Queen
Queen II Sheer Heart Attack A Night at the Opera A Day at the Races
News of the World
Jazz The Game Flash Gordon Hot Space
The Works
A Kind of Magic The Miracle Innuendo Made in Heaven

HOT SPACE (1981 - 1982)
Index Hot Space

TRACK-LIST
Staying Power
Mercury
Dancer
May
Back Chat
Deacon
Body Language
Mercury
Action This Day
Taylor
Put Out the Fire
May
Life Is Real
Mercury
Calling All Girls
Taylor
Las Palabras de Amor
May
Cool Cat
JD & FM
Under Pressure
DB & FM

STUDIOS USED
Atlantic
2-3/82
e
e
e
Mountain
81-82
e
e
e
Musicland
81-82
e
e
e
Power Station
09/81
e
e
e
Sterling Sound
04/82

INSTRUMENTS
Birch Bespoke Guitar
e
e
Burns Double-Six Guitar
e
e
Fender Precision Bass (x4)
e
e
Fender Stratocaster Guitar
e
e
Fender Telecaster Guitar
e
e
Gibson Acoustic Guitar
e
e
Gretsch Drums
e
e
Hammond Organ
e
e
Kramer Bass
e
e
Ludwig Drums
e
e
Martin Acoustic Guitar
e
e
May & May Guitar
e
e
Music Man Bass
e
e
New Era Tambourine
e
e
Oberheim OB-X Synth
e
e
Oberheim OB-Xa Synth
e
e
Ovation Guitar
e
e
Pollard Syndrum
e
e
Roland Synthesiser
e
e
Schecter Guitar
e
e
Simmons e-Drums
e
e
Steinway Grand Piano
e
e
Trixon Drums
e
e
Wurlitzer Electric Piano
e
e
Yamaha Grand Piano
e
e
Maracas

DEVICES
Acoustic 301 Cabinet (x3)
e
e
Acoustic 370 Amplifier (x3)
e
e
AKG Microphones
e
e
Alembic F2B Pre-Amplifier
e
e
dbx 160 Compressor Limiter
e
e
Deacon Bespoke Amplifier
e
e
fOXX Foot Phaser Pedal
e
e
Hiwatt Amplifier
e
e
LinnDrum Computer
e
e
Neumann Microphones
e
e
Premier C Drumsticks
e
e
Sony PCM 1610 Digital Processor
e
e
Sound City 4" x 12" Cabinet (x2)
e
e
Sunn 215 BH Speaker Cabinets
e
e
Sunn 412 L Speaker Cabinets
e
e
Turner 8300 Amplifier
e
e
Vox AC30 Amplifiers

PHOTOS


Rog singing and playing
Forum, Montreal, Quebec
Wednesday 25th November 1981
Screenshot from DVD


Roger doing his timpani solo
Forum, Montreal, Quebec
Wednesday 25th November 1981
Screenshot from DVD


John playing Another One Bites the Dust
Forum, Montreal, Quebec
Wednesday 25th November 1981
Screenshot from DVD


John playing Staying Power
Ernst-Merck-Halle, Hamburg
Sunday 16th May 1982
Photo by Charles Robinson


John playing Staying Power
Ernst-Merck-Halle, Hamburg
Sunday 16th May 1982
Photo by Charles Robinson


Morgan Fisher on Crazy Little Thing
Ernst-Merck-Halle, Hamburg
Sunday 16th May 1982
Photo by Charles Robinson


John playing Under Pressure
Bowl, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
Saturday 5th June 1982
Screenshot from DVD



John on guitar instead of bass
Bowl, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire
Saturday 5th June 1982
Screenshot from DVD



Brian playing a Roland Jupiter 8
Rushmore, Manchester
Thursday 10th June 1982
Screenshot from DVD



John miming with his bespoke Kramer
Rushmore, Manchester
Thursday 10th June 1982
Screenshot from DVD



Brian at Roger's ancient Broadcaster
Unknown location, July 1982
Screenshot from DVD


Roger at the Ludwig drum-kit
Maple Lead Gardens, Toronto, Ontario
Tuesday 3rd August 1982
Photograph by Mauro Tenezi


Brian at the Gibson Flying V
Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California
Tuesday 7th September 1982
Photograph by Sean Trend


Brian at the Gibson Flying V
Coliseum Arena, Oakland, California
Tuesday 7th September 1982
Photograph by Sean Trend


Freddie and Olivia Newton-John
Forum, Inglewood, California
Wednesday 15th September 1982


Freddie at the piano
Seibu Dome, Tokorozawa, Saitama
Wednesday 3rd November 1982
Screenshot from video


Mandel and Mercury during Crazy
Seibu Dome, Tokorozawa, Saitama
Wednesday 3rd November 1982
Screenshot from video


John playing a Jupiter 8 backstage
Unknown location, 1982



Fred guesting at an Elton gig
Apollo Theatre, Manchester
Friday 19th November 1982

HOT SPACE TOUR



09/04/1982 - 03/11/1982
69 concerts in 209 days
1 gig each 3 days and 00:41:44.35

John Deacon
 
a
a
a
a
 a
Brian May
a
a
a
a
 a
Freddie Mercury
 
a
a
a
a
 a
Roger Taylor

Morgan
09.04-05.06
a a a
Fred
21.07-03.11
QUEEN ARE

John Deacon
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
Brian May
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
Freddie Mercury
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
Roger Taylor

ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL

David Bowie
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
Reinhold Mack

Arif Mardin
George Marino
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
David Richards
Nick Webb
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
a
Uncredited
 
Billy Squier

OVERVIEW

Hot Space was a controversial album. It wasn't very well-received by the public and even two of the band members (John and Roger, for those who're wondering) have publicly claimed they hated it. Although more varied than what may seem at first, the disco and funk influence is evident on the first five songs. It's not something dominated by one member, as the four of them fell for it: Freddie wrote Body Language, John wrote Back Chat, Brian wrote Dancer and Roger wrote Action This Day, all of which could've easily fit in a Quincy Jones production.

The recording approach changed a lot since now they had drum-machines. That way, the person who'd written the song could programme the percussion, play the bass-line on a synthesiser and add the guitar (the four of them were good guitarists). While some parts would be replaced later on by the official performers, some bits of the initial versions remained, leaving some members completely left out. For instance, three songs in the album have no John Deacon on bass; instead, each song's creator played the bit on either a Jupiter 8 or an Oberheim.

All in all, the album was liked a lot by Freddie, who's first (and only actual) solo record was basically a sequel of this one. Producer Reinhold Mack also regards it as one of his favourites.

TRIVIA

* Although the style of the album may suggest John Deacon had a lot to do with it, the truth is very different: two songs were made entirely without him (Body Language and Dancer), some others only have him scarcely (e.g. Staying Power, where he didn't play bass and only did some occasional guitar chords) and he claimed in several interviews that he hated the album. I suppose it's like people thinking Vikings wore helmets with horns...

* Hot Space sold only 3.5 M copies, which would be a lot for a less successful band, but tad disappointing for Queen. Only Flash and the first two albums were outsold by it.

* It may have been deliberate or purely serendipitious, but all of the songs on the first side feature drum-machines alongside Roger's acoustic playing. Conversely, all of the songs on the second side are purely acoustic.

* Under Pressure was not recorded during the Hot Space sessions per se, but was included at the end of the album generating at least some more interest in it. As a single, it became Queen's second No. 1 in the UK and also topped the charts in Argentina and The Netherlands.

* The lead single, Body Language, sold over a million copies and made it to the top ten Canada, Sweden, Norway and The Netherlands. It was Freddie's eight most successful song.

* Las Palabras de Amor, featuring Brian on piano and synthesiser, was not a very good seller in spite of peaking the charts in Poland. Back Chat, with John on guitar, was a commercial flop.

* While the legend about Michael Jackson stating that without Hot Space there'd have been no Thriller is utterly and completely false, it is true that MJ listened to the album fairly often. Michael would record some stuff with Freddie, part of which is well-known in the cyberspace.

* Cool Cat was composed by John, who was a big Bob Marley fan.

* Life Is Real is one of the few songs for which Freddie wrote the lyrics first and then the music. It was dedicated to John Lennon, who'd been his hero for many years. Lennon's the only Beatle the band members never got to know personally, as Brian (at least) met George and Freddie was well-acquainted with both Paul and Ringo.

* Calling All Girls was the first Roger composition to be released as single (though not globally). IT was a flop, though.

* The Hot Space tour would be the first featuring an auxiliary keyboard player. They hired Morgan Fisher (whom they'd met many years prior through their mutual friendship with Mott the Hoople and Tim Staffell) and then replaced him by Fred Mandel.

* In 1981, John visited the Fender factory in LA and they presented him with a Precision Special bass. He recorded Under Pressure with it.

UNSOLVED AND CONFLICTING MATTERS

* Who played the horns on Staying Power?

* Who played the synth solo on Action?

* Reportedly, David Bowie, besides co-writing, co-producing and singing on Under Pressure, also played a keyboard. Which one? The piano, the organ, the synth? All of the above?

QUOTES

We don't have a concept. Most of the new songs are already written, but the various sound effects and styles are developed step by step in the studio. When the album is done we will for sure go on tour again. And we want develope a completely new kind of show for that.

Roger Taylor, Popcorn, June 1981


On this album there's not that many tracks where we played the backing track as a group in our traditional way; piano, bass and drums or guitar, bass and drums is how we used to do it. We own a studio in Switzerland which is big and complex. We did a lot of the album there. That's where we recorded Under Pressure with David Bowie. The rest of the album we recorded in Munich.

John Deacon, International Musician & Recording World, November 1982


We had an album Hot Space, which we thought was a sort of step in a direction. I think it was a step in the wrong direction! It was, I thought, not one of our most enjoyable albums for me. And it's our least successful album ever I think.

Roger Taylor, Innerview, 1984


We were disappointed with it.

John Deacon, The Hit, November 1985


I think our first appearance in South America in 1982 (sic) was one of the best moments we had. The worst I think was our album Hot Space, which we released at the same time.

John Deacon, Popcorn, 1986


I'm not mad about Jazz, Hot Space and ... another.

Roger Taylor, Radio 5, 14th October 1998


I've always supported Hot Space as an album .... I don't believe I've ever "apologised" ! It was an avenue we all agreed to wallk up, and I'm glad we did. There would probably never have been a Thriller album if we hadn't. Michael J was a huge fan... and a good friend too, especially to Freddie.

Brian May, Official Website, Tuesday 16th November 2004


REVIEWS

Queen's current Hot Space album is musically one of their weakest. Its deficiencies were apparent here July 27 as the quartet played the first of two sold-out concerts... Unlike the universally admired hit, Another One Bites the Dust, Queen's new funk material like Body Language and Action had little propulsive power and totally forgettable hooks.

Billboard, 14th August 1982, page 44

This article’s been written and researched by Sebastian (sebastian@queenconcerts.com), with a lot of direct and indirect help from who knows how many people. As any academic work, it may have mistakes and it things that can be rendered wrong in the future (remember there was a time when scientists thought the earth was flat). All of the information found here has been carefully checked and verified as much as possible. It still does NOT mean it's a 100% error-proof research (even the people who were there make mistakes about what happened) but it does ensure that it's way more than mere speculation and guessing. Not being able to prove everything is not the same as not being able to prove anything.

If you want to copy, quote, paraphrase, elaborate on, agree with, refute or condemn any part of this text in a public or private medium and acknowledge me, thank you very much for your consideration and inclusion. If you want to copy, quote, paraphrase, elaborate on, agree with, refute or condemn any part of this text in a public or private medium without acknowledging me, there’s nothing I can do to prevent it and I’ll probably never notice anyway.