"Staying Power" is the first track on the first side of Queen's 1982 album Hot Space. It was written by lead singer Freddie Mercury and is notable as being the only Queen song to have a horn section, which was arranged by Arif Mardin. The song is driven by a funk-styled synth-bass riff (played by Mercury on an Oberheim OB-X) beginning in D minor and modulating to E minor throughout the song. John Deacon does not play bass on this song—instead playing rhythm guitar on a Fender Telecaster. Roger Taylor programmed a Linn LM-1 drum machine for the track. Brian May of course is on his Red Special. In a Stylus Magazine review of the album, critic Anthony Miccio described the song's style as: "an electro-disco track with frenetic horns."[1]
The song was released as a single in Japan and the US only.
Live performances
This song was played throughout the Hot Space Tour and to an extent, on The Works Tour. The live version of Staying Power is slightly different than the album version. Morgan Fisher would take over the keyboard parts and replace the Oberheim with the Roland Jupiter 8. Taylor would replace the drum machine with acoustic drums. Also of note is that it would be the only song played live in which Deacon played rhythm guitar, as the bass was done via keyboard. With the electronics scaled back on the live version, the song is transformed into a funk rock song—rather than a disco-influenced rock song that stays strong to its disco influences. The live version can be found on Queen Greatest Video Hits II DVD, Queen On Fire: Live At The Bowl album and DVD and on the Hot Space 2011 deluxe CD album.
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