Back to the Light

All tracks are written by Brian May, except where noted

Back to the Light
Studio album by Brian May
Released	28 September 1992
Recorded	1988–1992
Studio	Allerton Hill
Genre	Hard rock
Length	51:12
Label	Parlophone (UK) Hollywood (US)
Producer	Brian May Justin Shirley-Smith
Brian May chronology
Star Fleet Project (1983) Back to the Light (1992) Live at the Brixton Academy (1994)
United States cover

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"The Dark"		2:20
2.	"Back to the Light"		4:59
3.	"Love Token"		5:55
4.	"Resurrection"	May Cozy Powell Jamie Page	5:27
5.	"Too Much Love Will Kill You"	May Elizabeth Lamers Frank Musker	4:28
6.	"Driven by You"		4:11
7.	"Nothin' But Blue"	May Powell Geoff Nicholls Steve Makin	3:31
8.	"I'm Scared" (Justin's Mix '92)		4:00
9.	"Last Horizon"		4:10
10.	"Let Your Heart Rule Your Head"		3:51
11.	"Just One Life"		3:38
12.	"Rollin' Over" (includes reprise of "The Dark")	Ronnie Lane Steve Marriott	4:36
Total length:			51:06

Bonus track on the US and Canadian editions

No.	Title	Length
13.	"Driven by You" (Radio Mix)	4:10

Bonus tracks on the Japanese edition

No.	Title	Length
13.	"Just One Life" (guitar version)	3:37
14.	"Too Much Love Will Kill You" (guitar version)	4:30

2021 reissue Out of the Light bonus disc

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Nothin' But Blue" (guitar version)	May Powell Nicholls Makin	3:50
2.	"Too Much Love Will Kill You" (guitar version)	May Lamers Musker	4:30
3.	"Just One Life" (guitar version)		3:37
4.	"Driven by You Two"		2:32
5.	"Driven by You" (Ford Ad version)		1:31
6.	"Tie Your Mother Down" (with Slash, live on The Tonight Show , April '93)		3:27
7.	"Too Much Love Will Kill You" (live in Los Angeles, April '93)	May Lamers Musker	4:42
8.	"'39/Let Your Heart Rule Your Head" (live at the Brixton Academy, June '93)		4:33
9.	"Last Horizon" (live at the Brixton Academy, June '93)		3:14
10.	"We Will Rock You" (live at the Brixton Academy, June '93)		4:46
11.	"Driven by You" (Cozy and Neil Version '93)		4:10

Personnel

Musicians

• Brian May – lead vocals, lead and rhythm guitar, bass, piano, keyboards, programming, backing vocals.
• Cozy Powell – drums (2–4, 7–8, 13)
• Geoff Dugmore – drums (10, 12)
• Gary Tibbs – bass (2, 10, 12)
• Neil Murray – bass (3, 8)
• John Deacon – bass (7)
• Mike Moran – piano (3, 12), keyboards (9)
• Don Airey – keyboards (extra) (4, 7)
• Gill O'Donovan – backing vocals (2, 10)
• Maggie Ryder – backing vocals (2, 12)
• Miriam Stockley – backing vocals (2, 12)
• Suzie O' List – backing vocals (2, 10)
• Chris Thompson – backing vocals (12)

Technical

• Justin Shirley-Smith – co-producer, engineer
• Heidi Cannavo, Noel Haris – engineer (assistant)
• Kevin Metcalfe – mastering
• Brian Zellis – technical assistance, programming
• David Richards – programming
• Bob Ludwig – 2021 remastering ^[24]

Singles

1. "Driven by You" / "Just One Life" (November 1991) – No. 6
2. "Too Much Love Will Kill You" / "I'm Scared" (August 1992) – No. 5
3. "Back to the Light" / "Nothin' But Blue" (November 1992) – No. 19
4. "Resurrection" / "Love Token" / "Too Much Love Will Kill You" (Live) (June 1993) – No. 23
5. "Last Horizon" / "Let Your Heart Rule Your Head" (Live) (December 1993) – No. 51

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1992–1993) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA) [31] 94 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [32] 20 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [33] 11 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [34] 25 Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) [35] 17 Japanese Albums (Oricon) [36] 45 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [37] 36 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [38] 25 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [39] 11 UK Albums Chart (OCC) [40] 6 US Billboard 200 [41] 159 Chart (2021) Peak position Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [32] 20 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [42] 52 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [43] 7 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [33] 60 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [34] 10 Irish Albums (IRMA) [44] 59 Japanese Albums (Oricon) [45] 21 Italian Albums (FIMI) [46] 89 Polish Albums (ZPAV) [47] 48 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [48] 9 UK Albums (OCC) [49] 7 US Top Album Sales (Billboard) [50] 42

Year-end charts Chart (1992) Position Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [51] 78

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Netherlands (NVPI) [52]	Gold	50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI) [53]	Gold	100,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

1. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 23 November 1991. p. 21. Retrieved 19 June 2021.
2. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 22 August 1992. p. 19. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
3. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 7 November 1992. p. 19.
4. "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 5 June 1993. p. 19.
5. "Single Releases". Music Week. 4 December 1993. p. 21.
6. Purvis, Georg (2011). Queen: Complete Works (2nd ed.). London: Titan Books. p. 134. ISBN   9780857685513.
7. Purvis, Georg (2011). Queen: Complete Works (2nd ed.). London: Titan Books. p. 154. ISBN   9780857685513.
8. Brian May – The Dark , retrieved 4 July 2022
9. The Brian May Band – Back to the Light & Tie Your Mother Down (Tonight Show, 5/04/93) , retrieved 24 June 2022
10. Brian May – Back To The Light: The Time Traveller 1992–2021 (Official Video) , retrieved 4 July 2022
11. Purivs, Georg (2011). Queen: Complete Works (2nd ed.). London: Titan Books. p. 222. ISBN   9780857685513.
12. "QueenVault.com – RCD Classic Rock Collection Vol. 4 (1991)". www.queenvault.com. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
13. Brian May – Love Token , retrieved 4 July 2022
14. Purvis, Georg (2011). Queen: Complete Works (2nd ed.). London: Titan Books. p. 256. ISBN   9780857685513.
15. Brian May – Resurrection (Official Video Remastered) , retrieved 4 July 2022
16. Purvis, Georg (2011). Queen: Complete Works (2nd ed.). London: Titan Books. p. 282. ISBN   9780857685513.
17. Purvis, Georg (2011). Queen: Complete Works (2nd ed.). London: Titan Books. pp. 159–160. ISBN   9780857685513.
18. Purvis, Georg (2011). Queen: Complete Works (2nd ed.). London: Titan Books. p. 239. ISBN   9780857685513.
19. Purvis, Georg (2011). Queen: Complete Works (2nd ed.). London: Titan Books. p. 196. ISBN   9780857685513.
20. Purvis, Georg (2011). Queen: Complete Works (2nd ed.). London: Titan Books. p. 212. ISBN   9780857685513.
21. Purvis, Georg (2011). Queen: Complete Works (2nd ed.). London: Titan Books. pp. 214–215. ISBN   9780857685513.
22. Purvis, Georg (2011). Queen: Complete Works (2nd ed.). London: Titan Books. p. 204. ISBN   9780857685513.
23. Purvis, Georg (2011). Queen: Complete Works (2nd ed.). London: Titan Books. p. 258. ISBN   9780857685513.
24. "Brian May announces reissue of his debut solo album 'Back to the Light'". NME. 22 June 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
25. AllMusic review
26. Obee, Dave (7 February 1993). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald .
27. Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). "Queen". MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. pp. 909–910. ISBN   1-57859-061-2.
28. Wood, Sam (2 March 1993). "Intriguing Music from Two Movies". The Philadelphia Inquirer .
29. Rolling Stone review
30. Kampert, Patrick (4 February 1993). "Brian May Back to the Light". Tempo. Chicago Tribune. p. 7.
31. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 180.
32. "Austriancharts.at – Brian May – Back to the Light" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
33. "Dutchcharts.nl – Brian May – Back to the Light" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
34. "Offiziellecharts.de – Brian May – Back to the Light" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
35. "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 1992. 52. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved 25 November 2021.
36. http://www.oricon.co.jp/music/release/d/264861/1/ ^{[ dead link ‍]}
37. "Charts.nz – Brian May – Back to the Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
38. "Swedishcharts.com – Brian May – Back to the Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
39. "Swisscharts.com – Brian May – Back to the Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
40. "BRIAN MAY | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Official Charts .
41. "Brian May Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard . Retrieved 14 August 2021.
42. "Ultratop.be – Brian May – Back to the Light" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
43. "Ultratop.be – Brian May – Back to the Light" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
44. "Irish Albums Chart: 13 August 2021". Irish Recorded Music Association . Retrieved 14 August 2021.
45. "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2021-08-23" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
46. "Album – Classifica settimanale WK 32 (dal 6.8.2021 al 12.8.2021)" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved 14 August 2021.
47. "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
48. "Swisscharts.com – Brian May – Back to the Light". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 August 2021.
49. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 August 2021.
50. "Brian May Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
51. "Jaaroverzichten – Album 1992". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
52. "Dutch album certifications – Back to the Light" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers.Enter Back to the Light in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1992 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
53. "British album certifications – Back to the Light". British Phonographic Industry.