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Jazz is a 1978 album by British rock band Queen. It was was the band's seventh studio album, and consisted of a mix of very different styles of music, from disco-funk ("Fun It") to vaudeville ("Dreamer's Ball") to good old rock and roll ("Dead On Time"). Curiously, it contains nothing recognizable as jazz, except perhaps the music-hall swing of "Dreamer's Ball." The album's eclecticism was alternately praised and criticised; it was at the time victim to a viciously scathing Rolling Stone review which included the line, "Indeed, Queen may be the first truly fascist rock band." Nevertheless, the album made it to #6 on the American Billboard 200.
The band had intended to sell the album with a poster depicting the all-female nude bicycle race staged to promote "Fat Bottomed Girls," but in the USA it was only available through mail-order so as not to upset retailers.
Amongst other attributions in the liner notes, in reference to the crash of thunder heard at the end of the song "Dead On Time," one may find the line "Thunderbolt courtesy of God."
Track Listing
(* singles - see below)
- Mustapha* (Freddie Mercury) 3:01
- Fat Bottomed Girls* (Brian May) 4:16
- Jealousy* (Mercury) 3:13
- Bicycle Race* (Mercury) 3:01
- If You Can't Beat Them (John Deacon) 4:15
- Let Me Entertain You (Mercury) 3:01
- Dead On Time (May) 3:23
- In Only Seven Days (Deacon) 2:30
- Dreamer's Ball (May) 3:30
- Fun It (Roger Taylor) 3:29
- Leaving Home Ain't Easy (May) 3:15
- Don't Stop Me Now* (Mercury) 3:29
- More Of That Jazz (Taylor) 4:16
Singles
Four singles were released from the album:
- "Bicycle Race" and "Fat Bottomed Girls" were released in 1978 as a double A-side; the band staged a famous nude, all-female bicycle race to promote the single. The picture sleeve showed a rear view of one of the ladies on her bicycle, but in the U.S. a pair of red panties were painted on to avoid public outcry. Legend has it that the band borrowed the bicycles from a store ("Halfords," according to the liner notes), but upon returning them were informed that they would have to purchase all the seats, as they had been used in an improper manner (i.e. without clothing).
- "Mustapha" was released in 1978 in only Bolivia, Spain, Yugoslavia and Germany. Its B-side was "Dead On Time," except in Yugoslavia, where it was either "In Only Seven Days" or "Dreamer's Ball."
- "Jealousy" was released in 1978 in the United States, New Zealand, Brazil, Russia, and Canada; its B-side was "Fun It," "Don't Stop Me Now," or a mono version of the same song.
- "Don't Stop Me Now" was released in 1979; its B-side, depending on where one purchased it, was either "In Only Seven Days" or "More Of That Jazz."
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