You're My Best Friend (Queen song)
| "You're My Best Friend" | ||||||||||||
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| Single by Queen | ||||||||||||
| from the album A Night at the Opera | ||||||||||||
| B-side | '39 | |||||||||||
| Released | 18 May 1976 | |||||||||||
| Format | 7" | |||||||||||
| Recorded | 1975 | |||||||||||
| Genre | Pop rock[1] | |||||||||||
| Length | 2:52 | |||||||||||
| Label | EMI (UK), Elektra (US) | |||||||||||
| Writer(s) | John Deacon | |||||||||||
| Producer(s) | Roy Thomas Baker and Queen | |||||||||||
| Queen singles chronology | ||||||||||||
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"You're My Best Friend" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by bass guitarist John Deacon. It was originally included on the A Night at the Opera album in 1975, and later released as a single. In the US, "You're My Best Friend" went to number sixteen.[2] The song also appeared on the Live Killers (1979) live album and on the compilation albums Greatest Hits (1981), Absolute Greatest (2009) and Queen Forever (2014).
History
Deacon wrote the song for his wife, Veronica Tetzlaff. In this song, he plays a Wurlitzer electric piano in addition to his bass guitar work.[3] The characteristic "bark" of the Wurlitzer's bass notes plays a prominent role in the song. During live performances, the band used a grand piano rather than an electric, and it would be played by Freddie Mercury, while Deacon played the bass guitar just like in the original recording.
The song is used for background music in several TV series such as Hot in Cleveland, EastEnders, My Name is Earl, The King of Queens and The Simpsons.[4] It was also used in the end credits in the 2004 comedy film Shaun of the Dead.
Music video
The music video, directed by Bruce Gowers, shows the band in a huge ballroom surrounded by over one thousand candles, including a huge chandelier hung from the ceiling.[5] The video was filmed in April 1976 [5] at Elstree Studios, London. Additionally, Deacon is seen playing a grand piano rather than the Wurlitzer he used on the recording.[6]
Composition
The song was composed by John Deacon in the key of C major with a meter of 4/4, in swing feel.[7]
The album A Night at the Opera features songs of numerous styles including this three-minute pop song.[1] Very unusually for the genre there is no section appearing more than twice; this is characteristic of many Queen songs, as affirmed by Brian May.[8] On the other hand, in terms of phrases and measures, there are numerous repetitions or variants. The form is cyclic and very similar to that of "Spread Your Wings" (1977). Another similarity between the two songs is the lack of (real) modulation. The arrangement features 3 and 4-part vocal and guitar harmonies, bass (melodic approach), drums, and electric piano. This is Deacon's second recorded song and the first one released on single, some six months after the album-release. Mercury's lead vocal features lot of "special effects" (voice, rubato-ized rhythms, ornaments, slides).[7] Mercury hits two sustained C5s in the lead vocal track.
Queen comments on the record
The band answered Tom Browne on 24 December 1977 in a live BBC Radio One interview, regarding Deacon's control of the piano for the recording:
| “ | Well, Freddie didn't like the electric piano, so I took it home and I started to learn on the electric piano and basically that's the song that came out you know when I was learning to play piano. It was written on that instrument and it sounds best on that. You know, often on the instrument that you wrote the song on. | ” | |
| — John Deacon[9] | |||
| “ | I refused to play the damn thing [the Wurlitzer]. It's tinny and horrible and I don't like them. Why play those things when you've got a lovely superb grand piano? No, I think, basically what he [John] is trying to say is it was the desired effect. | ” | |
| — Freddie Mercury[3] | |||
Chart performance
Weekly singles charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Personnel
- Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals
- Brian May - electric guitar, backing vocals
- Roger Taylor - drums, backing vocals
- John Deacon - Wurlitzer electric piano, bass guitar
Cover versions
- The Supernaturals, Come Again (compilation album, 1997)
- Giuliano Palma & the Bluebeaters, Long Playing (2005)
- Rock4, A Night at the Opera (2006), an a cappella cover of the Queen album
- Straight No Chaser, With a Twist (2010)
- Melvins, Everybody Loves Sausages (2013), as "Best Friend"
- Stevie Ann, single (2014)
- The Once, Row Upon Row of the People They Know (2011)
Notes
- 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "At Night at the Opera review". Allmusic. Retrieved 27 April 2012.
- ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 513.
- 1 2 "You're My Best Friend by Queen". songfacts.com. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1277102/
- 1 2 Promo Videos: You're My Best Friend. Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
- ↑ You're My Best Friend. Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
- 1 2 Queen Songs: You're My Best Friend. Queen Songs. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOTf8GbD-oE | Interview with Brian May for 'Classic Albums', relevant point in video at 2m42s. Retrieved 4 December 2014
- ↑ "You're My Best Friend". queenpedia.com. Retrieved 10 March 2010.
- ↑ http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?file_num=nlc008388.4299a&brws_s=&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=vbdjne6sbunltr53j1mv7s61d6
- ↑ http://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/YOU%27RE%20MY%20BEST%20FRIEND/
- ↑ http://50.6.195.142/archives/70s_files/19760731.html
- ↑ http://australian-charts.com/forum.asp?todo=viewthread&id=35092
- ↑ https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.5173a&type=1&interval=50&PHPSESSID=vp7s0klao6mko0fkbsi6jsebq5
- ↑ http://www.uk-charts.top-source.info/top-100-1976.shtml
- ↑ http://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1976.htm
