"(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" | ||||
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Single by The Kinks | ||||
from the album Low Budget | ||||
B-side | "Low Budget" | |||
Released | 26 January 1979 (UK) 12 March 1979 (US) |
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Format | 7" single | |||
Recorded | January 1979 - June 1979, Konk Studios | |||
Genre | Rock, disco | |||
Length |
3:36 5:57 (12" extended) |
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Label | Arista | |||
Songwriter(s) | Ray Davies | |||
Producer(s) | Ray Davies | |||
The Kinks UK singles chronology | ||||
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The Kinks US singles chronology | ||||
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Low Budget track listing | ||||
11 tracks
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"(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" is a song written by Ray Davies that was first released on the Kinks' 1979 album, Low Budget. The song, inspired by Superman: The Movie, employs a disco beat and lyrics that describe the singer's wish to be like the fictional character Superman (Christopher Reeve). The song's disco style was created as a response to Arista Records founder Clive Davis's request for "a club-friendly record," despite Ray Davies' hatred of disco.
The song was released as the lead single from Low Budget, becoming a moderate hit in North America. It has since appeared on numerous compilation and live albums.
"(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" was inspired by Ray Davies watching Superman: The Movie in late 1978. Ray Davies has said that the song was written as a joke in response to a request by music producer Clive Davis, who was then running Arista Records, for a record to appeal to clubs. Davies said of this: "It was kind of a joke, taking the piss out of Clive [Davis] wanting us to do a club-friendly record."
I've always admired Superman comics. I went to see the film when it came out at Christmas - that Christmas was three years ago - I was overwhelmed ... I thought it was so true to the comic books and I wanted to write kind of a rock disco cause I hate disco music as a rule ... but now we've got a sort of mix with a rock and roll backbeat and it works real well.
"(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman", as well as its B-side, "Low Budget", were the first songs recorded for the Low Budget album, although, unlike the rest of the album which was recorded in New York, the tracks were cut in Konk Studios. The band's recently hired studio engineer, John Rollo, said of the sessions for the two songs, "The album before [Low Budget, Misfits] was beautifully recorded, but not that rock and roll. I think the first two songs [I did] went extremely well and the band wanted to spend some time in New York, to get away from distractions and kept it as a raw band recording."