Atlantic Starr was among the top urban contemporary acts of the '80s and fa… Read Full Bio ↴Atlantic Starr was among the top urban contemporary acts of the '80s and fared well in the adult contemporary market as well, but their roots were '70s soul and funk. The East Coast outfit was formed in White Plains, NY, in 1976 by three brothers: lead singer/guitarist David Lewis, lead singer/keyboardist Wayne Lewis, and trombonist/percussionist Jonathan Lewis. After the Lewis Brothers hired lead singer Sharon Bryant, trumpeter William Sudderth, saxophonist Damon Rentie (who was replaced by Koran Daniels in 1981), bassist Clifford Archer, drummer Porter Carroll, Jr., and percussionist/flutist Joseph Phillips, Atlantic Starr's original nine-person lineup was in place. Influenced by '70s funk/soul bands like Earth, Wind & Fire, the Commodores, New Birth, and L.T.D., Atlantic Starr started playing around the northeastern U.S. They had only been together for about two years when they signed with A&M and started working with Bobby Eli, a well-respected producer/songwriter from Philadelphia. Produced by Eli in 1978, Atlantic Starr's self-titled debut album wasn't a mega-platinum blockbuster but did reasonably well and contained the funk hit "Stand Up" (which made it to number 16 on Billboard's R&B singles chart). Eli went on to produce the band's second album, Straight to the Point; while that 1979 release did OK, A&M knew that Atlantic Starr could be bigger. So in 1981, the band changed producers and enlisted James Carmichael for their third album, Radiance. It was a wise move; Radiance and its hit single "When Love Calls" established Atlantic Starr as a supergroup in the R&B market. It was on Radiance that the charismatic Bryant (who was featured on "When Love Calls") really blossomed as a singer and her lead vocals played a major role in the band's success. Carmichael went on to produce 1982's "Brilliance" (which contained the number two R&B single "Circles") and 1983's Yours Forever; the latter includes "Touch a Four Leaf Clover," another major hit featuring Bryant.

Although Bryant was never Atlantic Starr's only lead singer -- Wayne and David Lewis also provided their share of lead vocals -- she was a major asset. So it came as quite a disappointment when she left Atlantic Starr in 1984 to pursue a solo career. But all was not lost. The talented Barbara Weathers was hired as a replacement and 1985's As the Band Turns -- Atlantic Starr's first post-Bryant album and sixth album overall -- found the outfit unveiling a smaller lineup that consisted of Weathers, the Lewis Brothers, and Phillips. Sudderth, Daniels, Archer, and Carroll were all gone, but despite those personnel changes, Atlantic Starr was still distinctive and recognizable. As the Band Turns, which contained the major hit "Secret Lovers," turned out to be Atlantic Starr's last album for A&M; in 1987, they moved to Warner Bros. and fared well with the album All in the Name of Love and the smash hit "Always." A syrupy adult contemporary ballad, "Always" reflected the Lewis Brothers' desire to have the type of crossover success that Whitney Houston and Lionel Ritchie had been enjoying in the '80s; they got their wish when "Always" soared to number one on both the pop and R&B charts.

After All in the Name of Love, Weathers left the band to pursue a solo career and was replaced by Porscha Martin, who was featured on 1988's We're Movin' Up. Martin was around for a few years before being replaced by Rachel Oliver (Atlantic Starr's fourth female vocalist) in the early '90s. Atlantic Starr's relationship with Warner Bros. ended after 1991's Love Crazy, and in 1994, the band recorded one album for Arista: Time. That album was a commercial disappointment and the single "I'll Remember You" only made it to the fifties on Billboard's R&B and pop singles charts. Time (which was David Lewis' last album with the band) found a fifth female singer, Aisha Tanner, replacing Oliver. And when 1999's Legacy was distributed by the small, independent Street Solid label, Atlantic Starr unveiled yet another lineup -- one that consisted of two Lewis Brothers (Wayne and Jonathan) as well as Oliver (who had returned and replaced Tanner) and a new male singer named DeWayne Woods. Although Legacy received very little attention, Atlantic Starr hung in there and was still performing for die-hard fans when the 21st century arrived.

Freak-A-Ristic
Atlantic Starr Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She's hot, she's freak-a-ristic

Last night, when I
Walked into the joint
Everyone felt the sweat
Oh, so wet

Walked into the crowd

To get with the freaks
Everyone doing the dance
I even saw the freak of the week

She was wearing those red shoes
Everybody replied, she's hot
And as she moved em to
The rhythm of a beat
Everybody fell apart

All of a sudden, she turned her head
Eyes full of flame
I was hypnotized, mesmerized
I didn't even know my name

Well, well, well
She was the finest thing
I had ever seen
Fresh as she could be
Freaky lovely thing
Turned on me

She's freak-a-ristic
She's freak-a-ristic

She took me by the hand
Led me to the back
Almost had a heart attack
She took me to a dark space
In her place

We had a date, our own space
She grabbed me around my neck
And pulled her head to hers
That's when I felt
My blood pressure ?

Take this ? home
Where we could be all alone
And turn it out 'cause
You're freak-a-ristic

She was the finest thing
I had ever seen (yeah)
Fresh as she could be
Freaky lovely thing (do you)
Turned on me (oh)

She's freak-a-ristic
She's a freak
She's freak-a-ristic
She's a freak-a-ristic thing

She's freak-a-ristic
Hynotized me, mesmerized me
She's freak-a-ristic
Love the way she moves (oh)

She was the finest thing
I had ever seen
Fresh as she could be
Freaky lovely thing
Turned on me (oh)

She's freak-a-ristic
Ooh, she's fresh and she's fine
She's freak-a-ristic
Can't get her off my mind

She's freak-a-ristic
Sweet tender thing, tender thing
She's freak-a-ristic
She's hot, yeah, she's a freak

Yeah, she's freak-a-ristic
Oops, she's the freaky
Freak of the freaky land
She's freak-a-ristic
Getting her off my mind

She's freak-a-ristic
Freak of the week
Freak of the week
She's freak-a-ristic
She's hot

She's a freak, hot
She's a freak to me

She's freak-a-ristic
Getting her off my mind

Overall Meaning

The song "Freak-A-Ristic" by Atlantic Starr is a fast-paced and seductive song that tells a story about the singer encountering a woman who he finds wildly attractive, and taken by her unique way of moving on the dance floor. The song's lyrics focus on the physical attraction between the singer and the woman, and the seductive, almost animalistic attraction the woman holds over him. He describes her dancing as "freak-a-ristic" and says that he is "hypnotized" and "mesmerized" by her, even to the point where he loses track of his surroundings and can't recall his own name.

The lyrics also mention the woman's clothing, especially her red shoes, as being particularly appealing, and describe how the singer feels as though the woman has "turned on" him. The woman then takes the singer by the hand and leads him to a private space where she can "turn it out", showing him her full range of movements in a more intimate setting. Overall, "Freak-A-Ristic" is a song about physical attraction and the seductive power of dance and movement.

Line by Line Meaning

She's hot, she's freak-a-ristic
The girl being described is attractive and has a wild, unique personality

Last night, when I Walked into the joint Everyone felt the sweat Oh, so wet
The singer entered a crowded and sweaty club full of energized people

Walked into the crowd To get with the freaks Everyone doing the dance I even saw the freak of the week
The singer joined in the fun and even saw the most unique person on the dance floor

She was wearing those red shoes Everybody replied, she's hot And as she moved em to The rhythm of a beat Everybody fell apart
The girl in the red shoes caught people's attention and was irresistible with her dance moves

All of a sudden, she turned her head Eyes full of flame I was hypnotized, mesmerized I didn't even know my name
The artist was captivated by the intensity of the girl's gaze and became spellbound

Well, well, well She was the finest thing I had ever seen Fresh as she could be Freaky lovely thing Turned on me
The singer was awestruck by the girl's beauty and was struck by her boldness

She's freak-a-ristic She's freak-a-ristic
The singer repeats that the girl is uniquely fascinating and different

She took me by the hand Led me to the back Almost had a heart attack She took me to a dark space In her place
The girl took the artist away from the crowd and into a secluded area in her home

We had a date, our own space She grabbed me around my neck And pulled her head to hers That's when I felt My blood pressure ?
The two of them had a romantic moment where the girl embraced the artist, causing excitement

Take this ? home Where we could be all alone And turn it out 'cause You're freak-a-ristic
The girl invites the artist to her place for some private time because of her unique, uninhibited nature

She's the finest thing I had ever seen Fresh as she could be Freaky lovely thing Turned on me
The singer continues to express his admiration of the girl's beauty and unconventional personality

She's freak-a-ristic Ooh, she's fresh and she's fine She's freak-a-ristic Can't get her off my mind
The girl is still on the artist's mind, and he can't stop thinking about her unique qualities

She's freak-a-ristic Sweet tender thing, tender thing She's freak-a-ristic She's hot, yeah, she's a freak
The girl is a combination of sweetness and wildness, and the singer is still very attracted to her

She's freak-a-ristic Freak of the week Freak of the week She's freak-a-ristic She's hot
The girl is considered the most fascinating and intriguing person around and is still hot in the singer's eyes

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: David Lewis

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

DJ A-TROIT

2y↑5

Wow...haven't heard this in 36 years (I had to look up the release year 😁😁)...man I feel old as hell now

Tamyra shields-clayton

4y↑4

This takes me back to my partying days. I stayed on the dance floor, a flashback from the past.

Lawrence Hawkins

3y↑5

I just heard this in the grocery store. Who knew this was a real song?!?!

scriplinque

3y↑4

When I was a kid, I thought this was the music I would hear in my head when I say "her"... pop my collar and walk over noddin'... "She was the finest thang I ever seen..."