Living on My Own

"Living on My Own" is a song by Freddie Mercury, originally included in his first solo album Mr. Bad Guy. It was released as a single (backed with "My Love Is Dangerous") in September 1985 in the United Kingdom where it peaked at number 50. The July 1985 release in the United States had "She Blows Hot and Cold" as its B-side.[1] Eight years later, "Living on My Own" was remixed and rereleased to widespread chart success. The song's lyrics reflect Mercury's longstanding admiration for Greta Garbo, whose quotations are featured prominently in the lyrics.[2]

"Living on My Own"
Single by Freddie Mercury
from the album Mr. Bad Guy
B-side"My Love Is Dangerous"
Released2 September 1985
Recorded1984
Genre
Length
  • 3:21 (album version)
  • 3:03 (single version)
  • 6:39 (extended version)
  • 3:38 (No More Brothers' version)
  • 3:39 (Greatest Hits III version)
Label
Songwriter(s)Freddie Mercury
Producer(s)
Freddie Mercury singles chronology
"Made in Heaven"
(1985)		 "Living on My Own"
(1985)		 "Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow"
(1985)
Music video
"Living on My Own" (1993 'No More Brothers' Mix) on YouTube
1993 Cover
Cover art for 1993 No More Brothers Mix.

1993 No More Brothers' Mix version

In 1993, two years after Mercury's death, the No More Brothers Mix of the song was released and reached number 1 in the UK, Ireland and in France (for 15 weeks), becoming Mercury's first solo number 1 hit; in the rest of the world – including Europe, Asia, Canada and Ibero-America – this version also reached the top of the charts. Meanwhile, in the United States, the 1993 version was not officially released.[3][4] It remained at the top for two weeks on the British charts.[4]

Critical reception

Tom Ewing from Freaky Trigger said that Mercury "sounds terrific over house music."[5] Music & Media wrote in their review that "Belgian dance producers picked up a Mercury vocal track, put it on top of sequencers—with surprising results—and made a local top 10 hit out of it."[6] The Network Forty commented that "hitting you over the head like a hammer, the harmony-laden hook compliments an uptempo groove".[7] Sandwell Evening Mail called it "a stunning Euro-style remix".[8]

Chart performance

The 1993 No More Brothers Mix of "Living on My Own" was very successful in Europe. It managed to peak at number-one in Denmark, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom, as well as on the Eurochart Hot 100. In the UK, it hit the top spot in its third week at the UK Singles Chart, on August 8, 1993.[9] The single spent two weeks at the top of the chart. Additionally, it reached number 2 in Austria, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. In these countries, it was held off reaching number-one by 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up". "Living on My Own" earned a gold record in the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK, while it earned a platinum record in Austria and Germany.

Music video

The videos for both the original 1985 and the 1993 remix versions of "Living on My Own" show footage of Mercury's 39th birthday celebration on 5 September 1985 at the Old Mrs. Henderson nightclub in Munich.[10] The video was directed by Hannes Rossacher and Rudi Dolezal.[11] The No More Brothers Mix was published on YouTube in November 2012. By September 2020, the video had more than 34,7 million views.[12]

Track listings

1985 edition

7-inch

A. "Living on My Own" (single version)
B. "My Love Is Dangerous" (album version) – 3:41

12-inch

A. "Living on My Own" (extended version) – 6:42
B. "My Love Is Dangerous" (extended version) – 6:28

1993 edition

7-inch/cassette

A. "Living on My Own" (radio mix)
B. "Living on My Own" (1992 album remix)

CD single

  1. "Living on My Own" (radio mix)
  2. "Living on My Own" (extended mix)
  3. "Living on My Own" (club mix)
  4. "Living on My Own" (1992 album remix)

12-inch

A1. "Living on My Own" (extended mix)
A2. "Living on My Own" (club mix)
B1. "Living on My Own" (dub mix)
B2. "Living on My Own" (LA mix)

Personnel
  • Freddie Mercury – lead and backing vocals
  • Colin Peter – additional production / remix
  • Carl Ward – additional production / remix
  • Serge Ramaekers – additional production / remix

Charts and certifications

See also

References
  1. Mr Bad Guy - Living On My Own Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 22 March 2012
  2. Mercury, Freddie; Brooks, Greg; Lupton, Simon (5 September 2019). Freddie Mercury: A Life, In His Own Words. London: Mercury Songs Ltd. p. 120. ISBN 978-1688967489.
  3. Singles Chart For Week Up To 21/08/1993 Chart Stats. Retrieved 22 March 2012
  4. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums. London: Guinness World Records Limited
  5. "FREDDIE MERCURY – "Living On My Own"". Freaky Trigger. 27 April 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  6. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 31 July 1993. p. 11. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  7. "Mainstream: Music Meeting" (PDF). The Network Forty. 3 December 1993. p. 22. Retrieved 21 February 2018.
  8. "Freddie Mercury - Living on My Own". Sandwell Evening Mail. 1993-06-05. page 15. Retrieved 2020-03-29.
  9. "Official Singles Chart Top 75 08 August 1993 - 14 August 1993". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  10. Schauberger, Anja. "11 verrückte Clubs in München, die Geschichte schrieben" [11 crazy clubs in Munich that made history]. Mit Vergnuegen. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  11. Gunn, Jacky (1986). The Official International Queen Fan Club Biography.
  12. "Freddie Mercury - Living On My Own (1993 Remix Remastered)". YouTube. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  13. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  14. "Austriancharts.at – Freddie Mercury – Living on My Own %5B1993%5D" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  15. "Ultratop.be – Freddie Mercury – Living on My Own %5B1993%5D" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  16. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10 no. 44. 30 October 1993. p. 18. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  17. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10 no. 44. 30 October 1993. p. 21. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  18. "Lescharts.com – Freddie Mercury – Living on My Own %5B1993%5D" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  19. "Offiziellecharts.de – Freddie Mercury – Living on My Own [1993"]. GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 10 April 2020.
  20. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (02.09.1993 – 08.09.1993)" (PDF). Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 2 September 1993. p. 20. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  21. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Living on My Own". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  22. Israel Top-30: 2 weeks at No. 1 (17.08.1993 & 24.08.1993)
  23. "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10 no. 42. 16 October 1993. p. 18. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  24. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 35, 1993" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  25. "Dutchcharts.nl – Freddie Mercury – Living on My Own %5B1993%5D" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  26. "Norwegiancharts.com – Freddie Mercury – Living on My Own %5B1993%5D". VG-lista. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  27. "Notowanie nr603" (in Polish). LP3. 3 September 1993. Retrieved 11 November 2019.
  28. "Swedishcharts.com – Freddie Mercury – Living on My Own %5B1993%5D". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  29. "Swisscharts.com – Freddie Mercury – Living on My Own %5B1993%5D". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  30. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  31. "Jahreshitparade Singles 1993" (in German). Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  32. "Jaaroverzichten 1993" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  33. "1993 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10 no. 51/52. 18 December 1993. p. 15. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
  34. "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1993" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  35. "Árslistinn 1993". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 4 January 1994. p. 16. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  36. "Jaarlijsten 1993" (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved 1 December 2019.
  37. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1993" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  38. "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1993" (in German). Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  39. "Top 100 Singles 1993". Music Week. 15 January 1994. p. 24.
  40. "1994 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 11 no. 52. 24 December 1994. p. 12. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  41. "Bestenlisten – Singles 1990er". Hung Medien Austrian Charts Portal (in German). Retrieved 14 May 2019.
  42. "Austrian single certifications – Freddie Mercury – Living on My Own" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  43. "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Freddie Mercury; 'Living on My Own')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  44. "Dutch single certifications – Freddie Mercury – Living on My Own" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 24 November 2019. Enter Living on My Own in the "Artiest of titel" box.
  45. "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  46. "British single certifications – Freddie Mercury – Living on My Own". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.