News of the World

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Picture that inspired the News of the World cover.

Released: October 28th, 1977
Recorded: July- September 1977 at Basing Street, Wessex
Genre: Rock
Length: 39:30
Label: EMI, Parlophone (UK), Elektra, Hollywood (US)
Producer: Queen (assisted by Mike Stone)


Personnel:
·         Freddie Mercury: lead vocals, backing vocals, piano, percussion
·         Brian May: electric guitars, acoustic guitar, lead vocals, backing vocals, percussion, piano on “All Dead All Dead”
·         Roger Taylor: drums, electric guitar, bass guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals, percussion
·         John Deacon: bass, acoustic, & Spanish guitars

Singles:
We Are the Champions/ We Will Rock You, released October 7th, 1977
Spread Your Wings, released February 10th, 1978
It’s Late, released 1978 (Canada, US, New Zealand, Japan only)



Interesting Facts:
During the recording of the album, the Sex Pistols were recording their album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols in the next studio and Johnny Rotten was eager to meet Mercury, so he crawled on all fours through Queen's studio, up to the side of the piano where Mercury was playing, and said "Hello, Freddie!" before crawling out.
He supposedly didn't want to commit his Red Special to outside conditions, as the videos for these songs featured the band performing in the snow at Taylor's garden
"All Dead, All Dead" was written and sung by May, and features Mercury on backing vocals; May also plays piano. Lyrically, the song deals with May's experiences following the death of his childhood pet cat.
In the “Spread Your Wings” video, you can see Roger Taylor singing, though there are no backing vocals—in the entire song. (It was the first Queen single with no harmony vocals)
Guitarist Slash has said that the guitar riff from the song “Fight From the Inside” is one of his favourite riffs of all time.
The song “Sleeping on the Sidewalk” was inspired by Eric Clapton.
The song “Sleeping on the Sidewalk” was recorded in one take. On a close inspection, John Deacon can be heard playing the wrong notes in some bass parts, and Brian May can also be heard laughing at the end of the song. It is also one of the few Queen songs that does not feature Mercury. The reason the song is so aloof is because it was a first take. The band was not aware they were being recorded at the time, and were simply practicing, while the engineer had turned on the recording, but Brian May denied the authenticity of this. However, the band thought the song turned out 'right' so they kep
The album cover was Roger’s idea. Roger had an issue of Astounding Science Fiction (what’s he doing with that?) whose cover-art depicted a giant intelligent robot holding the dead body of a man. The painting inspired the band to contact Freas, who agreed to alter the painting for their album cover, by replacing the single dead man with the four "dead" band members (Taylor and Deacon falling to the ground).
Freddie borrowed Ratty's gloves for the We Will Rock You/Spread Your Wings video shoot. He was also drunk during the shoot from drinking brandy.



Track Listing:
Side One:
1.       We Will Rock You (May)—2:01
2.       We Are the Champions (Mercury)—2:59
3.       Sheer Heart Attack (Taylor)—3:26
4.       All Dead, All Dead (May)—3:10
5.       Spread Your Wings (Deacon)—4:34
6.       Fight From the Inside (Taylor)—3:03
Side Two:
1.       Get Down, Make Love (Mercury)—3:51
2.       Sleeping on the Sidewalk (May)—3:06
3.       Who Needs You (Deacon)—3:05
4.       It’s Late (May)—6:26
5.       My Melancholy Blues (Mercury)—3:29
1991 Hollywood Record Bonus Tracks
1.       We Will Rock You (1991 remix “ruined” by Rick Rubin)—4:47

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