Crazy Little Thing Called LoveWritten by: Freddie Mercury
Musicians:
Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar, handclaps
Brian May - guitar solo, backing vocals, handclaps
John Deacon - bass guitar, handclaps
Roger Taylor - drums, backing vocals, handclaps
- The first and only time Freddie was credited with a guitar part. In concert Freddie would play the acoustic guitar (for the most part....by the end he would pretty much have stopped). He was very self deprecating about his own guitar skills (especially in concert). Brian later on would say that Freddie was much better than he gave himself credit for writing the riff to
Ogre Battle amongst others but that he just never had the patience to really train himself.
- Brian actually used a different guitar than the Red Special, instead using one of Roger's Telecaster.
- Issued as a single and hit #1 in Australia, Canada, Mexico, Netherlands, and the US. It hit #2 in Ireland, New Zealand and the UK. It hit #5 in Switzerland while it hit #8, #9, and #13 in Norway, Austria, and Germany respectively.
- It sold somewhere in the area of 4-5 million copies worldwide.
- It's been covered by Michael Buble, Dwight Yoakam, Maroon 5, and others.
- It was played live through to the end, at the Tribute Concert, and revived for 2005-2008 QPR tours and again with Adam.
QUOTES:
- "I wrote it in the bath. I actually dragged an upright piano to my bedside once. I’ve been known to scribble lyrics in the middle of the night without putting the light on.
Crazy Little Thing Called Love took me five or ten minutes. I did that on the guitar, which I can't play for nuts, and in one way it was quite a good thing because I was restricted, knowing only a few chords. It's a good discipline because I simply had to write within a small framework. I couldn't work through too many chords and because of that restriction I wrote a good song, I think." - Freddie Mercury - 1981 Melody Maker
- Interviewer: Did you use a Fender on 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love'?
"Yes. I used one of Roger's really old, beat up, natural wood Telecaster. I got bludgeoned into playing it. That was Mack's idea. I said 'I don't want to play a Telecaster. It basically doesn't suit my style.' But 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' was such a period piece, it seemed to need that period sound. So I said, 'Okay, Mack, if you want to set it up, I'll play it.' He put it through a Mesa/Boggie, which is an amplifier I don't get on well with at all; it just doesn't suit me. I tried it, and it sounded okay." - Brian May - 1982 - On The Record
- “The guys put down the backing track for that one when I was out doing something in Munich, where we were working…I came back and thought, ‘Oh my god, it’s almost finished. Let me put some guitar on it before they stick it out.’ Fred plays the rhythm acoustic guitar. All I really did was add a kind of ersatz rock and roll solo and some backing harmonies and it was done.” – Brian May
-“’Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ was very untypical playing for me. I’d never used a Telecaster on record before, and a Boogie amplifier, which I’d never have considered using. It’s a very sparse record, and it was done with Elvis Presley in mind, obviously. I thought that Freddie sounded a bit like Elvis, but somebody’s done a cover of it who sounds absolutely like Elvis, and the whole record sounds like a Jordanaires/Elvis recreation.” – Brian May
- “I wrote ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ on guitar and played rhythm on the record and it works really well because Brian gets to play all those lead guitar frills as well as his usual solo. I’m somewhat limited by the number of chords I know. I’m really just learning, but I hope to play more guitar in the future.” – Freddie Mercury
- "It’s not rockabilly exactly but it did have that early Elvis feel and it was one of the first records to exploit that. In fact I read somewhere – in Rolling Stone, I think it was – that John Lennon heard it and it gave him the impetus to start recording again. If it’s true – and listening to the last album [Double Fantasy] it certainly sounds as if he explored similar influences – that’s wonderful.” – Roger Taylor
ALTERNATE VERSIONS;
BRIAN MAY + DIANA ROSS- NOT essential but interesting version.
OFFICIALLY RELEASED LIVE VERSIONS:
ROCK MONTREAL VERSIONON FIRE AT THE BOWL VERSIONLIVE AT WEMBLEY VERSIONS- Again, Freddie is a very playful frontman. Self deprecating and quite rocking. A nice jam session takes place at the end.
QUEEN + ROBERT PLANT - FREDDIE TRIBUTE VERSION- Opens with a snippet of Led Zeppelin's
Thank You. This was a fun version with Robert really getting into the ready Freddie part.
QPR - RETURN OF THE CHAMPIONSQPR - LIVE IN UKRAINENO YT VID
- Paul plays acoustic like Freddie used to and his bluesy voice seemed to fit well to this track. Fun versions.
UNRELEASED LIVE VERSIONS:
QUEEN + WYNONNA JUDD - SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME- In 2003, the band was honored by being inducted as a band into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame indivudally. Brian and Roger accepted the award presented by Wynonna and then they all performed
Crazy It's not the best version, but it's still worth a watch. This clip includes the award being presented.
QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT - KIEV 2012- The only time the song starts with Brian on the Red Special. Quite unique and makes for an interesting listen. Adam handles it well with his Elvis chic charisma and it was one of the highlights of the QAL gigs.
BRIAN MAY + KERRY ELLIS - LONDON 2012- Brian going acoustic with Kerry.
PERSONAL NOTES:
- One of my favorites, it has become a staple for myself playing. Maybe later I'll eventually get video of me performing it as I have a few time and even recorded with my acapella group back in college...or the drunken wedding videos if I could find them
A fun fun tune.
Next up, Roger's rock and roll,
Rock It (Prime Jive)
