Strokin'

"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.

"Strokin'" was reputedly deemed too ribald for a public release or radio play, so the record company placed the records in jukeboxes, where bar patrons discovered the song.[2] "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 (1987) Peak
position
Jet's Top 20 Singles[3] 6
Chart (1988) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[4] 24
Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[5] 1
Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[6] 1
UK Singles (OCC)[7] 82
UK Dance[8] 31
Chart (1989) Peak
position
Australia Dance (DMI)[9] 6
Import Dance Sales (AUS)[10] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 2
Chart (1997) Peak
position
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[12] 124
"Still Strokin'" - Priority One
Chart (1990) Peak
position
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[13] 20

Year-end charts

Chart (1988) Position
Canada Dance (RPM) 5
Chart (1989) Position
Import Dance Sales (AUS) 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 50
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
Chart (2023) Position
The 100 Best Pop Songs Never to Hit the Hot 100 (Billboard)[14] 79

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[15] Platinum 100,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[16] Platinum 10,000*
United States (RIAA)[17] Platinum 1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Clarence Carter – Strokin' / Dr. CC (1986, Vinyl) - Discogs". Discogs.
  2. ^ "Strokin' by Clarence Carter". Songfacts. Archived from the original on June 2, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  3. ^ "Jet". Johnson Publishing Company. 9 February 1987.
  4. ^ "Clarence Carter – Strokin'". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  5. ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 8704." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  6. ^ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 8704." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  7. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  8. ^ "Music Week" (PDF). unknown. 21 February 1988.
  9. ^ https://messui.polygonal-moogle.com/top50/dance198905.pdf
  10. ^ https://messui.polygonal-moogle.com/top50/dance198811.pdf
  11. ^ "Clarence Carter – Strokin'". Top 40 Singles.
  12. ^ "Clarence Carter Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  13. ^ "Priority One – Still Strokin'". Top 40 Singles.
  14. ^ "The 100 Best Pop Songs Never to Hit the Hot 100: Staff List". Billboard.
  15. ^ "Canadian single certifications – Clarence Carter – Strokin'". Music Canada.
  16. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Clarence Carter – Strokin'". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 2024-11-20.
  17. ^ "American single certifications – Clarence Carter – Strokin'". Recording Industry Association of America.
  18. ^ Strauss, Neil (12 February 1998). "The Pop Life; Clarence Carter on Persevering". The New York Times.