Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy

Last updated

"Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy"
Single by Queen
from the album A Day at the Races
A-side "Teo Torriatte"
Released20 May 1977
Recorded1976
Genre
Length2:54
Label EMI
Songwriter(s) Freddie Mercury
Producer(s) Queen
Queen singles chronology
"Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)"
(1977)
"Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy"
(1977)
"Long Away"
(1977)
Music video
"Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy" on YouTube

"Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy" is the eighth track from the British rock band Queen's 1976 album A Day at the Races , written by Freddie Mercury. It was also released as a single in 1977 on 7-inch vinyl. It was one of several British music hall-inspired songs composed by members of the band. It reached number 17 on the UK Singles Chart.

Contents

Background and composition

The song begins with a piano and vocal introduction by Mercury, then continues, with the bass and drums adding on, at the start of the chorus. The second verse is sung, followed by another chorus. At this point, the drums, bass and guitar drop out, which then leads into the bridge, sung by Mercury and Mike Stone ("Hey boy where'd you get it from, hey boy where did you go?"). Following the Brian May guitar solo, another verse is sung, and then the chorus ends the track.

The song describes how "a good old-fashioned lover boy" is looking forward to a night of revelry and romance.

Live performances and other appearances

It was partially mimed by the band for the BBC and aired on Top of the Pops . The Top of the Pops version also has drummer Roger Taylor singing Mike Stone's line.

The song was also performed live from A Day at the Races Tour until the end of the News of the World Tour. [2] [3] It was performed in a medley after "Killer Queen", and was the first two verses, followed by the final chorus. [2] [3]

Personnel

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [5] Gold400,000
United States (RIAA) [6] Gold500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<i>News of the World</i> (album) 1977 studio album by Queen

News of the World is the sixth studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 28 October 1977 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States. News of the World was the band's second album to be recorded at Sarm and Wessex Sound Studios in London, and engineered by Mike Stone, and was co-produced by the band and Stone.

<i>Sheer Heart Attack</i> 1974 studio album by Queen

Sheer Heart Attack is the third studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 8 November 1974 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States. Digressing from the progressive themes featured on their first two albums, the album featured more pop-centric and conventional rock tracks and marked a step towards the "classic" Queen sound. It was produced by the band and Roy Thomas Baker, and launched Queen to mainstream popularity in the UK and throughout the world.

<i>A Day at the Races</i> (album) 1976 studio album by Queen

A Day at the Races is the fifth studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 10 December 1976 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States. Recorded at The Manor, Sarm East, and Wessex Sound Studios in England, it was the band's first completely self-produced album, and the first completed without the involvement of producer Roy Thomas Baker; engineering duties were handled by Mike Stone. It serves as a companion to Queen's previous album, A Night at the Opera, with both taking their names from Marx Brothers films and having similar packaging and eclectic musical themes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tie Your Mother Down</span> Song written and composed by Brian May

"Tie Your Mother Down" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by lead guitarist Brian May. It is the opening track and the second single from their 1976 album A Day at the Races. On its original release as a single in 1977 the song peaked at 31 in the UK Singles Chart. More than 20 years later, it was released as a double a-side to "No-One but You " where it reached 13 in UK Singles Chart. On the album the song is preceded by a one-minute instrumental intro featuring a Shepard tone melody, performed by Brian May, which is reprised in the ending of "Teo Torriatte": this was intended to create a "circle" within the album.

<i>Hot Space</i> 1982 studio album by Queen

Hot Space is the tenth studio album by the British rock band Queen. It was released on 4 May 1982 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States. Marking a notable shift in direction from their earlier work, they employed many elements of disco, funk, R&B, dance, pop and new wave music on the album. This made the album less popular with fans who preferred the traditional rock style they had come to associate with the band. Queen's decision to record a dance-oriented album germinated with the massive success of their 1980 hit "Another One Bites the Dust" in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killer Queen</span> 1974 single by Queen

"Killer Queen" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by lead singer Freddie Mercury and recorded for their third album Sheer Heart Attack in 1974. It reached number two in the UK Singles Chart and became their first US hit, reaching number twelve on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is about a high-class call girl and has been characterised as "Mercury's piano-led paean to a Moët-quaffing courtesan".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keep Yourself Alive</span> 1973 single by Queen

"Keep Yourself Alive" is the debut single by the British rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, it is the opening track on the band's self-titled debut album (1973). It was released as Queen's first single along with "Son and Daughter" as the B-side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stone Cold Crazy</span> 1974 song by Queen

"Stone Cold Crazy" is a song written and performed by British rock band Queen for their 1974 album Sheer Heart Attack. It is a rare, early example of all four members sharing a writing credit. Although the song was not released as a single at the time, it was performed live at almost every Queen concert from 1974 to 1978. "Stone Cold Crazy" is included on the band's 1992 compilation album, Classic Queen and was released as a promo single in that year by Hollywood Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">'39</span> 1976 song by Queen

"'39" is a song by British rock band Queen. Composed by lead guitarist Brian May, it is the fifth track on their fourth studio album A Night at the Opera. The song was also the B-side to "You're My Best Friend".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Death on Two Legs</span> 1975 song by Queen

"Death on Two Legs" is a song by the British rock band Queen and is the opening track on their fourth album A Night at the Opera. The song was written by Freddie Mercury about the band's fall-out with their original manager and Trident Studios owner Norman Sheffield. Though the song makes no direct reference to him, Sheffield sued both the band and the record label for defamation. This resulted in an out-of-court settlement, thus revealing to the public his connection with the song. Mercury said that his lawyer had cautioned him against discussing the lyrics, but that it was written from a "very emotional" place for which he felt music was the best outlet. Roger Taylor also noted that despite the success of "Killer Queen" and Sheer Heart Attack, the album preceding A Night at the Opera, the band was lacking money before the album was made. Sheffield denied that he or his companies had mistreated the band in his capacity as manager, and cited the original 1972 management contracts between himself and Queen in his autobiography published in 2013, Life on Two Legs: Set The Record Straight, in his defence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)</span> 1997 single by Queen

"No-One But You " is the final single recorded by the British rock band Queen. Recorded and released in 1997, six years after the death of lead singer Freddie Mercury, it is the only Queen recording to feature a three-piece lineup: guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor, and bassist John Deacon. May and Taylor share lead vocals. The song was released on the album Queen Rocks and it was also released as a double a-side single with "Tie Your Mother Down". It was later included on the compilation album Greatest Hits III.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liar (Queen song)</span> 1974 single by Queen

"Liar" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by the lead singer Freddie Mercury in 1970. The song featured on the band's 1973 debut album Queen. A heavily truncated version of "Liar" was released as a single – backed with "Doing All Right" – in the United States and New Zealand by Elektra Records in February 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Save Me (Queen song)</span> 1980 single by Queen

"Save Me" is a song by the British rock band Queen from their 1980 album The Game. Written by guitarist Brian May, it was recorded in 1979, and released in the UK on 25 January 1980, nearly six months prior to the release of the album. "Save Me" spent six weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 11. It was the band's first single release of the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fat Bottomed Girls</span> 1978 single by Queen

"Fat Bottomed Girls" is a song by the British rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, the song appears on the band's seventh studio album Jazz (1978) and later on their compilation album Greatest Hits. When released as a single with "Bicycle Race", the song reached number 11 in the UK Singles Chart and number 24 in the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)</span> 1977 single by Queen

"Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)" (Japanese title: "手をとりあって", te wo toriatte) is a song by Queen from their 1976 album A Day at the Races. Written by guitarist Brian May, it is the closing track on the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Las Palabras de Amor</span> 1982 single by Queen

"Las Palabras de Amor (The Words of Love)" is a rock ballad by the British rock band Queen. It was released as the third single from their 1982 album Hot Space. It is sung mostly in English, but with several Spanish phrases. Written by guitarist Brian May, the song proved more popular in the United Kingdom than their previous single ("Body Language"), reaching No. 17 in the UK Singles Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flick of the Wrist</span> 1974 single by Queen

"Flick of the Wrist" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released as a double A-side with "Killer Queen" in the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, the United States and most other territories. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the 1974 album Sheer Heart Attack.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm in Love with My Car</span> 1975 song by Queen

"I'm in Love with My Car" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released on their fourth album A Night at the Opera in 1975. It is the album's only song written entirely by drummer Roger Taylor.

The News of the World Tour was the fifth headlining concert tour by the British rock band Queen, supporting their successful 1977 album News of the World. The tour spanned from 11 November 1977 to 13 May 1978 over three tour legs: North America, Europe, and the United Kingdom. Rehearsals for the tour took place at Shepperton Studios in October 1977.

<i>Greatest Hits in Japan</i> 2020 greatest hits album by Queen

Greatest Hits in Japan is a compilation album by British rock band Queen. It was released on 15 January 2020 by Universal Music Group. The album was only released in Japan as a limited edition release.

References

  1. Georg Purvis (24 August 2012). Queen: Complete Works. Titan Books. p. 115. ISBN   978-1-78116-287-3.
  2. 1 2 Queen live on tour: A Day At The Races: Setlist Queen Concerts. Retrieved 31 August 2011
  3. 1 2 Queen live on tour: News Of The World: Setlist Queen Concerts. Retrieved 31 August 2011
  4. "A Day at the Races :: Queen Songs". Archived from the original on 18 June 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
  5. "British single certifications – Queen – Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  6. "American single certifications – Queen – Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved 29 August 2022.