Hot Space

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Released: May 21st, 1982 (UK), May 25th, 1982 (US)
Recorded: June-July 1981, December 1981-March 1982 at Mountain Studios, Montreux, Switzerland, and Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany
Genre: Rock
Length: 43:29
Label: EMI, Parlophone (UK), Elektra, Hollywood (US)
Producer: Queen, Arif Mardin, Mack, and David Bowie


Personnel:
·         John Deacon: bass, guitar, synthesizer, rhythm guitar
·         Freddie Mercury: lead vocals, piano, synthesizer, synth bass
·         Brian May: lead guitar, synthesizer, piano, backing vocals, synth bass on “Dancer”, lead vocals (one line in “Las Palabras De Amor”
·         Roger Taylor: drums, drum computer, backing vocals, lead vocals (chorus) (Action This Day), octave lead vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboard
·         David Bowie: lead vocals, percussion & keyboards (“Under Pressure”
·         Arif Mardin: ‘hot and spacey’ horn arrangement and production (“Staying Power”)
·         Mack: production, keyboard programming (“Action This Day”)

Singles:
Under Pressure, released October 26th, 1981
Body Language, released April 19th, 1982
Las Palabras De Amor, released June 1st, 1982
Calling All Girls, released July 31st, 1982 (Canada, US, Australia, New Zealand)
Back Chat, released August 9th, 1982
Staying Power, released July 1982 (Japan), November 1982 (US)


Interesting Facts:
On the video commentary on Greatest Video Hits 2, Roger Taylor makes it clear that he hates the music video for the song “Back Chat”. If you think about, or just continue reading, Roger hates a lot of their videos. This one, “Calling All Girls”, “It’s a Hard Life”, and most likely more.
 
"Action This Day" takes its title from a Winston Churchill catchphrase that the statesman would attach to urgent documents, and recapitulates the theme of social awareness that Taylor espoused in many of his songs.
Michael Jackson, who was close friends with the band during the time, later cited Hot Space as a building block for his own blockbuster album Thriller.
The inspiration for the Hot Space album cover, came from The Beatles’ album Let it Be.
"Calling All Girls" was Roger's first A-sde single track as a songwriter-- anywhere in the world! (It was released in the US)

Track Listing:
Side One:
1.       Staying Power (Mercury)—4:10
2.       Dancer (May)—3:46
3.       Back Chat (Deacon)—4:31
4.       Body Language (Mercury)—4:29
5.       Action This Day (Taylor)—3:33
Side Two:
1.       Put Out the Fire (May)—3:15
2.       Life Is Real (Song For Lennon) (Mercury)—3:39
3.       Calling All Girls (Taylor)—3:53
4.       Las Palabras De Amor (The Words of Love) (May)—4:26
5.       Cool Cat (Deacon, Mercury)—3:26
6.       Under Pressure [with David Bowie] (Queen, David Bowie)—4:02
1991 Hollywood Record Bonus Tracks
1.       Body Language (1991 remix by Susan Rogers)—4:45
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