{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2014}} {{Use British English|date=July 2014}} {{Infobox album | name = Mr. Bad Guy | type = studio | artist = Freddie Mercury | cover = Freddie Mercury Mr. Bad Guy.jpg | alt = | released = 29 April 1985 | recorded = Early 1983 – January 1985<ref>[http://www.queenpedia.com/index.php?title=Mr._Bad_Guy_%28album%29 Mr. Bad Guy (album)] queenpedia.com Retrieved 7 October 2014.</ref> | studio = Musicland Studios, Munich, West Germany | genre = {{hlist|Synth-pop|post-disco}} | length = 40:41 (LP)<br /> 60:40 (Original UK CD) | label = Columbia | producer = * Reinhold Mack * Freddie Mercury | prev_title = | prev_year = | next_title = Barcelona | next_year = 1988 | misc = {{Singles | name = Mr. Bad Guy | type = studio | single1 = I Was Born to Love You | single1date = 8 April 1985 | single2 = Made in Heaven | single2date = 1 July 1985 | single3 = Living on My Own | single3date = 2 September 1985 | single4 = Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow | single4date = 18 November 1985 }} }} {{Music ratings |rev1 = AllMusic |rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Rivadavia |first=Eduardo |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r12964|pure_url=yes}} |title=Mr. Bad Guy - Freddie Mercury |website=AllMusic |date= |accessdate=August 3, 2011}}</ref> | rev2 = ''MusicHound Rock'' | rev2Score = {{rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite book|editor1-last=Graff|editor1-first=Gary|editor2-last=Durchholz|editor2-first=Daniel|title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide|publisher=Visible Ink Press|location=Farmington Hills, MI|year=1999|section=Queen|isbn=1-57859-061-2|pages=909–910}}</ref> |rev3 = ''Record Mirror'' |rev3score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Smith|first=Robin|date=4 May 1985|title=Albums|magazine=Record Mirror|page=18}}</ref> |rev4 = ''Rolling Stone'' |rev4score = (positive)<!--add rating--><ref name=queen>{{cite web |last=Holmes |first=Tim |title=Mr Bad Guy - Rolling Stone (Issue 450) |url=http://www.queenarchives.com/index.php?title=Freddie_Mercury_-_06-20-1985_-_Mr._Bad_Guy_-_Rolling_Stone_%28Issue_450%29 |website=Queen Archives |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071223074712/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/freddiemercury/albums/album/203408/review/5943970/mr_bad_guy |accessdate=January 2, 2013|archive-date=23 December 2007 }}</ref> |rev5= ''PopMatters'' |rev5score = (positive)<!--add rating--><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Lyng|first=Eoghan|title=Freddie Mercury Hints at Queer Pop in ‘Mr Bad Guy’|url=https://www.popmatters.com/freddie-mercury-mr-bad-guy|website=PopMatters|accessdate=April 20, 2026}}</ref>
}}
{{Quote box |quote = This album is dedicated to my cat Jerry - also Tom, Oscar and Tiffany, and all the cat lovers across the universe - screw everybody else! |source = - Freddie Mercury in the albums notes<ref name="natureofanimals.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.natureofanimals.com/FreddyMercuryCats.html |title=Freddie ercury's Cats |author=Jen Longshaw |date= |accessdate=August 10, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120908042346/http://www.natureofanimals.com/FreddyMercuryCats.html |archive-date=8 September 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> | width = 245px | align = right | salign = left | bgcolor = }} '''''Mr. Bad Guy''''' is the only solo studio album by British musician Freddie Mercury, lead singer of Queen. Released in 1985, during a period in which Queen were on hiatus from recording, it contains eleven songs, all written by Mercury himself.<ref name="natureofanimals.com"/>
The album was reissued on 11 October 2019, in newly remixed form, on CD, vinyl, digital and streaming services, via Mercury Records.<ref>{{Cite magazine | url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/freddie-mercury-never-boring-box-set-8529162/ |title = Freddie Mercury 'Never Boring' 5 Disc Box Set: Details| magazine=Billboard |date = 5 September 2019}}</ref>
==Background== In contrast to Queen's typically rock-oriented work, Mercury and co-producer Reinhold Mack drew on disco, dance music and pop influences for ''Mr. Bad Guy'', all of which had surfaced on Queen's previous studio album, ''Hot Space'' (1982), also produced by Mack.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://rockandrollglobe.com/new-wave/freddie-mercury-mr-bad-guy-review/ | title=Freddie Mercury: The Baddest of Them All| date=8 November 2019}}</ref> Mercury stated, "I had a lot of ideas bursting to get out and there were a lot of musical territories I wanted to explore which I really couldn't do within Queen."<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/freddie-mercury-mr-bad-guy-solo-album/ |title = Mr Bad Guy: Why Freddie Mercury's Solo Album Was "A Shot in the Arm"|date = 17 October 2019}}</ref> Co-producer Mack added, "he used to get pretty annoyed working with the others, because there was always Brian saying, 'It needs to be more rock 'n' roll.'"<ref>{{Cite web |first=Nick|last=DeRuso| url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/freddie-mercury-mr-bad-guy/ |title = Why Freddie Mercury (Briefly) Went Solo with 'Mr. Bad Guy'|website=Ultimate Classic Rock|date=August 29, 2015}}</ref> ''Mr. Bad Guy'' took nearly two years to record, as Mercury had to gather enough material together while committing to band activities.<ref name=queen/>
Initially, the album was supposed to feature duets with Mercury and Michael Jackson.
{{blockquote|We had three tracks in the can, but unfortunately they were never finished. They were great songs, but the problem was time — as we were both very busy at that period. We never seemed to be in the same country long enough to actually finish anything completely.<ref name="MERCURY: AN INTIMATE BIOGRAPHY OF FREDDIE MERCURY">[https://ultimateclassicrock.com/freddie-mercury-mr-bad-guy/ ''Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury'' (2012)] - ultimateclassicrock.com</ref>| Mercury in ''Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury''}}
However, other sources state that personal conflicts were to blame for unfinished tracks. Mercury reportedly dropped out of any further collaboration after feeling uncomfortable working with Jackson's pet llama in the studio.<ref>{{cite news|title= The real Freddie Mercury: why the Queen biopic only tells part of the story |newspaper= The Times |date= 19 October 2018 |access-date= 30 October 2018 |url= https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/the-real-freddie-mercury-why-the-queen-biopic-only-tells-part-of-the-story-5ql37vgll}}</ref> One track from these collaborative sessions, "There Must Be More to Life Than This", was reworked for the ''Mr. Bad Guy'' album, although the original recording featuring Jackson was eventually released on ''Queen Forever'' in 2014.
===Production=== Recording was taxing on Mercury, as he took part in everything from performing the tracks (including vocals, piano and synthesizer), arranging the orchestration and working with the sound engineers. Mercury's use of synthesizers and orchestration in track development added to the diversity of each piece.<ref>{{cite AV media |title=Queen: Days of Our Lives - Documentary}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.inquisitr.com/1604327/michael-jackson-freddie-mercury/|title=Michael Jackson Chased Freddie Mercury Away From Duet With Bubbles The Chimp|first=Lisa|last=Carley|date=November 12, 2014|work=inquisitr.com|accessdate=20 February 2015}}</ref> {{blockquote|The songs are not trying to be anything else but Freddie. A lot of people were expecting Freddie to be catering to the audience. He didn't want that. He just wanted the songs as they are. I didn't try to get involved in the mixing, because he may not have wanted a lot of new ideas at that stage. It was already great and I would not want to have gone in and made changes for the sake of it, like someone painting a nose on a Rembrandt portrait at the very end.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/reinhold-mack-queen-freddie-mercury-interview/ |title='He Was Music': Reinhold Mack On Working With Freddie Mercury |last= Chilton |first= Martin |date= 10 December 2019 |website=uDiscover Music |access-date= 18 June 2020}}</ref>| Mack on working with Mercury}}
The album's original title was ''Made in Heaven'', but Mercury changed his mind weeks before the album went to press.<ref name="youtube.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RC-MRhgC720 |title=Freddie Mercury interview (1985) |publisher=YouTube |date= |accessdate=2011-08-03}}</ref> {{blockquote|Basically, I was lost for a title, but as far as I'm concerned album titles are immaterial. I didn't know what to call it, but I had what I thought was a very beautiful track called "Made in Heaven", which seemed to conjure up an image of some kind. But to be honest, I'm not really worried about it. It's what you listen to that matters, not what the title is.<ref name="ARCHIVE MR. BAD GUY 1985">[http://www.freddiemercury.com/en/archive ARCHIVE MR. BAD GUY (1985)] - freddiemercury.com</ref>| Mercury during the album's promotion}}
Originally released on Columbia/CBS, copyrights for ''Mercury Songs'', a company owned by Freddie Mercury's estate, had been revoked following his death in 1991. ''Mr. Bad Guy'' would remain out of print on CD until 2000, where it was included on ''The Solo Collection'' in remastered form. Then in 2019, when it was reissued and remixed due to the commercial success of the Queen biopic ''Bohemian Rhapsody''.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}
==Singles== Lead single "I Was Born to Love You" with the non-album B-side "Stop All the Fighting" debuted at number 50 on 14 April 1985, peaking at number 11 on 5 May 1985.<ref>[https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19850505/7501/ Official Singles Chart Top 100] - 5 May 1985 - 11 May 1985</ref> It also reached number four in South Africa and number 20 on 1 June in Austria.<ref>[https://austriancharts.at/charts/singles/01-06-1985 AUSTRIA TOP 40] - SINGLES 01.06.1985</ref> "Made in Heaven" peaked at number 57 on the UK Singles Chart on 21 July 1985 and charted for four weeks.<ref>[https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19850721/7501/ Official Singles Chart Top 100] - 21 July 1985 - 27 July 1985</ref> "Living on My Own" charted at number 50 in the United Kingdom, while the fourth and final single, "Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow," debuted and peaked at number 76 on the UK chart on 24 November 1985.<ref>[https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19851124/7501/ Official Singles Chart Top 100] - 24 November 1985 - 30 November 1985</ref>
===Re-worked singles=== "Living on My Own" was re-released in 1993 (almost two years after Mercury's death) in a remixed form by No More Brothers. The single reached number one in the UK, becoming his most successful solo single release, albeit posthumously. "I Was Born to Love You" became Mercury's only solo chart success in Australia, reaching number 13. That song, and "Made in Heaven", were later reworked by the three surviving Queen members and included on the 1995 studio album ''Made in Heaven''.<ref name="ARCHIVE MR. BAD GUY 1985">[http://www.freddiemercury.com/en/archive ARCHIVE MR. BAD GUY (1985)] - freddiemercury.com</ref>
==Track listing== All songs written by Freddie Mercury.
{{track listing | headline = Side one | title1 = Let's Turn It On | length1 = 3:42 | title2 = Made in Heaven | length2 = 4:05 | title3 = I Was Born to Love You | length3 = 3:38 | title4 = Foolin' Around | length4 = 3:29 | title5 = Your Kind of Lover | length5 = 3:32 }}
{{track listing | headline = Side two | title6 = Mr. Bad Guy | length6 = 4:09 | title7 = Man Made Paradise | length7 = 4:08 | title8 = There Must Be More to Life Than This | length8 = 3:00 | title9 = Living on My Own | length9 = 3:23 | title10 = My Love Is Dangerous | length10 = 3:42 | title11 = Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow | length11 = 3:46 | all_writing = | title1 = | length1 = | title2 = | length2 = | title3 = | length3 = | title4 = | length4 = | title5 = | length5 = | total_length = 40:41 }}
{{track listing | headline = UK CD bonus tracks<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Freddie-Mercury-Mr-Bad-Guy/release/1451821|title=Freddie Mercury - Mr. Bad Guy|publisher=Discogs|accessdate=20 December 2018}}</ref> | title12 = Let's Turn It On | note12 = 12" Version | length12 = 5:06 | title13 = I Was Born to Love You | note13 = 12" Version | length13 = 7:03 | title14 = Living on My Own | note14 = 12" Version | length14 = 6:40 | length10 = | title10 = | length9 = | title9 = | length8 = | title6 = | title8 = | length7 = | title7 = | length6 = | title3 = | length5 = | title5 = | length4 = | title4 = | length3 = | length2 = | title2 = | length1 = | title1 = | all_writing = | total_length = 60:40 }}
==Personnel==
The following personnel are credited in the liner notes.<ref>{{Cite web|title=QueenVault.com - Mr. Bad Guy Liner Notes|url=http://www.queenvault.com/linernotes/mrbadguylinernotes.html|access-date=2021-01-20|website=www.queenvault.com}}</ref> * Freddie Mercury – vocals, piano, synthesizer * Fred Mandel – additional piano, synthesizer, rhythm guitar * Paul Vincent – lead guitar * Curt Cress – drums * Stephan Wissnet – bass guitar * Jo Burt – bass guitar on "Man Made Paradise" * Mack and Stephan Wissnet – programming * Rainer Pietsch – orchestral arrangements
'''Technical''' * Mack, assisted by Stephan Wissnet – engineering * The Artful Dodger – cover art * Andrzej Sawa – photograph
==Charts== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}
===Weekly charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" ! Chart (1985) ! Peak<br />position |- !scope=row|Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)<ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=265}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"| 38 |- {{Album chart|Austria|23|artist=Freddie Mercury|album=Mr. Bad Guy|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |- {{Album chart|Canada|92|artist=Freddie Mercury|album=Mr. Bad Guy|chartid=0526|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |- {{Album chart|Netherlands|17|artist=Freddie Mercury|album=Mr. Bad Guy|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |- {{Album chart|Germany|11|artist=Freddie Mercury|album=Mr. Bad Guy|id=262|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |- {{Album chart|Norway|13|artist=Freddie Mercury|album=Mr. Bad Guy|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |- {{Album chart|Sweden|20|artist=Freddie Mercury|album=Mr. Bad Guy|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |- {{Album chart|Switzerland|14|artist=Freddie Mercury|album=Mr. Bad Guy|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |- {{Album chart|UK2|6|date=19850505|rowheader=true|refname=UKA1|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |- {{Album chart|Billboard200|159|artist=Freddie Mercury|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" ! Chart (2019) ! Peak<br />position |- {{Album chart|Wallonia|134|artist=Freddie Mercury|album=Mr. Bad Guy|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |- {{Album chart|Scotland|18|date=20191018|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |- {{Album chart|Spain|23|artist=Freddie Mercury|album=Mr. Bad Guy|rowheader=true|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |- {{Album chart|UK2|87|date=20191018|rowheader=true|refname=UKA2|accessdate=May 15, 2025}} |}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" ! Chart (2025) ! Peak<br />position |- ! scope="row"| Dutch Vinyl Charts (Dutch Charts)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/weekchart.asp?cat=av&date=20251213&year=2025|title=Vinyl 33 13/12/2025|access-date=December 13, 2025|lang=nl}}</ref><br />{{small|''40th Anniversary edition''}} | 19 |- ! scope="row"| German Rock & Metal Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/metal/for-date-1765539902000|title=Offizielle Deutsche Charts Top 20 Rock/Metal-Charts – 12 Dezember 2025|publisher=GfK Entertainment charts|access-date=December 15, 2025|language=de}}</ref> | 13 |} {{col-2}}
===Year-end charts=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" ! Chart (1985) ! Peak<br />position |- !scope=row|German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1985|title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts|language=de|publisher=GfK Entertainment|accessdate=7 June 2021}}</ref> |align="center"|57 |} {{col-end}}
==Certifications== {{certification Table Top}} {{certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=album|artist=Freddie Mercury|title=Mr. Bad Guy|award=Gold|relyear=1985|certyear=1985|id=4406-3493-2}} {{certification Table Bottom|nosales=yes}}
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Freddie Mercury}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mister Bad Guy}} Category:Freddie Mercury albums Category:1985 debut albums Category:Albums produced by Reinhold Mack Category:Albums produced by Freddie Mercury Category:Columbia Records albums