The 1980s saw iconic rock band Queen continuing their enjoyment of the successes of the previous years. The release of three quintessential Queen albums – A Night at the Opera, News of the World, and The Game – solidified their place as a major driving force in the musical zeitgeist, with songs like ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ significantly transforming labels’ attitudes towards the possibilities of radio play for decades to come.
After releasing the iconic Flash Gordon soundtrack in 1980, the band’s legendary frontman Freddie Mercury experienced a desire for something different, something that took his and Queen’s artistry to the next level and challenged audience expectations. 1982’s Hot Space would arrive as a result of this urge, although its sound seemed to divert too abruptly from Queen’s familiar and well-loved foundation for many fans, particularly those in the UK.
At its crux, Hot Space leans heavily into disco influences. Mercury, as mentioned in the book Freddie Mercury: A Life, In His Own Words, expressed his desire for the album to be inspired by another of the band’s dance hits, ‘Another One Bites the Dust’, while also possessing greater musical coherence compared to their previous releases.
However, although many fans welcomed the new direction, Mercury grew frustrated at how fans in England responded to it. “In this case, with Hot Space, I think it is a big risk, and the public have been torn between two,” Mercury explained. “I hope the Americans will see it as something new because the other side of the spectrum is that England just totally ignored it. It was obviously not their cup of tea. So, they just rejected it totally.”
The album’s second single, ‘Body Language’, represented the band’s newfound desire to supercharge their talent for crafting funky dance beats. While ‘Body Language’ garnered some attention across America, its lukewarm response in England irritated Mercury.
“I’m extremely upset — outraged, in fact,” he admitted. “I just think they could have given it a chance. I mean, I know ‘Body Language’ was the first one of its kind from us, but it met with such disapproval in England. God!” Adding, “If they think that because of that situation, I’m going to send leave back and come out with a rehash of ‘[Bohemian] Rhapsody’, they’re mistaken,” he said.
Adding: “There’s no way I’m going to see that. But I’m glad that the Americans have seen that side of it.”
Although ‘Body Language’ proved to be more successful in the US than in the UK, it still didn’t achieve the same level of success as Queen’s earlier, more popular hits like ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’.
Perhaps it was the album’s abrupt departure from their usual style, unfortunate timing, or even Brian May’s less prominent role in ‘Body Language’ that left fans perplexed. Regardless, its allure lies precisely in its status as a genuine hidden treasure.
