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| "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Queen | ||||
| from the album The Game | ||||
| B-side | We Will Rock You (live) | |||
| Released | October 5, 1979 | |||
| Format | Vinyl record (7") | |||
| Recorded | 1979 | |||
| Genre | Blues rock, rockabilly, Rock n roll | |||
| Length | 2:42 | |||
| Label | EMI, Elektra (US) | |||
| Writer(s) | Freddie Mercury | |||
| Producer | Queen and Mack | |||
| Queen singles chronology | ||||
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"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is a song performed by the English rock band Queen, written by singer Freddie Mercury. While it peaked at number two in the UK, it hit number one on the U.S. charts on February 23, 1980, remaining there for four consecutive weeks. It topped the charts in Australia for six weeks.
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Contents
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Composition
As reported by Mercury in Melody Maker, May 2, 1981, Mercury composed "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" on the guitar in just five to ten minutes.[citation needed] Other accounts say that he wrote it while lounging in a bubble bath in the Bayerischer Hof Hotel in Munich during one of Queen's extensive Munich recording sessions.[citation needed] He took it to the studio shortly after writing it and presented it to bandmates Roger Taylor and John Deacon. The three of them, with their new producer Mack, recorded it at Musicland Studios in Munich. The entire song was reportedly recorded in less than half an hour (although Mack says it was six hours).[1]
Personnel
- Freddie Mercury: lead vocal, acoustic and rhythm guitars, backing vocals, handclaps
- Brian May: guitar solo, backing vocals, handclaps
- John Deacon: bass guitar, handclaps
- Roger Taylor: drums, backing vocals, handclaps
Although Mercury would play an electrified twelve-string on stage (and later a six-string electric), in the studio he recorded it with a six-string acoustic with external mics. Freddie Mercury also played the original guitar solo on a version which has been lost.[2]
Single release
The "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" single hit number two in the UK and became the first U.S. number-one hit for the band.
Charts
| Country | Peak position | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 1 | |
| Canada | 1 | |
| Mexico | 1 | |
| Netherlands | 1 | gold |
| New Zealand | 1 | |
| U.S. | 1 | gold[3] |
| Ireland | 2 | |
| UK | 2 | gold[4] |
| Switzerland | 5 | |
| Norway | 8 | |
| Austria | 9 | |
| Germany | 13 | |
| Japan | 64 |
Dwight Yoakam version
| "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Dwight Yoakam | ||||
| from the album Last Chance for a Thousand Years: Dwight Yoakam's Greatest Hits from the 90's | ||||
| B-side | "Let's Work Tegether"/"Doin' What I Did" | |||
| Released | 1999 | |||
| Format | CD single | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Length | 2:22 | |||
| Label | Reprise | |||
| Writer(s) | Freddie Mercury | |||
| Producer | Pete Anderson | |||
| Dwight Yoakam singles chronology | ||||
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American country music singer Dwight Yoakam included a cover of the song on his 1999 album Last Chance for a Thousand Years: Dwight Yoakam's Greatest Hits from the 90's.[5] Yoakam's version was released as a single, peaking at #12 on the U.S. country singles charts in 1999. It was also used in a television commercial for clothing retailer Gap at the time of the album's release.
The music video was directed by Yoakam.
Charts
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 12 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 64 |
| Canadian RPM Country Tracks | 1 |
| Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary Tracks | 19 |
| UK Singles Chart | 43 |
Other versions
- In 1980 by The Chipmunks on their comeback album, Chipmunk Punk.
- In 1980 it was covered by Pink Lady on their variety show Pink Lady and Jeff.
- Canadian pop/big band singer Michael Bublé covered the song for his self-titled 2003 debut album.
- American singer Josh Kelley recorded a cover for the 2005 album Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen.
- British pop rock/pop punk band McFly covered the song, which it was featured on their Room on the Third Floor single.
- American band The 88 did a cover for the movie Failure to Launch
- Diana Ross covered the song on her 2007 album I Love You. Brian May plays guitar on this version.
- Brian Setzer covered the song on his 2000 Brian Setzer Orchestra album Vavoom!, as a Japanese-only bonus track.
- Kingtinued, a sound-alike album featuring an Elvis Presley impersonator singing songs written after Presley's death, includes the song.
- The X Factor contestant Lloyd Daniels sang the song in the live shows of week 6. The theme of the night was Queen songs.
- Showaddywaddy have done a cover of this song.
- In the Showtime series Californication, the movie based on Hank Moody's book, God Hates Us All, is named after this song.
References
- ^ Interview with Reinhold Mack, Esq., iZotope, http://www.izotope.com/artists/reinhold_mack.asp
- ^ May confirms Mercury played solo, Guitar & Bass, http://www.queencuttings.com/images/solo/Guitar&Bass_jan2008_p05.jpg
- ^ RIAA. Gold & Platinum.
- ^ BPI Certified Awards.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Last Chance for a Thousand Years review". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dpfixq9kldfe. Retrieved 2009-06-04.
External links
| Preceded by "Do That to Me One More Time" by Captain & Tennille |
Billboard Hot 100 number-one single February 23, 1980 - March 15, 1980 |
Succeeded by "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)" by Pink Floyd |
| Preceded by "Please Don't Go" by KC and the Sunshine Band |
Australian Kent Music Report number-one single March 1, 1980 - April 12, 1980 |
Succeeded by "I Got You" by Split Enz |
| Preceded by "Do That to Me One More Time" by Captain & Tennille |
ARC Weekly Top 40 number-one single (first run) February 16, 1980 - February 23, 1980 |
Succeeded by "On the Radio" by Donna Summer |
| Preceded by "On the Radio" by Donna Summer |
ARC Weekly Top 40 number-one single (second run) March 8, 1980 - March 15, 1980 |
Succeeded by "Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)" by Pink Floyd |
| Preceded by "You've Got a Way" by Shania Twain |
RPM Country Tracks number-one single (Dwight Yoakam version) August 16, 1999 |
Succeeded by "God Must Have Spent a Little More Time on You" by Alabama featuring 'N Sync |
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