Militant March {From "Score"}" (Mayfield) – 0:54
9. "Eddie You Should Know Better" (Mayfield) – 2:17
10. "Radio Spot #1" (Mayfield) – 0:28
11. "The Underground (demo version)" (Mayfield) – 3:13
12. "Check Out Your Mind" (Mayfield) – 4:06
13. "Radio Spot #2" (Mayfield) – 0:28
14. "Curtis Mayfield (interview)" – 7:02

1999 Re-Issue

In 1999 Rhino Records re-leased Superfly again but with only two bonus tracks. Rhino Entertainment is a specialty record label originally known for releasing retrospectives of famous comedy performers, including Stan Freberg, Tom Lehrer, and Spike Jones. ...

1. "Freddie's Dead (Theme from Superfly)" – 3:20
2. "Superfly" (Mayfield) – 3:08

2001 Re-Issue

On December 11, 2001 the British record label Charly Records re-released the album with several bonus tracks, similar to the 25th Anniversary release by Rhino in 1997. December 11 is the 345th day (346th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year 2001. ...

1. "Ghetto Child [demo version]" (Mayfield) – 3:18
2. "Pusherman [mix]" (Mayfield – 6:10
3. "Freddie's Dead [Instrumental Version]" (Mayfield – 4:48
4. "Junkie Chase [instrumental]" (Mayfield) – 4:17
5. "Militant March {From "Score"}" (Mayfield) – 0:54
6. "Eddie You Should Know Better [instrumental version]" (Mayfield) – 2:16
7. "No Thing on Me (Cocaine Song) [instrumental version]" (Mayfield) – 4:36
8. "Superfly [Single Mix]" (Mayfield) – 3:10
9. "Freddie's Dead [Single Mix]" (Mayfield) – 3:19
10. "Radio Spot #1" (Mayfield) – 0:27
11. "The Underground [demo version]" (Mayfield) – 3:12
12. "Check Out Your Mind [instrumental]" (Mayfield) – 4:05
13. "Radio Spot #2" (Mayfield) – 0:23

Personnel

• Curtis Mayfield - Composer, Vocals, Producer
• Roger Anfinsen - Engineer

Tributes

In 1988 the Los Angeles based ska/punk/funk/rock band Fishbone covered "Freddie's Dead" on their Truth and Soul record, which eventually became one of their anthems. Fishbone is a pioneering alternative rock band that plays a unique fusion of funk, ska, punk rock, reggae, heavy metal, and more. ... Truth and Soul is an album by Fishbone, released on September 13, 1988. ...

In 1998, the Alternative Country band Lambchop did a surprisingly straight-ahead cover of the song "Give Me Your Love (Love Song)" on their album What Another Man Spills. Alternative country can refer to several ideas. ... Lambchop is a band from Nashville, Tennessee. ... What Another Man Spills is a 1998 album by Lambchop. ...

Chart positions

Autographed Superfly LP

Billboard Music Charts (North America) - album Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1335x1365, 302 KB) Summary Autographed LP of Curtis Mayfields Superfly Licensing This image is of a music album or single cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the album or the artist... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1335x1365, 302 KB) Summary Autographed LP of Curtis Mayfields Superfly Licensing This image is of a music album or single cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the album or the artist... Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ...

Billboard (North America) - singles

External links

• Superfly at All Music Guide
• Collected reviews on Superseventies.com