Cameo - She's Strange (1984)

"She's Strange" is a 1984 funk single by Cameo, the title track from their tenth studio album She's Strange. Written and produced by Larry Blackmon with Tomi Jenkins, Nathan Leftenant, and Charlie Singleton, it was the band's first song to top the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (No. 1 for four weeks in April 1984) and their first Hot 100 entry, peaking at No. 47. The official music video was directed by Dieter Trattmann.
The song was Cameo bandleader Larry Blackmon's first single for his own PolyGram-distributed Atlanta Artists label. Blackmon drew inspiration from his own experiences, the cool on-screen personas of Al Pacino and Marlon Brando, and the "elegant, thoughtful grace" of Sidney Poitier. He recorded the track at his 16-track home studio, playing drums and bass himself before bandmates Charlie Singleton, Tomi Jenkins, and Nathan Leftenant added their contributions.
The track is a minimalist funk workout built on a driving drum machine beat and an iconic bassline, blending live horns with synthesized elements. It represents a pivotal hybrid moment for the band — borrowing from funk, post-punk, and Sly & Robbie's work with Grace Jones, while incorporating the "icy edge" of new-wave synthesizers. Blackmon's spoken-word "Ow" became as central to '80s pop as any vocal tic of the era. The song also featured one of Blackmon's early forays into rapping, predating hip-hop's mainstream explosion.
The album was recorded at Cheshire Sound Studio