Jazz
Studio album by Queen
Released	November 10, 1978
Recorded	July–October 1978 Mountain Studios, Montreux Super Bear, Nice
Genre	Hard rock Pop rock
Length	44:43
Label	EMI, Parlophone (Europe) Elektra, Hollywood (USA)
Producer	Queen and Roy Thomas Baker
Professional reviews
AMG link Creem – link (Queen Archives) Robert Christgau – link Rolling Stone link
Queen chronology
News of the World (1977) Jazz (1978) Live Killers (1979)

Jazz is a 1978 album by English rock band Queen. It was the band's seventh studio album, and comprises a number of different styles of music, including disco-funk ("Fun It"), vaudeville ("Dreamer's Ball"), hard rock ("Dead On Time") and a country-flavored stomp ("Fat Bottomed Girls"). Curiously, it contains nothing recognizable as jazz, except perhaps the music-hall swing of "Dreamer's Ball". The album's eclecticism was alternately praised and criticised; it was subject to a viciously scathing Rolling Stone review by Dave Marsh which included the suggestion that "Queen may be the first truly fascist rock band." Nevertheless, the album made it to #6 on the American Billboard 200. Image File history File links Queen_Jazz. ... A studio album is a collection of previously unreleased, studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... 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. ... is the 314th day of the year (315th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Mountain Studios is a recording studio located in Montreux, Switzerland. ... Montreux is a resort town in the Canton of Vaud, Switzerland, on Lake Geneva with a population of 22,897. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “Hard Rock” redirects here. ... This article is about the music genre. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The EMI Group (LSE: EMI) is a British music company comprising of the major record company EMI Music which operates several labels, based in Kensington in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based in New York. ... Parlophone is a record label, founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindstrom Company. ... Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, and today operates under Atlantic Records Group. ... Hollywood Records is a record label owned by Disney. ... 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. ... Roy Thomas Baker is a English record producer who helped create a number of extremely popular pop and rock records in the 1970s and 1980s. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 4_stars. ... CREEM, Americas Only Rock n Roll Magazine, was a monthly rock n roll publication started in 1969 by Barry Kramer and founding editor Tony Reay. ... Robert Christgau (born April 18, 1942), is an American essayist, music journalist, and the self-declared Dean of American Rock Critics.[1] In print, his name is sometimes abbreviated as Xgau. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Image File history File links 2_stars. ... 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. ... Live Killers is a double vinyl and compact disc live album by English rock band Queen released on June 26, 1979. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... 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. ... A studio album is a collection of previously unreleased, studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the music genre. ... For other uses, including related musical genres, see Funk (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “Hard Rock” redirects here. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Fat Bottomed Girls ( ) is a hit single by the English rock band Queen. ... For other uses, see Jazz (disambiguation). ... Music Hall is a form of British theatrical entertainment which reached its peak of popularity between 1850 and 1960. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Dave Marsh (born 1950) is an American music critic. ... Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, was the authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. ...

The band had intended to sell the album with a poster depicting the all-female nude bicycle race staged to promote "Fat Bottomed Girls", but in the USA it was only available through mail order so as not to upset retailers. A small version of the poster comes with the Crown Jewels box set. Mail order is a term which describes the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. ...

Roy Thomas Baker temporarily reunited with Queen and became their producer for this album. It was 3 years since he co-produced Queen's 1975 album A Night at the Opera. But this album also was the last album he co-produced for the band. A Night at the Opera is a 1975 album by English rock band Queen. ...

Included in the liner notes is the attribution "Thunderbolt courtesy of God", referring to the crash of thunder heard at the end of the song "Dead On Time" which May recorded with a portable audio recorder during a thunderstorm. Liner notes are the booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or any sound recording container. ... Audio recorder can record radio program, but this may be too simple or not useful enough. ...

The album artwork was suggested by Roger Taylor, who previously saw a similar design painted on the Berlin Wall. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... -1...

Track listing

• Side one
  1. "Mustapha" (Mercury) – 3:01
  2. "Fat Bottomed Girls" (May) – 4:16
  3. "Jealousy" (Mercury) – 3:13
  4. "Bicycle Race" (Mercury) – 3:01
  5. "If You Can't Beat Them" (Deacon) – 4:15
  6. "Let Me Entertain You" (Mercury) – 3:01
• Side two
  1. "Dead on Time" (May) – 3:23
  2. "In Only Seven Days" (Deacon) – 2:30
  3. "Dreamer's Ball" (May) – 3:30
  4. "Fun It" (Taylor) – 3:29
  5. "Leaving Home Ain't Easy" (May) – 3:15
  6. "Don't Stop Me Now" (Mercury) – 3:29
  7. "More of that Jazz" (Taylor) – 4:16
• 1991 Hollywood Records bonus tracks
  1. "Fat Bottomed Girls" (1991, Remix by Brian Malouf) - 4:22
  2. "Bicycle Race" (1991, Remix by Junior Vasquez) - 4:59

Junior Vasquez is a famous New York club DJ and remixer/producer. ...

Mustapha

Main article: Mustapha

"Mustapha" ( Sample (help· info)) is a song written by Freddie Mercury. It is the first track of their 1978 album Jazz. "Mustapha" was released as a single in 1979. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Image File history File links Queen_-_Jazz_-_Mustapha. ... Image File history File links Queen_-_Jazz_-_Mustapha. ...

The lyrics consist mostly of Arabic-sounding nonsense. The only actual words are "Mustapha", "Ibrahim" and the phrases "Allah, Allah, Allah will pray for you", "salaam aleikum" and "aleikum salaam". The rest is improvised words like "ichna klibhra him" and "rabbla fihmtrashim".

In live performances, Mercury would often sing the opening vocals of "Mustapha" in place of the complex introduction to "Bohemian Rhapsody", going from "Allah will pray for you" to "Mama, just killed a man...". However, sometimes the band performed an almost full version of the song, with Mercury at the piano.

Fat Bottomed Girls

Main article: Fat Bottomed Girls

"Fat Bottomed Girls" (Sample (info)) was written by May with lead vocals shared by May and Mercury in the album version. On stage Mercury sang the entire song, with Taylor and May doing harmonies. Fat Bottomed Girls ( ) is a hit single by the English rock band Queen. ... For other uses, see Singer (disambiguation). ...

Jealousy

"Jealousy" was penned by Mercury and features May playing his Hairfred acoustic guitar placing small pieces of piano wire under the frets to produce the "buzzing" effect of a sitar. Deacon made some mistakes on the bass but the band kept them since they wanted to conserve the feeling of the overall take (piano, bass and drums were recorded simultaneously). All vocals were recorded by Mercury. It was released as a single in 1979. Acoustic guitar can refer to the following musical instruments: Nylon and gut stringed guitars: Renaissance guitar Baroque guitar Romantic guitar Classical guitar, the modern version of the original guitar, with nylon strings Flamenco guitar Steel stringed guitars: Steel-string acoustic guitar, also known as western, folk or country guitar Twelve... Piano wire is a specialized type of wire made for use in piano and other musical instrument strings, as well as many other purposes. ...

Bicycle Race

Main article: Bicycle Race

"Bicycle Race" (Sample ( info)) is a complex composition by Mercury. It features several modulations, unusual chord functions, a metre change (4/4 to 3/4 and back) and a programatic section (a race of guitars emulating the bicycle race). Bicycle Race is a hit single for the English rock band Queen. ... Image File history File links Queen_-_Jazz_-_Bicycle_Race. ...

If You Can't Beat Them

"If You Can't Beat Them" was composed by John Deacon and was a live favourite for the band in late '70s. It is one of the few songs by Deacon where May plays all the guitars.

Let Me Entertain You

"Let Me Entertain You" was written by Mercury, directed towards the audience. The line "we'll sing to you in Japanese" is a reference to May's Teo Torriatte, from A Day at the Races. The idea of a guitar riff in parallel sixths was re-used later in the Innuendo track, "The Hitman". Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together) is a song from the 1976 Queen album A Day at the Races and is written by guitarist Brian May. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Riff is also an alternate spelling of Rif, a region of Morocco. ... Innuendo is a 1991 album by English rock band Queen. ...

Dead on Time

"Dead on Time", written by May, is a heavy metal song in the Queen catalogue, featuring some of the fastest and most aggressive guitar work by its author, as well as some equally complicated yet ferocious drumming by Taylor. Performed at breakneck speed, it was considered by most fans to be an ideal live number^{[citation needed]}, but was curiously never played in concert; May would only incorporate snippets of it in his guitar solos during the Jazz Tour. Heavy metals, in chemistry, are chemical elements of a particular range of atomic weights. ...

The song resembles "Keep Yourself Alive" from Queen's self-titled debut album. Particularly the guitar play is similar to that of Keep Yourself Alive, although it's faster in "Dead on Time". In the last verse, the words "keep yourself alive" are sung, and in the lyrics attached to the album, those words are written in capitals. Keep Yourself Alive was the first track on the British rock group Queens debut album, written by Brian May. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The song ends with the sound of a thunderbolt, actually recorded by May on a portable recorder during a vicious thunderstorm. Amusingly, the album's liner notes credit the thunderbolt to God.

In Only Seven Days

"In Only Seven Days" resembles Deacon's previous song, "Spread Your Wings". Deacon also played acoustic guitar. Spread Your Wings is a song by Queen, from their 1977 album News Of The Word. ...

Dreamer's Ball

"Dreamer's Ball" is May's tribute to Elvis Presley, who had died one year before. The arrangement for the concert version was completely different, with May and Taylor doing vocal brasses. Elvis Aron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), often known simply as Elvis and also called The King of Rock n Roll or simply The King, was an American singer, musician and actor. ...

Fun It

"Fun It" was a funk track with a disco vibe by Taylor, where both Mercury and himself shared the lead vocals. Taylor was the lead vocals, while Mercury was backup. Taylor used a Syndrum pad and played most of the instruments. This article is about the music genre. ...

Leaving Home Ain't Easy

"Leaving Home Ain't Easy" was a ballad by May, who also sang all the vocals (lead and harmony). His voice was sped up for the bridge.

Don't Stop Me Now

Main article: Don't Stop Me Now

"Don't Stop Me Now" is Mercury's top 10 single in the UK. May's only input is a short guitar solo. Dont Stop Me Now ( ) is a 1979 hit single by Queen, from their 1978 album Jazz. ...

More of that Jazz

"More of that Jazz" is yet another one of Taylor's bitter comments about current society and the way rock and roll is disrespected^{[citation needed]}. It is loop based and Taylor plays most instruments and sings all vocals, reaching some very high notes (peaking on a high-E) without falsetto. The outro also contains short clips from many songs on the album, including "Dead on Time", "Bicycle Race", "Mustapha", "If You Can't Beat Them", "Fun It" and "Fat Bottomed Girls".

Credits

• Freddie Mercury: Lead Vocals, Piano, Backing Vocals
• Brian May: Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals
• Roger Taylor: Drums & Percussion, Electric Guitar, Lead Vocals, Backing Vocals, Bass
• John Deacon: Bass, Electric & Acoustic Guitars

Sound engineers:

• Geoff Workman
• John Etchells

Singles

Bicycle Race/Fat Bottomed Girls

Four singles were released from the album: Image File history File links Queen_Bicycle_Race1. ... Image File history File links Queen_Bicycle_Race1. ...

• "Bicycle Race"/"Fat Bottomed Girls (edit)" – Elektra E45541; released October, 1978

"Bicycle Race" and "Fat Bottomed Girls" were released in 1978 as a double A-side; the band staged a famous nude, all-female bicycle race to promote the single. The bicycle race took place on 17th September 1978 at Wimbledon Stadium in London. The picture sleeve showed a rear view of one of the ladies on her bicycle, but in the U.S. a pair of red panties were painted on to avoid public outcry. Legend has it that the band borrowed the bicycles from a store ("Halfords," according to the liner notes), but upon returning them were informed that they would have to purchase all the seats, as they had been used in an improper manner (i.e. without clothing). Fat Bottomed Girls also contains one of Roger Taylor's most memorable drum fills at about 2:16.

• "Mustapha" was released in 1978 in only Bolivia, Spain, Yugoslavia and Germany. Its B-side was "Dead On Time," except in Yugoslavia, where it was either "In Only Seven Days" or "Dreamer's Ball."
• "Don't Stop Me Now"/"More Of That Jazz" – Elektra E46008; released February, 1979

"Don't Stop Me Now" was released in 1979; its B-side, depending on where one purchased it, was either "In Only Seven Days" or "More Of That Jazz."

• "Jealousy"/"Fun It" – Elektra E46039; released April, 1979

"Jealousy" was released in 1979 in the United States, New Zealand, Brazil, Russia, and Canada; its B-side was "Fun It," "Don't Stop Me Now," or a mono version of the same song.

This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A moral panic is a reaction by a group of people based on the false or exaggerated perception that some cultural behavior or group, frequently a minority group or a subculture, is dangerously deviant and poses a menace to society. ... Halfords Group plc (LSE: HFD) is a leading retailer of car parts, car enhancement, cycles and travel solutions in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. ... Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in the Latin alphabet, Југославија in Cyrillic; English: South Slavia, or literary The Land of South Slavs) describes three political entities that existed one at a time on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe, during most of the 20th century. ... Dont Stop Me Now ( ) is a 1979 hit single by Queen, from their 1978 album Jazz. ... Dont Stop Me Now ( ) is a 1979 hit single by Queen, from their 1978 album Jazz. ... Label for 1. ...

Charts