"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" is a 1978 hit song for Rod Stewart.
It was written by Stewart and Carmine Appice, and produced by
Tom Dowd.
"Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" spent one week at the top of the
British charts in December 1978 and four weeks at the top of
the Billboard Hot 100, starting February 10, 1979.
The song was criticized by many in the rock press as a
betrayal of Stewart's blues-oriented rock roots due to its
disco-like arrangement, but Stewart and others were quick to
point out that other widely respected artists, such as Paul
McCartney and The Rolling Stones, had also released
disco-flavoured songs.
Carmine Appice,who played drums on this song told Songfacts:
"This was a story of a guy meeting a chick in a club. At that
time, that was a cool saying. If you listen to the lyrics, 'She
sits alone, waiting for suggestions, he's so nervous...' it's
the feelings of what was going on in a dance club. The guy sees
a chick he digs, she's nervous and he's nervous and she's alone
and doesn't know what's going on, then they end up at his place
having sex, and then she's gone."
In 2004 Rolling Stone ranked the song #301 on their list of
The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
A 12" disco single of the song was released in 1978. The
song was remixed by disco producer Jim Burgess. It ran one
minute longer than the lp version at 6:29 and contained two
alternate recorded lines and a heavier bass enthused drum
beat.
A judgment in a plagiarism lawsuit by Brazilian musician
Jorge Ben Jor ruled that the song had been derived from his
composition "Taj Mahal". Stewart agreed to donate all his
royalties from the song to United Nations Children's Fund.
"Taj Mahal" is recognisable (and was legally recognised in a
plagiarism lawsuit) as the source of the melody in Rod
Stewart's hit "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?". "Taj Mahal" originally
appeared on 1972's "Ben" album, becoming a big hit on the
charts in Brazil that year.
Stewart performed the song at the Music for UNICEF Concert
at the United Nations General Assembly in 1979. The song also
lifts a musical refrain from Bobby Womack's 1975 song, "(If You
Want My Love) Put Something Down On It".