Fat Bottomed Girls

"Fat Bottomed Girls"
Single by Queen
from the album Jazz
A-side "Bicycle Race"
Released 13 October 1978 (1978-10-13)
Format 7"
Recorded 1978
Genre Hard rock, glam rock[1]
Length
  • 4:16 (album version)
  • 3:22 (single version)
Label
Songwriter(s) Brian May
Producer(s)
Queen singles chronology
"It's Late"
(1978)		 "Fat Bottomed Girls"
(1978)		 "Don't Stop Me Now"
(1979)

"It's Late"
(1978)		 "Bicycle Race" / "Fat Bottomed Girls"
(1978)		 "Don't Stop Me Now"
(1979)

"Fat Bottomed Girls" is a song by the British rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, the track featured on their 1978 album Jazz, and later on their compilation album, Greatest Hits.[2] When released as a single with "Bicycle Race", the song reached number 11 in the UK Singles Chart, and number 24 in the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.[3][4]

The song is formed around an open bluesy, metallic guitar tuning, with the tune opening with its chorus.[5] It was one of the few Queen songs played in an alternative guitar tuning, being played in drop D tuning.[6] The song's music video was filmed at the Dallas Convention Center in Texas in October 1978.[7]

Song and lyrical content

Near the end, the song references the band's song "Bicycle Race" with Mercury shouting, "Get on your bikes and ride!" "Bicycle Race" reciprocates with the lyric, "fat bottomed girls, they'll be riding today". The two songs were released as a double A-sided single.

Live performances

Queen performed "Fat Bottomed Girls" in concert from 1978 to 1982.[8][9][10] Since its release, the song has appeared on television and film, and has been covered by a number of artists.[7]

The song was performed on the setlists of their Queen + Adam Lambert tours in 2012, 2014-2015 & 2016 featuring Adam Lambert [11] and at the iHeartRadio Music Festival 2013 as Queen + Adam Lambert featuring Fun [12] It was also performed during the Return Of The Champions Tour and the Rock the Cosmos Tour, both tours by Queen + Paul Rodgers.[13]

Versions

The song featured a different vocal arrangement from the studio recording when performed live. In live performances, the lead vocals during the chorus were sung by Freddie Mercury and harmonised with an upper voice (Roger Taylor) and a lower voice (Brian May). In the studio version, there is no higher harmony. The lead vocals on the verses are sung by Freddie Mercury, while Brian May sings the lead vocals on the chorus.

The single version (which can be found on Greatest Hits) omits the extended guitar interludes between the verses as well as fading out before the ending.[14]

In the US, the 1991 Hollywood Records reissue of Jazz included a bonus remix by Matt Wallace.

In 1992, Organized Konfusion remixed the track for inclusion on the later-cancelled BASIC Queen Bootlegs compilation. This version included an alternate vocal track by Mercury, as well as hip-hop production and added rap verses.

"Fat Bottomed Girls" was released as a double A-side with the song "Bicycle Race", and includes the line "Get on your bikes and ride".[14] "Bicycle Race" contains the lyrics "Fat bottomed girls, they'll be riding today/So look out for those beauties, oh yeah",[15] completing a double cross-reference between the two songs.

Sales and certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[16] Silver 250,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Personnel

Live recordings

Chart performance

References

  1. ↑ Dean, Maury (1 January 2003). Rock and Roll: Gold Rush. Algora Publishing. p. 459. ISBN 978-0-87586-227-9.
  2. ↑ Queen - Greatest Hits AllMusic. Retrieved 4 September 2011
  3. 1 2 Whitburn, Joel (2006). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. Billboard Books
  4. 1 2 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums. London: Guinness World Records Limited
  5. ↑ Prato, Greg. "Fat Bottomed Girls". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 September 2011
  6. ↑ Queen Songs - Fat Bottomed Girls. Retrieved 4 September 2011
  7. 1 2 Queen Promo Videos - Fat Bottomed Girls Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 4 September 2011
  8. ↑ Queen live on tour: Jazz (Setlist) Queen Concerts. Retrieved 4 September 2011
  9. ↑ Queen live on tour: The Game (world) Queen Concerts. Retrieved 4 September 2011
  10. ↑ Queen live on tour: Hot Space (world) Queen Concerts. Retrieved 4 September 2011
  11. ↑ "Queen + Adam Lambert Set List: Calgary, Saddledome". Queen Online. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  12. ↑ Queen + Adam Lambert featuring Fun performing Fat Bottomed Girls at iHeartRadio Festival 2013 Retrieved 31 August 2015
  13. ↑ Queen + Paul Rodgers performing Fat Bottomed Girls Retrieved 31 August 2015
  14. 1 2 Fat Bottomed Girls Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 4 September 2011
  15. ↑ Bicycle Race Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 4 September 2011
  16. ↑ "British single certifications – Fat Bottomed Girls/Bicycle Race". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Fat Bottomed Girls/Bicycle Race in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
  17. ↑ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  18. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  19. ↑ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  20. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
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