Need Your Loving Tonight

Last updated

"Need Your Loving Tonight"
Need Your Loving Tonight cover.jpg
Japanese single picture sleeve
Single by Queen
from the album The Game
B-side "Rock It (Prime Jive)"
Released18 November 1980 (US) [1]
Recorded1980
Genre
Length2:49
Label Elektra
Songwriter(s) John Deacon
Producer(s)
Queen singles chronology
"Another One Bites the Dust"
(1980)		"Need Your Loving Tonight"
(1980)		"Flash"
(1980)

"Need Your Loving Tonight" is a song by the rock band Queen and written by bass guitarist John Deacon. It is the fourth track on the first side of their 1980 album The Game and the second song on the album by Deacon (the other being "Another One Bites the Dust"). It was released as a single in some countries in November 1980.

Contents

Lyrics and music

The lyrics to "Need Your Loving Tonight" take the point of view of someone who is upset about losing his lover. [4] Queen historian Georg Purvis explains that the lyrics give a "false optimistic slant to the end of a relationship" by having the singer insist that the split was mutual. [5] Musician Benoît Clerc claims that the lyrics overuse the phrases "I love her" and "I love you." [4] According to Clerc, the music is "driven by a simple and repetitive rhythm" that Deacon plays on acoustic guitar, which he plays on this song in addition to his normal bass guitar. [4] Freddie Mercury sings the lead vocal in what music professor Nick Braae describes as his "sincere voice," where he primarily uses his chest voice but avoids a gravelly tone and sings at a generally lower volume. [6]

The structure of the song is unusual. While the song generally follows a verse-refrain structure, the first verse contains a contrasting bridge-like section in the middle. [6] Songs typically do not have a bridge that early, but several of Deacon's songs incorporate multiple bridges, "Spread Your Wings" being another example. [6]

Producer Reinhold Mack obtained a snare drum sound on the song that Clerc describes as both "muffled and punchy." [4] Mack described how he obtained this sound, stating "You don't mic the snare drum from an angle down toward it and one at the bottom. I just use one on the side." [4] According to Ultimate Classic Rock critic Eduardo Rivadavia, Deacon plays acoustic rhythm guitar to soften the sharp angles [of the song] into a buttery-smooth arrangement, simultaneously suggesting his Beatles influences and the period's power-pop inspiration. [7] "Need Your Loving Tonight" was one of the first Queen songs on which a reverb effect was applied to lead singer Freddie Mercury's vocal. [4]

Reception

Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine felt that the band sounded like Boston on the song. [8] Similarly, Queen FAQ author Daniel Ross claimed that it could "sit happily alongside Journey or Boston on a compilation album of driving anthems." [9] Andrew Wild suggested that it was influenced by the Beatles as well as contemporary power pop songs such as Cheap Trick's "Surrender," Blondie's "Hanging on the Telephone" and The Knack's "My Sharona." [10] Baltimore Sun critic Tom Basham said that it "incorporates a Cheap Trick sounding bass pattern and some tasty strumming to produce a pure pop sound that is as memorable as it is lightweight." [11] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Eduardo Rivadavia rated the song as the 8th best song Deacon wrote for Queen and described the song as "infectious power pop." [7] [2] Classic Rock History critic Millie Zeiler rated it John Deacon's 7th best Queen song, saying that the song "came from the viewpoint of a heartbroken man who saw the end of his romantic relationship as a mutual decision" but was "partially in denial." [12] Zeiler said that the touch of 1960s nostalgia in the music made the song special. [12]

Rolling Stone critic Steve Pond regarded "Need Your Loving Tonight" as the best rock 'n' roll song on The Game, but complained that it "keeps tripping over its sluggish power chords." [13] Clerc calls it a "pop-rock song par excellence" but claims that it is not among Deacon's greatest songwriting successes. [4] Billboard claimed that the song has "the breezy energy of a 1960s pop song" and praised Brian May's "biting guitar work." [14] Cash Box called it a "fine pop-oriented rocker." [15] Record World called it a "pop rocker [that] celebrates young love with a pounding beat [and] guitar havoc." [16]

"Need Your Loving Tonight" was released as a single in some countries as a follow-up to "Another One Bites the Dust" but did not match its predecessor's success, peaking at #44 on the Billboard Hot 100. [5] [17]

Live performances

"Need Your Loving Tonight" was played frequently during The Game Tour in 1980 and then less frequently in 1981, but was not played live thereafter. [10] Also during live performances of the song, Brian May and Roger Taylor sang backing vocals and Freddie Mercury played piano during Brian's guitar solo (both of which were absent in the studio version).

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Another One Bites the Dust</span> 1980 single by Queen

"Another One Bites the Dust" is a song by the British rock band Queen. Written by bassist John Deacon, the song was featured on the group's eighth studio album The Game (1980). It was a worldwide hit, charting at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks, from 4 October to 18 October. The song spent 15 weeks in the Billboard top 10, including 13 weeks in the top five, and 31 weeks total on the chart. It reached number two on the Hot Soul Singles chart and the Disco Top 100 chart, and number seven on the UK Singles Chart. The song is credited as Queen's best-selling single, with sales of over 7 million copies. This version was ranked at number 34 on Billboard's All-Time Top Songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crazy Little Thing Called Love</span> 1979 single by Queen

"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is a song by the British rock band Queen. Written by Freddie Mercury in 1979, the track is included on their 1980 album The Game, and also appears on the band's compilation album Greatest Hits in 1981. The song peaked at number two in the UK Singles Chart in 1979 and became the group's first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US in 1980, remaining there for four consecutive weeks. It topped the Australian ARIA Charts for seven weeks. It was the band's final single release of the 1970s.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You're My Best Friend (Queen song)</span> 1976 single by Queen

"You're My Best Friend" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by the band's bass player, John Deacon, who wrote it for and about his wife. It was first included on the 1975 album A Night at the Opera, and later released as a single. The ballad also appeared on the Live Killers (1979) live album, and on the compilation albums Greatest Hits (1981), Absolute Greatest (2009) and Queen Forever (2014).

<i>Queen</i> (Queen album) 1973 debut studio album by Queen

Queen is the debut studio album by the British rock band Queen. Released on 13 July 1973 by EMI Records in the UK and by Elektra Records in the US, it was recorded at Trident Studios and De Lane Lea Music Centre, London, with production by Roy Thomas Baker, John Anthony and the band members themselves.

<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>The Miracle</i> (album) 1989 studio album by Queen

The Miracle is the thirteenth studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 22 May 1989 by Parlophone Records and Capitol Records in both the United Kingdom and the U.S. respectively, where it was the band's only studio album to be released on latter label. The album was recorded as the band recovered from Brian May's marital problems and Freddie Mercury's HIV diagnosis in 1987. Recording started in January 1988 and lasted for an entire year. The album was originally going to be called The Invisible Men, but three weeks before the release, according to Roger Taylor, they changed the name to The Miracle. It was also the last Queen album with a photo of the band on the front cover.

<i>Jazz</i> (Queen album) 1978 studio album by Queen

Jazz is the seventh studio album by the British rock band Queen. It was released on 10 November 1978 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, the album artwork was suggested by Roger Taylor, who previously saw a similar design painted on the Berlin Wall. The album's varying musical styles were alternately praised and criticised. It reached number two in the UK Albums Chart and number six on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart.

<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">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 unique, 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.

"The Prophet's Song" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by their guitarist Brian May, originally released on their fourth studio album A Night at the Opera in 1975.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spread Your Wings</span> 1978 single by Queen

"Spread Your Wings" is a power ballad by English rock band Queen, from their 1977 album News of the World. Written by bassist John Deacon, it was released as the A-side of the single "Spread Your Wings"/"Sheer Heart Attack" in 1978. According to music writer Benoit Clerc, "Spread Your Wings" was chosen as the 2nd single from News of the World because the band regretted releasing "Tie Your Mother Down" as a single from A Day at the Races over Deacon's "You and I."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hammer to Fall</span> 1984 single by Queen

"Hammer to Fall" is a 1984 song by the British rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, the song is the eighth track on their 1984 album The Works. It was the fourth and final single to be released from that album, although the single version was edited down by thirty seconds from the version on the album. Different sleeves were used to package this single and the live picture sleeve is now a collector's item. The song harks back to the old roots of the band, being built around a hard angular and muscular riff.

<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">It's Late</span> 1978 single by Queen

"It's Late" is a song by English rock band Queen, written by guitarist Brian May and released on their 1977 studio album, News of the World.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Play the Game (song)</span> 1980 song by Queen

"Play the Game" is a song by British rock band Queen, written by Freddie Mercury. It is the first track on the first side of their 1980 album The Game. It also appears on their album Greatest Hits. The single was a hit in the UK, reaching No. 14 in the charts, and in the US, peaking at No. 42.

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

"Long Away" is a song by the British rock band Queen; it is the third track on their 1976 album A Day at the Races. Brian May wrote the song and sings the lead vocals. It is the only Queen single released during Freddie Mercury's lifetime not to be sung by him, and was released as the third single from the album in North America and New Zealand only.

<i>The Game</i> (Queen album) 1980 studio album by Queen

The Game is the eighth studio album by the British rock band Queen. It was released on 30 June 1980 by EMI Records in the UK and by Elektra Records in the US. The Game features a different sound from its predecessor, Jazz (1978). The Game was the first Queen album to use a synthesizer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Game Tour</span> 1980–1981 concert tour by Queen

The Game Tour was the eighth headlining concert tour by the British rock band Queen to support their successful 1980 album The Game. This tour featured the first performances in South America by the group. This tour marked the last time Queen played without a fifth player, as all tours from 1982 onwards would feature an extra man playing on keyboard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Year of Love</span> 1986 single by Queen

One Year of Love is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by John Deacon, originally released on their twelfth studio album A Kind of Magic in 1986.

References

  1. ↑ "Queen singles".
  2. 1 2 Rivadavia, E. (30 June 2015). "How Queen Reached a Turning Point With 'The Game'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  3. ↑ The Game. AllMusic. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Clerc, Benoît (2020). Queen All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Black Dog & Leventhal. p. 266. ISBN   9780762471249.
  5. 1 2 Purvis, Georg (2012). Queen: The Complete Works. Titan Books. ASIN   B00BVJIYTS.
  6. 1 2 3 Braae, Nick (2021). Rock and Rhapsodies: The Music of Queen. Oxford University Press. pp. 20, 51–53, 60, 110. ISBN   9780197526767.
  7. 1 2 Rivadavia, Eduardo (19 August 2013). "Top 10 John Deacon Queen Songs". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  8. ↑ Erlewine, S.T. "The Game". Allmusic . Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  9. ↑ Ross, Daniel (2020). Queen FAQ. Backbeat Books. pp. 127–128. ISBN   9781617137280.
  10. 1 2 Wild, Andrew (2018). Queen: Every Album, Every Song. Sonicbond. p. 71. ISBN   9781789520033.
  11. ↑ Basham, Tom (22 August 1980). "Civic Center getting more showy with Queen tomorrow night". Baltimore Sun. p. B6. Retrieved 2 August 2022– via newspapers.com.
  12. 1 2 Zeiler, Millie (28 December 2022). "Top 10 John Deacon Queen Songs". Classic Rock History. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  13. ↑ Pond, S. (18 September 1980). "The Game". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  14. ↑ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. 29 November 1980. p. 71. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
  15. ↑ "CashBox Album Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 12 July 1980. p. 9. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  16. ↑ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 29 November 1980. p. 1. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  17. ↑ "Queen Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.