Queen's Greatest Hits 1 - Some Interesting Facts
Created | Updated Apr 13, 2008
Queen's first greatest hits album includes all the band's major hits from 1974 to 1980. It was released on 2nd November 1981. Track listings vary, depending on the country, as different singles were released and received different ratings in the charts. For the purposes of this entry, the UK album is used.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Bohemian Rhapsody was written by Freddie Mercury and produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Queen. The song featured on the album “A Night At The Opera”. The vocals were overdubbed using a 24-track tape machine. Approximately one hundred and twenty vocal tracks were dubbed together.
The original cut of the song was over seven minutes long, but was cut to nearly six minutes for release. The record company leaked the song to a London radio stations, in order to build up anticipation for it's official release. It was released as a single in October 1975 and was at Number 1 for nine weeks, receiving almost continuous airplay on radio stations.
In 1992, Bohemian Rhapsody featured in the film “Wayne’s World”, and the subsequent single reached Number 2 in the USA charts. It was re-released in the UK in 1991 in aid of the Terrence Higgins Trust, and reached Number 1. It is the first single to have reached the Number 1 position on two separate occasions. Polls have also voted it the best British song of all time.
“Scaramouch” means a boastful, yet cowardly person. “Fandango” could be one of two things – a Spanish dance for two people that involves a tambourine or castanets, or foolish nonsense or a purely ornamental thing. In this song, it is more likely to be the second definition. “Bismillah” is the first word of the Qu’ran (the Koran) and means “in the name of Allah”. “Beelzebub” is another name for Satan.
Queen produced a video for “Bohemian Rhapsody” to show on “Top of The Pops” as they were unable to attend live. This started a trend with many artists to have a video to accompany their songs. Queen shot the video in three hours and it cost £3500. Prisms and camera feedback were used to give the visual effects.
Another One Bites The Dust
Another One Bites The Dust was written by John Deacon and was produced by Queen and Mack. It featured on the album “The Game” and was released as a single in August 1980. It reached Number 7 in the UK chart, and was the biggest North American single for the band, reaching Number 1 in the USA. It was a first fir Queen as a more dance-orientated song, rather than their usual rock.
The song was used in a 1998 advertisement for AIWA sound systems. It shows a man driving in a car with the song blaring from the stereo, and by the end we discover he is driving a hearse.
The drum track and the handclaps were looped and repeat throughout the song. Synthesisers, guitar distortions and backwards piano effects were added to this.
It has been suggested that, if the line “another one bites the dust” is played backwards, it can be heard as “it’s fun to smoke marijuana” or similar. This was probably not intentional, and the exact line appears to vary depending on the source.
Killer Queen
“Killer Queen” was written by Freddie Mercury and produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Queen. Taken from their third album “Sheer Heart Attack”, it was released in October 1974 with “Flick of the Wrist” as a double A-side, and reached Number 2 in the UK chart. This was the band’s first major break into the worldwide singles chart.
The line “’Let them eat cake,’ she said, just like Marie Antoinette” refers to the legend that Marie Antoinette, the queen of French, said this upon hearing that the peasants had to bread to eat. According to the legend, this remark resulted in the enraged people revolting.
It is believed that the song is about a high-class prostitute. The quote from Marie Antoinette is, then, used to show the level at which this prostitute sells her wares.
Fat Bottomed Girls and Bicycle Race
“Fat Bottomed Girls” and “Bicycle Race” were released as a double A-side in October 1978. The songs reached Number 2 in the UK chart, and Number 6 in the USA. The songs are taken from the album “Jazz”, and are consecutive tracks. They were often played together on radio stations.
“Fat Bottomed Girls” was written by Brian May. Freddie Mercury wrote “Bicycle Race” after the Tour de France went past his hotel. It was released in October 1978 as a double A-side to “Fat Bottomed Girls”. Both songs were produced by Queen and Roy Thomas Baker. When Queen played them live, local cycle shops would sell out of bells, as fans wanted to ring them at the appropriate point in the song.
For the video, the band rented sixty-five bicycles and staged a race round a stadium in England. The contestants in the race were naked women. The company that rented them the bikes refused their return on discovering the reason why they had been hired. In 1978, at a concert in Madison Square Gardens, the band recreated the race using women wearing very little racing round the stage.
The single cover showed one of these women, but due to a public outcry, red pants were painted on her. To avoid upsetting retailers, the poster that came wit the single, that featured all the naked women, was available mainly by mail order.
You're My Best Friend
This was the first single for John Deacon as a writer. Deacon wrote it about his wife, with whom he enjoyed a quiet homelife. It was produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Queen, and was released in June 1976. Despite following the great success of “Bohemian Rhapsody”, it reached Number 7 in the UK charts and Number 16 in the USA. This was the band’s second song to be accompanied by a video.
It was taken from the album “A Night At The Opera”. When the album was re-released in 2002, a surround-sound version of this song was included.
Don't Stop Me Now
This was the second single from “Jazz”, and was released in June 1979. It was written by Freddie Mercury and produced by Queen and Roy Thomas Baker. It reached Number 9 in the UK chart and was a Top Ten hit in most European countries.
Save Me
This ballad showed an emotional side of the band that was not often seen in their singles. Written by Brian May and produced by Queen and Mack, “Save Me” was released in January 1980 from “The Game”. It reached Number 11 in the UK, and was a hit in Japan and throughout Europe.
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Freddie Mercury wrote “Crazy Little Thing” while in a bubblebath in his hotel room in Munich. At the time, Queen were touring in Germany. It was recorded in Munich, Germany, and was produced by Queen and Mack. Taken from the album “The Game”, it was released in October 1979. It reached Number 2 in the UK, Number 1 in the USA and was a hit worldwide.
This song had a different sound than the other singles the band had released, sounding more like Elvis. However, it was still a hit with the fans. It was also the first song to feature Freddie Mercury on rhythm guitar.
“Crazy Little Thing” was not initially released in the USA. Radio stations played imported copies of the single, leading to Queen’s record company releasing it three months after it had been released in the UK.
Somebody To Love
Written by Freddie Mercury and produced by Queen, “Somebody to Love” was featured on the album “A day At The Races”. It was released in November 1976 and reached Number 2 in the UK charts. It is a fine example of the complex vocal arrangements the band used. It was re-released in 1993 following the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, and had George Michael on lead vocals. It reached No.1 in UK and raised over £1 million for Mercury Phoenix Trust.
Now I'm Here
Taken from the album “Sheer Heart Attack”, “Now I’m Here” was released in January 1975, and it reached Number 11 in the UK chart. It was written by Brian May and was produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Queen. When played live, a Freddie double was used at opposite side of stage to real Freddie.
Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy
“Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy” was written by Freddie Mercury and produced by Queen. It was released from “A Day At The Races” and reached Number 17 in the UK chart. It featured on Queen’s first EP, along with “Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To…)”, “Tenement Funster”, and “White Queen (As It Began)”.
Play The Game
“Play The Game” was written by Freddie Mercury, produced by Queen and Mack, and was released from “The Game” in May 1980. It reached Number 14 in the UK chart, and Number 42 in the USA. It’s B-side, “The Human Body”, did not appear on any of the band’s albums. It was the first song that used a synthesiser to be in the American charts.
Flash
“Flash” was written by Brian May and produced by Brian May and Mack. It was from the soundtrack for the film “Flash Gordon”. It was the first soundtrack Queen had done, chosen because the band were the first rock band that the film’s director, Dino de Laurentiis had ever listened to. “Flash” was released as a single in November 1980, and reached the Top 10 in the UK chart. The song was written while watching footage from the film, and incorporates film dialogue into it’s composition.
Seven Seas of Rhye
“Seven Seas of Rhye” was written by Freddie Mercury and produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Queen. It was released in February 1974. It was the band’s first UK singles entry and reached Number 10 in the UK chart. The song was released from the album “Queen II”, though a taster was on their debut album. As the song ends, the British seaside song “Oh I do like to be beside the seaside” is heard fading out.
We Will Rock You
“We Will Rock You” was written by Brian May and produced by Queen, assisted by Mike Stone. It was released as a double A-side with “We Are The Champions” in October 1977. The songs came from the album ”News of The World”. It reached Number 2 in the UK, Number 1 in the USA, and in France, “We Will Rock You” was at Number 1 for ten weeks until it was replaced by “We Are The Champions” by order of the French chart authority. Radio stations often played “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions” side by side, as the tracks are consecutive on the album, though the band had not intended this to be so.
When Queen was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of fame in 2001, the remaining members of the band played this song, with Brian and Roger taking turns on lead vocals.
“We Will Rock You” was also featured in an episode of “Cheers”. The people in the bar formed the drumbeat using glasses, pool cues and other available items. It was also featured in the 2001 film “A Knight’s Tale”. A Pepsi advertisement, running in the UK in 2004, also featured the song. It featured Brian May, Roger Taylor, Britney Spears, Beyonce and Pink dressed as ancient Romans.
“We Will Rock You” is the most sought after Queen track as a sports anthem. It is often played at sporting events to intimidate opposing teams.
“We Will Rock You”, the musical, opened in London in 2002. It is set at a point in the future where there are no musical instruments and there is a lack of creativity. Queen’s music helps a group of renegades liberate the planet. The show opened in Las Vegas in 2004.
We Are The Champions
Written by Freddie Mercury and produced by Queen assisted by Mike Stone, “We Are The Champions was taken from the album “News of the World”. It was released as a double A-side with “We Will Rock You” in October 1977. This gave the band their first Number 1 in the USA. It is often the emotional climax to Queen shows.
“We Are The Champions” is one of the band’s many sporting anthems, especially for the winning teams.
For Reference
For song lyrics go to Queen Lyrics.
Information about songs obtained from Song Facts and the Queen Greatest Hits album sleeve.
