"I Was Born to Love You" is a 1985 song by Freddie Mercury that was released as a single from his first solo album, Mr. Bad Guy. After Mercury's death, Queen re-worked this song for their album Made in Heaven in 1995, by having the other members play their instrumental parts over the original track, transforming the song from disco to rock. The Queen version from the Made in Heaven album also includes snippets of Mercury's ad-lib vocals taken from "A Kind of Magic" and from "Living on My Own".
| "I Was Born to Love You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Freddie Mercury | ||||
| from the album Mr. Bad Guy | ||||
| A-side | "I Was Born to Love You" (extended version, 12-inch single only)[1] | |||
| B-side | "Stop All the Fighting" | |||
| Released | 8 April 1985 | |||
| Recorded | 1984 | |||
| Studio | Musicland Studios, Munich | |||
| Genre | Pop rock, disco | |||
| Length | 3:37 (7-inch and album version) 7:03 (12-inch extended version) | |||
| Label | CBS | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Freddie Mercury | |||
| Producer(s) |
| |||
| Freddie Mercury singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "I Was Born to Love You" on YouTube | ||||
| "I Was Born to Love You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 2004 Artwork for Japanese release | ||||
| Single by Queen | ||||
| from the album Made in Heaven | ||||
| Released | 28 February 1996[2] (Japan only) | |||
| Recorded | 1984, 1993–1995 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 4:49 | |||
| Label | EMI | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Freddie Mercury | |||
| Producer(s) | Queen | |||
| Queen singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "I Was Born to Love You" (2004 music video version) on YouTube | ||||
| "I Was Born to Love You (Live at Summer Sonic, Tokyo, Japan, 2014)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Single by Queen + Adam Lambert | ||||
| from the album Live Around the World | ||||
| Released | 25 September 2020 | |||
| Recorded | 17 August 2014 | |||
| Venue | Summer Sonic | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:04 | |||
| Label | EMI | |||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| Queen + Adam Lambert singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "I Was Born to Love You" (Live) on YouTube | ||||
The song received its live debut on the 2005 tour of Japan, given by Queen + Paul Rodgers. Brian May and Roger Taylor performed the song acoustically. The song was also performed during the concerts given by Queen + Adam Lambert in South Korea and Japan, which was the first time that a full live band was used for the performance.
Music videos
editThe video for the original Freddie Mercury version of the song was directed by David Mallet and filmed at the now demolished Limehouse Studios, London. The video was choreographed by Arlene Phillips and shows Mercury singing in front of a wall of mirrors, then running through a house with a woman (Debbie Ash of Hot Gossip), before dancing on a podium.
The video for the version used on Made in Heaven was directed by Richard Heslop for the British Film Institute, and included on Made in Heaven: The Films. It shows inhabitants of a block of council flats. Couples kiss, kids play, and teenagers steal and destroy a car in a monochrome film. The audio also uses the vinyl edit.[3]
For the 2004 re-release (see below), a video was created mixing footage of Mercury's original solo video intercut with footage of Queen performing live at Wembley Stadium, plus his solo video "Living on My Own". This video is included on Queen Jewels, the 2004 Greatest Karaoke Hits DVD, and the Japanese release of the documentary Days of Our Lives.
Appearances in other media
editThe song has appeared in multiple television advertisements, mainly in Japan. The original version recorded by Mercury appeared in the TV commercial of Japanese cosmetics company Noevia in the mid 1980s. The Queen version was released as a single exclusively in Japan in February 1996, because the song was used in a TV ad for Kirin Ichiban Shibori,[2] one of the best-selling liquors of the country produced by the Kirin Brewery Company. The single became their first song that entered the Japanese chart since "Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)", released in 1977.
In 2004, Queen's version was used as the theme for Pride, the successful Japanese drama starring Takuya Kimura and Yūko Takeuchi. Jewels, Queen's tie-in compilation album released only in Japan, includes "I Was Born to Love You".
In Malaysia, Mercury's version, using a different mix, was used by Astro in TV advertisements to promote their coverage of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.[4] The advertisement, commissioned by Astro through agency Dentsu LHS Malaysia and created by Pesona Pictures Indonesia, also have an unused version, which used Queen's version of the song.[5]
Track listings
edit7-inch single (1985)
- A. "I Was Born to Love You" - 3:37
- B. "Stop All the Fighting" - 3:17[6]
12-inch single (1985)
- A. "I Was Born to Love You" (Extended Version) - 7:03
- B. "Stop All the Fighting" - 3:17
Personnel
edit- Original version
- Freddie Mercury - lead vocals, piano, synthesizer, Synclavier
- Fred Mandel - synthesizer, rhythm guitar
- Paul Vincent - lead guitar
- Curt Cress - drums
- Stephan Wissnet - bass guitar, Fairlight CMI
- Reinhold Mack - Fairlight CMI, Synclavier II
- Queen version
- Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals, piano, keyboards
- Brian May - electric guitar, keyboards
- Roger Taylor - drums, percussion
- John Deacon - bass guitar
Chart history
edit- Freddie Mercury version
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[7] | 19 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] | 20 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] | 35 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[10] | 7 |
| Japanese Oricon Singles Chart | 55[citation needed] |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[11] | 34 |
| South African Singles Chart [12] | 4 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[13] | 24 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[14] | 11 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[15] | 76 |
| West Germany (GfK)[16] | 17 |
| Chart (2016) | Peak position |
| Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[17] | 69 |
- Queen version
| Year | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Japanese Oricon Chart | 45 |
| 2004 | 1 (Re-Entry) |
| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japan (Japan Hot 100)[18] | 63 |
- Worlds Apart version
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| West Germany (GfK)[19] | 71 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Japan (RIAJ)[20] Physical |
Gold | 100,000^ |
| Japan (RIAJ)[21] Ringtone |
2× Platinum | 500,000* |
| Japan (RIAJ)[22] Full-length ringtone |
Gold | 100,000* |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- ^ "Freddie Mercury Singles Discography". www.ultimatequeen.co.uk.
- ^ a b "クイーン アイ・ワズ・ボーン・トゥ・ラヴ・ユー - goo 音楽 (Release information - Queen - I Was Born to Love You)". music.goo.ne.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 23 April 2009. Retrieved 28 June 2008.
- ^ "Queen - I Was Born To Love You (1995 music video version)". 22 January 2009. Retrieved 16 March 2022 – via YouTube.
- ^ Astro Malaysia Facebook page
- ^ Hafiz Ibrahim : Astro World Cup 2018
- ^ "Freddie Mercury "Mr Bad Guy" album and song lyrics". www.ultimatequeen.co.uk. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 198. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Freddie Mercury – I Was Born to Love You" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Freddie Mercury – I Was Born to Love You" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Freddie Mercury". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
- ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Freddie Mercury" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
- ^ "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1969 - 1989 Acts (M)". rock.co.za. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
- ^ "Freddie Mercury – I Was Born to Love You". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Freddie Mercury: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Freddie Mercury Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Freddie Mercury – I Was Born to Love You" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
- ^ "Queen Chart History (Japan Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Queen Dance Traxx feat. Worlds Apart – I Was Born to Love You" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
- ^ "Japanese single certifications – Queen – I Was Born to Love You" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2004年2月 on the drop-down menu
- ^ "Japanese ringtone certifications – Queen – I Was Born to Love You" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 27 February 2021. Select 2006年9月 on the drop-down menu
- ^ "Japanese ringtone certifications – Queen – I Was Born to Love You" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Retrieved 27 February 2021. Select 2010年5月 on the drop-down menu