"Need Your Loving Tonight" is a song by the rock band

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

and written by bass guitarist

John Deacon John Richard Deacon (born 19 August 1951) is an English retired musician, best known for being the bass guitarist for the rock band Queen. He wrote several songs for the group, including Top 10 hits " You're My Best Friend", " Another One Bit ...

. 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 "Another One Bites the Dust" is a song by the British rock band Queen. Written by bassist John Deacon, the song was featured on the group's eighth studio album '' The Game'' (1980). It was a worldwide hit, charting number one on the US ''Billb ...

"). It was released as a single in some countries in November 1980.

Lyrics and music

The lyrics to "Need Your Loving Tonight" take the point of view of someone who is upset about losing his lover. Queen historian Georg Purvis explains that the lyrics give a "false optimistic slant to the end of a relationship" by having the singer insist that the split was mutual. Musician Benoît Clerc claims that the lyrics overuse the phrases "I love her" and "I love you." According to Clerc, the music is "driven by a simple and repetitive rhythm" that Deacon plays on

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

, which he plays on this song in addition to his normal

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

Freddie Mercury Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. Regarded as one of the greatest singers in the ...

sings the lead vocal in what music professor Nick Braae describes as his "sincere voice," where he primarily uses his

chest voice Chest voice is a term used within vocal music. The use of this term varies widely within vocal pedagogical circles and there is currently no one consistent opinion among vocal music professionals in regard to this term. Chest voice can be used in ...

but avoids a gravelly tone and sings at a generally lower volume. The structure of the song is unusual. While the song generally follows a

verse Verse may refer to: Poetry * Verse, an occasional synonym for poetry * Verse, a metrical structure, a stanza * Blank verse, a type of poetry having regular meter but no rhyme * Free verse, a type of poetry written without the use of strict me ...

refrain A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in poetry — the "chorus" of a song. Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the vi ...

structure, the first verse contains a contrasting

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

-like section in the middle. Songs typically do not have a bridge that early, but several of Deacon's songs incorporate multiple bridges, "

Spread Your Wings "Spread Your Wings" is a power ballad by the rock band Queen, from their 1977 album ''News of the World''.

Producer Producer or producers may refer to: Occupations *Producer (agriculture), a farm operator *A stakeholder of economic production *Film producer, supervises the making of films **Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...

Reinhold Mack Reinhold Mack (also known as Mack, born 25 August 1949) is a German Record producer, record producer and Sound engineer, engineer. Mack is best known for his collaborations with Electric Light Orchestra, Queen (band), Queen, and Sparks (band), S ...

obtained a

snare drum The snare (or side drum) is a percussion instrument that produces a sharp staccato sound when the head is struck with a drum stick, due to the use of a series of stiff wires held under tension against the lower skin. Snare drums are often used ...

sound on the song that Clerc describes as both "muffled and punchy." Mack described how he obtained this sound, stating "You don't mic the snare drum from an angle down toward it and one at the bottom. I just use one on the side." According to Ultimate Classic Rock critic Eduardo Rivadavia, Deacon plays acoustic

rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...

to soften the sharp angles

f the song F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''. Hist ...

into a buttery-smooth arrangement, simultaneously suggesting his

Beatles The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developme ...

influences and the period's

power-pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ch ...

inspiration. "Need Your Loving Tonight" was one of the first Queen songs on which a

reverb effect A reverb effect, or reverb, is an audio effect applied to a sound signal to simulate reverberation. It may be created through physical means, such as echo chambers, or electronically through audio signal processing. Echo chambers The first re ...

was applied to lead singer

's vocal.

Reception

Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

critic

Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...

felt that the band sounded like

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

on the song. Similarly, ''Queen FAQ'' author Daniel Ross claimed that it could "sit happily alongside

Journey Journey or journeying may refer to: * Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations ** Day's journey, a measurement of distance ** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road Animals * Journey (horse), a thoroughbred ra ...

or Boston on a

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

of driving anthems." Andrew Wild suggested that it was influenced by the

as well as contemporary

power pop Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, an energetic performance, and ch ...

songs such as

Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973 by guitarist Rick Nielsen, bassist Tom Petersson, lead vocalist Robin Zander and drummer Bun E. Carlos. The current lineup of the band consists of Zander, Nielsen and ...

's "

Surrender Surrender may refer to: * Surrender (law), the early relinquishment of a tenancy * Surrender (military), the relinquishment of territory, combatants, facilities, or armaments to another power Film and television * ''Surrender'' (1927 film), an ...

," Blondie's "

Hanging on the Telephone "Hanging on the Telephone" is a song written by Jack Lee. The song was released in 1976 by his short-lived US West Coast power pop band The Nerves; in 1978, it was recorded and released as a single by American new wave band Blondie. Blondie h ...

" and

The Knack The Knack was an American rock band based in Los Angeles that rose to fame with its first single, "My Sharona", an international number-one hit in 1979. History Founding (1977–1978) Singer Doug Fieger was a native of Oak Park, Michigan, a no ...

's "

My Sharona "My Sharona" () is the debut single by the Knack. The song was written by Berton Averre and Doug Fieger, and it was released in 1979 from their debut album, '' Get the Knack''. It reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart, w ...

." ''Baltimore Sun'' critic Tom Basham said that it "incorporates a

sounding

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

pattern and some tasty strumming to produce a pure pop sound that is as memorable as it is lightweight." ''Ultimate Classic Rock'' critic Eduardo Rivadavia rated the song as the 8th best song Deacon wrote for Queen and described the song as "infectious

." ''Classic Rock History'' critic Millie Zeiler rated it John Deacon's 7th best Queen song, saying that the song "came from the viewpoint of a heartbroken man who saw the end of his romantic relationship as a mutual decision" but was "partially in denial." Zeiler said that the touch of 1960s nostalgia in the music made the song special. ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' 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 chord A power chord (also fifth chord) is a colloquial name for a chord in guitar music, especially electric guitar, that consists of the root note and the fifth, as well as possibly octaves of those notes. Power chords are commonly played on am ...

s." Clerc calls it a "pop-rock song par excellence" but claims that it is not among Deacon's greatest songwriting successes. ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' claimed that the song has "the breezy energy of a 1960s pop song" and praised

Brian May Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English guitarist, singer, songwriter, and astrophysicist, who achieved worldwide fame as the lead guitarist of the rock band Queen (band), Queen. May was a co-founder of Queen with lead singer Fredd ...

's "biting guitar work." ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' called it a "fine pop-oriented rocker." ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States, along with '' Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 under the name ''Music Vendor'', but in 1964 it was changed to ''Record Wo ...

'' called it a "pop rocker

hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...

celebrates young love with a pounding beat ndguitar havoc." "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.

Live performances

"Need Your Loving Tonight" was played frequently during

The Game Tour The Game Tour was the eighth headlining concert tour by the British rock band Queen to support their successful 1980 album '' The Game''. This tour featured the first performances in South America by the group. This tour marked the last time Q ...

in 1980 and then less frequently in 1981, but was not played live thereafter. Also during live performances of the song,

and

Roger Taylor Roger Taylor may refer to: *Roger Taylor (Queen drummer) (born 1949), drummer for Queen *Roger Taylor (Duran Duran drummer) (born 1960), drummer for Duran Duran *Roger Taylor (author), author of epic fantasy Hawklan series *Roger Taylor (college pr ...

sang backing vocals and

played piano during Brian's guitar solo (both of which were absent in the studio version).

Personnel

- lead and backing vocals *

- electric guitar, backing vocals *

- drums, backing vocals *

- bass guitar, acoustic guitar

References

External links

Lyrics at Queen official website
{{Authority control Queen (band) songs 1980 songs Songs written by John Deacon Song recordings produced by Reinhold Mack 1980 singles Elektra Records singles Hollywood Records singles British power pop songs