Bicycle Race

Last updated

"Bicycle Race"
Queen Bicycle Race1.png
UK single picture sleeve
Single by Queen
from the album Jazz
A-side “Fat Bottomed Girls" (double A-side) [1]
Released13 October 1978
RecordedJune–July 1978
Genre Rock
Length3:01
Label
Songwriter(s) Freddie Mercury
Producer(s) Queen and Roy Thomas Baker
Queen singles chronology
"It's Late"
(1978)		"Bicycle Race" / "Fat Bottomed Girls"
(1978)		"Don't Stop Me Now"
(1979)
Music video
"Bicycle Race" on YouTube

"Bicycle Race" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was released on their 1978 album Jazz and written by Queen's lead singer Freddie Mercury. It was released as a double A-side single together with the song "Fat Bottomed Girls", reaching number 11 in the UK Singles Chart and number 24 in the Billboard Hot 100 in the US. [2] [3] The song is included in their 1981 Greatest Hits compilation.

Contents

The song is notable for its video featuring a bicycle race with nude women at Wimbledon Stadium. The controversial video was edited or even banned in several countries. The song itself has appeared in various media with a bicycle theme. [4]

Composition

The song was written by Freddie Mercury and was inspired by watching the 18th stage of the 1978 Tour de France passing Montreux, where the band were recording Jazz in the Mountain Studios. [5] [6] It starts with a chorus unaccompanied by instruments. The chorus is followed by two verses connected with a bridge, both followed by a chorus. Around the middle of the song is a solo played with numerous bicycle bells. The song has an unusual chord progression with numerous modulations, a change of metre (from 4
4 to 3
4) in the bridge, and multitracked vocal and guitar harmonies. [7]

Reception

Cash Box called it "a jaunty theatrical tribute to bike riding." [8] Record World said that it combines "inventive lyrics and harmonies" with class. [9]

Lyrics

The lyrics are topical for the time and contain social, political, and pop culture references, such as religion, the Vietnam War, Watergate, cocaine, fictional characters (Peter Pan, Frankenstein and Superman), and the films Jaws and Star Wars .

Brian May has said that the song was not an autobiographical portrait of Mercury and that Mercury did not particularly enjoy bicycling, also noting that despite the lyric "I don't like Star Wars", Mercury was a Star Wars fan. [10]

The song references the band's song "Fat Bottomed Girls" with the line "fat bottomed girls, they'll be riding today". "Fat Bottomed Girls" reciprocates with "Get on your bikes and ride!" The two songs were released together as a double A-sided single.

Music video

Filmed by Denis de Vallance, the promotional video featured 65 nude women, all professional models, bicycle racing at Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium, southwest London. The group rented the stadium and several dozen bicycles for one day for filming the scene; however, when the renting company became aware of the way their bikes were used, they requested that the group purchase all the bicycle seats. [5] [11] The original video used special effects to hide the nudity. [12] However, due to the nudity, the video is age-restricted on YouTube and banned in several countries, including China.

Distribution

The song was released as a single and is also included in the following albums and box sets: Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody, 15 Of The Best, Queen Live In Concert, Greatest Hits and The Singles Collection Volume 1 . [13]

The single was mostly distributed in 1978, on 7-inch vinyl records, with "Fat Bottomed Girls" on the B-side and EMI record label. In Argentina, the titles were translated as "Carrera de Bicicletas" and "Chicas Gordas" respectively. The labels were changed to Pepita in Hungary and to Elektra in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. The Polish issue had the label of Tonpress [14] and either "Spread Your Wings" or nothing on the B-side. Both 7-inch and 12-inch records were issued in the US; there the song also appeared in 1979, on the B-side of the single "Crazy Little Thing Called Love". In nearly all countries, the covers featured a backside photo of a naked woman on a racing bike, with a red bikini painted over the original photo. [5] [15] A brassiere was added to the US covers. [16] [17]

Personnel

Chart performance

CountryPeak
position		Held duringCharted
for (weeks)
Australia [18] 289
Austria [19] 21Jan 19794
Belgium [19] 15Jan 19795
France [20] 7November – December 197811
Germany [21] 2711–18 Dec 197812
Ireland [22] 107
New Zealand [19] 208
The Netherlands [23] 525 Nov – 2 Dec 197811
Norway [23] 79
Portugal [24] 93 February 19792
UK [18] [25] 1125 Nov – 9 Dec 197811
US Billboard [18] [26] 24Jan 197912


Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [27] Platinum1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Sample

The song's chorus was sampled by Eminem in "C'mon Let Me Ride" by Skylar Grey. [28]

Alternate artwork

A bicycle race with nude women was held to promote the Jazz album, the single and the "Fat Bottomed Girls" single. This photo was included as a fold-out poster with the album Jazz. It was also included as an alternate single cover. [29]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Are the Champions</span> 1977 single by Queen

"We Are the Champions" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released from the band's sixth album News of the World (1977). Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, it remains among rock's most recognisable anthems. The song was a worldwide success, reaching number two in the UK Singles Chart, number four on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, number three in Canada and the top ten in many other countries. In 2009 it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and was voted the world's favourite song in a 2005 Sony Ericsson world music poll.

<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, becoming 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>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>Greatest Hits</i> (Queen album) 1981 greatest hits album by Queen

Greatest Hits is a compilation album by the British rock band Queen, released worldwide on 26 October 1981. The album consisted of Queen's biggest hits since their first chart appearance in 1974 with "Seven Seas of Rhye", up to their 1980 hit "Flash". There was no universal track listing or cover art for the album, and each territory's tracks were dependent on what singles had been released there and which were successful. In 1992, the US version of the album Classic Queen was released following the band's rekindled popularity in the nation.

<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 UK and by Elektra Records in the US. 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.

<i>Queen Rocks</i> 1997 compilation album by Queen

Queen Rocks is a compilation album by the British rock band Queen, released on 3 November 1997.

<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">I Want to Break Free</span> 1984 single by Queen

"I Want to Break Free" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by their bassist John Deacon. It appears on the album The Works (1984), and was released in three versions: album, single and extended. The track became a staple of the bands during their 1984–85 Works Tour and their 1986 Magic Tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Stop Me Now</span> Song by British rock band Queen

"Don't Stop Me Now" is a song by the British rock band Queen featured on their 1978 album Jazz that was released as a single in 1979. Written by lead singer Freddie Mercury, it was recorded in August 1978 at Super Bear Studios in Berre-les-Alpes (Alpes-Maritimes), France, and is the twelfth track on the album.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">These Are the Days of Our Lives</span> 1991 single by Queen

"These Are the Days of Our Lives" is a song by the British rock band Queen. Although credited to the whole band, it was largely written by their drummer Roger Taylor, and is the eighth track on the band's 1991 album Innuendo.

<i>Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen</i> Queen tribute album

Killer Queen is a tribute album of Queen songs. The album is named for the 1974 Queen song of the same name that first appeared on the Sheer Heart Attack album. The album peaked at number 104 on the Billboard 200 on 27 August 2005. Later, it re-entered the Billboard 200 in April 2006 at 115 after the Queen round in American Idol's season 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Show Must Go On (Queen song)</span> 1991 single by Queen

"The Show Must Go On" is a song by British rock band Queen, featured as the twelfth and final track on their 1991 album, Innuendo. It is credited to Queen, but written mainly by Brian May. The song chronicles the effort of frontman Freddie Mercury continuing to perform despite approaching the end of his life, although his diagnosis with HIV/AIDS had not yet been made public in spite of ongoing media speculation claiming that he was seriously ill. When the band recorded the song in 1990, Mercury's condition had deteriorated to the point that May had concerns as to whether he was physically capable of singing it. May recalls; "I said, 'Fred, I don't know if this is going to be possible to sing.' And he went, 'I'll fucking do it, darling'—vodka down—and went in and killed it, completely lacerated that vocal".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Somebody to Love (Queen song)</span> 1976 single by Queen

"Somebody to Love" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by the lead singer/pianist Freddie Mercury. It debuted on the band's 1976 album A Day at the Races and also appears on their 1981 compilation album Greatest Hits.

<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">I Want It All (Queen song)</span> 1989 rock single by Queen

"I Want It All" is a song by British rock band Queen, featured on their 1989 studio album, The Miracle. Written by guitarist and vocalist Brian May and produced by David Richards, it was released as the first single from the album on 2 May 1989. "I Want It All" reached number three on the singles charts of the United Kingdom, Finland, Ireland and New Zealand, as well as on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart. Elsewhere, it peaked at number two in the Netherlands and charted within the top 10 in Australia, Belgium, Germany, Norway and Switzerland. With its message about fighting for one's own goals it became an anti-apartheid protest song in South Africa.

<i>Greatest Video Hits 1</i> 2002 British film

Greatest Video Hits 1 was the first Queen video collection on DVD. Most of the content was released previously on VHS and the long defunct CED Videodisc format as Greatest Flix in 1981. It was released in October 2002, and included video hits of the band between 1973 and 1981.

<i>The A–Z of Queen, Volume 1</i> 2007 greatest hits album by Queen

The A–Z of Queen, Volume 1 is a compilation album by the English rock band Queen, released in 2007.

The Jazz Tour was the sixth headlining concert tour by the British rock band Queen, supporting the album Jazz. The tour was memorable for the spectacle created by the band. As James Henke of Rolling Stone said about the band's Halloween 1978 concert in New Orleans: "...when they were launching a U.S. tour in support of their Jazz, album, Queen threw a bash in New Orleans that featured snake charmers, strippers, crossdressers and a naked fat lady who smoked cigarettes in her crotch." Part of the European leg was recorded for the band's first live album, Live Killers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Radio Ga Ga</span> 1984 single by Queen

"Radio Ga Ga" is a 1984 song performed and recorded by the British rock band Queen, written by their drummer Roger Taylor. It was released as a single with "I Go Crazy" by Brian May as the B-side. It was included on the album The Works and is also featured on the band's compilation albums Greatest Hits II and Classic Queen.

References

  1. ↑ "Bicycle Race - Queen | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  2. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2006). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. Billboard Books.
  3. ↑ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums. London: Guinness World Records Limited.
  4. ↑ "Victoria Pendleton back on her bike for Strictly Come Dancing". The Independent. Retrieved 19 June 2021. She and professional partner Brendan Cole are due to perform a paso doble to the Queen hit Bicycle Race. Her arrival is expected to be reminiscent of the flying bike scene in movie hit ET
  5. 1 2 3 Phil Sutcliffe; Peter Hince; Reinhold Mack (15 November 2009). Queen: The Ultimate Illustrated History of the Crown Kings of Rock. MBI Publishing Company. p. 122. ISBN   978-0-7603-3719-6.. Sutcliffe counters a popular belief that Mercury was inspired by seeing the Tour through a hotel window in Nice by that the Tour did not pass through Nice that year.
  6. ↑ M. Felsani; M. Primi; M. Saita (1997). Queen. Tutti i testi con traduzione a fronte. Taylor & Francis. p. 16. ISBN   978-88-09-02418-2 . Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  7. ↑ "Queen Songs – The Book: Bicycle Race". Queensongs.info. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011.
  8. ↑ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. 4 November 1978. p. 26. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  9. ↑ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 11 November 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  10. ↑ Van Luling, Todd (5 September 2014). "5 Things You Didn't Know About Queen, Even If You Know Every Word Of 'Bohemian Rhapsody'". Huffington Post. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
  11. ↑ Peter Buckley (28 October 2003). The rough guide to rock. Rough Guides. p. 7. ISBN   978-1-84353-105-0 . Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  12. ↑ Queen Promo Videos – Bicycle Race Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
  13. ↑ Queen Non-UK Albums Discography. Ultimatequeen.co.uk. Retrieved on 2011-02-20.
  14. ↑ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 1 September 1979. pp. 97–. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved 24 February 2011.
  15. ↑ "BBC Two – Queen – Days of Our Lives, Episode 1". Bbc.co.uk. 5 September 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  16. ↑ BICYCLE RACE as an a-side, pcpki.com
  17. ↑ "Bicycle Race (Велогонка) — Queen : Интересные факты о песне". Music-facts.ru (in Russian). 30 May 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  18. 1 2 3 "Queen International Singles Chart Positions". Pcpki.com. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  19. 1 2 3 Steffen Hung. "Queen - Bicycle Race". Austriancharts.at. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  20. ↑ "InfoDisc : Les Tubes de chaque Artiste commençant par Q". www.infodisc.fr.
  21. ↑ "Die ganze Musik im Internet: Charts, Neuerscheinungen, Tickets". Musicline.de. Archived from the original on 11 October 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  22. ↑ "The Irish Charts". Irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on 2010-01-05. Retrieved 2012-12-25.
  23. 1 2 Steffen Hung. "Queen - Bicycle Race". Dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  24. ↑ "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 3 February 1979. p. 78. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  25. ↑ "Official Charts Company". Official Charts . Retrieved 2011-02-24.
  26. ↑ Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 26 June 1982. pp. 95–. ISSN   0006-2510 . Retrieved 23 February 2011.
  27. ↑ "American single certifications – Queen – Bicycle Race". Recording Industry Association of America.
  28. ↑ "Eminem Sings Classic Queen Hook on Skylar Grey's New Single". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  29. ↑ "Sixty-five naked women were perched atop bicycles rented from Halford's Cycles and sent racing around Wimbledon Stadium". Queenpedia.com. Retrieved 25 December 2012.
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.