"Crazy Little Thing Called Love"
Single by Queen from the album The Game
B-side	"We Will Rock You" (live)
Released	5 October 1979
Format	vinyl record (7")
Recorded	1979
Genre	Rockabilly
Length	2:42
Label	EMI, Elektra (US)
Writer	Freddie Mercury
Producer	Queen and Mack
Queen singles chronology
"Love of My Life" (live) (1979) "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" (1979) "Save Me" (1980)

"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. Image File history File links Crazy_little_thing_called_love. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor, with bassist John Deacon joining the following year. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “B-Sides” redirects here. ... For other uses, see 5th October (Serbia). ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... A gramophone record, (also phonograph record - often simply record) is an analog sound recording medium: a flat disc rotating at a constant angular velocity, with inscribed spiral grooves in which a stylus or needle rides. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, and emerged in the early-1950s. ... In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... For other uses, see EMI (disambiguation). ... Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, and today operates under Atlantic Records Group. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British musician, best known as the lead singer of the rock band Queen (inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001). ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor, with bassist John Deacon joining the following year. ... Reinhold Mack (aka Mack) is a German record producer and sound engineer, mostly known for his collaborations with rock bands Queen and Extreme. ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor, with bassist John Deacon joining the following year. ... Love of My Life is a ballad from the album A Night at the Opera by English rock band Queen. ... Save Me is a song by English rock band Queen. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor, with bassist John Deacon joining the following year. ... Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British musician, best known as the lead singer of the rock band Queen (inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001). ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ...

Composition

The song is written in a rockabilly style, with Freddie Mercury singing in an Elvis Presley-esque fashion. It can be found on the 1980 album The Game. Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, and emerged in the early-1950s. ... “Elvis” redirects here. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

As reported by Mercury in Melody Maker, May 2, 1981, he composed "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" on the guitar in just five to ten minutes. 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. 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, which may have helped create its fresh and catchy sound. The speed it took to record was due to the fact that Mercury had composed the arrangements for the other bandmates before presenting the song to the band, so all the other bandmates had to do was play. The instruments used were a Ludwig drum kit (Taylor), Fender Precision Bass (Deacon) and Martin D-18 Acoustic Guitar (Mercury). Melody Maker, published in the United Kingdom, was (until its closure) the worlds oldest weekly music newspaper. ... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... Year 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Gregorian calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For the motorcyclist, see John Deacon (motorcyclist). ... For other uses, see Munich (disambiguation). ... Ludwig-Musser is a drum and percussion instrument manufacturer owned by Conn-Selmer, Inc. ... The Fender Precision Bass, known as P-bass for short, is the first model of the electric bass designed by Clarence Leonidas Fender and brought to market in 1951. ...

Lead guitarist Brian May almost missed the chance to be a part of the song: by the time he arrived at the studios, they had almost finished editing it for the single release. Fortunately there was enough time for him to play the guitar solo (on a Fender Telecaster) and sing backing vocals. For the Australian film composer, see Brian May (composer). ... The Fender Telecaster, also known as a Tele, is a typically dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender. ...

While the song is rockabilly in feel, the harmonic structure demonstrates awareness of the intervening twenty-odd years — the subdominant of the subdominant (i.e., the bVII) is freely used, and the bVI-bVII-I progression (see "Lady Madonna") provides the main hook of the song. In music, the subdominant is the technical name for the fourth tonal degree of the diatonic scale. ... Lady Madonna is a song by the The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon/McCartney). ...

Live history

In November 1979, Queen began what they called the 'Crazy Tour', playing nineteen gigs in the UK and one in Ireland. One of its central numbers consisted of Mercury walking in with an Ovation 12-string guitar to perform this piece; often the audience thought it was a joke as Freddie Mercury was not typically known to be a guitar player. However he could indeed play, even if he was very modest about his guitar technique (he often introduced "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" by saying "I can only play three chords"). Crazy Tour was a tour made by the english Rock band Queen being done during Fall and Winter 1979. ... The Ovation Elite The Ovation Guitar Company, a holding of Kaman Music Corp, is a guitar company based in Bloomfield, CT. Ovation guitars are notable because the instruments are made with a composite synthetic bowl that replaced the traditional wooden back and sides of the modern acoustic guitar produced by... (Redirected from 12 string guitar) The twelve string guitar is an acoustic or electric guitar with twelve strings, which produces a richer, more ringing tone than a standard six string guitar. ...

On stage, "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" was an important part of the show. Brian May often used three different guitars during the song: the first verse was played by Freddie Mercury alone with his guitar, then May joined with another Ovation Acoustic; before the third verse he had already switched to a Telecaster on which he performed the solo. During the sing-along part (famous for its "ready Freddie" line) Brian May again changed instruments to his home-made Red Special. From 1984 onwards Mercury replaced the acoustic with another Telecaster as seen at Live Aid. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the year. ...

After the last Queen tour in 1986, the former Queen band members have performed it many times: at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992 they played it with Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant on vocals. Brian May played a Godin Thinline A-12 for the first part and then the Red Special. May also performed it with Bryan Adams in 2002. Most recently May and Taylor have performed with Paul Rodgers (labelled as "Queen + Paul Rodgers"), with Rodgers singing and playing Freddie Mercury's parts with a Yamaha; May also played a Yamaha for the first part. The tune was also performed at Queen's induction to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003, featuring Wynonna Judd on vocals. Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert poster The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was an open air concert held on Easter Monday, April 20, 1992 at Londons Wembley Stadium, televised live worldwide. ... For the bands 1969 self-titled debut album, see Led Zeppelin (album). ... Robert Anthony Plant (born August 20, 1948, West Bromwich, West Midlands, England) is an English rock singer and songwriter, most famous for his membership in the rock band Led Zeppelin as the lead vocalist, but also for his successful solo career. ... Bryan Adams OC, OBC, (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian rock singer, guitarist, songwriter and photographer. ... This article is about the musician. ... The Queen + Paul Rodgers collaboration began in late 2004 when Queen were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame. ... The Songwriters Hall of Fame is an arm of the National Academy of Popular Music. ... Wynonna Ellen Judd (born May 30, 1964) is an American country music singer. ...

Single release

The "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" single was very successful for the band, hitting number two in the UK and becoming the first U.S. number-one hit for the band in spite of Elektra Records' reluctance to release it as a single as The Game album was not finished yet. There's an unconfirmed legend (commented on by Roger Taylor in the radio show In the Studio which devoted an episode to the making of The Game, and by Brian May on his website) that declares John Lennon was inspired by "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" to go back to the music business. Whether this is true or not is still unknown, but it is a fact that Lennon had listened to the band and he did try new influences on his Double Fantasy album. Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, and today operates under Atlantic Records Group. ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... Yoko Ono chronology Double Fantasy is the comeback album by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, released in 1980 initially on the newly-formed Geffen Records, and now through EMI, the distributor of all of Lennons output (including his Beatles material). ...

Charts (Queen version)

Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... Do That to Me One More Time is a song performed by the American pop duo Captain and Tennille. ... The Captain & Tennille are a husband and wife US pop music duo who achieved success during the 1970s with a string of bright, catchy pop songs. ... “Hot 100” redirects here. ... This is a list of number-one hits in the United States by year from the Billboard Hot 100. ... is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Another Brick in the Wall is the title of three songs set to variations of the same basic theme, on Pink Floyds 1979 concept album, The Wall, subtitled Part I, Part II, and Part III, respectively, all of which were written by Pink Floyds bassist and then- lead... Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock music, and, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. ... Please Dont Go was a song recorded and released in 1979 on the KC and the Sunshine Band album Do You Wanna Go Party. ... KC and the Sunshine Band is an American musical group. ... The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) is a trade group representing the Australian recording industry. ... The following lists the number one singles on the Australian Singles Chart, along with other substantial hits, during the 1980s. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... True Colours, the fifth album released by New Zealand band Split Enz, was their first major commercial success. ... Split Enz was a successful New Zealand band during the late 1970s and the early 1980s featuring brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn. ... Do That to Me One More Time is a song performed by the American pop duo Captain and Tennille. ... The Captain & Tennille are a husband and wife US pop music duo who achieved success during the 1970s with a string of bright, catchy pop songs. ... The ARC Weekly Top 40 is an American mainstream music chart. ... These are the ARC Weekly Top 40 number 1 hits of 1980 (see 1980 in music) Category: ... is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... On the Radio is a single by Donna Summer released in 1979. ... Donna Summer (born LaDonna Adrian Gaines, on December 31, 1948) is a legendary American singer, songwriter, and artist, best known for a string of dance hits in the 1970s that earned her the title Queen of Disco and as one of the few disco-based artists to have longevity on... The ARC Weekly Top 40 is an American mainstream music chart. ... These are the ARC Weekly Top 40 number 1 hits of 1980 (see 1980 in music) Category: ... is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 74th day of the year (75th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Another Brick in the Wall is the title of three songs set to variations of the same basic theme, on Pink Floyds 1979 concept album, The Wall, subtitled Part I, Part II, and Part III, respectively, all of which were written by Pink Floyds bassist and then- lead... Pink Floyd are an English rock band that initially earned recognition for their psychedelic rock music, and, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. ...

Cover versions

• Orion covered the song, in a style very similar to Elvis Presley, on his 1980 album Rockabilly.
• In 1980 by The Chipmunks on their comeback album, Chipmunk Punk.
• Uruguayan singer and composer Ruben Rada recorded a version on behalf of EMI label in 1980. Due to problems of copyright, EMI was not able to use this song in any compilation, so Ruben was scheduled to make a cover version, which is almost unknown even in South America.
• Radiohead covered the song for MTV.
• Country singer Dwight Yoakam also covered the song in 1999; this version featured on a Gap advert.
• The song was covered in 2003 by Michael Bublé in his debut album.
• In 2004 as a B-Side from McFly.
• Josh Kelley recorded a cover for the Killer Queen tribute album in 2005.
• Diana Ross covered the song for her 2006 EMI album, I Love You.
• Raymond Quinn performed a swing version as part of the 2006 series of The X Factor.
• Taylor Hicks also sang it for American Idol.
• Brian Setzer also did a version of this song, which had a combination of sounding rockabilly and a little like doo wop at the same time.
• It can occasionally be heard covered at the live gigs of Suffolk rockers The Darkness.
• Muse also has been known to cover of this song at their gigs.

Orion (singer) (1945 - December 12, 1998) was the stage name of rockabilly singer Jimmy Ellis. ... “Elvis” redirects here. ... For the upcoming live-action/computer-generated film, see Alvin and the Chipmunks (film). ... Chipmunk Punk is a childrens/new wave/progressive rock fusion album by The Chipmunks. ... Rubén Rada (born 1943; moniker El Negro Rada) is an Afro-Uruguayan percussionist and singer. ... Radiohead are an English rock band. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the artist. ... In recorded music, the terms A-side and B-side refer to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which singles have been released since the 1950s. ... McFly are an English pop rock band who were successfully launched into the music scene in early 2004 with their number one single, 5 Colours in Her Hair. The band was founded by Tom Fletcher (born July 17, 1985) and also consists of Danny Jones (born March 12, 1986), Dougie... Joshua Josh Bishop Kelley (born January 30, 1980 in Augusta, Georgia) is a singer-songwriter. ... Killer Queen is a tribute album of many of Queens greatest songs. ... For the author-illustrator, see Diana Ross (author). ... The phrase I love you is a phrase used to express the emotion of love. ... Raymond Arthur Quinn (born 25 August 1988 in Knowsley, Merseyside) is an English actor and singer. ... The third UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on the ITV Network in the United Kingdom and TV3 in the Republic of Ireland. ... For the current series, see The X Factor (UK series 4). ... AMERICAN IDOL HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO DEATH OF SIMON ... Brian Setzer (born April 10, 1959 in Massapequa, Long Island, New York) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. ... Suffolk (pronounced ) is a large historic and modern non-metropolitan county in East Anglia, England. ... For other uses, see The Darkness (disambiguation). ... In Greek mythology, the Muses (Greek , Mousai: perhaps from the Proto-Indo-European root *men- think[1]) are a number of goddesses or spirits who embody the arts and inspire the creation process with their graces through remembered and improvised song and stage, writing, traditional music and dance. ...

Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• Because of its rockabilly sound, and Queen's general distance from that sound, the song is sometimes mistaken for being the work of rockabilly-specialist groups, such as the Stray Cats.

• At their Live Aid performance, Mercury deliberately warbled some of the words to acknowledge the song's resemblance with the Presley sound.

• Many people, in fact, are unaware Mercury even composed this song, assuming it to be an Elvis original.

• Originally Brian May was opposed to the idea of playing a Fender Telecaster for this song as he said in his 1984 Star Licks video. Saying "For Crazy Little Thing Called Love they made me play this Telecaster, which I don't want to do."

• The song contains a rare example of a band mentioning a member by name in the lyrics ("Ready Freddie"). Queen would later surpass this by mentioning all four members in their song "The Invisible Man".

• It is featured in Karaoke Revolution presents American Idol'.

• It inspired John Lennon to finish "(Just Like) Starting Over"

• The video for the song features the Queen crest on Taylor's bass drum even though the band had stopped using the crest from their live shows many years before.

• The title of this song was used for the movie version of protagonist Hank Moody's book "God Hates Us All" in the showtime television series Californication.

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... The Stray Cats are a rockabilly band formed in 1979 by guitarist/vocalist Brian Setzer (Bloodless Pharaohs/Brian Setzer Orchestra) with school friends Lee Rocker (born Leon Drucker) and Slim Jim Phantom (born James McDonnell) in the Long Island town of Massapequa, New York. ... The Fender Telecaster, also known as a Tele, is a typically dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender. ... The Invisible Man is a song by English rock band Queen, written by drummer Roger Taylor. ... Karaoke Revolution, and its sequels Karaoke Revolution Volume 2 , Karaoke Revolution Volume 3 , Karaoke Revolution Party, CMT Presents: Karaoke Revolution Country and Karaoke Revolution presents American Idol are video games for the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, and Xbox, developed by Harmonix and Blitz Games and published by Konami in its... AMERICAN IDOL HAS BEEN CANCELLED DUE TO DEATH OF SIMON ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... (Just Like) Starting Over is a song written and performed by John Lennon for his Double Fantasy album. ... This article is about the pay TV channel. ... For other uses, see Californication. ...

References

1. ^ RIAA. Gold & Platinum.
2. ^ BPI Certified Awards.

External links

• Song analysis (www.queensongs.info)