(October 20, 2021) “I Wanna Do (Something Freaky To You)”, Leon Haywood’s 1975 ode to uninhibited passion, has been inspiring two generations of listeners to get up (or lay down). The song’s lyrics celebrating and describing (albeit in a metaphorical way) sexual exploration and freedom were risqué at the time, and when you consider the difficulty songs with similar subject matter and/or sonic, ahem, flourishes had in getting airplay, it would not be surprising if Haywood’s bedroom funk struggled initially to find a home on the airwaves.
(October 20, 2021) “I Wanna Do (Something Freaky To You)”, Leon Haywood’s 1975 ode to uninhibited passion, has been inspiring two generations of listeners to get up (or lay down). The song’s lyrics celebrating and describing (albeit in a metaphorical way) sexual exploration and freedom were risqué at the time, and when you consider the difficulty songs with similar subject matter and/or sonic, ahem, flourishes had in getting airplay, it would not be surprising if Haywood’s bedroom funk struggled initially to find a home on the airwaves.
The radio police couldn’t keep “I Wanna Do (Something Freaky To You)” off the airwaves, nor could they prevent the song from becoming one of the defining tunes of that subgenre of funk. A little less than 20 years later, the song – or at least the ultra-funky bass line – fell into the hands of a couple of men who knew a thing or two about locking horns with the content police. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg’s sample of “I Wanna Do (Something Freaky To You)” for their 1993 hit “Nuthin’ But a G Thang” helped make that tune one of the defining songs of West Coast hip-hop and one of the greatest rap songs ever.
Now, a little less than 20 years after “G Thang,” flautist Jef Kearns gives us another reimagining of Haywood’s classic that honors the original, as well as Dre and Snoop’s hip-hop gem. The track includes many homages to the 1993 rap classic, such as scratching on the turntable and Kearns using his flute to allude to the bassline sample that Dre used in “G Thang. In Alana Bridgewater, Kearns finds a vocalist who can ably recreate the soul, sensuality, urgency and passion that Haywood brought to the original. And of course, this would not be a Jef Kearns joint if he didn’t bring a touch of jazz to the proceeding as he improvises on the flute and then engages in a creative conversation with the saxophone.
There’s a lot going on, and a lot to hold the listener’s attention. Check out our World Premiere of Kearns’ new version of “I Wanna Do (Something Freaky To You)” here.
By Howard Dukes
World Premiere!
Jef Kearns feat. Alana Bridgewater
"I Wanna Do (Something Freaky To You)"