April 1, 2022 —– Chart #137
Hello Music Friends,
Happy Friday and welcome to spring. This is the time of year when beautiful weather arrives and we are all excited to get outside. We should go with a happy song today to align with the coming of spring. So let’s travel back to 1975 and one of my favorite albums from the era. Queen is a British rock band formed in London in 1970. Their classic line-up was Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), Roger Taylor (drums, vocals) and John Deacon (bass). Their earliest works were influenced by progressive rock, hard rock and heavy metal, but the band gradually ventured into more conventional and radio-friendly works by incorporating further styles, such as arena rock and pop rock. Generally I am not and was not a total head banger, but this is one of the bands that would get me bobbing my head and drumming on my dashboard not to mention singing at the top of my lungs.
“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).
The song reached number seven in the UK Singles Chart and number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It is certified platinum by the RIAA in the US with over one million copies sold. The song has since featured in television, film, and other media, such as The Simpsons and Family Guy.
Deacon wrote the song for his wife, Veronica Tetzlaff. In this song, he plays a Wurlitzer electric piano in addition to his bass guitar work. The characteristic “bark” of the Wurlitzer’s bass notes plays a prominent role in the song. During live performances, a Grand Piano was used rather than an electric, and it would be played by Freddie Mercury, while Deacon played the bass guitar just like in the original recording. The song would be performed live by the band from the Summer Gigs 1976 Tour up to the end of the North American leg of The Game Tour in 1980. It was then dropped from the rest of the tour, and would not be played live again until after the death of Mercury.
Obviously this energetic band was led by the late great Freddie Mercury. His powerful and emotional stage presence was a marvel. I have always been a bit mesmerized by the guitar work of Brian May and his infamous Red Special guitar, a homemade piece fashioned by Brian and his electronics engineer father.
Queen often used multilayered vocal arrangements that pushed the envelope of music in the time. Much of their music is difficult to chart for a lone player with acoustic guitar, but a few songs are great for that. Today’s choice is one of those, hope you enjoy it.
Queen Live in 1979: https://youtu.be/FIRUNAdIVQU
Keep rockin my friends,
Stan