Flash (Queen song)

"Flash"
Single by Queen
from the album Flash Gordon
B-side "Football Fight"
Released 24 November 1980 (UK)
January 1981 (US)
Format 7" vinyl
Recorded October 1980
Genre Rock
Length 2:48 (single version)
3:29 (album version)
Label EMI, Elektra
Writer(s) Brian May
Producer(s) Brian May, Reinhold Mack
Queen singles chronology
"Need Your Loving Tonight"
(1980)
"Flash"
(1980)
"Under Pressure"
(1981)

"We Will Rock You"
(2000)

"Flash (Vanguard Mix)"
(2003)

"Another One Bites the Dust (The Miami Project Remixes)"
(2006)

"Flash" is a song by British rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, "Flash" is the theme song of the 1980 film Flash Gordon. The soundtrack released to coincide with the film contained only the music composed and performed by Queen.

There are two versions of the song. The album version ("Flash's Theme") is in fact the start to the movie, with all the dialogue from the first scene. The single version features dialogue cut from various parts of the movie, most memorably, Brian Blessed's character exclaiming "Gordon's alive?!" This version was also included on the Greatest Hits compilation from 1981.[1]

Flash is sung as a duet between Freddie Mercury and Brian May, with Roger Taylor adding the high harmonies. May plays all of the instruments except for the rhythm section. He used an Imperial Bösendorfer Grand Piano (with 97 keys instead of 88, having an extra octave on the low range), Oberheim OBX synth (which he plays in the video) and his homemade Red Special electric guitar.

Music Video

The video for the song was filmed at Anvil Studios, London in November 1980 and directed by Don Norman and features the band performing the song to a screen showing clips from the film. An alternate version which was broadcast during the Concert For Kampuchea during 1981 featuring alternate film clips was included on the Flash Gordon 2011 iTunes edition.

Personnel

Sales and Certifications

Region Certification Sales/shipments
United Kingdom (BPI)[2] Silver 250,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Remixes and covers

Uses in popular culture

Live recording

References

  1. "Queen: Greatest Hits". Allmusic. Retrieved 12 May 2012
  2. "British single certifications – Flash". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Flash in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
  3. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums. London: Guinness World Records Limited
  4. "Public Enemy's Terminator X to the Edge of Panic Sample of Queen's Flash theme" Whosampled.com. Retrieved 12 May 2012
  5. "Tenacious D: The Complete Masterworks". Allmusic. Retrieved 12 May 2012
  6. "Brian May to release 'The Badger Song' ahead of planned government cull - listen". New Musical Express. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  7. "Blades of Glory (2007) - Soundtrack". IMDb. Retrieved 12 May 2012
  8. "All Is Right With Shaq's Universe". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 May 2012
  9. Family Guy Season 7 Episode 11 Not All Dogs Go To Heaven (10:53-11:02). Retrieved 12 May 2012

External links

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