Leave The Mask On

November 2, 2009 7:56 AM

Help me find music about sexin' up Superheroes! I'm running an event based on Yoe's "Secret Identity" and I need background music that references a bunch of things and/.or sounds like something The Silk Specter would enjoy.

Ideally these songs should be about any or all of these things:


Superheroes/Masked Avengers

Secret Identity/Double Lives

Sex/Kink/Lust/Etc

Music from the 40s-50s greatly preferred but not necessary. I want to mood to bend more toward "wink wink nudge nudge" kinky rather than darker or more aggro sounds.

posted by The Whelk to Media & Arts (25 answers total)

Response by poster: Oh! and yes the final song will be "Superheroes" from Rocky horror.
posted by The Whelk at 7:58 AM on November 2, 2009

"Pocketful of Kryptonite" by the Spin Doctors?

Although it's more after Lois Lane than Superman.
posted by scarykarrey at 8:02 AM on November 2, 2009

"Cliff Hanger" by Blackalicious?

It's a little more sexy-noir-occult-being than sexy-superhero but it's the best i got.
posted by 256 at 8:10 AM on November 2, 2009

Are you ready for awesome? Please take a moment and prepare yourself for awesome. Ready now? All right.

Sun Ra and The Blues Project's Batman And Robin [1966]
posted by koeselitz at 8:22 AM on November 2, 2009 [2 favorites]

See especially Robin's Theme [MP3]
posted by koeselitz at 8:24 AM on November 2, 2009

Also, if you choose to play a cover of The Batman Theme, please select the mod-tastic (and completely fab) version by The Who.
posted by koeselitz at 8:32 AM on November 2, 2009

These are not the right tone, but are thematically related:
Four Color Love Story, by The Metasciences
The Supermen by David Bowie
posted by He Is Only The Imposter at 8:39 AM on November 2, 2009

By the way, you may as well peruse this vast index of songs and albums which refer specifically to certain superheros.
posted by koeselitz at 8:50 AM on November 2, 2009

Oh yeah, you shouldn't forget the Ramones' original Spider-Man.
posted by koeselitz at 8:55 AM on November 2, 2009

Ooh, ooh: another one (brainstorming good this AM) - Laurie Anderson's O Superman. Great tune.
posted by koeselitz at 8:57 AM on November 2, 2009

Response by poster: Ha Koeselitz! I was just thinking of using cortex's over of O Superman cause the original might be *too* creepy and airy.

Then again, if it followed "Venus In Furs" ...hmmmmmm
posted by The Whelk at 9:02 AM on November 2, 2009

For 40s/50s Lust/Kink/Sex, Cole Porter has you covered for a lot of that. You can find versions of these by a whole lot of artists.

I've Got You Under My Skin, Love For Sale, Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love), Anything Goes, Just One Of Those Things, Always True To You in My Fashion, I Get a Kick Out Of You, Night and Day, Let's Misbehave, You're the Top. I'm sure I'm missing plenty of others.

Patriotism:
Count Basie and His Orchestra: For The Good Of Your Country

Superpowers?
Frank Sinatra & Count Basie, Fly Me To The Moon
posted by fings at 9:14 AM on November 2, 2009

Donovan's Sunshine Superman comes to mind. Also, Captain Sky's Super Sporm, The Fugs' Super Girl, Suzi Quatro's Official Suburban Superman.
posted by klangklangston at 9:49 AM on November 2, 2009

Surely you've heard the the Marvel World of Icarus. Certainly something in this truly underrated album will be useful.
posted by jabberjaw at 10:18 AM on November 2, 2009

"That's really Super, Supergirl" by XTC
posted by not_on_display at 10:42 AM on November 2, 2009 [1 favorite]

Tough to go wrong with Nat King Cole. I'm not that familiar with WWII-era torch singers, but the list in the Wiki article is not a bad place to start, especially if you're willing to stretch the date parameters to fit the mood, which really should be geared more toward the boudoir than the battlefield.
posted by Halloween Jack at 10:44 AM on November 2, 2009

Response by poster:
Tough to go wrong with Nat King Cole

Do you think if I opened the show with "Unforgettable" I could get the comic nerds to *literally explode*?
posted by The Whelk at 10:48 AM on November 2, 2009

Super Sexy Woman by Sufjan Stevens
posted by matildaben at 11:24 AM on November 2, 2009

Superman Lover - Johnny "Guitar" Watson (song starts at 1:25)
Super sex - Morphine
posted by shothotbot at 11:34 AM on November 2, 2009

Degobah by Butter 08. Butter 08 was a side project of whosit from the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion and Miko of Cibo Matto and later Gorillaz. Whole ep is fantastic. A rawkin song about Yoda, Degobah is.
posted by Babblesort at 12:15 PM on November 2, 2009

Not finding any perfect matches, but how about

Back Door Santa (not the original but this version is more bluesy than Jet's cover)

Joan Armatrading - The Weakness in Me

Amy Winehouse - Me and Mr. Jones

Me'Shell NdegéOcello - Who Is He And What Is He To You

I can think of some more, but they're definitely getting away from the 40s and more risque than wink wink nudge nudge.
posted by cali59 at 1:14 PM on November 2, 2009

The Bottomless Cup Jazz Orchestra plays instrumental jazz pieces inspired by comic book characters (mostly more obscure characters from major publishers, like Sasha Bordeaux). That link has samples of some of them and I think you can download them further down the page.
posted by otolith at 1:51 PM on November 2, 2009

The Jam's cover of the Batman theme is great.
Bobby Valentin did a track called "Batman's Boogaloo".
Celi Bee & the Buzzy Bunch's Superman is a sleazy disco classic, as is Jan Leslie Holmes' Superman. And don't forget the Wonderland Disco Band's Wonderwoman.

It's not a party track, but Last Emperor's Secret Wars should be listed here for its depiction of 90s hiphop stars vs Marvel Superheroes.
posted by stachemaster at 2:15 PM on November 2, 2009

Oh, and I forgot the classic "Riddler" track by the man who played his likeness on the 60's TV show - Frank Gorshin!
posted by stachemaster at 2:18 PM on November 2, 2009

Response by poster: Okay Music Monster Mefites, I have a mis

Unforgettable - Nat King Cole
(Cause it's the right mood I want for the opening and its in the Watchmen movie and I like geek explosion)
Love Theme From Superman
Let's Misbehave - Eartha Kitt
(So smokey, so suggestive, so right)
You're My Thrill - Billi Holiday
(Also from the Watchmen Soundtrack, also the right mood)
It's A bird! It's a Plane! - Overture
(from the Broadway flop. Contains the swoony line "Oh Superman! You've saved me again!)
Spiderman Theme - Micheal Buble'
(I need it for a joke to work)
Teach me Tiger
(that''s the joke, omgsuchanerd)
Do You Want To Know A Secret? - Beatles
That's Really Super, Supergirl -XTC
( not_on_display , this was *such* a perfect choice)
Whip It - Devo
Superman - Ides Of March
Batman And Robin Swing - Sun Ra
(also perfect)
Superman Lover - Johnny Guitar Watson
Superman Theme - John Williams
The Supermen - David Bowie
(where it starts to get daaaark)
I Put A Spell On You - Nina Simone
Venus In Furs - Velvet Underground
O Superman - Laurie Anderson
Angel - Massive Attack
Baby's On Fire - The Venus In Furs
(this just sounds like a superhero song to me)
Loving The Alien - David Bowie
(cause he's...an alien, okay just go with me on this)
posted by The Whelk at 12:09 PM on November 6, 2009 [1 favorite]