Innuendo Album

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Lore & Background

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. In the spring of 1987, Freddie 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 album was released in the US under a new label, the Disney-owned Hollywood Records, in an effort to garner greater exposure there. Hollywood had also secured the rights to Queen's Elektra and Capitol back catalogues, and began reissuing albums early in 1991, marking Queen's 20th anniversary. Nine months after the album was released, on 24 November 1991, Mercury died of AIDS-derived bronchopneumonia, making Innuendo the final Queen album to be released during Mercury's lifetime.

In Their Own Story

Queen released their thirteenth album, The Miracle, in May 1989, but unlike their previous albums, they did not conduct a live tour. In an interview Freddie Mercury conducted with BBC Radio 1, he said that he wanted to break from the 'album – tour – album – tour' routine. He had privately been diagnosed as HIV-positive in 1987, and at the time of the interview had been diagnosed with AIDS, which was not yet publicised. In February 1990, Queen won the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. While Mercury accepted the award for the band at the Dominion Theatre, Brian May spoke for the band. Mercury's increasingly gaunt appearance at the ceremony sparked further speculation from the public about his health, which persisted throughout 1990. The 1990 BRIT Awards would be Mercury's final public appearance. Mercury was determined to continue working on music with Queen for as long as he could, saying that he would 'keep working until I fucking drop.' Early in Innuendo's recording, the band decided that all work would be again credited to Queen as a whole instead of to individual contributing members; May said that the decision made a significant impact in the recording process, while Taylor said that it helped eliminate much of the egotistical struggles that would normally cause bands to break up.

Reader's Guide

Innuendo was supported by the singles 'Innuendo', 'Headlong', 'I'm Going Slightly Mad', 'These Are the Days of Our Lives', and 'The Show Must Go On'. The album peaked at number one in seven countries, including the United Kingdom. It was voted the 94th greatest album of all time in a national 2006 BBC poll. The album's title track began as a jam session in Switzerland amongst Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon in spring 1989. Freddie Mercury was upstairs and heard them playing the beat, and turned it into a song, creating the melody and starting off the lyrics. The middle section features a flamenco interlude played by Yes guitarist Steve Howe. 'I'm Going Slightly Mad' was begun in Mercury's London house, after he had the idea of writing a song about madness, inspired by Noël Coward's camp one-liners. 'Headlong' was written by May at the studio they had in Switzerland; he recorded it for his debut solo album, Back to the Light, but after hearing Mercury sing it, decided it worked better as a Queen song. 'These Are the Days of Our Lives' was written by Taylor; the music video for this song was Mercury's last appearance in a video medium, and with his knowing farewell look straight at the camera, Mercury whispers 'I still love you' at the end of the song.

Did You Know?

• Innuendo was the final Queen album to be released during Freddie Mercury's lifetime; he died of AIDS-derived bronchopneumonia on 24 November 1991, nine months after the album's release.
• The album's title track features a flamenco interlude played by Yes guitarist Steve Howe, who had come to visit the band and was asked to play.
• The music video for 'These Are the Days of Our Lives' was Mercury's last appearance in a video medium; at the end, he whispers 'I still love you' directly at the camera.
• The album was released in the US under the Disney-owned Hollywood Records, which also secured the rights to Queen's Elektra and Capitol back catalogues and began reissuing albums early in 1991.
• Innuendo was voted the 94th greatest album of all time in a national 2006 BBC poll.