Back Chat
"Back Chat" is a song by the British rock band Queen, written by bassist John Deacon. It is the third track on their tenth studio album, Hot Space, which was released on 4 May 1982, and was issued as a single on 9 August 1982. The song is heavily influenced by funk and R&B, making it the most dance-oriented and black music-inspired track on the album. It peaked at number 40 on the UK Singles Chart.[1][2]Background
Development
"Back Chat" was solely written by Queen's bassist John Deacon during the recording sessions for the band's tenth studio album, Hot Space, which represented a significant shift toward funk and dance-oriented sounds.[3] The composition emerged from Deacon's experimental phase, drawing inspiration from funk, R&B, disco, and dance music genres that had gained prominence in the early 1980s, building on the stylistic explorations in Queen's previous album The Game (1980), particularly Deacon's own hit "Another One Bites the Dust."[4] Initial demo sketches by Deacon centered on a prominent bass-driven groove, showcasing his affinity for soulful, rhythmic elements.[3] The song's development occurred amid the Hot Space sessions, which began in summer 1981 at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland, before moving to Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany, from December 1981 to March 1982.[3] These discussions extended to the song's arrangement, where Deacon played rhythm guitar, and May contributed a solo as a compromise to blend the track's groove with Queen's rock sensibilities.[3] The title "Back Chat" derives from British slang denoting impertinent or sassy replies, directly aligning with the lyrics' depiction of verbal sparring and argumentative exchanges. Once Deacon's demos were established, the full band became involved, incorporating additional layers to enhance the song's danceable, experimental vibe before finalizing it for the album.[5]Recording
"Back Chat" was recorded primarily at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany, during sessions spanning late 1981 to early 1982 as part of the Hot Space album production.[5] The track was produced by the band Queen alongside their longtime collaborator Reinhold Mack, who served as chief engineer and co-producer.[5] These sessions marked a transitional phase for the band, incorporating new electronic elements into their established sound. John Deacon, the song's writer and bassist, took on multiple instrumental roles, including bass guitar on his Music Man Stingray, rhythm guitars, drum machine programming, and synthesizer parts, with the track originating from his initial bass riff composition.[5][6] Freddie Mercury contributed lead and backing vocals, while Brian May provided lead and rhythm guitar, notably crafting the track's slick introductory riff.[7] Roger Taylor handled electronic drums, reflecting the album's experimentation with drum machines over traditional kits.[7] The production emphasized layered overdubs using 24-track technology to fuse funk rhythms with Queen's rock foundations, highlighting Deacon's prominent, driving bass line and May's guitar accents to create a dense, rhythmic texture.[5] This approach aimed to integrate dance-oriented elements like synthesized bass and programmed beats, though it required extensive synchronization efforts in the studio.[5] An extended 12-inch version of "Back Chat," clocking in at 6:55, was created with additional instrumental breakdowns, repeated sections, and extended fades for club play.[8] This remix was edited down to 4:10 for the single release, shortening the album's original 4:31 runtime by trimming fades and some overdubs.[9] The Hot Space sessions, including work on "Back Chat," were marked by internal challenges stemming from band disagreements over the album's heavy funk and dance direction, which diverged from their hard rock roots and led to a protracted, tense production process.[10] Brian May later described "dark moments" of creative friction, with differing visions causing debates that influenced the final blend of styles and contributed to the album's divisive reception upon release.[10]Composition
Music
"Back Chat" is a funk-rock song with disco influences, composed in A minor and set at a tempo of 119 beats per minute in 4/4 time.[11] The track follows a verse-chorus structure, opening with a sparse guitar intro that introduces the syncopated bass groove played by John Deacon, which drives the rhythm throughout. Subsequent verses and choruses build on this foundation, leading to a bridge featuring Brian May's guitar solo, before fading out in the outro with layered vocals and instrumentation.[12][13][7] The instrumentation emphasizes the song's fusion style, with Deacon handling bass, rhythm guitar, and synthesizer parts to create subtle atmospheric layers that enhance the dance-oriented feel.[7] May contributes rhythm guitar and a prominent solo, while Roger Taylor employs electronic drums, including Simmons pads, to mimic funk beats and provide a crisp, programmed rhythm section. Freddie Mercury delivers lead vocals with a rhythmic, percussive phrasing suited to the genre.[7] John Deacon wrote the song and played multiple instruments during recording, with contributions from the full band shaping its final sound.[7] While drawing from contemporaries like Chic through its bass-driven groove, "Back Chat" retains Queen's characteristic harmonic layering in progressions such as Am–C–Dm–F, blending funk simplicity with rock-infused vocal harmonies.[14][7] The album version features a polished mix at 4:35, whereas the single remix tightens the arrangement to 4:10, with a slightly faster tempo of 122 BPM and a more aggressive guitar solo for radio appeal.[15]Lyrics
The lyrics of "Back Chat," written by Queen bassist John Deacon, center on themes of playful antagonism and verbal banter, depicting frustration with incessant criticism and retorts in a personal conflict. The title phrase "back chat" functions as a metaphor for sassy or impudent replies during arguments, rooted in the English idiom denoting impertinent responses, often directed at someone in a position of authority.[12] The song employs a straightforward structure to heighten the sense of escalating tension, with verses illustrating a heated exchange between apparent lovers or rivals and a highly repetitive chorus that drives home the exhaustion caused by the banter. In the chorus, lines such as "Back chat, back chat, you burn all my energy / Back chat, back chat, criticizing all you see / Back chat, back chat, analyzing what I say / And you always get your way" repeat to underscore the draining nature of the verbal sparring.[12] The first verse describes frustration with persistent argumentative behavior ("Back chat / I hear your back chat / You're driving me insane / It's a battle to the end / Knock you down, you come again / Talk back / I hear your talk back / You're getting much too bold / You got no class / No class at all"), while the second asserts defiance against an imposing critic ("Stand back / I hear your stand back / You stand so tall, you don't frighten me at all / Don't criticize me then you disappear").[12] Freddie Mercury's vocal performance infuses the lyrics with theatrical flair, featuring dynamic ad-libs like "Huh!" and "C'mon now!" alongside call-and-response patterns that amplify the track's energetic funk atmosphere and mimic the back-and-forth of the described conflict.[12] Overall, the lyrics eschew a complex narrative in favor of rhythmic phrasing and bold attitude, supporting the song's intent as a danceable funk number rather than a storytelling piece.[12]Release
Formats and track listing
"Back Chat" was released as a single in the United Kingdom on August 9, 1982, by EMI, and in the United States on November 23, 1982, by Elektra.[16][17] The standard 7" single format included the following tracks:- A-side: "Back Chat" (single remix) – 4:10
- B-side: "Staying Power" – 4:13 [18][19]
- A-side: "Back Chat" (extended version) – 6:55
- B-side: "Staying Power" – 4:10 [17][16]