Found this quote in a recent article/blog about the Queen Extravaganza:
'Incidentally, Toots [legendary CHOM deejay Tootall] also broke Queen’s #1 worldwide hit Crazy Little Thing Called Love right here in Montreal on CHOM back in 1980. “What happened was CHOM deejay and man about town Doug Pringle was in London and sent me a tape of Crazy Little Thing Called Love which was apparently on the British forthcoming release of The Game but he said they weren’t sure if they would release it in North America since it sounded so unQueen like,” Toots told me this week. “So he sent me the song and I kept on playing it. The station’s music director – who shall remain nameless – didn’t like it and gave me grief. Of course when the album did come the song was on it and it became a big hit – the Number One song of 1980.'
Sounds a little bit like what happened with Kenny Everett and Bohemian Rhapsody. Granted, it had to have been 1979 when he got the tape. Still, a good story. I wonder if it getting aired on this station had any impact on Elektra releasing it as a single here?
The original piece from the Montreal Gazette can be found here: http://blogs.montrealgazette.com/2011/09/29/queen-contest-strikes-gold-samantha-fox-rob-halford-choms-tootall-on-freddie-mercury/
It also has some quotes from Rob Halford and Samantha Fox that I hadn't read before.