Need Your Loving Tonight
"Need Your Loving Tonight" is a song by the rock band Queen and written by bass guitarist John Deacon. It is the fourth track on the first side of their 1980 album The Game and the second song on the album by Deacon (the other being "Another One Bites the Dust").
"Need Your Loving Tonight" | ||||
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Japanese cover | ||||
Single by Queen | ||||
from the album The Game | ||||
B-side | "Rock It (Prime Jive)" | |||
Released | November 1980 (USA, Japan) | |||
Recorded | 1980 | |||
Genre | Power pop[1] | |||
Length | 2:49 | |||
Label | Elektra | |||
Songwriter(s) | John Deacon | |||
Producer(s) | Queen, Reinhold Mack | |||
Queen singles chronology | ||||
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Reception
"Need Your Loving Tonight" was released as a single in November 1980 and peaked at #44 in the United States. Allmusic critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine felt that the band sounded like Boston on the song.[2] Similarly, Queen FAQ author Daniel Ross claimed that it could "sit happily alongside Journey or Boston on a compilation album of driving anthems."[3] Ultimate Classic Rock critic Eduardo Rivadavia described the song as "infectious power pop."[4] Rolling Stone critic Steve Pond regarded "Need Your Loving Tonight" as the best rock 'n' roll song on The Game, but complained that it "keeps tripping over its sluggish power chords."[5] Billboard Magazine claimed that the song has "the breezy energy of a 1960s pop song" and praised Brian May's "biting guitar work."[6]
"Need Your Loving Tonight" was released as a single in some countries as a follow up to "Another One Bites the Dust" but did not match its predecessor's success, peaking at #44 on the Billboard Hot 100.[7]
Live performances
It was played only scarcely during The Game Tour during the early 1980s; it only lasted this one tour. Also during live performances of the song, Brian May and Roger Taylor sang backing vocals and Freddie Mercury played piano during Brian's guitar solo (both of which were absent in the studio version).
Personnel
- Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals
- Brian May - electric guitar, backing vocals
- Roger Taylor - drums, backing vocals
- John Deacon - bass guitar, acoustic guitar
References
- Rivadavia, E. (30 June 2015). "How Queen Reached a Turning Point With 'The Game'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- Erlewine, S.T. "The Game". Allmusic. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- Ross, Daniel (2020). Queen FAQ. Backbeat Books. pp. 127–128. ISBN 9781617137280.
- Rivadavia, E. (30 June 2015). "How Queen Reached a Turning Point With 'The Game'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
- Pond, S. (18 September 1980). "The Game". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
- "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard Magazine. 29 November 1980. p. 71. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
- "Queen Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 25 July 2020.