ted
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Post by ted on Jul 28, 2021 13:42:32 GMT
boredatwork wrote: Another One Bites The Dust could paradoxically be their biggest US single yet also what ended their success there for 10+ years? If that wasn't such a hit, they may not have even attempted something like Hot Space?!
I think you could have a point; if AOBTD wasn't such a hit and Hot Space hadn't been 'attempted', we might not have gotten Body Language, a similar song to AOBTD and another dud in my view.
Ted
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goose44
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Post by goose44 on Jul 28, 2021 14:01:04 GMT
going a bit of topic but I agree that AOBTD had to have some affect on the direction of Hot Space. I believe the band got too caught thinking they were now the biggest band in the world and can do anything and it actually imo made them lazy in terms or song writing and song content. What hurt them as well was music was changing and as we all grow old we want to and try new things and the record clearly shows it. Its a real interesting situation they were in at the time. Thin about yourselves, do you want to do the same stuff over and over again? I think most people would say no or else as Freddie would say all the time you would get bored. The great thing about today is just about each record is different and various broads of music so when I am in the mood for certain records I play them for a while and then flip the switch and listen to others. I usually get into a record or 2 and play it for lets say a couple of weeks then get sick of it and the go to another 1 or 2. That is what makes Queen the greatest of all time as they were the best or closest to the best in every genre they did. I play Jazz the most and its probably not their best record but when I am into it I am into it the most. Enough rambling, cheers everyone. Go Everton!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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georg
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Post by georg on Jul 28, 2021 14:21:32 GMT
For all the criticism that Hot Space gets, I genuinely believe it was Queen’s last truly experimental album, and while the drive to push their sound had gone somewhat stagnant, they were still willing to take chances. I mean, in what world would an overtly suggestive song, performed almost entirely on synthesizers and drum machines by one man who couldn’t keep it in his pants, be the lead single from an album that moved their sound drastically away from their “traditional” sound? The reaction scared them so much they took a year off and recorded The Works, a satisfying enough album that gave them the hits they needed but really seemed to retread familiar ground – and nary a funk or disco tune to be heard.
They simply shifted their focus after Hot Space bombed, and who could blame them?
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nico
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Post by nico on Jul 28, 2021 16:16:58 GMT
For all the criticism that Hot Space gets, I genuinely believe it was Queen’s last truly experimental album, and while the drive to push their sound had gone somewhat stagnant, they were still willing to take chances. True!
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jo
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Post by jo on Jul 28, 2021 16:31:02 GMT
This thread seems to be shifting a bit to a Hot Space discussion (no problem with that). Queen weren't the first band to have an album go off the rails and they weren't the last, but they were the biggest that never got it on the track again here.. They managed to lose America, which they had worked extremely hard to acquire but I don't think it was because of Hot Space. American radio went through a massive upheaval around that time and Queen didn't respond well to it, or maybe didn't respond at all. Freddie completely shut out the radio Dj's and the American music press from interviews and they lost their airplay in return. Body Language didn't ruin it for them, it hit #11 in the U.S. It wasn't their music, it was them.
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ted
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Post by ted on Jul 28, 2021 17:11:20 GMT
^^ I can agree with jo's comment to some extent if in stating 'it wasn't their music, it was them', one of the things they didn't do which was likely a factor was tour North America again after 1982. I know that the reason(s) for this have been documented and discussed; I just think it's something to keep in mind when considering why they 'lost' America.
Ted
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Post by boredatwork on Jul 29, 2021 5:05:16 GMT
Sorry for derailing the topic a bit! But talking of Hot Space and it's relative "failure", it's hard to comprehend how much of a flop Body Language was as lead single (in the UK). As I was far too young to be aware of it at the time, I only have facts & lists etc to look back on. It never dawned on me that Under Pressure wasn't really the lead single from HS in the promotional sense (i.e. to promote and sell the upcoming album / tour), but realistically an "old" song that they just tacked onto the next album. So Body Language really was a complete failure as 1st single from a major band's new LP (again only in the UK. No 11 in the US is really good and charted higher than many "better" songs)!
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BrƎИsꓘi
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Post by BrƎИsꓘi on Jul 29, 2021 6:32:59 GMT
Sorry for derailing the topic a bit! But talking of Hot Space and it's relative "failure", it's hard to comprehend how much of a flop Body Language was as lead single (in the UK). As I was far too young to be aware of it at the time, I only have facts & lists etc to look back on. It never dawned on me that Under Pressure wasn't really the lead single from HS in the promotional sense (i.e. to promote and sell the upcoming album / tour), but realistically an "old" song that they just tacked onto the next album. So Body Language really was a complete failure as 1st single from a major band's new LP (again only in the UK. No 11 in the US is really good and charted higher than many "better" songs)! i think you could be "splitting hairs" over the definition of "Lead Single". The gap between UP and LP release (Oct 26th - May 21st) = 208 days The gap between CLTCL and LP release (Oct 12th - Jun 30th) = 251 days People don't refer to Play The Game as the lead single, so neither should BL be considered thus. CLTCL is the lead single, so on the basis that UP has less of a gap to LP release, it too is the lead single.
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n39
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Post by n39 on Jul 29, 2021 14:57:37 GMT
Indeed. UP was recorded during the Hot Space sessions in 1981, as opposed to being an old song that they just chucked onto the end of the album.
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billy
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Post by billy on Jul 29, 2021 16:05:21 GMT
In the US, Under Pressure was included on Greatest Hits which was released on Nov 3rd. I remember being disappointed it was on Hot Space too because it was an “old” song to me - I’d played it and Soul Brother to death. But that didn’t keep me from buying the album.
By the way, UP only reached #29 in the US charts - not exactly the hit it was in the UK.
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Post by boredatwork on Jul 29, 2021 21:27:47 GMT
So was it only One Vision that wasn't recorded as part of it's parent album's sessions, and therefore classed as an "old" song just tacked onto AKOM? I thought the same was true with Under Pressure as well but my knowledge of recording dates is minimal!
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Frank
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Post by Frank on Jul 29, 2021 21:33:11 GMT
In the US, Under Pressure was included on Greatest Hits which was released on Nov 3rd. I remember being disappointed it was on Hot Space too because it was an “old” song to me - I’d played it and Soul Brother to death. But that didn’t keep me from buying the album. By the way, UP only reached #29 in the US charts - not exactly the hit it was in the UK. But it's grown more popular since and has had incredible staying power. I hear it on the radio very, very often. It must have grown further notoriety when Vanilla Ice caused himself a bit of controversy. Side note: It seems baffling that UP should only reach #29 when Body Language some time later hit #11. And I never hear that one on American radio.
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n39
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Post by n39 on Jul 30, 2021 16:06:24 GMT
So was it only One Vision that wasn't recorded as part of it's parent album's sessions, and therefore classed as an "old" song just tacked onto AKOM? I thought the same was true with Under Pressure as well but my knowledge of recording dates is minimal! Well technically AKOM (song) also stems from the One Vision sessions, as they began as the same song. The Night Comes Down comes from the 1971 De Lane Lea sessions. God Save the Queen was an old song, taken from just after the SHA sessions. Soul Brother and I Go Crazy (non album, I know) stem from The Game sessions. Thank God It's Christmas (non album) was recorded 6 months after The Works sessions. Too Much Love Will Kill You comes from The Miracle sessions. Lost Opportunity (non album) was recorded post-Innuendo, with the three Made in Heaven tracks. And obviously the three tracks from Forever.
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