Fat Bottomed Girls

"Fat Bottomed Girls"
Standard front cover of the picture sleeve, also used as the back cover for some other territorial releases
Single by Queen
from the album Jazz
A-side "Bicycle Race"
Released 13 October 1978 (1978-10-13)
Format 7"
Recorded 1978
Genre [1]hard rock
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, and opens with its chorus.[5] It was one of the few Queen songs played in an alternative (drop D) guitar tuning.[6] The song's music video was filmed at the Dallas Convention Center in Texas in October 1978.[7]

It was certified 2x Platinum in the US by the RIAA , for over two million digital download equivalent units, on 20 March 2018.[8]

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.[9][10][11] 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 & 2017-2018 featuring Adam Lambert[12] and at the iHeartRadio Music Festival 2013 as Queen + Adam Lambert featuring Fun.[13] It was also performed during the Return Of The Champions Tour and the Rock the Cosmos Tour, both tours by Queen + Paul Rodgers.[14]

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, but not the 1992 US "Red Cover" version) omits the extended guitar interludes between the verses and fades out before the ending.[15]

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.

In 1993, Vic Sotto, Francis Magalona, Richie D'Horsie and Michael V. covers a tagalog parody reprise version of "Fat Bottomed Girls" as from the movie "Ano Ba Yan? 2" under OctoArts Films.[16]

"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".[15] "Bicycle Race" contains the lyrics "Fat bottomed girls, they'll be riding today/So look out for those beauties, oh yeah",[17] completing a double cross-reference between the two songs.

Sales and certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[18] 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. ↑ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". RIAA. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
  9. ↑ Queen live on tour: Jazz (Setlist). Queen Concerts. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  10. ↑ Queen live on tour: The Game (world). Queen Concerts. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  11. ↑ Queen live on tour: Hot Space (world). Queen Concerts. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  12. ↑ "Queen + Adam Lambert Set List: Calgary, Saddledome". Queen Online. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  13. ↑ Queen + Adam Lambert featuring Fun performing Fat Bottomed Girls at iHeartRadio Festival 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  14. ↑ Queen + Paul Rodgers performing Fat Bottomed Girls. Retrieved 31 August 2015.
  15. 1 2 Fat Bottomed Girls. Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  16. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK_0M3DsgGE
  17. ↑ Bicycle Race. Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  18. ↑ "British single certifications – Fat Bottomed Girls/Bicycle Race". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Silver in the Certification field. Type Fat Bottomed Girls/Bicycle Race in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  19. ↑ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  20. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-20.
  21. ↑ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
  22. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1999). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. ISBN 0-89820-142-X.
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