QueenPlay the Game (3:33)

On 27 albums see all

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About This Track

“Play the Game” is a song by Queen, written by Freddie Mercury. It is the first track on the first side of their 1980 album The Game. It commences with a series of overlapping rushing noises on an Oberheim OB-X synthesizer, heralding the band’s acceptance of electronic instruments into their once explicitly “no synths” sonic repertoire. They played it in their live shows from 1980 to 1982. The single was a hit in Queen’s home country reaching #14 in the charts. In America, however, it gained small response at reaching only #42.

The song features a considerably soft vocal by Freddie complimented by a strong G4 rising in pitch all the way to a C5 in chest voice, contrary to the other C5s being hit in falsetto. He also played piano on the track.

The B-side, “A Human Body”, has never appeared on any Queen album, but was finally released on CD format in the 2009 box set Queen Singles Collection Volume 2.

The cover of the single, as well as its promotional video, marked the first time Freddie Mercury appeared in either format with what later became his trademark moustache. The video is also notable in that Brian May did not use his trademark Red Special guitar, instead using a Fender Stratocaster replica made by Satellite. This was likely due to the risk of damage involved in the shot in which Mercury snatches the guitar away from May, then appears to throw it back to him.
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Albums featuring this track

  • Greatest Hits
    Queen Play
    Buy
  • The Game
    Queen Play
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  • Greatest Hits Platinum Collection
    Queen Play
    Buy
  • Queen on Fire: Live at the Bowl
    Queen Play
    Buy
See all 27 albums

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  • spacecat2003

    My blood pumping thur my Vains...... Play the game.... It is yr life.. don't play hard to get....it is free world

    12 days ago
  • Panecea

    last month
  • appidydafoo

    You just lost the game!

    last month
  • keanequeen

    Que lindaa.

    February 2012
  • BrunoPuffVargas

    Everybody play the gaaaame of love! =~~~)

    January 2012
  • MikeySchenker

    Oh so fucking fabulous...

    December 2011
  • cecekong

    好!

    November 2011
  • lucas_cerqueira

    Paixão

    October 2011
  • rafaellisboa

    Muito foda.

    August 2011
  • guitarslinger92

    Brian May's guitar tone on this song is one of my favorites of all time. He's often overlooked in the conversation of true guitar gods.

    August 2011
  • sonnycrockett_

    love the bassline <3

    April 2011
  • boehj

    awesome tune

    March 2011
  • KnowBounds

    quite possibly the finest tear-jerker when you know you love someone who can't love you in return. You just want to tell them, "LET YOURSELF GO! This is your life, don't play hard to get. It's a free world. All You have to do is fall in love/play the game." But for Freddie, it was easier than the average man. So, we lament with this triumphant track and to Brian's guitar.

    March 2011
  • nrotolisator

    i lost the game

    December 2010
  • kikikirsche

    It's so easy when you know the rules ,♪♥♫

    December 2010
  • pogopatterson

    Yeah I think you're right about the synths, though I suspect it's like any band that gets caught up in whatever passing fad there was at the time- probably many contemporaries were using synths. Perhaps not.

    December 2010
  • Leon_idas

    Stupid synthesizers, however, it's a good song.

    November 2010
  • davidbowiegirl

    Great song

    November 2010
  • igottrouble

    all you have to do is fall in love ♥

    September 2010
  • Schnuggelherz

    Queen ist Super

    September 2010
See all 138 shouts

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