"Scandal" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was released as the fourth single from their 1989 album The Miracle and peaked at #25 in the UK.^[1] The single was released in the United States but failed to chart.

Composition[edit]

"Scandal", written by Brian May, but credited to Queen, is about the unwanted attention May and lead singer Freddie Mercury received from the press in the late 1980s, involving May's divorce from his first wife, Chrissie Mullen, and his relationship with actress Anita Dobson and growing media speculation about Mercury's health. Mercury was diagnosed with AIDS in April 1987; he did not reveal his condition until the day before his death in November 1991. However, changes in his appearance, particularly his weight loss and rather gaunt look, helped fuel speculation that he was seriously ill.^[2]

Recording[edit]

May recorded the keyboards and guitars in one take. Mercury's vocal was also done in one take.^[2]

Music video[edit]

The video for the song featured the band performing on a stage designed to look like a newspaper - it was filmed at Pinewood Studios on 27 September 1989.

In the audio commentary included with the video in Queen: Greatest Video Hits 2, Roger Taylor admitted his dislike for it, stating it was “not one of my favourite songs. One of the most boring videos we ever made."

B-sides[edit]

The original version of the song "My Life Has Been Saved" was featured on the B-Side of the single, before May, Taylor, Deacon and Richards reworked the track for their fifteenth and final studio album Made in Heaven. The 1995 version replaced the original guitar intro with keyboards played by bassist John Deacon. The 12" and CD singles include the extended version of "Scandal" on the A-Side, while the B-Sides are both "My Life Has Been Saved" and the album version of "Scandal".^[3]

Track listings[edit]

7" Single

"Scandal" (Album Version) - 4:43
"My Life Has Been Saved" - 3:15^[4]

12"/CD Single

"Scandal" (Extended Version) - 6:23
"My Life Has Been Saved" - 3:15
"Scandal" (Album Version) - 4:43

Personnel[edit]

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Freddie Mercury - vocals
Brian May - guitars, keyboards
Roger Taylor - drums, vibraslap
John Deacon - bass guitar
David Richards - synth bass, sampler

Charts[edit]

Chart (1989)	Peak position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[5]	29
Irish Singles Chart^[6]	14
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[7]	16
Netherlands Singles Chart (Single Top 100)^[8]	12
UK Singles Chart^[1]	25

References[edit]

^ ^a ^b "Queen - Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 20 January 2016.

^ ^a ^b "Scandal - Queenpedia". Queenpedia.com/. Retrieved 26 January 2008.

^ "Queen UK Singles Discography 1984-1991". www.ultimatequeen.co.uk. Retrieved 9 December 2020.

^ "Queen "The Miracle" album and song lyrics". www.ultimatequeen.co.uk. Retrieved 9 December 2020.

^ "Queen – Scandal" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2 August 2020.

^ "Home". irishcharts.ie.

^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Queen" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 21 August 2020.

^ "Queen - Scandal - Dutchcharts". dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved 21 January 2016.

External links[edit]

v t e Queen songs
Queen	"Keep Yourself Alive" "Liar"
Queen II	"Seven Seas of Rhye"
Sheer Heart Attack	"Killer Queen" "Now I'm Here" "Flick of the Wrist" "Lily of the Valley" "Stone Cold Crazy" "Brighton Rock"
A Night at the Opera	"Bohemian Rhapsody" "You're My Best Friend" "Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to...)" "I'm in Love with My Car" "'39" "Sweet Lady" "The Prophet's Song" "Love of My Life" "Good Company" "God Save the Queen"
A Day at the Races	"Somebody to Love" "Tie Your Mother Down" "Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)" "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy" "Long Away"
News of the World	"We Will Rock You" "We Are the Champions" "Spread Your Wings" "It's Late" "Sheer Heart Attack"
Jazz	"Bicycle Race" "Fat Bottomed Girls" "Don't Stop Me Now" "Mustapha" "Jealousy"
The Game	"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" "Save Me" "Play the Game" "Another One Bites the Dust" "Need Your Loving Tonight"
Flash Gordon	"Flash's Theme"
Hot Space	"Under Pressure" "Body Language" "Las Palabras de Amor (The Words of Love)" "Calling All Girls" "Staying Power" "Back Chat"
The Works	"Radio Ga Ga" "I Want to Break Free" "It's a Hard Life" "Hammer to Fall" "Is This the World We Created...?"
A Kind of Magic	"One Vision" "A Kind of Magic" "Princes of the Universe" "Friends Will Be Friends" "Pain Is So Close to Pleasure" "Who Wants to Live Forever" "One Year of Love"
The Miracle	"I Want It All" "Breakthru" "The Invisible Man" "Scandal" "The Miracle"
Innuendo	"Innuendo" "I'm Going Slightly Mad" "Headlong" "These Are the Days of Our Lives" "The Show Must Go On" "I Can't Live with You" "Ride the Wild Wind"
Made in Heaven	"Heaven for Everyone" "A Winter's Tale" "Too Much Love Will Kill You" "I Was Born to Love You" "Let Me Live" "You Don't Fool Me" "Made in Heaven" "Mother Love"
Queen Rocks	"No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)"
Queen Forever	"Let Me in Your Heart Again" "Love Kills" "There Must Be More to Life Than This"
Other songs	"Thank God It's Christmas" "Face It Alone"
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