Mr. Bad Guy
| Mr. Bad Guy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 29 April 1985 | |||
| Recorded | Early 1983 – January 1985[1] | |||
| Studio | Musicland Studios, Munich, West Germany | |||
| Genre | Pop rock, synth-pop | |||
| Length | 40:41 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Producer | Reinhold Mack, Freddie Mercury | |||
| Freddie Mercury chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Mr. Bad Guy | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Rolling Stone | (positive)[3] |
"This album is dedicated to my cat Jerry - also Tom, Oscar and Tiffany, and all the cat lovers across the universe - screw everybody else!"
Mr. Bad Guy is the only solo studio album from Queen singer, Freddie Mercury. Released in 1985, during a period in which Queen were on hiatus from recording, it contains eleven songs, all written by Mercury himself.[4] Mr Bad Guy was reissued on 11 October 2019, in a new remixed form on CD and vinyl, via Mercury Records and Universal.
Background
Mercury drew on disco and dance music influences for the album; this was in contrast to Queen's typically rock-oriented work. The album took nearly two years to record, as Mercury had to gather enough material while committing to band activities.[3] Initially, the album was supposed to feature duets with Mercury and Michael Jackson. They recorded "There Must Be More to Life Than This", but Mercury dropped out of any further collaboration after feeling uncomfortable working with Jackson's pet llama in the studio,[5] although Jackson was said to have been upset by Mercury's use of drugs.[6]
Production
Recording was taxing on Mercury as he took part in everything from performing the tracks to sound engineering to obtain his desired effect. Mercury used synthesizers and orchestration in track development, adding to the diversity in each piece.[7][8] The album was originally planned to be called Made in Heaven but Mercury changed his mind weeks before the album going to press.[9]
"Basically, I was lost for a title, but as far as I’m concerned album titles are immaterial. I didn’t know what to call it, but I had what I thought was a very beautiful track called Made In Heaven, which seemed to conjure up an image of some kind. But to be honest, I’m not really worried about it. It’s what you listen to that matters, not what the title is."[10]
— Mercury during the album's promotion
Singles
Lead single "I Was Born to Love You" debuted at #50 on 14 April 1985, peaking at #11 on 5 May 1985.[11] It also reached number four in South Africa and number 20 on 1 June in Austria.[12] "Made in Heaven" peaked at number 57 on the UK Singles Chart on 21 July 1985 and charted for four weeks.[13] "Living on My Own" charted at #50 in the United Kingdom, while the fourth and final single "Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow" debuted and peaked at number 76 on the UK chart on 24 November 1985.[14]
Re-worked singles
"Living on My Own" was re-released in 1993 in a remixed form by No More Brothers, while "I Was Born to Love You" became his only solo chart success in Australia, reaching #13 on the chart. That song and "Made in Heaven" were later reworked by the surviving three Queen members and included in the 1995 studio album Made in Heaven.[10]
Track listing
All songs written by Freddie Mercury.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Let's Turn It On" | 3:42 |
| 2. | "Made in Heaven" | 4:05 |
| 3. | "I Was Born to Love You" | 3:38 |
| 4. | "Foolin' Around" | 3:29 |
| 5. | "Your Kind of Lover" | 3:32 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Mr. Bad Guy" | 4:09 |
| 7. | "Man Made Paradise" | 4:08 |
| 8. | "There Must Be More to Life Than This" | 3:00 |
| 9. | "Living on My Own" | 3:23 |
| 10. | "My Love Is Dangerous" | 3:42 |
| 11. | "Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow" | 3:46 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Let's Turn It On" (12" Version) | 5:06 |
| 13. | "I Was Born to Love You" (12" Version) | 7:03 |
| 14. | "Living on My Own" (12" Version) | 6:40 |
Personnel
- Freddie Mercury – vocals, piano, synthesizer, orchestral arrangements
- Fred Mandel – additional piano, synthesizer, rhythm guitar
- Paul Vincent – lead guitar
- Curt Cress – drums
- Stephan Wissnet – bass guitar
- Jo Burt – bass guitar on "Man Made Paradise"
- Mack and Stephan Wissnet – programming
- Mack, assisted by Stephan Wissnet – engineering
- The Artful Dodger – cover art
- Andrzej Sawa – photograph
Chart performance
| Country | Charts | |
|---|---|---|
| Peak position | Weeks | |
| Australia[16] | 38 | 10 |
| Austria | 23 | 4 |
| Japan | 20 | 21 |
| Netherlands | 20 | 11 |
| Switzerland | 14 | 6 |
| UK Album Chart (OCC) | 6 | 23 |
| US Billboard 200 | 159 | 7 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[17] | Gold | 180,000^ |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- ^ Mr. Bad Guy (album) queenpedia.com Retrieved 2014-10-07.
- ^ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Mr. Bad Guy - Freddie Mercury". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
- ^ a b Holmes, Tim. "Mr Bad Guy - Rolling Stone (Issue 450)". Queen Archives. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
- ^ a b Jen Longshaw. "Freddie Mercury's Cats". Retrieved 10 August 2012.
- ^ Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender - Documentary.
- ^ "The real Freddie Mercury: why the Queen biopic only tells part of the story". The Times. 19 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
- ^ Queen: Days of Our Lives - Documentary.
- ^ "Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury". inquistr.com. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
- ^ "Freddie Mercury interview (1985)". YouTube. Retrieved 3 August 2011.
- ^ a b ARCHIVE MR. BAD GUY (1985) - freddiemercury.com
- ^ Official Singles Chart Top 100 - 05 May 1985 - 11 May 1985
- ^ AUSTRIA TOP 40 - SINGLES 01.06.1985
- ^ Official Singles Chart Top 100 - 21 July 1985 - 27 July 1985
- ^ Official Singles Chart Top 100 - 24 November 1985 - 30 November 1985
- ^ "Freddie Mercury - Mr. Bad Guy". Discogs. Retrieved 20 December 2018.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ BPI certification for Mr Bad Guy Album - Type Mr Bad Guy in BPI Awards Search and press: Apply