"Scandal" is a song by the British
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band
Queen
Queen most commonly refers to:
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen (band), a British rock band
Queen or QUEEN may also refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Q ...
. It was released as the fourth single from their 1989 album ''
The Miracle'' and peaked at #25 in the UK.
The single was released in the United States but failed to chart.
Composition
"Scandal", written by
Brian May
Sir Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, animal welfare activist and astrophysics, astrophysicist. He achieved global fame as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the rock band Queen ...
, but credited to Queen, is about the unwanted attention May and lead singer
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter who achieved global fame as the lead vocalist and pianist of the rock band Queen (band), Queen. Regarded as one of the gre ...
received from the press in the late 1980s, involving May's divorce from his first wife, Chrissie Mullen, and his relationship with actress
Anita Dobson
Anita, Lady May (born 29 April 1949), known as Anita Dobson, is an English actress and singer. She is best known for playing Landlord, landlady Angie Watts in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' from the show's inception in 1985 until 1988. She ac ...
and growing media speculation about Mercury's health. Mercury was
diagnosed with
AIDS
The HIV, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that attacks the immune system. Without treatment, it can lead to a spectrum of conditions including acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It is a Preventive healthcare, pr ...
in April 1987; he did not reveal his condition until the day before his death in November 1991. However, changes in his appearance, particularly his weight loss and rather gaunt look, helped fuel speculation that he was seriously ill.
Recording
May recorded the keyboards and guitars in one take. Mercury's vocal was also done in one take.
Critical reception
Upon its release, pan-European magazine ''
Music & Media
''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later m ...
'' described "Scandal" as a "medium-paced track with a catchy beat and a dramatic build up". Selina Webb of ''
Music Week
''Music Week'' is a trade publication for the UK record industry distributed via a website and a monthly print magazine. It is published by Future.
History
Founded in 1959 as ''Record Retailer'', it relaunched on 18 March 1972 as ''Music We ...
'' remarked that, while there were "no surprises here", Mercury's "turbo-whine is in fine fettle" and the band's backing has "lost nothing of its orchestral impact". William Shaw of ''
Smash Hits
''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand ...
'' called it "marvellous stuff" with its "thumping synths" and a "perky Brian May guitar bit". He added that, although the lyrics "deservedly lash the press for their tendency to make up fibs in their quest for smut, due to the sheer sensibleness of its theme, it lacks the usual over-the-topness that makes a good Queen single great".
Rebel MC
Michael Alec Anthony West (born 27 August 1964 in Islington, London, England), better known as Rebel MC and Congo Natty, is a British jungle producer, spiritual chanter and toaster. He has also gone by aliases including Conquering Lion, Blackst ...
and Michael Menson of
Double Trouble, as guest reviewers for ''
Number One'', felt the song was more of an "album track" and one that was probably "rushed off the album" as a single. They concluded that chartwise it would "surface then sink like the
Titanic
RMS ''Titanic'' was a British ocean liner that sank in the early hours of 15 April 1912 as a result of striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United States. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers a ...
". Phil Wilding of ''
Kerrang!
''Kerrang!'' is a British music webzine and quarterly magazine that primarily covers rock, punk and heavy metal music. Since 2017, the magazine has been published by Wasted Talent Ltd (the same company that owns electronic music publication ...
'' was negative in his review, calling it "such an unprecedented turd of a song that it's really not worth going on about". Muff Fitzgerald of ''
Record Mirror
''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper published between 1954 and 1991, aimed at pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after ''New Musical Express'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK Album ...
'' was also critical, describing it as "terrible".
Music video
The video for the song featured the band performing on a stage designed to look like a newspaper – it was filmed at
Pinewood Studios
Pinewood Studios is a British film and television studio located in the village of Iver Heath, England. It is approximately west of central London.
The studio has been the base for many productions over the years from large-scale films to t ...
on 27 September 1989.
In the audio commentary included with the video in ''
Queen: Greatest Video Hits 2'', drummer
Roger Taylor admitted his dislike for it, stating it was "not one of my favourite songs. One of the most boring videos we ever made."
B-sides
The original version of the song "My Life Has Been Saved" was featured on the B-Side of the single, before May, Taylor, Deacon and Richards reworked the track for their fifteenth and final studio album ''
Made in Heaven
''Made In Heaven'' is the fifteenth and final studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 6 November 1995 by Parlophone Records in the United Kingdom and by Hollywood Records in the United States. It is the final studio album to ...
''. The 1995 version replaced the original guitar intro with keyboards played by bassist
John Deacon
John Richard Deacon (born 19 August 1951) is an English retired musician who was the bass guitarist for the rock band Queen. He wrote several songs for the group, including Top 10 hits " You're My Best Friend", "Another One Bites the Dust" a ...
. The 12" and CD singles include the extended version of "Scandal" on the A-Side, while the B-Sides are both "My Life Has Been Saved" and the album version of "Scandal".
Track listings
7" Single
# "Scandal" (Album Version) – 4:43
# "My Life Has Been Saved" – 3:15
12"/CD Single
# "Scandal" (Extended Version) – 6:23
# "My Life Has Been Saved" – 3:15
# "Scandal" (Album Version) – 4:43
Personnel
*
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter who achieved global fame as the lead vocalist and pianist of the rock band Queen (band), Queen. Regarded as one of the gre ...
– vocals
*
Brian May
Sir Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English musician, songwriter, record producer, animal welfare activist and astrophysics, astrophysicist. He achieved global fame as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the rock band Queen ...
– guitars, keyboards
*
Roger Taylor – drums,
vibraslap
The vibraslap is a percussion instrument consisting of a piece of stiff wire (bent into a U-shape) connecting a wooden ball to a hollow box of wood with metal "teeth" inside. The percussionist holds the metal wire in one hand and strikes the ba ...
*
John Deacon
John Richard Deacon (born 19 August 1951) is an English retired musician who was the bass guitarist for the rock band Queen. He wrote several songs for the group, including Top 10 hits " You're My Best Friend", "Another One Bites the Dust" a ...
– bass guitar
*
David Richards –
synth bass
Keyboard bass (shortened to keybass and sometimes referred as a synth bass) is the use of a smaller, low-pitched keyboard with fewer notes than a regular keyboard or pedal keyboard to substitute for the deep notes of a bass guitar or double bass ...
,
sampler
Charts
Cover versions
*The Dutch symphonic metal band
Delain covered the song on their album ''
Moonbathers''.
References
External links
*
Lyrics at Queen official website
Queen (band) songs
1989 singles
Parlophone singles
Songs written by Brian May
Songs about the media
EMI Records singles
Capitol Records singles
Hollywood Records singles
1989 songs
{{1980s-single-stub