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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.
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
Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $9.99
- 7digital $11.99
- Juno $13.49
- iTunes
- Buy Album
- Amazon $9.98
- eBay Search
-
The Game
Queen Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 $9.49
- 7digital $9.99
- Juno $10.99
- iTunes $9.99
- Buy Album
- Amazon $13.99
- eBay Search
-
Greatest Hits Platinum Collection
Queen Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
-
Queen on Fire: Live at the Bowl
Queen Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon $15.51
- eBay Search
Shouts
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BrunoPuffVargas wrote:
Everybody play the gaaaame of love! =~~~)
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MikeySchenker wrote:
Oh so fucking fabulous...
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cecekong wrote:
好！
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lucas_cerqueira wrote:
Paixão
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rafaellisboa wrote:
Muito foda.
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guitarslinger92 wrote:
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.
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sonnycrockett_ wrote:
love the bassline <3
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boehj wrote:
awesome tune
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KnowBounds wrote:
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.
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nrotolisator wrote:
i lost the game
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kikikirsche wrote:
It's so easy when you know the rules ,♪♥♫
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pogopatterson wrote:
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.
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Leon_idas wrote:
Stupid synthesizers, however, it's a good song.
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davidbowiegirl wrote:
Great song
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igottrouble wrote:
all you have to do is fall in love ♥
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Schnuggelherz wrote:
Queen ist Super
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ladycaroledowns wrote:
Brilliant!
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FRENCHWAH wrote:
Had this cassette when it first came out, walked in to my bedroom to see my little cousin pulling all the tape out : (
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santanabeltran wrote:
When you're feeling down and your resistance is low, light another cigarette and let yourself go. <3
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Louster200 wrote:
I Play The Game, but unfortunately lost.
Track Stats
1,144,184 Scrobbles
297,640 Listeners
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Recent Activity
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mariogunnerrock, brunabehr, Lou_rock and 1 other person loved Queen – Play the Game. yesterday evening
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YWLvanDuyn tagged Queen – Play the Game with english lyrics, rock and pop. Friday evening
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Gokkuni, Awern, VoldemortsHat and 14 other people loved Queen – Play the Game. Friday evening
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frey27liah, chmielu333 and Ramonees loved Queen – Play the Game. 9 days ago
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PhoenixZ117, fixsadler, gsm007g and 3 other people loved Queen – Play the Game. 11 days ago
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