{{Short description|1992 song by Freddie Mercury}} {{For|the Iggy Azalea album|In My Defense}} {{More citations needed|date=April 2021}} {{Use British English|date=July 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2026}} {{Infobox song | name = In My Defence | cover = Inmydefence.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = [[Freddie Mercury]] | album = [[Time (Dave Clark album)|Time]], [[The Great Pretender]] {{noitalic|and}} [[The Freddie Mercury Album]] | released = {{start date|1992|11|30|df=y}}<ref>{{cite magazine|title=New Releases: Singles|magazine=[[Music Week]]|page=19|date=28 November 1992}}</ref> | recorded = October 1985 | studio = [[Abbey Road Studios|Abbey Road]] (London, England) | length = * 3:48 (original) * 3:52 (remix) | label = [[EMI Records|EMI]] | writer = * [[Dave Clark (musician)|Dave Clark]] * David Soames * Jeff Daniels | producer = * Freddie Mercury * Dave Clark * [[Reinhold Mack|Mack]] | prev_title = Guide Me Home/How Can I Go On | prev_year = 1992 | next_title = [[The Great Pretender]] | next_year = 1993 }} "'''In My Defence'''" is a song performed by [[Queen (band)|Queen]] lead vocalist [[Freddie Mercury]]. It was from the 1986 musical ''[[Time (musical)|Time]]'' by [[Dave Clark (musician)|Dave Clark]] and featured on the ''[[Time (Dave Clark album)|Time]]'' [[concept album]]. The song was not a hit during Mercury's lifetime but was released posthumously in November 1992, reaching number eight on the [[UK Singles Chart]].
==Background== The song was written by [[Dave Clark (musician)|Dave Clark]], David Soames and Jeff Daniels for the musical ''[[Time (musical)|Time]]''. During the musical, Mercury performed the song as a duet with [[Cliff Richard]]; this was the last time Mercury sang live in concert; his last performance would be Barcelona in 1988 with [[Montserrat Caballé]], but that performance was lip-synced. Recorded as a solo project, it was recorded at [[Abbey Road Studios]] in October 1985, about six months after ''[[Mr. Bad Guy]]'' was released. The producers expected that if Mercury was not satisfied with the final song, they would let him record with the rest of Queen, but Mercury found the final version satisfactory. "In My Defence" was first released on the ''Time'' LP in 1986. Other versions include '(Ron Nevison Mix)' - released on ''[[The Freddie Mercury Album]]'' and instrumental version (with vocals for the last line) released also on The Solo Collection. The Ron Nevison mix is very similar to the original, but has different bass and drums, while some string parts were added and others were removed. The 2000 Remix is a remastered version of the Ron Nevison mix and has the same instrumentation mixed differently.
==Music video== The music video, made after Mercury's death in 1991, was directed by [[Rudi Dolezal]] and was a montage featuring outtakes of past music videos, numerous private shots, as well as highlights of Mercury's career. Dolezal wanted the video that showed Mercury being happy and having a good time; much of the footage is the same as the previous "[[The Show Must Go On (Queen song)|The Show Must Go On]]" montage also compiled by [[DoRo Productions]] consisting of Dolezal and [[Hannes Rossacher]]. It also features several quotations from interviews with Mercury, and ends with the line "I still love you" from "[[These Are the Days of Our Lives]]".
==Track listings== '''UK 7-inch and cassette''' *A. In My Defence *B. Love Kills (Wolf Euro mix)
'''UK CD1''' # In My Defence # Love Kills (Wolf Euro mix) # She Blows Hot and Cold (single version) # In My Defence (original version)
'''UK CD2''' # In My Defence # Love Kills (Original Wolf mix) # Mr. Bad Guy # Living On My Own (Underground Solutions mix)
==Personnel== * Freddie Mercury – lead vocals * [[Michael Moran (music producer)|Michael Moran]] – piano * Paul Vincent – guitars * Graham Jarvis – drums * [[Andy Pask]] – bass * Peter Banks – synthesizers * John Christie – backing vocals
==Charts== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}
===Weekly charts=== {|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" !Chart (1992–1993) !Peak<br />position |- !scope="row"|Europe ([[European Hot 100 Singles|Eurochart Hot 100]])<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1993/MM-1993-01-09.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=[[Music & Media]]|volume=10|issue=2|page=11|date=9 January 1993|access-date=2 June 2020}}</ref> | 33 |- {{single chart|France|50|artist=Freddie Mercury|song=In My Defence|rowheader=true|access-date=2 June 2020}} |- !scope="row"|Iceland ([[Íslenski listinn|Íslenski Listinn Topp 40]])<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2618877#page/n1/mode/2up|title=Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (28.10–03.11)|newspaper=[[DV (newspaper)|Dagblaðið Vísir]]|language=is|page=20|date=28 October 1993|access-date=2 June 2020}}</ref> | 2 |- {{single chart|Ireland2|12|artist=Freddie Mercury|rowheader=true|access-date=6 October 2020}} |- {{single chart|UK|8|date=19921219|rowheader=true|access-date=2 June 2020}} |- !scope="row"|UK Airplay (''[[Music Week]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1992/MW-1992-12-26.pdf|title=Top 50 Airplay Chart|magazine=[[Music Week]]|date=26 December 1992|page=18|access-date=11 November 2025}}</ref> | 13 |} {{col-2}}
===Year-end charts=== {|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" !Chart (1993) !Position |- !scope="row"|Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://timarit.is/page/2621535?iabr=on#page/n15/mode/2up|title=Árslistinn 1993|newspaper=[[DV (newspaper)|Dagblaðið Vísir]]|language=is|page=17|date=4 January 1994|access-date=2 June 2020|archive-date=8 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708131547/https://timarit.is/page/2621535?iabr=on#page/n15/mode/2up|url-status=live}}</ref> | 49 |} {{col-end}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Freddie Mercury}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:1985 songs]] [[Category:1992 singles]] [[Category:EMI Records singles]] [[Category:Freddie Mercury songs]] [[Category:Queen (band)]] [[Category:Songs from musicals]] [[Category:Songs written by Dave Clark (musician)]]