| Metropolis 26.03.2020 18:39 |
Not even highly rated when it was first released, but now "one of the catchiest feel good songs"? What happened? |
| Sebastian 26.03.2020 18:54 |
It aged well. |
| master marathon runner 26.03.2020 19:01 |
Well, the album had been out for some months, bicycle race and FBG had been the favoured, first single(s) so it was always 'up against it' as regarding success, as was normal for 2nd, 3rd or even 4th singles from most albums. And socially, Britain in early '79 was a bloody miserable place, due to the industrial unrest etc and the theme was completely out of kilter with events. But ,there was a hint of it becoming something special from my own, personal experience, as several of my 'non Queen fans' friends, loved it. I knew it was gonna get there eventually. |
| Martin Packer 26.03.2020 20:59 |
As others have said, Bicycle Race/FBG was the lead single - ahead of the album. Fewer second (still fewer third) singles sold well in the 1970's. But I remember DSMN climbing week-after-week up the chart. I think that - as a second single - speaks to people waking up and realising DSMN was a very good song. (That Brian might've claimed to hate it says nothing, of course, about the song's quality. But more about his worries for Freddie.) |
| mooghead 26.03.2020 22:29 |
Thank you for a brilliant and topical question. 173 posts. Really? |
| matt z 26.03.2020 22:48 |
SHAWN OF THE DEAD made it into something that non music lovers and well. ..de-gayed it for some sectors of the masses (dumb- asses sometimes) So it got Fresh reboot. At least to my understanding. Especially in my lifetime in the US etc. I think it's rated higher in the UK before among regular folks..but that boost certainly helped "make it cool" |
| Nathan H 26.03.2020 22:48 |
Not added to the live set straight away but dropped from the live set pretty quickly. Shaun Of The Dead might've marked the start of its revival. |
| AlbaNo1 26.03.2020 22:55 |
Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy should be due a similar lift in the next few years. Great song. Surely it would fit into some film , either ironically or comedically. |
| ggo1 26.03.2020 23:14 |
It was initially my favourite track on the album when it was released. A smattering of joy on what I thought was a miserable side 2. I've since come to really quite like Jazz but it took a while for me to really warm to it. I'd only recently got around to getting Queen II so it was a bit of a comedown. Anyhow, IIRC when it was released as a single it hovered around the top 10 forever, and was on the Radio 1 and 2 playlists for weeks. I think it even climbed back up a place or two after initially dropping. Something that was very rare back then when chart positions really mattered. There are a number of songs from 78/79 that just about went top 10 and I'm sure people remember them as big hits. Making Plans for Nigel was one, played on the radio and TV constantly but made it to about #15 or so. Chas and Dave 'Gertcha' barely went top 20. TBF. Bicycle Race/Fat Bottomed Girls didn't quite make Top 10 and I'm pretty sure if asked, most people would think it was a top 5. (I used to buy a lot of singles.... Gertcha wasnt one of them.) |
| mediokamusic 27.03.2020 04:07 |
We all know why Brian hated this song because his guitars got cut on it mostly :P Shaun of the dead probably helped propel the popularity of it tbf |
| Freddie Jupiter 27.03.2020 07:02 |
Brian's guitars don't work on this song and are not needed. Freddus knew what he was doing here, as he did on most other songs. |
| stevelondon20 27.03.2020 07:49 |
Good old Freddie. This song is a classic. |
| Nathan H 27.03.2020 08:03 |
ggo1 wrote: It was initially my favourite track on the album when it was released. A smattering of joy on what I thought was a miserable side 2. I've since come to really quite like Jazz but it took a while for me to really warm to it. I'd only recently got around to getting Queen II so it was a bit of a comedown. Anyhow, IIRC when it was released as a single it hovered around the top 10 forever, and was on the Radio 1 and 2 playlists for weeks. I think it even climbed back up a place or two after initially dropping. Something that was very rare back then when chart positions really mattered. There are a number of songs from 78/79 that just about went top 10 and I'm sure people remember them as big hits. Making Plans for Nigel was one, played on the radio and TV constantly but made it to about #15 or so. Chas and Dave 'Gertcha' barely went top 20. TBF. Bicycle Race/Fat Bottomed Girls didn't quite make Top 10 and I'm pretty sure if asked, most people would think it was a top 5. (I used to buy a lot of singles.... Gertcha wasnt one of them.)Well I had always wondered why BR/FBG wasn't a top ten hit because it spent twleve weeks in the chart - among the highest number of weeks by any Queen single in the UK charts. Looking at the weeks it hovered around positions 11-13. Here's something which I made a little while back with all every cart position of Queen albums and singles in the UK: link |
| August R. 27.03.2020 08:35 |
Regarding the UK chart performances, DSMN is the only second single that beat the lead single (in their 70's albums). Comparing DSMN with other second singles in the 70's, only You're My Best Friend (#7) did better on the UK charts. |
| Deaky. 27.03.2020 13:16 |
I remember Brian May hated "Dont Stop Me Now" maybe because it was written by Freddie who knows but there was a competition going on in the band to see who could score the most hits! Today Queen's 3 most popular songs are: Bohemian Rhapsody Dont Stop Me Now Another One Bites The Dust. |
| brENsKi 27.03.2020 15:55 |
Enigma wrote:I remember Brian May hated "Dont Stop Me Now" maybe because it was written by Freddie who knows but there was a competition going on in the band to see who could score the most hits!no. you couldn't be further from the truth. it had nothing to do with it being written by Freddie. if it did - then he'd also hate STL, Bo Rhap, KQ etc. you need to do research BEFORE quoting imagined reasons as gospel. Go find a quote where Brian said he hated it - or even that he disliked it because Freddie wrote it. what utter nonesense. He didn't hate it, he was ambivalent toward it - because it was written for piano lead, and the guitar didn't really shine - save for a few bars. and your last sentence is utter rubbish. by 1978 the singles breakdown was this: Writer.............singles......top 10 hits Brian..............3½............0 Freddie..........6½............6 John..............2...............1 Roger............0...............0 there was no competition within the band to write the most singles. they democratically chose to release the most commercial tunes. |
| ggo1 27.03.2020 16:00 |
I don't think he hated it because it was written by Freddie. He didn't like it cause originally there was nothing for him to do on it. He had to fight for the guitar solo I believe. But he nailed it tbf. That competitiveness is part of what made them so good. Also you (accidentally I'm sure :-) ) left We Will Rock You off the list of most popular songs. There is an argument that it is the most well known song in the world, Probably that would actually be 'Happy Birthday' but it is at that level. There are tribes in deepest South America that have never had any human contact who sing We Will Rock You every Thursday night, just before dinner. |
| thomasquinn 32989 27.03.2020 16:03 |
@ggo1: Don't post such baseless misinformation! It's well established that they only sing it every other Thursday, and at lunchtime, not dinner! |
| matt z 27.03.2020 18:38 |
Who the fuck cares if the song was bass- less! It's still a good song! God, this place gets worse every day! |
| GoodTimesAreNow 27.03.2020 19:29 |
In my perception, in 1978 DSMN was only interesting for Queen fans and a handfull of top 40 public/single buyers. Through the years it evolved from ‘Freddie’s private party song’ to a general party song. I don’t think it was seen as a party song back then. The fact that there are more partygoers now than there were Queen fans then, explains the difference in popularity then/now. Also the fact that DSMN was voted the best driving song, by Top Gear viewers (in 2007?) gave the song’s popularity an enormous boost. |
| GoodTimesAreNow 27.03.2020 19:29 |
In my perception, in 1978 DSMN was only interesting for Queen fans and a handfull of top 40 public/single buyers. Through the years it evolved from ‘Freddie’s private party song’ to a general party song. I don’t think it was seen as a party song back then. The fact that there are more partygoers now than there were Queen fans then, explains the difference in popularity then/now. Also the fact that DSMN was voted the best driving song, by Top Gear viewers (in 2007?) gave the song’s popularity an enormous boost. |
| Sebastian 27.03.2020 19:35 |
mediokamusic wrote: We all know why Brian hated this songIn fact, Brian made it clear he does like the song. ggo1 wrote: I don't think he hated it because it was written by Freddie.In fact, he didn't hate it at all. ggo1 wrote: He didn't like it...He did, according to Brian himself. ggo1 wrote: ... originally there was nothing for him to do on it.He sang backing vocals, which are quite prominent. |
| Freddie Jupiter 27.03.2020 21:23 |
I could be wrong, but I think it was Roger who said that Brian didn't like the song in some obscure interview. Brian subsequently did a lot of back-pedalling by saying that it wasn't the song he hated but Freddie's lifestyle, which the song represented to him etc, etc,... |
| Freddie Jupiter 27.03.2020 21:27 |
Actually, it might be in the commentary to the greatest hits 1 double DVD. So if anyone would like to check, that would be great, as I couldn't be arsed at the moment. |
| Sebastian 27.03.2020 23:03 |
Yes, Roger sarcastically said 'Brian's favourite' as soon as it began, though, to be honest, he could've also meant the video rather than the song. For the 'Days of Our Lives' commentary, Brian was clear that he did like the song but was worried about the hedonistic lifestyle its creator was going through at the time, which is clearly not the same thing. |
| Freddie Jupiter 27.03.2020 23:26 |
I think Roger meant the song, not the video. If I remember correctly it was also Roger who said that Brian wanted to make it into a guitar-driven song, or at least to heavily overdub it with guitars like he did on the bonus disc of the 2011 remaster, but Freddus wouldn't let him. So I think there is some merit to the theory that Brian hated the song, and later back-pedalled because strategically it was the right thing to do. |
| Sebastian 27.03.2020 23:39 |
He may have meant the song, of course, but this is all speculation at this point. Between Roger and Brian, I think Roger's got a better idea of which songs Roger hates or likes, and Brian's got a better idea of which songs Brian hates or likes. |
| Freddie Jupiter 27.03.2020 23:55 |
I don't doubt that Brian knows which songs he likes better than anyone. But I also think it's not entirely inconceivable that at some point Brian may have confided to Roger about how he dislikes the song, which would explain Rogers opening remark on the greatest hits DVD. But as you say it's all specaluaion, although my feeling is that where there is smoke, there is usually fire. |
| Sebastian 28.03.2020 00:03 |
Speaking to BBC Radio Six in March 2011, Roger implied it was actually the three of them who weren't too fond of it at first: ‘It wasn’t one of our favourite tracks, and we never sort of held it in great regard, it was very much a Freddie thing. It was just a song that we did, and it was a hit, it wasn’t a giant hit, but it became sort of more popular over the years. I think it sort of filtered into the public’s consciousness somehow and actually I think it’s a much better song than we’d realised at the time, it’s very melodic, beginning and end.’ As for Brian's comment, here's a transcript: ‘It wasn’t a pretense, we actually did live the life of a rock band, sort of living on the edge in a sense. Don’t Stop Me Now is a whole different trip, really, it’s become one of the most popular Queen songs of all time. It’s a song of sort of unfitted joy. I mean, I’ve been quoted to say I don’t like the track - I kind of do like the track but I had mixed feelings because in a sense it represented a sort of separatism. It was very much Freddie’s world and reflected what he was going through.’ |
| Russian Headlong 28.03.2020 00:33 |
not enough guitars in it, would be better with heavier rhythm guitars and longer solo. have heard lost guitars version but even that sounds a bit weak. |
| Freddie Jupiter 28.03.2020 01:17 |
I think Freddie wanted it to a piano-driven petee Allen type song, and I think he was right as it works better this way. I don't like the long-lost guitar version as it has that wall of sound type of quality, which paradoxically sounds less dynamic than the piano-driven version. |
| matt z 28.03.2020 03:34 |
*unfettered joy. (most likely) Funny.. QPL got me to stop buying stuff years and years ago. I guess I've never heard Brian's "reworked" version... I do know that I'm not fond of his "STL" newer version. It's super gay in a MEAT LOAF/MUSICAL THEATRE way... where you can see someone shimmying and a doing "jazz hands" at every "somebody"... all cornball style. |
| mediokamusic 28.03.2020 03:39 |
In all fairness Sebastian I was only taking the piss but also the fact that Brian liked the song is more than likely absolute bollocks. At best he was probably indifferent to the song. And yes I can't speak for Brian's opinions on the matter but you can tell he wasn't a fan of the song especially when you bring up the commentary of the music video and Roger jokes it's Brian's favourite song. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that Brian wasn't a fan of this song and quite frankly who gives a fuck? It's just a song and Brian's opinion on what he thought is pretty irrelevant. |
| mediokamusic 28.03.2020 03:45 |
Also the comment about the he was worried because of Freddie's hedonistic lifestyle is the pretty answer you give to the press because why would he say he hated the song? Roger would because he's a blunt fucker but Brian tends to be more polite. Again can't claim to be an expert on both of them as people just what they come across as in interviews. |
| Freddie Jupiter 28.03.2020 03:52 |
I think your perceptions are pretty spot on. Roger is more what you see is what you get, whereas Brian tends to be two-faced and the things he says are often contradicted by his actions, as exemplified in his depiction of the band dynamics on the queen movie. |
| mediokamusic 28.03.2020 04:03 |
Right I wouldn't go so far to say Brian is two faced. Possibly in certain aspects but he seems like the sort of guy that wants to provide the pretty, articulate answer to people. He doesn't really seem malicious but like every person on this planet he has his flaws from time to time. |
| Freddie Jupiter 28.03.2020 04:13 |
I don't get the sense that he's malicious either. But I do think he's got emotional/mental issues that he's struggling with. I also do sense some envy towards Freddie and the way he expresses himself with so much ambiguity and often with covert insinuations doesn't fill me with confidence as to what his true intentions often are -- or that they are always as pure as he would have us believe. |
| mediokamusic 28.03.2020 04:24 |
Mate they probably envied each other in certain ways. Most musicians in general (and yes this is from experience) tend to be egotistical which is code for self loving dickheads. Doesn't mean they're bad people if you've got a certain ego it can help drive you to do great things but sometimes you can do and say questionable things. And for the point about emotional/mental issues most people have that and as they say, with great pain comes great art. Don't quote me exactly as I'm fucking smashed but that's more or less paraphrasing it at least. |
| Freddie Jupiter 28.03.2020 04:35 |
I'm not suggesting that Brian is a bad person. But I am dissapointed in his behaviour lately and I do find it cathartic to get get it off my chest. If I didnt care about him, or queen, I wouldn't bother. But I do wish that he hadn't become this way and had ended up more like Deacy, for example. I do wish his ego hadn't got in the way when making the queen biopic ( should have been a Freddie biopic like Cohen wanted) I do wish he hadn't gone on tour with crapbert etc. But Thats Brian; he's always been very intense and has always had a tendency to take everything, especially himself, too seriously. I think if he found some to just say "fuck it" like Freddus could he'd enjoy life a lot more and he would avoid doing a lot of the stupid shit that he's been doing lately. |
| brENsKi 28.03.2020 07:13 |
Freddie Jupiter wrote:I'm not suggesting that Brian is a bad person. But I am dissapointed in his behaviour lately and I do find it cathartic to get get it off my chest. If I didnt care about him, or queen, I wouldn't bother.have you ever (for one minute) thought about Brian instead of yourself? someone who has suffered from depression for so long as he has, probably needs the diversion of "doing what they do" actually being able to choose what they do without having to pander to everyone - playing to audiences, astronomy and anything else that can fill the dark Freddie Jupiter wrote:But I do wish that he hadn't become this way and had ended up more like Deacy, for example. I do wish his ego hadn't got in the way when making the queen biopic ( should have been a Freddie biopic like Cohen wanted)he didn't make the movie. he didn't write the screenplay or direct it. give the man a break/ Freddie Jupiter wrote:But Thats Brian; he's always been very intense and has always had a tendency to take everything, especially himself, too seriously. I think if he found some to just say "fuck it" like Freddus could he'd enjoy life a lot more and he would avoid doing a lot of the stupid shit that he's been doing lately.it's not a choice "to be like he is" - it's an illness. and FWIW - look where Freddie's "fuck it" approach literally got him. |
| Sebastian 28.03.2020 08:08 |
mediokamusic wrote: And yes I can't speak for Brian's opinions on the matterNeither can I. Do you know who can? Brian. And Brian said he liked it, so... |
| Freddie Jupiter 28.03.2020 08:36 |
Yeah, but people say many things. Doesn't mean they're always honest. |
| brENsKi 28.03.2020 09:23 |
Freddie Jupiter wrote: Yeah, but people say many things. Doesn't mean they're always honest.and doesn't mean he's being dishonest, either does it? you are unable to prove your claim - which in the absence of corroboration, renders it pure fantasy. |
| mediokamusic 28.03.2020 09:28 |
Sebastian just because Brian says he likes the song doesn't necessarily make it true you can tell by how he is in interviews that he's not going to be blunt about it. And it's not unreasonable to come to the conclusion that he wasn't a fan of the song when Roger is more or less winding him up for it. |
| Freddie Jupiter 28.03.2020 09:36 |
^^^^^^ @Brenski, what he said. |
| rockchic65 28.03.2020 09:48 |
My take is he wasn't a fan of what the song represented as opposed to the song itself. |
| brENsKi 28.03.2020 10:20 |
Freddie Jupiter wrote: ^^^^^^ @Brenski, what he said.none of it. a song isn't just the lyrical meaning. yes, Brian may have not liked the hedonistic lyrics, but if he said he liked the song itself, then i believe him ...until he states otherwise. (musically, there's a lot to like) He toured with Roger and Adam last year (and early 2020). He played DSMN on that tour. I think the only time it wasn't included was the Fire Aid gig in Australia (for obvious Setlist reasons). There's no way you play a song night after night after night after night after night on a tour - if you hate it. And if you happen to be a curmudgeonly old man suffering from depression, then there's no way you deliberately do things you hate. your argument is void. |
| Freddie Jupiter 28.03.2020 10:25 |
Why this concerted effort to prove that he liked the song in the face of so much evidence to the contrary? So what if he didn't like it? Who gives a shit? If you like it then that's all that should matter. |
| brENsKi 28.03.2020 10:40 |
Freddie Jupiter wrote:Why this concerted effort to prove that he liked the song in the face of so much evidence to the contrary? So what if he didn't like it? Who gives a shit? If you like it then that's all that should matter.there's no actual evidence to back up your claim. you're making sweeping generalizations here. one being that: those who say Brian never said he hated the song, must actually like the song themselves. nonsense. when i was younger i loved the song - these days - i really have to be in the right mood to even listen to it. yep it's a great song - in almost every way, but it's no longer something i'd listen to much - if ever. the point here, is that you are really just a gainsayer. i provided fairly sound reasoning for why i think he may actually like DSMN - ie playing it repeatedly (not something a depressive, who hated a song would be prone to doing). Your response, misdirect the argument. surely, if you were open to reasoned discussion - the response to the above post would be "yeah, ok, fair point" but none of that from you. as i said: gainsayer (that's your sole purpose here) were it not the case, prove us wrong - agree for once. |
| Freddie Jupiter 28.03.2020 10:43 |
Brenski, once again who gives a shit if he didn't like it? Why is it so important to you that he liked it? That's what I don't understand. |
| brENsKi 28.03.2020 11:09 |
Freddie Jupiter wrote:Brenski, once again who gives a shit if he didn't like it? Why is it so important to you that he liked it? That's what I don't understand.it's not important whether he liked it or not - and never has been. what's important is the unfounded claims of some as to Brian's view. YOU have alluded to Brian's not liking DSMN. you even alluded to him maybe commenting dishonestly about the song: redcan you you not see this is the actual issue here? |
| Martin Packer 28.03.2020 11:17 |
Have you ever wondered what or who was trying to make Freddie stop when he sings "I don't want to stop at all"? (No, I don't think it was his bandmates. And obviously it's not AIDS.) |
| brENsKi 28.03.2020 12:15 |
Martin Packer wrote: Have you ever wondered what or who was trying to make Freddie stop when he sings "I don't want to stop at all"? (No, I don't think it was his bandmates. And obviously it's not AIDS.)but you can't have an unending song - even Bob Dylan has cut his latest tune to a mere 17 minutes :-) |
| Sebastian 28.03.2020 12:21 |
So, to sum up: If Brian's claims match what you think he's thinking/feeling, then he's being truthful. If Brian's claims don't match your preconception or unsubstantiated internet rumours, then he's lying. Makes sense... |
| mediokamusic 28.03.2020 14:09 |
Wow it seems I was on a rampage last night hahaha. Honestly my take is that Brian wasn't a fan of the song, not necessarily that he hated it more just it wasn't one he was particularly fond of. Doesn't matter either way anyway still a classic. |
| dudley-fufkin 7834 28.03.2020 17:33 |
Brian doesnt like dont stop me now as it was written around the time Freddie started getting into danger and the song is about headonistic partying. |
| HelloDelilah 28.03.2020 19:01 |
dudley-fufkin 7834 wrote: Brian doesnt like dont stop me now as it was written around the time Freddie started getting into danger and the song is about headonistic partying.^^^^^ I agree. That was my take on Brian's comment as well. I don't think Brian meant any harm but just giving his feelings and observations about that time. It was pretty obvious that Freddie's hedonistic lifestyle had really ramped up around this time, unfortunately. I love the song but not what it represents. |
| GoodTimesAreNow 28.03.2020 20:29 |
Isn’t Fat Bottomed Girls about Brian’s way of hedonistic partying? Freddie must have hated that song for that reason! |
| Freddie Jupiter 28.03.2020 21:22 |
Brian never partied. He was always home by 9 to read a bedtime story to his children. Haven't you seen the Queen movie? |
| brENsKi 28.03.2020 22:05 |
Freddie Jupiter wrote:Brenski, once again who gives a shit if he didn't like it? Why is it so important to you that he liked it? That's what I don't understand. Freddie Jupiter wrote:Brian never partied. He was always home by 9 to read a bedtime story to his children. Haven't you seen the Queen movie?then why are YOU still commenting on it? either you do give a shit, or you don't. oh i get it...you just want to keep twisting and turning threads in as many anti-Brian directions as you can. Quack-Quack Gezza! |
| Freddie Jupiter 28.03.2020 22:13 |
Because I enjoy reading your nonsensical, incoherent mental gymnastics, all in an attempt to justify that which cannot be justified and to rationalise that who cannot be rationalised. |
| brENsKi 28.03.2020 22:24 |
Freddie Jupiter wrote:Because I enjoy typing nonsensical, incoherent mental gymnastics, all in an attempt to justify that which cannot be justified and to rationalise that who cannot be rationalised.there you go. FIFY |
| Freddie Jupiter 28.03.2020 22:45 |
I don't need an inarticulate idiot to fix anything for me. You'd be better off fixing your own confused, incoherent, rambling, dog's breakfast responses. |