Innuendo is the fourteenth studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 5 February 1991 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and it is the band's first studio album to be released by Hollywood Records in the United States. Produced by David Richards and the band, it was the band's last album to be released in lead singer Freddie Mercury’s lifetime, and their most recent one to be composed of entirely new material. It reached the No. 1 spot on the UK album charts and stayed at that position for two weeks, and also peaked at No. 1 in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland, staying at No. 1 for three weeks, four weeks, six weeks, and eight weeks, respectively. It was the first Queen album to go Gold in the US upon its release since The Works in 1984.
The album was recorded between March 1989 and November 1990. In the spring of 1987, Mercury had been diagnosed with AIDS, although he kept his illness a secret from the public and denied numerous media reports that he was seriously ill. The band and producers were aiming for a November or December release date in order to catch the crucial Christmas market, but Mercury's declining health meant that the release of the album did not take place until February 1991. Stylistically, Innuendo is in some sense a return to Queen's roots, with its harder rock sound, complex musical composition (title track), psychedelic effects ("I'm Going Slightly Mad"), and somewhat weakened vocals from Mercury ranging over three octaves (F2-A5). Nine months after the album was released, Mercury died of AIDS-derived bronchopneumonia.
The album cover was designed by Queen and Richard Gray. The booklets and single covers from the album are by Grandville, or are inspired by his illustrations. Innuendo was voted the 94th greatest album of all time in a national 2006 BBC poll.
Track listing
All tracks credited to Queen except for "All God's People" which is credited to Queen and Mike Moran.
CD
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Innuendo" |
|
6:31 |
| 2. | "I'm Going Slightly Mad" | Mercury | 4:22 |
| 3. | "Headlong" | Brian May | 4:38 |
| 4. | "I Can't Live with You" | May | 4:33 |
| 5. | "Don't Try So Hard" | Mercury | 3:39 |
| 6. | "Ride the Wild Wind" | Taylor | 4:42 |
| 7. | "All God's People" |
|
4:21 |
| 8. | "These Are the Days of Our Lives" | Taylor | 4:15 |
| 9. | "Delilah" | Mercury | 3:35 |
| 10. | "The Hitman" |
|
4:56 |
| 11. | "Bijou" |
|
3:36 |
| 12. | "The Show Must Go On" | May | 4:35 |
| Total length: | 53:48 | ||
| 2011 bonus EP | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
| 1. | "I Can't Live with You" (1997 Rocks retake) | May | 4:50 |
| 2. | "Lost Opportunity" (B-side) | May | 3:53 |
| 3. | "Ride the Wild Wind" (early version with guide vocal) | Taylor | 4:14 |
| 4. | "I'm Going Slightly Mad" (mad mix) | Mercury, Straker | 4:37 |
| 5. | "Headlong" (embryo with guide vocal) | May | 4:44 |
| Total length: | 22:18 | ||
| 2011 iTunes deluxe edition bonus videos | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 6. | "Innuendo" (alternative promo video, 1991) | |
| 7. | "These Are the Days of Our Lives" (Hollywood Records alternative promo video, 1991) | |
| 8. | "Mad in the Making: The Making of the 'I'm Going Slightly Mad' Promo Video" (1991) | |
1991 LP
All tracks are written by Queen. Due to the length of the original album, several tracks had to be shortened in order to fit on the disc without excessive noise reduction or compression. The track listing is also slightly different from the CD version, with "Don't Try So Hard" moved to side 2, between "Delilah" and "The Hitman". Some of the shortened tracks can be found on the B-sides of concurrent 12" singles, and the double LP of Greatest Hits II.
| Side one | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Innuendo" | 6:29 |
| 2. | "I'm Going Slightly Mad*" | 4:04 |
| 3. | "Headlong" | 4:31 |
| 4. | "I Can't Live with You" | 4:04 |
| 5. | "Ride the Wild Wind" | 4:41 |
| Total length: | 23:49 | |
| Side two | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "All God's People" | 3:53 |
| 2. | "These Are the Days of Our Lives*" | 3:55 |
| 3. | "Delilah" | 3:32 |
| 4. | "Don't Try So Hard*" | 3:32 |
| 5. | "The Hitman*" | 3:43 |
| 6. | "Bijou*" | 1:19 |
| 7. | "The Show Must Go On" | 4:31 |
| Total length: | 23:06 | |
(*) Edited versions for vinyl
2015 LP
Innuendo was re-released on vinyl on 25 September 2015, alongside all of Queen's other studio albums. This is the first time that the album has been presented on vinyl in full, spread across 2 LPs; however, "These Are the Days of Our Lives" and "I Can't Live with You" have swapped places – the former now being the fourth track on the album, the latter now being the eighth.
| Side one | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "Innuendo" | 6:32 |
| 2. | "I'm Going Slightly Mad" (Queen, Straker) | 4:22 |
| 3. | "Headlong" | 4:38 |
| Total length: | 15:32 | |
| Side two | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "These Are the Days of Our Lives" | 4:13 |
| 2. | "Don't Try So Hard" | 3:39 |
| 3. | "Ride the Wild Wind" | 4:42 |
| Total length: | 12:34 | |
| Side three | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "All God's People" (Queen, Moran) | 4:19 |
| 2. | "I Can't Live with You" | 4:33 |
| 3. | "Delilah" | 3:32 |
| Total length: | 12:24 | |
| Side four | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "The Hitman" | 4:56 |
| 2. | "Bijou" | 3:37 |
| 3. | "The Show Must Go On" | 4:31 |
| Total length: | 13:04 | |
Personnel
Track numbering refers to CD and digital releases of the album.
Queen
- Freddie Mercury – lead vocals (all tracks), backing vocals (1–4, 6–9), keyboards (1, 2, 5, 6, 8–11), piano (3), drum machine (2, 9)
- Brian May – electric guitar (all tracks), backing vocals (2–4, 10, 12), keyboards (3, 4, 12), drum machine (3, 4), acoustic guitar (1), lead vocals ("Lost Opportunity")
- Roger Taylor – drums (1–3, 5–8, 10, 12), backing vocals (3–4, 6, 12), percussion (1, 7, 8), keyboards (6, 8), drum machine (2), additional vocals (6)
- John Deacon – bass (all but 11), keyboards (10)
Additional personnel
- Steve Howe – Spanish guitar (1)
- Mike Moran – keyboards (7)
- David Richards – producing, engineering, keyboards (4, 8)
- Noel Harris – assistant engineer
- Justin Shirley-Smith – assistant engineer
- Richard Gray – sleeve design
- Grandville (1803–47) – illustrations
- Angela Lumley – additional illustrations
- Simon Fowler – photography
Singles
"Innuendo" was the lead single from the album in most countries, except for the US where "Headlong" was released to radio as a promo prior to the album's release. The single was released on 14 January 1991 in Europe and in March 1991 in the US as a promo single, becoming Queen's third UK No. 1 single. The song also achieved modest success in the US, charting at No. 17 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. Still, the length and style of the track limited its appeal, and it only spent one week at No. 1 in the UK and quickly slid down the chart, spending only six weeks in the top 75. (B-side on 7 inch release: "Bijou").
"I'm Going Slightly Mad" was released on 4 March 1991. The song reached No. 1 in Hong Kong and reached No. 22 on the UK charts. (B-side on 7 inch release: "The Hitman" in some countries, in others it was "Lost Opportunity", which was a non-album cut).
"Headlong" was released as a promotional single in January 1991 in the US and as a single on 13 May 1991 in the UK. It entered the UK charts at No. 14, and reached No. 3 on the US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. (B-side on 12 inch release: "All God's People" in some countries, in others, "Lost Opportunity" and in a few, "The Hitman". The 12" and CD also feature "Mad the Swine").
"I Can't Live with You" was released as a promo single to radio stations in the US. This two-track promo single, completely remixed by Brian Malouf, uses slightly different lead vocal tracks by Mercury, louder and tighter harmony tracks, and reprogrammed synth drums, resulting in a much more punchy and "over the top" poppy version than included on the album. It reached No. 28 on the US Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
"Ride the Wild Wind" was released as a single only in Poland.
"These Are the Days of Our Lives" was first released in the US on Mercury's birthday, 5 September 1991 on cassette and to radio. In the UK it was released in December 1991 following Mercury's death, as a double A-side with "Bohemian Rhapsody". The single was the UK's Christmas No. 1 of 1991.
"The Show Must Go On" was released on 14 October 1991 in the UK. The single was taken from the album, although it had not been released as a single from Innuendo, and was released as promotion for the Greatest Hits II album (Classic Queen in the US/Canada), and peaked at No. 16 on the UK charts. After Mercury's death in November, the song re-entered the British charts and spent as many weeks in the top 75 as it had upon its original release. This single was released just six weeks before Mercury died. In 1992, the song was released as a double A-side with "Bohemian Rhapsody" in the US and reached No. 2 in the US. (The original B-side in October 1991 was "Keep Yourself Alive").