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'{{Use British English|date=July 2014}} {{Infobox song | name = I'm Going Slightly Mad | cover = Queen Im Going Slightly Mad.png | alt = | border = yes | type = single | artist = [[Queen (band)|Queen]] | album = [[Innuendo (album)|Innuendo]] | B-side = {{ubl|"Lost Opportunity"|"The Hitman"}} | released = 4 March 1991 | format = {{hlist|[[Gramophone record|7"]]|[[12-inch single|12"]]|[[Cassette single|cassette]]|[[CD single|CD]]}} | recorded = | studio = | venue = | genre = [[Art rock]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/song/im-going-slightly-mad-mt0000341451|title=I'm Going Slightly Mad |publisher=AllMusic |accessdate=2 March 2017}}</ref>, [[psychedelic rock]]<ref>[http://www.queensongs.info/albums/innuendo.html|title=Queen%20Songs%20–%20Album%20Analysis:%20Innuendo|language=Cs|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222145952/http://www.queensongs.info/albums/innuendo.html|archivedate=2014-02-22|deadurl=no|publisher=Queensongs.info|date=4%20February%201991|accessdate=10%20August%202011}}</ref> ith its harder rock sound, complex musical composition ([[Innuendo (song)|title track<nowiki>]]</nowiki>), psychedelic effects ("[[I'm Going Slightly Mad<nowiki>]]</nowiki>"), and somewhat weakened vocals from Mercury ranging over three octaves ]</ref> | length = 4:22 | label = [[Parlophone]] <small>(Europe)</small><br />[[Hollywood Records|Hollywood]] <small>(North America)</small> | writer = [[Queen (band)|Queen]] | producer = Queen and [[David Richards (record producer)|David Richards]] | prev_title = [[Innuendo (song)|Innuendo]] | prev_year = 1991 | next_title = [[Headlong (song)|Headlong]] | next_year = 1991 }} "'''I'm Going Slightly Mad'''" is a song by the British rock band [[Queen (band)|Queen]]. Written by [[Freddie Mercury]] but credited to Queen, with uncredited lyrical contributions by [[Peter Straker]], it was released as the second single from the band's 1991 album ''[[Innuendo (album)|Innuendo]]''. The lyrics and the accompanying music video project the song as quirky, humorous and light-hearted,<ref>{{cite web|date=February 15, 1991|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|title="Innuendo" review|url=http://www.queenarchives.com/index.php?title=Queen_-_02-15-1991_-_Innuendo_-_LA_Times}}</ref> despite the lyrics dealing with the mental decline Mercury was experiencing as one of the effects of advancing AIDS. The song also features a [[slide guitar]] solo performed by [[Brian May]]. [[John Deacon]]'s bass is tuned down to a low B.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}} The single cover was inspired by a [[Jean Ignace Isidore Gérard|Grandville]] illustration (as are the others from the album).{{citation needed|date=October 2017}} ==Background== "I'm Going Slightly Mad" had been mentioned by John Deacon in a letter printed in the Queen Fan Club magazine of Spring 1990.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=KgHxBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA79&dq=queen+i%27m+going+slightly+mad&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=queen%20i%27m%20going%20slightly%20mad&f=false |title=The Queen Chronology: The Recording & Release History of the Band - Patrick Lemieux, Adam Unger - Google Books |publisher=Books.google.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2017-06-03}}</ref> Describing it as the "whacky single", Deacon revealed the work on the song was in progress. The song was written by Mercury, who initially had the song's title in his mind. During an evening with his friend [[Peter Straker]], Mercury explained his idea for the song, which he wanted to feature lyrics of tongue-in-cheek one liners inspired by [[Noël Coward]]. The pair then spent the night coming up with such lines.<ref name="autogenerated156">{{cite book|last1=Hutton|first1=Jim|last2=Wapshott|first2=Tim|title=Mercury and Me|year=1994|publisher=Bloomsbury Pub Ltd|isbn=978-0747519225|page=156}}</ref> In his 1994 book ''Mercury and Me'', Mercury's partner Jim Hutton recalled: {{quote|"Freddie set about with Peter trying to come up with a succession of goofy lyrics, each funnier than the last. He screamed when they came up with things like 'I'm knitting with only one needle' and 'I'm driving on only three wheels these days'. But the master-stroke was: 'I think I'm a banana tree'. Once that came out there was no stopping Freddie and Straker - they were then in full flow. I went to bed to fall asleep listening to their laughter wafting upstairs."<ref name="autogenerated156"/>}} During 1991, Mercury recorded a short, "Totally Bonkers" version of the song as a message for Queen's 1991 fan club convention. The version, less than a minute in length, features different instrumentation, lyrics and vocal than that used in the main, full Queen recording of the song.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=KgHxBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA79&dq=queen+i%27m+going+slightly+mad+fan+club+message&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjC-pX-hqLUAhWRYVAKHY4aBSgQ6AEIIjAA#v=onepage&q=queen%20i%27m%20going%20slightly%20mad%20fan%20club%20message&f=false |title=The Queen Chronology: The Recording & Release History of the Band - Patrick Lemieux, Adam Unger - Google Books |publisher=Books.google.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2017-06-03}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/queen/songs/demos-1.htm#I%27m%20Going%20Totally%20Mad |title=Queen Demos Of Released Tracks A-I Lyrics |publisher=Ultimatequeen.co.uk |date=2017-04-29 |accessdate=2017-06-03}}</ref> ==Video== The accompanying video — like all other ''Innuendo'' videos directed by [[Rudi Dolezal]] and [[Hannes Rossacher]] of [[DoRo Productions]] — was filmed in February 1991 at [[Limehouse Studios]] and it features the band dressed and acting in an absurd and surreal manner, including [[guitarist]] [[Brian May]] dressed as a [[penguin]] (a reprise of his outfit featured in the booklet of the [[Queen (Queen album)|first Queen album]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssboct09a.html#07 |archive-url=https://archive.is/20120722224253/http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssboct09a.html |dead-url=yes |archive-date=2012-07-22 |title=Brians Soapbox October 2009 |publisher=Brianmay.com |date= |accessdate=2012-01-11 }}</ref>), [[drummer]] [[Roger Taylor (Queen drummer)|Roger Taylor]] wearing a tea kettle on his head and riding a tricycle while Mercury sneaks up on him and is chasing him, a man in a [[gorilla suit]], [[bassist]] [[John Deacon]] as a [[jester]], and Mercury wearing a bunch of [[banana]]s as a wig, which corresponds with the line "I think I'm a banana tree." "I'm Going Slightly Mad" is the last Queen video to feature significant creative input from Mercury. He was already considerably ill at the time due to [[AIDS]], which would claim his life less than a year later. Despite this, the viewer sees Mercury as very mobile and expressive in the scenes of the video. He even actively co-directed some of the video's storyboards. Mercury wore thick make-up to cover up the blotches on his face, and an extra layer of clothing underneath to conceal his weight loss. He also wore a wig, which covered his receding hairline, and a suit, both in the [[Goth subculture|goth]]-inspired style popular at the time. In contrast, in the video for "[[These Are the Days of Our Lives]]", the last music video which Mercury ever filmed (in May 1991), he hardly moved around at all, as his condition had deteriorated further. However, both of these videos were shot in black and white.<ref>{{cite episode |title= The Queen Phenomenon|episodelink= |series=The Queen Phenomenon |serieslink= |credits= |network= |station= |airdate= 1995|season= |seriesno= |number= |minutes= |url= }}</ref> ==Personnel== {{Refimprove|date=December 2017}} *[[Freddie Mercury]] - [[lead vocals|lead]], and [[backing vocals]], [[keyboard instrument|keyboards]], [[piano]], [[sampler (musical instrument)|sampler]] *[[Brian May]] - [[electric guitar]], [[slide guitar]] *[[Roger Taylor (Queen drummer)|Roger Taylor]] - [[drum kit|drums]], [[maracas]], [[bar chimes]] *[[John Deacon]] - [[bass guitar]] ==Chart performance== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- !Chart (1991) !Peak<br>position |- |align="left"|Belgian Singles Chart (V)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ultratop.be/nl/song/1f8b/Queen-I'm-Going-Slightly-Mad |title=Queen - I'm Going Slightly Mad |publisher=ultratop.be |date= |accessdate=2017-06-03}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|39 |- |align="left"|Dutch Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web|author=Steffen Hung |url=http://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Queen&titel=I%27m+Going+Slightly+Mad&cat=s |title=Queen - I'm Going Slightly Mad |publisher=dutchcharts.nl |date= |accessdate=2017-06-03}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|20 |- |align="left"|German Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web|author=Steffen Hung |url=http://germancharts.de/showitem.asp?interpret=Queen&titel=I%27m+Going+Slightly+Mad&cat=s |title=germancharts.com - Queen - I'm Going Slightly Mad |publisher=Germancharts.de |date= |accessdate=2017-06-03}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|42 |- |align="left"|Irish Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web|author=Jaclyn Ward |url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement |title=The Irish Charts - All there is to know |publisher=Irishcharts.ie |date= |accessdate=2017-06-03}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|19 |- |align="left"|UK Singles Chart<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/21275/queen/ |title=queen &#124; full Official Chart History &#124; Official Charts Company |publisher=Officialcharts.com |date= |accessdate=2017-06-03}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|22 |} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.queenonline.com/en/the-band/discography/innuendo/#lyrics Lyrics at Queen official website] {{Queen singles}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2010}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Im Going Slightly Mad}} [[Category:Queen (band) songs]] [[Category:1991 singles]] [[Category:Parlophone singles]] [[Category:Songs written by Freddie Mercury]] [[Category:1991 songs]] [[Category:Hollywood Records singles]] [[Category:Art rock songs]]'