Love's Crazy Little Things: Stray Cats' Tales

Crazy Little Thing Called Love is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by Freddie Mercury and released in 1979. It was the band's final single release of the 1970s and became their first number-one single in the US, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for four consecutive weeks in 1980. The song was also covered by the rockabilly band Stray Cats, formed in 1979 in New York, and briefly played on stage during their 1992 tour.

Freddie Mercury wrote the song in 1979

"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is a song by the British rock band Queen that was written by Freddie Mercury in 1979. The track was included on their 1980 album "The Game" and also appears on the band's compilation album "Greatest Hits" in 1981. The song was released on 5 October 1979 in the UK and on 7 December in the US. It was Queen's first number-one hit in the USA.

Freddie Mercury composed the song on the guitar in just five to ten minutes. Mercury shared in a 1981 interview with Melody Maker:

> 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' took me five or ten minutes. I did that on the guitar, which I can't play for nuts, and in one way it was quite a good thing because I was restricted, knowing only a few chords. It's a good discipline because I simply had to write within a small framework. I couldn't work through too many chords and because of that restriction I wrote a good song, I think.

The song was written by Mercury as a tribute to his musical heroes Elvis Presley and Cliff Richard. Mercury knew that bandmate Brian May probably would not like the song because of its rockabilly style, so he took the song to the studio shortly after writing it and presented it to Roger Taylor and John Deacon. The three of them, along with their then-new producer Reinhold Mack, recorded it at Musicland Studios in Munich. Later on, Brian May added his part.

The music video for the song was filmed at Trillion Studios on 21 September 1979 and directed by Dennis De Vallance, involving four dancers and a floor of hands. Whenever the song was played live, the band added a solid rock ending that extended the under-three-minute track to over five minutes, with May and Mercury providing additional guitars. An example of this can be heard on the CD/DVD set "Live at Wembley '86", where the song continues for five minutes.

Queen's first US number-one hit

"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is a song by the British rock band Queen. Freddie Mercury wrote the song in 1979, and it was included on their 1980 album "The Game". The track also appears on the band's compilation album "Greatest Hits" in 1981. The song is notable for being the band's first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, topping the charts for four consecutive weeks in 1980. It was also a commercial success in other countries, peaking at number two in the UK Singles Chart in 1979 and topping the Australian ARIA Charts for seven weeks.

The song is a departure from Queen's typical style, embracing rockabilly influences. This is particularly evident in Mercury's guitar work, both on the studio recording and in live performances. Mercury played rhythm guitar while performing the song live, marking the first time he played guitar in concert with Queen. The song's music video, directed by Dennis De Vallance, was filmed at Trillion Studios in 1979 and featured four dancers and a floor of hands.

"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" has been covered and interpreted by various artists. The Stray Cats, a rockabilly band formed in 1979 in New York, briefly played the song on stage during their 1992 tour, generally as an encore. In 2000, Brian Setzer, the frontman of the Stray Cats, recorded a new version of the song with his orchestra, including it as a bonus for the Japanese edition of "Vavoom". The Nitros, a British neo-rockabilly band, also covered the song on their second album in the early 1990s.

The song's commercial success and enduring popularity can be attributed to its catchy tune and upbeat rhythm. It showcases Queen's ability to experiment with different genres, in this case, drawing inspiration from the rockabilly sound of the 1950s. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" has stood the test of time, remaining a beloved and well-known song decades after its release, solidifying its place in music history as Queen's first US number-one hit.

The Stray Cats' 1992 tour encore

The Stray Cats, an American rockabilly band, formed in 1979 in Massapequa, New York. The band consists of Brian Setzer (vocals and guitar), Lee Rocker (bass), and Slim Jim Phantom (drums).

The band has reunited periodically for live performances and tours, including in 1989, 1992, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2018, 2019, and 2024.

In 1992, the Stray Cats released the album "Choo Choo Hot Fish", produced by Dave Edmunds, and the cover album "Original Cool". While I could not find specific details on the Stray Cats' 1992 tour, I did find setlists for two of their concerts that year, which I have included below.

Stray Cats Concert Setlist at Club Diamond Hall, Nagoya, Japan, November 13, 1992

The setlist for the Stray Cats' concert in Nagoya, Japan, on November 13, 1992, included the following songs:

• Please Don't Touch
• Too Hip, Gotta Go
• Let's Go Faster
• Gene and Eddie
• I Won't Stand in Your Way
• My One Desire
• Something's Wrong With My Radio
• Sleep Walk
• Elvis on Velvet
• Cry Baby
• I Fought the Law
• Stray Cat Strut
• Rock This Town / Train Kept A Rollin'.

The encore for this concert consisted of:

Foggy Mountain Breakdown

Stray Cats Concert Setlist at Sot del Migdia, Barcelona, Spain, September 25, 1992

The setlist for the Stray Cats' concert in Barcelona, Spain, on September 25, 1992, included the following songs:

• Please Don't Touch
• Too Hip, Gotta Go
• Let's Go Faster
• Lust n Love
• Guitar Rag
• Gene and Eddie
• Something's Wrong With My Radio
• Sleep Walk
• Elvis on Velvet
• Cry Baby
• I Fought the Law
• Stray Cat Strut
• Rock This Town / Train Kept A Rollin'.

The encore for this concert consisted of:

• Runaway Boys
• Rumble in Brighton
• Mystery Train
• Oh, Boy!

Brian May's guitar playing

"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by Freddie Mercury in 1979. The track is included on their 1980 album "The Game" and also appears on the band's compilation album "Greatest Hits" in 1981. The song was Queen's first number-one single in the US, topping the Billboard Hot 100 for four consecutive weeks.

Brian May, the guitarist of Queen, played a notable role in the song's performance and success. While Freddie Mercury composed the song on guitar and played rhythm guitar in live performances, Brian May contributed to the song's signature sound with his exceptional guitar skills.

May is known for his distinctive guitar playing style, and in "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," he showcases his versatility by stepping outside his signature sound. He delivers a fantastic guitar solo, adding a unique flavour to the song. May's solo is considered one of the standout elements of the song, receiving recognition from musicians like Brian Setzer of the Stray Cats.

In live performances of "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," May's guitar playing takes centre stage. Queen often extended the song, adding a solid rock ending that transformed the under-three-minute track into a five-minute performance. May and Mercury provided additional guitars during these extended performances, as heard on the CD/DVD set "Live at Wembley '86."

Brian May's contribution to "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" showcases his exceptional talent and adaptability as a guitarist. By embracing a different style, he helped create a surprise rockabilly hit for Queen, demonstrating his willingness to explore diverse musical genres and his ability to leave a lasting impression with his guitar playing.

Rockabilly sound

"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by Freddie Mercury in 1979. The style of the song has been described as rockabilly by author Karl Coryat in his 1999 book, "The Bass Player Book".

The rockabilly sound of the Stray Cats, a US group formed in 1980, helped to revive this genre in Europe and the US. The group's frontman, Brian Setzer, has a signature rockabilly guitar style that he developed by experimenting with an old Fender Reverb unit. Setzer's sound has been described as "twangy", and his songs have been likened to "spaghetti westerns" or "surf-guitar music".

The Stray Cats' image and sound were heavily influenced by the 1950s rockabilly movement, with the band members sporting greaser clothing, colourful tattoos, and tall pompadour hairstyles. This retro look and sound were not initially well-received around Long Island, so the group headed to England in 1980, where a rockabilly revival movement was emerging.

The Stray Cats' self-titled debut album, released in England in 1981, scored three consecutive hits: "Runaway Boys", "Rock This Town", and "Stray Cat Strut". The group's rockabilly sound and image gained them popularity on both sides of the Atlantic, with their music videos well-suited to the early days of MTV.

In addition to their visual and musical style, the Stray Cats' success can also be attributed to their genuine musical talent, with Setzer's guitar skills evoking the best players of rockabilly's original heyday.

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