Few months ago there was a topic (well, it was me who posted it) about 'Mother Love' credits: I asked if someone knows why the convention of using Queen name on all songs since The Miracle has been violated/breached in the case with 'Mother Love' (as you know this post-The Miracle song is credited to Brian and Freddie, but not to Queen). There were some good replies and theories. Here the Brian's answer to this question that he wrote me back:
"By the time we came to make the "Made in Heaven" album the convention we had adopted no longer applied, since many of those songs were written by Freddie alone. So we just told it as it happened. It was the last collaboration I ever had with Freddie, a very precious memory. Brian"
To be honest, I still can't get the point. We all know WHO wrote 'A Winter's Tale' and WHOSE the last ever writting song it was but it's still 'Queen' song. Though, for instance, 'I Want It All' suddenly became Brian's song (take a look at GVHII sleeve) - yes, he wrote it, but how about such tracks like 'Delilah' or 'Hijack My Heart'? They're still 'Queen' babies...
Essentially it doesn't much matter, but maybe somebody was interesting to know Brian's answer :) link
interesting point about "I Want It All"...
u thought it was Brian's song, but at Brixton he said something about it being Freddie's. I can't remember the quote for shit now, but was he just talking about the vocal?
I guess they sort of figured, "well, we already have two songs credited to Freddie (his solo songs), and we have 'Too Much Love' and 'Heaven For Everyone', so I guess we might as well cut a little slack for everything else."
My only guess is that 'Mother Love' was completely arranged by Brian with lyrics by Freddie, whereas the other "Queen"-credited songs were arranged by everyone else.
The drums on 'Mother Love' sound like a drum machine to me, anyway, so maybe that was programmed by Brian? Who knows.
My theory:
They shared the credits to stop the arguing so that more work could be produced. By MIH this didn't apply as Freddie wasn't around & therefore there was no rush. They didn't argue at all anymore.
I'll be honest. I think that Hijack My Heart is a Brian May/Roger Taylor collaboration and not really a Queen song. Reason being is that there's keyboard bass on the song and I'm pretty sure that Roger played that and I can't see what other contribution Freddie or John may have made to it.
(and it's my favourite song!)
At the Brixton I was at, Brian said LOML was one of Freddie's, and IWIA was sung by the "dep singer, which is ok as I wrote the damn thing"
Was it backstage, outside, or a different Brixton where Brian told you Freddie wrote IWIA?
My own theory is cynical. It's all about money... There are some Freddie's songs on MIH, one complete Roger's song, some Queen's and only one Brian's, but shared with two other guys (guy and gal) - Too Much Love Will Kill You, so maybe that's why 'Mother Love' became credited as Brian/Fred song.
But maybe I'm wrong. And actually I'm wrong :)
well my penny's worth i want it all - was already written by brian before they started the miracle sessions - brian has said "i want it all & i want it now" was a phrase used by anita
in ref to mother love - we all know it was freddie's last vocal put onto tape - i have a feeling the last verse which brian sang is one he wrote to finish the song - hence the dual writing credits - cos if it was written whilst freddie was still there - he would have sang it
Penetration_Guru: At the Brixton I was at, Brian said LOML was one of Freddie's, and IWIA was sung by the "dep singer, which is ok as I wrote the damn thing"
Was it backstage, outside, or a different Brixton where Brian told you Freddie wrote IWIA?
No, it was during the concert I heard it lol.
I just thought he said it was sung by "that damn singer, but I wrote the bloody thing" or something to that effect.