Freddie Mercury: Mr. Bad Guy (40th anniversary) [HOLLYWOOD]

Why you'll love it

This 40th anniversary edition uses the new mix Justin Shirley-Smith and Joshua J Macrae made from the original multitrack tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl. Mr. Bad Guy reached No. 6 in the UK, and Mercury wrote every one of its 11 songs.

This edition

• 40th anniversary edition
• 180g vinyl
• 2019 mix from the original multitrack tapes
• Stereo mix

About the album

With Queen taking a breather from the studio, Freddie Mercury had a pile of ideas that didn't fit the band. He spent months at Musicland in Munich, where Queen had made their recent albums, co-producing with Reinhold Mack and leaning into disco, dance and pop. He didn't ask his bandmates along; instead he hired drummer Curt Cress, bassist Stephan Wissnet, guitarist Paul Vincent and Queen's touring keyboardist Fred Mandel.

"I Was Born To Love You" is a pure shot of euphoria, "Made In Heaven" is grand and yearning (Queen later reworked it for their 1995 album of the same name), and the title track brings in the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra. "There Must Be More To Life Than This" was first written for Hot Space and once considered as a duet with Michael Jackson, and "Living On My Own" bounces along on scat vocals and a disco pulse.

A remix of "Living On My Own" went to No. 1 in the UK in 1993, two years after his death. Its video was filmed at Mercury's 39th birthday party, which is one way to get the extras to turn up in costume without being asked.

Also at Kops: more Freddie Mercury on vinyl · browse Rock

Tracklist

Listen

On Hollywood Records (cat# D004807101), a reissue of the 1985 album.