So one of my favorite Queen songs is Don't Stop Me Now, and as far as I've been able to determine it was pretty popular. It's also being covered today by people like Katy Perry (some parts of her performance are even on-key). So why did Queen only play it live for one year, in 1979? Does anyone know?? Queen + PR didn't play it either, I don't think. The only thing I've come across is a reference in Wikipedia that Brian hated the song.
J
There's not a chance that Brian hated the song... look about half way down this page, where he praises it like few others: link
As for why they dropped the song, it's anyone's guess. Around that time they were dropping old songs in favour of new ones, and it just didn't make the cut.
At the time Dont Stop Me Now was a decent hit, but throughout the years it seems to have become more and more popular somehow. Regular staples at weddings, nights out, & loads of drivetime radio plays all over the world. Seems incredible really.
I think Brian was professional enough to play the songs that people wanted to or had to hear whether he liked it or not ie body language (the single). But i can only guess. Also they may have felt it didnt work so well in the live environment. Also they may have felt it wasnt a big enough hit to even bother with. Or maybe it was just as simple as Freddie just didnt want to sit down at the piano to many times during a concert. Could have been a million reasons. We'll never really know.
I thought it was common knowledge that Brian wasnt particularly keen on the song. Or should i say that he wasnt keen on it as a Queen song at the time (i guess thats the same thing). He discusses that fact on the Absolute Greatest Hits commentary, and roger sort of says as much on the greatest hits dvd commentary.
Common knowledge (fanon) is often wrong, but not in this case: Brian indeed hated the song, as it's been officially confirmed. The fact he praised it proves absobloodylutely nothing - even with a Queen song he's not fond of, he'd quickly jump to defend it if he felt it receives unfair criticism.
Extract from the Narrative of the Absolute Greatest Hits album:
DON’T STOP ME NOW
Brian May : Aah, the memorable ‘Don’t Stop Me now’, which has become huge
and Freddie would be so happy now to realise how huge it’s become, you
know. It’s so much part of people’s hen nights and just a general kind of
torch song for everybody, it’s amazing.
Roger Taylor : This was actually voted on the driving programme, Top Gear,
Jeremy Clarkson and co. It was voted by the viewers as the all time favourite
driving song and they… and James May flew out and presented me with the
cheapest, nastiest trophy they could find – I was in Sardinia, I think, yeah.
Brian May : Which you threw it in the ocean I seem to remember.
Roger Taylor : Yeah, I threw it in the sea. But anyway that was… it was good
to know that, you know, people like to drive to it and it is a driving song.
Again, quite poppy and commercial but clever lyrics – not Brian’s favourite
this song.
Brian May : No, it was… I remember because it’s very much Freddie’s pop side
and I remember thinking I’m not quite sure if this is what we should be
doing. I think there was also a feeling that it lyrically represented
something that was happening to Freddie which we kind of thought was
threatening him, and probably it was in a sense. But having said that, it’s full
of joy and optimism and stuff and…
Roger Taylor : Yeah, I think it’s very joyous and, actually, I still think he had
his tongue slightly in his cheek, you know – I’m a rocket ship I’m like an atom
bomb – they’re great lines.
Brian May : Yeah, very witty as usual. A great driving piano.
Roger Taylor : Mr Fahrenheit there, that’s a great line – you’ve got to have
your tongue in cheek to say that, call yourself that.
tcc wrote: Extract from the Narrative of the Absolute Greatest Hits album:
DON’T STOP ME NOW
Brian May : Aah, the memorable ‘Don’t Stop Me now’, which has become huge
and Freddie would be so happy now to realise how huge it’s become, you
know. It’s so much part of people’s hen nights and just a general kind of
torch song for everybody, it’s amazing.
Roger Taylor : This was actually voted on the driving programme, Top Gear,
Jeremy Clarkson and co. It was voted by the viewers as the all time favourite
driving song and they… and James May flew out and presented me with the
cheapest, nastiest trophy they could find – I was in Sardinia, I think, yeah.
Brian May : Which you threw it in the ocean I seem to remember.
Roger Taylor : Yeah, I threw it in the sea. But anyway that was… it was good
to know that, you know, people like to drive to it and it is a driving song.
Again, quite poppy and commercial but clever lyrics – not Brian’s favourite
this song.
Brian May : No, it was… I remember because it’s very much Freddie’s pop side
and I remember thinking I’m not quite sure if this is what we should be
doing. I think there was also a feeling that it lyrically represented
something that was happening to Freddie which we kind of thought was
threatening him, and probably it was in a sense. But having said that, it’s full
of joy and optimism and stuff and…
Roger Taylor : Yeah, I think it’s very joyous and, actually, I still think he had
his tongue slightly in his cheek, you know – I’m a rocket ship I’m like an atom
bomb – they’re great lines.
Brian May : Yeah, very witty as usual. A great driving piano.
Roger Taylor : Mr Fahrenheit there, that’s a great line – you’ve got to have
your tongue in cheek to say that, call yourself that.
Going by these comments from AG, and what Brian May said on his website I agree with 'Sir GH' I think he liked the song. Doesn't mean it's his all time favorite, but he seems to like it in general.
Rick wrote: I thought Brian hated the song because there is hardly any guitar present.
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That's what I thought too.
As for Brian's comments that it represented Fred's pop side, christ, I wish it did. Another 100 songs like 'Don't Stop Me Now' in the 1980s would've been much more preferable to what we actually got.