"Strokin'"
Single by Clarence Carter
from the album Dr C.C.
B-side
  • "Dr. C.C.'"
Released1986
Recorded1984
Genre
Length6:23
LabelIchiban
Songwriter(s)Clarence Carter
Clarence Carter singles chronology
"Messin' With My Mind"
(1985)		 "Strokin'"
(1986)		 "G-Spot"
(1990)

"Strokin" is a song written and performed by Clarence Carter, featured on the 1986 album "Dr. C.C."[1] It remained on the New Zealand music charts for 46 weeks and reached #2 in the 1990 Year-end chart.

Background

"Strokin'" was based on a 1981 song that Carter recorded called "Love Building," where over a similar groove, he sings about "workin'." "Love Building," got a great response when he played it live, and Carter started improvising the "I'm strokin'" line, which went over well with audience members who recognized it as a term for sex. When he was working on his Dr. C.C. album, Carter decided to rework "Love Building" as "Strokin'."

"Strokin'" was reputedly deemed too ribald for a public release or radio play, so the record company decided to do something unheard of. They produced singles, but instead of marketing them to stores or radio, they placed them in jukeboxes, where bar patrons discovered the song. DJs started playing the song at weddings. Strip clubs put it in hot rotation. "Strokin'" became a minor sensation and helped Carter's Dr. C.C. album sell about 150,000 copies. It's claimed that Strokin' has sold over 1.5 million singles.

"Strokin'" was given further acclaim when it was used in the Eddie Murphy remake of The Nutty Professor. It was most recently used in William Friedkin's film Killer Joe.

Charts

Chart (1988) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[2] 24
Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[3] 1
UK Singles (OCC)[4] 82
Chart (1989) Peak
position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[5] 2
Chart (1997) Peak
position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[6] 124
"Still Strokin'" - Priority One
Chart (1990) Peak
position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[7] 20

Year-end charts

Chart (1988) Position
Canada Dance (RPM) 5
Chart (1990) Position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 2

All-time charts

All-time chart performance for "Strokin'"
Chart (1989–2023) Position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 44

Certifications

[8]

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[9] Platinum 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[10] Platinum 10,000*
United States (RIAA)[11] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ "Clarence Carter – Strokin' / Dr. CC (1986, Vinyl) - Discogs". Discogs.
  2. ↑ "Clarence Carter – Strokin'". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  3. ↑ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 8704." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  4. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  5. ↑ "Clarence Carter – Strokin'". Top 40 Singles.
  6. ↑ "Clarence Carter Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  7. ↑ "Priority One – Still Strokin'". Top 40 Singles.
  8. ↑ Strauss, Neil (12 February 1998). "The Pop Life; Clarence Carter on Persevering". The New York Times.
  9. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Clarence Carter – Strokin'". Music Canada.
  10. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Clarence Carter – Strokin'". Recorded Music NZ.
  11. ↑ "American single certifications – Clarence Carter – Strokin'". Recording Industry Association of America.
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