Sexual Harassment* – I Need A Freak

I remember how disappointed my older brother was when he bought this record. All these years later, I'm still on the fence. I like the beat enough, but overall... hmmm.

My copy has “no good” written on the center label and the inner sleeve. Imagine hearing this when it came out and thinking this is “no goodl” lol.

This pressing from 2004 is a bit more lo-fi than the re-release from Dark Entries back in 2021 (the hi end is a bit smoother and less compressed sounding in my opinion). I think I like this pressing more, even though it's 33 RPM and not 45.

“In these times/ Of Greed And Pain/
We Need A Remedy/To Take Us From The Pain”

…so starts Sexual Harrassment’s lurid electro-funk fantasy, ‘I Need A Freak’.
Formed in Cleveland in 1981 by Lynn Tolliver, Jr. and released in 1983, it quietly sold over 200,000 copies. The song prescribes an answer on to how to get by in a world gone so wrong. With the help of a freak.

Written by “David Peyton” and Produced by “Pat Frances”, both are in fact Tolliver, who’s mother told him “sometimes you need to hide before they see you.” It was released on 3 different labels, Heat, Great, and Montage Records, because Tolliver says the labels were trying to cheat him out of payment.

“I learned as a youngster, sex sells!” said Tolliver, reflecting on the groups dirty name and lyrics. They drew ire and contempt from the left and the right alike, with petitions being signed to have their songs be banned from radio play.

The song itself is quite minimal, with an instantly recognizeable (IYKYK!) rubberband-like bending bass note that flexs into a repeating, thrusting single note. It never lets up. Then theres the nursery-rhymesque 5 note hook that was later taken for the Black Eyed Peas ‘My Humps’. The song rides this dirty groove the whole time, accompanied by synthy squiggles and a wishlist of chants of what they need from their freak..

“I need a freak to hold me tight
I need a freak everyday and every night
I need a freak to kiss me wet
I need a freak to be my home computer set (Okay)
I need a freak with curly hair
When I need this freak, I need her to be there
I need a freak with flaying curves
I need a superfreak to calm my nerves (Help me out!)”

DJing, this song is a great tool. It has a quick tempo of 121 BPM, but also has a very unhectic vibe. It’s great for resetting the party, should the tempo be raging too hard or for bringing it up to a party pace, should things be slowing down a little much.

The album includes some other great cuts including ‘If I Gave You A Party’, ‘K-I-S-S-I-N-G’, and ‘You Are My Sexual Connection’,. The group played around until around 1987, but eventually petered out, with the group not traveling to meet their demand.

The song lives on though, with a great version by Too $hort, and more recently, being lifted by Tyga & Megan Thee Stallion with the cut ‘FREAK’. A true anthem for all the freaks out on the dancefloor or in the sheets.

Sadly, we lost Lynn Tolliver earlier this year in February. I hear they let freaks into heaven too. Thanks for the music Sexual Harrassment, and for making us all a little freakier, everyday and everynight.

This track is a minimal wave gem from 1982, prototechno the sort of "A number of names", Juan Atkins, etc. Tip

the only song I know, Egyptian Lover has made ​​a remake in 1994 on his Album "Back From The Tomb"

This song is much, much older than 2004. I clearly remember this song being played on two all black AM radio stations. It was the summer of 1983. That was a time when black music was only played on black radio stations. Most people didn't even care about Funk or R&B until the late 80s when many black musicians began crossing over. It was a lot better that way because musicians really cared about producing GOOD music, not just for profit like today.

Surprisingly freakish, suprisingly en vogue in the arty underground scene of Paris, craving anything electroclash -meets-hidden-desires. This of course put against the hype current today, 2004. Goes down down well as encore before any under-20 ultrist electro crowd in any country. play the John Selway Mix at the beginning of your set and prepare to enter the ranks of electro-stürmbannfüher.