John Deacon
Encyclopedia
John Richard Deacon is a retired English multi-instrumentalist
and song writer, best known as the bass
ist for the rock
band Queen
. Of the four members of the band, he was the last to join and also the youngest, being only 19 years old when he was recruited by the other members of the band. Deacon wrote a number of Queen's hit singles, including "You're My Best Friend", "Spread Your Wings
", "Back Chat
", "I Want to Break Free
", and the band's biggest selling single in the United States, "Another One Bites the Dust
", as well as a number of album tracks. He also played electric
and acoustic guitar
s on several albums as well as keyboards, synthesizers, programming and drums. He occasionally provided backing vocals during live shows.
Following The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
in 1992, Deacon's sole performance with the remaining members of Queen was a one-off rendition of "The Show Must Go On
" in 1997 with Mercury's friend Elton John
(who had sung the track with the band at Mercury's tribute). He contributed to the final Queen song, "No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)
" – released that year on the Queen Rocks
compilation – after which he retired from the music industry. He chose not to participate with guitarist Brian May
and drummer Roger Taylor in the Queen + Paul Rodgers
collaboration, but did give them his support. Deacon was also absent from Queen's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
in 2001.
with father Arthur, mother Lilian and younger sister Julie. His father worked for the Norwich Union
insurance company, but died of a heart attack in 1962, when John was eleven. Deacon was known to friends as 'Deaks' and attended Linden Junior School in Leicester, and Gartree High School
and Beauchamp Grammar School
in Oadby and achieved 8 GCE O level and 3 A level passes, all at grade A.
Although he left his bass and amplifier at home in Oadby
after less than a year in London where he went on to achieve a First Class Honours Degree in electronics at Chelsea College, now part of King's College London
, he decided he wanted to join a band. By this time Queen had already been formed by Brian May
, Freddie Mercury
and Roger Taylor, and Deacon even saw them in October 1970. In early 1971 he was introduced to Taylor and May by a friend at a disco who told him that they were in a band that had just lost its bassist. A couple of days later he auditioned in a lecture room at Imperial College London
and became the last member of Queen to join the band. Since the band's last bassist drew attention away from Mercury, Deacon was selected for his musical talent, his quiet demeanour and his electrical skills. A persistent legend claims Deacon was the seventh bassist auditioned. According to various sources, prior bassists with the band included Mike Grose, Barry Mitchell and Doug Ewood.
On Queen's first album
he was credited as "Deacon John". Not long after its release, he requested that he be referred to by his proper name.
Deacon's first writing credit did not come until Queen's third album, Sheer Heart Attack
. It was on the song "Stone Cold Crazy
", but it was also credited to the other band members. The first song Deacon wrote on his own was "Misfire" from the same album, a Caribbean-themed song that garnered little attention. He would achieve much greater success with his second song, "You're My Best Friend", which was featured on the group's fourth album, A Night at the Opera
, and went on to be an international hit.
".
He lives in Putney
in South West London with his wife Veronica Tetzlaff. Married since 18 January 1975, she was already two months pregnant with their first child when they got married. The two have six children: Robert (18 July 1975), Michael (3 February 1978), Laura (25 June 1979), Joshua (13 December 1983), Luke (5 December 1992), and Cameron (7 November 1993).
According to The Sunday Times
Rich List
, Deacon is worth £50 million as of 2009.
As a trained electronics engineer, he often used to build equipment for the band. His most famous creation is the "Deacy Amp
", used by Deacon and May.
(the clean Fender Telecaster
single-coil sound) is his work. He would occasionally play synthesizers on his own compositions and often composed at the piano, playing an electric one on his top ten hit "You're My Best Friend". He can also be seen playing the grand piano in the music video to "Spread Your Wings
", although on the actual recording the piano was played by Mercury.
), "Another One Bites the Dust" (from The Game
) and "I Want to Break Free" (from The Works
). He also co-wrote "Friends Will Be Friends
" with Mercury and developed the chord arrangement for "The Miracle
" with Mercury. Both went on the Greatest Hits II album. He also wrote two other popular songs, ("Spread Your Wings
" and "Back Chat
"), and created the riff for "Under Pressure
".
As a bass guitarist, Deacon's notable works include "Another One Bites the Dust", "Father to Son", "Liar", "Dragon Attack", "Brighton Rock", "The March of the Black Queen", "You're My Best Friend", "The Millionaire Waltz", "We Are the Champions
", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love
", "Body Language", and "Under Pressure
". As a guitarist, he did some rhythm-playing in songs like "Staying Power" (both live and in the studio) and "Back Chat", as well as lead parts in "Another One Bites the Dust" and "Misfire" and Spanish acoustic fills in "Who Needs You". He also played double bass
, notably on May's 1975 song "'39". May had asked him to play upright bass as a joke but a couple of days later he found Deacon in the studio with the instrument, and he had already learned to play it.
Deacon's contributions in keyboards were mostly just background chords; his most notable work is in his composition "You're My Best Friend", which was the first song he wrote on the electric piano. Deacon also played triangle
in live versions of "Killer Queen
" (it hung off his microphone) and some piano (notably on "Another One Bites the Dust"). He can also be seen playing the drums on the video for "One Vision". This is perhaps a visual trick, although he did play drums on certain tracks on "Hot Space".
", "Body Language", and "A Kind of Magic
", feature the bass as the main instrument. When performing with Queen, Deacon delivered a highly technical style, with numerous runs, walking basslines and tight quick note changes. Deacon mainly used his fingers, though sometimes he did use a pick. He generally did not play with a floating thumb and occasionally played with his thumb itself. His basslines are notable on "Crazy Little Thing Called Love
", "Another One Bites the Dust
", "Liar", "Brighton Rock", "Under Pressure
", "'39", "You're My Best Friend", "I Want to Break Free
", and "One Year of Love
".
A trademark of Deacon's playing are his bass runs. In a 1975 review of Sheer Heart Attack
, the reviewer wrote: "Only at the end would a new initiate to Queen recognise John Deacon's unmistakable trademark: the bass runs under the fade are a fast and facile as any to be heard. The least well known musician in Queen is one of his rock generation's most able."
In live shows, Deacon did not receive his own microphone until the band's first headlining tour in support of their "Sheer Heart Attack
" album. Despite this promising development, the main purpose of this was to play one note on the triangle in "Killer Queen". Before this, he had sung backing vocals during "Liar" into Mercury's microphone. There have been occasions where his microphone was turned up to a point where his voice can be heard, such as a 1977 Earls Court
bootleg, where his voice was clearly heard on "Somebody to Love
" and "In The Lap of the Gods Revisited".
He is also credited as backing vocalist on the closing credits of the band's first live video, "Queen at the Rainbow" (shot live in November 1974 and released on The Box of Tricks
).
Despite this, Deacon is almost always shown to be singing in Queen's music videos, such as "Bohemian Rhapsody", "You're My Best Friend", "Somebody To Love", "Tie Your Mother Down", and "Don't Stop Me Now", among others.
, and he later acquired a Rickenbacker 4001
, which was used for his audition for Queen, the very first concerts and the recording sessions at De Lane Lea in 1971. When the band began recording at Trident, he had problems with it and acquired a Fender Precision
1962 model with the silver 1964 transition logo and sunburst finish, which became his main instrument for the last concerts in 1972 and all 1973–1975 tours. As a backup he had another one of the same model, but with the black 1967 transition logo. Before the beginning of the 'Night at the Opera' sessions he stripped the paint from both, left them with a natural finish and switched them; from then on the black logo one would be his main guitar for most tours and recordings.
In early 1977, Deacon got two new basses: a Fender Precision Fretless, which he used for "'39" (emulating the double bass he used in the original recording) and "My Melancholy Blues" on stage, and a Music Man StingRay
which he used as main for the "Day at the Races" tour and some videos. From the 'News of the World' tour up until 'The Works' tour in 1985, the Music Man would remain for just specific numbers ("Sheer Heart Attack", "Another One Bites the Dust" and "Back Chat"), and used sometimes in the studio as well. The fretless type kept being used for "'39" and "My Melancholy Blues" live until the end of the decade.
During late 1977, at the beginnings of "News of the World" tour in the US, Deacon tried another Fender P-Bass, a sunburst 1954 model with the original single-coil pickup, but eventually gave it up and returned to the black logo '67 model. The old Fender kept being used occasionally as a backup, in the recordings of "Coming Soon" (1979) and in the video of "Back Chat" (1982).
In 1980, Kramer made him a custom bass, which he used as a backup for some tours and in videos (e.g. "Play the Game", "Las Palabras De Amor
"). Next year, Fender gave him a special prototype model which he used for recording "Under Pressure" for "Hot Space" and performing it during the 1981–1985 period.
A new Fender P-Bass came to his hands: a red Elite 1, which he used for mimed performances, some videos and recordings (e.g. "One Vision
"), part of the Leiden 1986 gig, the entire Marbella and Knebworth 1986 gigs and "Radio Ga Ga
" at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
. In 1986, Deacon got a Warwick Buzzard, used for some videos and mimed performances, but not on recordings. Before the Magic Tour, he refurbished and spray-painted his Precision bass black and continued using it as his main instrument for several gigs (e.g. The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
for AIDS Awareness, "No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)
").
For other instruments, Deacon mostly used Telecaster and Stratocaster guitars; his main was a custom Tele which he used on stage. In the recordings of "Misfire" he demonstrated he too could play guitar harmonies. For acoustic he mostly used Martin D-18 and Ovation
. The piano he played in "Another One Bites the Dust" was a Bösendorfer
, and in "You're My Best Friend", a Wurlitzer Electric Piano
(though May has stated that it was a Fender Rhodes
). For synths, he used Oberheim OB-X
, Roland Jupiter 8 and Yamaha DX7
.
" with Elton John
on lead vocals — he made the decision to retire from music, re-appearing only briefly by joining his ex-band mates in October 1997 for the recording of the final Queen song "No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)
", included in the Queen Rocks
album released a month later.
Deacon has reportedly spoken out about the May/Taylor/Robbie Williams
cover of "We Are the Champions
", recorded for A Knight's Tale. In an interview with The Sun
about the collaboration he said, "It is one of the greatest songs ever written but I think they've ruined it ... I don't want to be nasty but let's just say Robbie Williams is no Freddie Mercury. Freddie can never be replaced – and certainly not by him".
He chose not to be present at Queen's induction into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, or join in the collaboration with Paul Rodgers
. On the Queen + Paul Rodgers collaboration album The Cosmos Rocks
which featured new material from the trio, he was listed in the Thanks Notes on the CD.
Selected Queen album tracks:
Selected solo efforts:
Multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays a number of different instruments.The Bachelor of Music degree usually requires a second instrument to be learned , but people who double on another instrument are not usually seen as multi-instrumentalists.-Classical music:Music written for Symphony...
and song writer, best known as the bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
ist for the rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
. Of the four members of the band, he was the last to join and also the youngest, being only 19 years old when he was recruited by the other members of the band. Deacon wrote a number of Queen's hit singles, including "You're My Best Friend", "Spread Your Wings
Spread Your Wings
"Spread Your Wings" is a rock ballad by Queen, from their 1977 album News of the World. Written by bassist John Deacon, it was released as the A side of the single Spread Your Wings/Sheer Heart Attack in 1978. It features Deacon on guitar and bass, Freddie Mercury on piano and vocals, Brian May on...
", "Back Chat
Back Chat
"Back Chat", written by bassist John Deacon, is the track most influenced by black music on the 1982 Queen album Hot Space. Deacon had chosen a no-compromise method of eliminating any rock elements from his songs for Hot Space...
", "I Want to Break Free
I Want to Break Free
"I Want to Break Free" is a song by the British rock band Queen, which was written by its bassist John Deacon. The song was featured on the Queen's 1984 album The Works and distributed as a single on 7-inch and 12-inch vinyl records and 3-inch and 5-inch CDs. The song had three versions: album,...
", and the band's biggest selling single in the United States, "Another One Bites the Dust
Another One Bites the Dust
"Another One Bites the Dust" is a song by the English rock band Queen. Written by bass guitarist John Deacon, the song featured on the group's eighth studio album The Game . The song was a worldwide hit, charting number one on the United States Billboard Hot 100, number two on the R&B charts and...
", as well as a number of album tracks. He also played electric
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
s on several albums as well as keyboards, synthesizers, programming and drums. He occasionally provided backing vocals during live shows.
Following The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was an open-air concert held on Easter Monday, 20 April 1992 at London's Wembley Stadium, for an audience of 72,000. The concert was produced for television by Ray Burdis and broadcast live on television and radio to 76 countries around the...
in 1992, Deacon's sole performance with the remaining members of Queen was a one-off rendition of "The Show Must Go On
The Show Must Go On (Queen song)
"The Show Must Go On" is a song by English rock band Queen, featured as the twelfth and final track on their 1991 album Innuendo. It is credited to Queen, but written primarily by Brian May. The song chronicles the effort of Freddie Mercury continuing to perform despite approaching the end of his...
" in 1997 with Mercury's friend Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
(who had sung the track with the band at Mercury's tribute). He contributed to the final Queen song, "No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)
No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)
"No-One But You " is a song recorded by the remaining three members of the British rock band Queen following the death of singer Freddie Mercury. Guitarist Brian May – the writer of the song – and drummer Roger Taylor share lead vocals...
" – released that year on the Queen Rocks
Queen Rocks
-Video version:A video version of the album was made. It included slightly different videos for all these songs.# “I Want It All”...
compilation – after which he retired from the music industry. He chose not to participate with guitarist Brian May
Brian May
Brian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
and drummer Roger Taylor in the Queen + Paul Rodgers
Queen + Paul Rodgers
Queen + Paul Rodgers was a supergroup collaboration between Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen and Paul Rodgers...
collaboration, but did give them his support. Deacon was also absent from Queen's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a museum located on the shore of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is dedicated to archiving the history of some of the best-known and most influential artists, producers, engineers and others who have, in some major way,...
in 2001.
Early life
John Deacon grew up in OadbyOadby
Oadby is a town within the borough of Oadby and Wigston, in Leicestershire, England. It is to the east of Wigston Magna, and to the southeast of Leicester. Oadby forms part of the Leicester Urban Area, and is situated on the A6 road....
with father Arthur, mother Lilian and younger sister Julie. His father worked for the Norwich Union
Norwich Union
Norwich Union was the name given to insurance company Aviva's British arm before June 2009. It was originally established in 1797. It is the biggest life insurance provider in the United Kingdom, and has a strong position in motor insurance...
insurance company, but died of a heart attack in 1962, when John was eleven. Deacon was known to friends as 'Deaks' and attended Linden Junior School in Leicester, and Gartree High School
Gartree High School
Gartree High School is a popular co-educational middle school for children from the ages of ten to fourteen. The school is situated in Oadby, a town on the south side of Leicester.Former students include John Deacon of Queen.-New school rebuild:...
and Beauchamp Grammar School
Beauchamp College
The Beauchamp College is a comprehensive upper school and further education community college, in Oadby, a town on the outskirts of Leicester, England.-Admissions:...
in Oadby and achieved 8 GCE O level and 3 A level passes, all at grade A.
Career
It was in Leicester that he formed his first band, The Opposition, in 1965 at the age of fourteen. He played rhythm guitar, bought with money borrowed from one of the other band members. He became the bassist after the original bassist was fired for not being of the same quality as the rest of the band. As well as a dedicated musician, Deacon also was the band's archivist, taking clippings from newspapers of even the advertisements featuring The Opposition. After being in the band for four years, Deacon played his final concert with the band (then called The Art) in August 1969. He left as he had been accepted to study at Chelsea College.Although he left his bass and amplifier at home in Oadby
Oadby
Oadby is a town within the borough of Oadby and Wigston, in Leicestershire, England. It is to the east of Wigston Magna, and to the southeast of Leicester. Oadby forms part of the Leicester Urban Area, and is situated on the A6 road....
after less than a year in London where he went on to achieve a First Class Honours Degree in electronics at Chelsea College, now part of King's College London
King's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
, he decided he wanted to join a band. By this time Queen had already been formed by Brian May
Brian May
Brian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
, Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
and Roger Taylor, and Deacon even saw them in October 1970. In early 1971 he was introduced to Taylor and May by a friend at a disco who told him that they were in a band that had just lost its bassist. A couple of days later he auditioned in a lecture room at Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
and became the last member of Queen to join the band. Since the band's last bassist drew attention away from Mercury, Deacon was selected for his musical talent, his quiet demeanour and his electrical skills. A persistent legend claims Deacon was the seventh bassist auditioned. According to various sources, prior bassists with the band included Mike Grose, Barry Mitchell and Doug Ewood.
On Queen's first album
Queen (album)
Queen is the eponymous debut album by British rock group Queen, released in July 1973. It was recorded at Trident Studios and De Lane Lea Music Centre, London, with production by Roy Thomas Baker , John Anthony and Queen....
he was credited as "Deacon John". Not long after its release, he requested that he be referred to by his proper name.
Deacon's first writing credit did not come until Queen's third album, Sheer Heart Attack
Sheer Heart Attack
Sheer Heart Attack is the third album by the British rock group Queen, released in November 1974. It was produced by Queen and Roy Thomas Baker and distributed by EMI in the United Kingdom, and Elektra in the United States....
. It was on the song "Stone Cold Crazy
Stone Cold Crazy
"Stone Cold Crazy" is a song by English rock band Queen from their successful 1974 album Sheer Heart Attack. The song is the eighth track on the album. Although the song was never released as a single, it was played live at almost every Queen concert between 1974-1978...
", but it was also credited to the other band members. The first song Deacon wrote on his own was "Misfire" from the same album, a Caribbean-themed song that garnered little attention. He would achieve much greater success with his second song, "You're My Best Friend", which was featured on the group's fourth album, A Night at the Opera
A Night at the Opera (Queen album)
A Night at the Opera is the fourth studio album by the British rock group Queen, released in November 1975. Co-produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Queen, A Night at the Opera was, at the time of its release, the most expensive album ever recorded...
, and went on to be an international hit.
Personal life
He was the 'quiet' member of the band, and the others said that he was in charge of most of the finances. His last public appearance with the band was at an AIDS charity event in 1997, and his last direct involvement with Queen was with the recording of "No-One But You (Only The Good Die Young)No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)
"No-One But You " is a song recorded by the remaining three members of the British rock band Queen following the death of singer Freddie Mercury. Guitarist Brian May – the writer of the song – and drummer Roger Taylor share lead vocals...
".
He lives in Putney
Putney
Putney is a district in south-west London, England, located in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is situated south-west of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London....
in South West London with his wife Veronica Tetzlaff. Married since 18 January 1975, she was already two months pregnant with their first child when they got married. The two have six children: Robert (18 July 1975), Michael (3 February 1978), Laura (25 June 1979), Joshua (13 December 1983), Luke (5 December 1992), and Cameron (7 November 1993).
According to The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times (UK)
The Sunday Times is a Sunday broadsheet newspaper, distributed in the United Kingdom. The Sunday Times is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of News International, which is in turn owned by News Corporation. Times Newspapers also owns The Times, but the two papers were founded...
Rich List
Sunday Times Rich List
The Sunday Times Rich List is a list of the 1,000 wealthiest people or families in the United Kingdom, updated annually in April and published as a magazine supplement by British national Sunday newspaper The Sunday Times since 1989...
, Deacon is worth £50 million as of 2009.
As a trained electronics engineer, he often used to build equipment for the band. His most famous creation is the "Deacy Amp
Deacy Amp
The Deacy Amp is a small, one-watt, roughly amplifier created by and named after Queen bassist John Deacon and used by guitarist Brian May. The amplifier produces a trumpet-like or orchestral sound when plugged into a guitar....
", used by Deacon and May.
As a performer
Deacon played guitar in addition to bass, taking over rhythm parts in many albums, as well as several acoustic performances. Some of the guitar work on Hot SpaceHot Space
Hot Space is the tenth studio album by British rock band Queen, released in May 1982. Marking a notable shift in direction from their earlier work, Queen employed many elements of disco, pop music, R&B and dance music on Hot Space, being partially influenced by the success of their 1980 hit...
(the clean Fender Telecaster
Fender Telecaster
The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is typically a dual-pickup, solid-body electric guitar made by Fender.Its simple yet effective design and revolutionary sound broke ground and set trends in electric guitar manufacturing and popular music...
single-coil sound) is his work. He would occasionally play synthesizers on his own compositions and often composed at the piano, playing an electric one on his top ten hit "You're My Best Friend". He can also be seen playing the grand piano in the music video to "Spread Your Wings
Spread Your Wings
"Spread Your Wings" is a rock ballad by Queen, from their 1977 album News of the World. Written by bassist John Deacon, it was released as the A side of the single Spread Your Wings/Sheer Heart Attack in 1978. It features Deacon on guitar and bass, Freddie Mercury on piano and vocals, Brian May on...
", although on the actual recording the piano was played by Mercury.
Highlights
Mostly, Deacon's compositions varied from pop rock to funk. He has been responsible for some of Queen's biggest hits such as "You're My Best Friend" (from A Night at the OperaA Night at the Opera (Queen album)
A Night at the Opera is the fourth studio album by the British rock group Queen, released in November 1975. Co-produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Queen, A Night at the Opera was, at the time of its release, the most expensive album ever recorded...
), "Another One Bites the Dust" (from The Game
The Game (Queen album)
The Game is the eighth studio album by British rock band Queen released on 30 June 1980. It was the only Queen album to reach #1 in the US and became Queen's best selling studio album in the US with four million copies sold to date, tying News of the Worlds US sales tally. The album received very...
) and "I Want to Break Free" (from The Works
The Works (Queen album)
-Radio Ga Ga:"Radio Ga Ga" was composed on keyboards, after Roger Taylor heard his son Felix saying "radio ca ca". He wrote it in Los Angeles and locked himself in the studio with a Roland Jupiter 8 and a drum machine. Afterwards John Deacon came up with a suitable bass line. Mercury reconstructed...
). He also co-wrote "Friends Will Be Friends
Friends Will Be Friends
"Friends Will Be Friends" is a song performed by Queen and written by Freddie Mercury and John Deacon, included on the album A Kind of Magic. It was the band's 30th single in the UK upon its release on 9 June 1986, reaching number 14 in the UK....
" with Mercury and developed the chord arrangement for "The Miracle
The Miracle (song)
"The Miracle" is the fifth and last single from Queen's 1989 album The Miracle. It was composed by the entire band, though Freddie Mercury was the main driving force. It was released as a single in late November 1989, some six months after the album...
" with Mercury. Both went on the Greatest Hits II album. He also wrote two other popular songs, ("Spread Your Wings
Spread Your Wings
"Spread Your Wings" is a rock ballad by Queen, from their 1977 album News of the World. Written by bassist John Deacon, it was released as the A side of the single Spread Your Wings/Sheer Heart Attack in 1978. It features Deacon on guitar and bass, Freddie Mercury on piano and vocals, Brian May on...
" and "Back Chat
Back Chat
"Back Chat", written by bassist John Deacon, is the track most influenced by black music on the 1982 Queen album Hot Space. Deacon had chosen a no-compromise method of eliminating any rock elements from his songs for Hot Space...
"), and created the riff for "Under Pressure
Under Pressure
"Under Pressure" is a 1981 song recorded by Queen and David Bowie. It marked Bowie's first released collaboration with another recording artist as a performer, and is featured on Queen's 1982 album Hot Space. The song reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart. It was also number 31 on VH1's 100 Greatest...
".
As a bass guitarist, Deacon's notable works include "Another One Bites the Dust", "Father to Son", "Liar", "Dragon Attack", "Brighton Rock", "The March of the Black Queen", "You're My Best Friend", "The Millionaire Waltz", "We Are the Champions
We Are the Champions
"We Are the Champions" is a power ballad written by Freddie Mercury, recorded and performed by British rock band Queen for their 1977 album News of the World. One of their most famous and popular songs, it remains among rock's most recognisable anthems...
", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is a song by the rock band Queen. Written by Freddie Mercury in 1979, the track featured on their 1980 album The Game, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
", "Body Language", and "Under Pressure
Under Pressure
"Under Pressure" is a 1981 song recorded by Queen and David Bowie. It marked Bowie's first released collaboration with another recording artist as a performer, and is featured on Queen's 1982 album Hot Space. The song reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart. It was also number 31 on VH1's 100 Greatest...
". As a guitarist, he did some rhythm-playing in songs like "Staying Power" (both live and in the studio) and "Back Chat", as well as lead parts in "Another One Bites the Dust" and "Misfire" and Spanish acoustic fills in "Who Needs You". He also played double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
, notably on May's 1975 song "'39". May had asked him to play upright bass as a joke but a couple of days later he found Deacon in the studio with the instrument, and he had already learned to play it.
Deacon's contributions in keyboards were mostly just background chords; his most notable work is in his composition "You're My Best Friend", which was the first song he wrote on the electric piano. Deacon also played triangle
Triangle (instrument)
The triangle is an idiophone type of musical instrument in the percussion family. It is a bar of metal, usually steel but sometimes other metals like beryllium copper, bent into a triangle shape. The instrument is usually held by a loop of some form of thread or wire at the top curve...
in live versions of "Killer Queen
Killer Queen (song)
"Killer Queen" is a song by British rock band Queen. Written by pianist and lead singer Freddie Mercury, it featured on their 1974 album Sheer Heart Attack, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits. When released as a single, "Killer Queen" was Queen's breakthrough hit,...
" (it hung off his microphone) and some piano (notably on "Another One Bites the Dust"). He can also be seen playing the drums on the video for "One Vision". This is perhaps a visual trick, although he did play drums on certain tracks on "Hot Space".
Style
Deacon used the bass as a lead and rhythm instrument. Some of his basslines, such as "The Millionaire Waltz", "I'm Going Slightly Mad" and "You're My Best Friend", granted his technique an affinity with Motown's lead style basslines. Some of Queen's songs, such as "Dragon Attack", "Another One Bites the DustAnother One Bites the Dust
"Another One Bites the Dust" is a song by the English rock band Queen. Written by bass guitarist John Deacon, the song featured on the group's eighth studio album The Game . The song was a worldwide hit, charting number one on the United States Billboard Hot 100, number two on the R&B charts and...
", "Body Language", and "A Kind of Magic
A Kind of Magic (song)
"A Kind of Magic" is a rock song written by Roger Taylorfor the film Highlander, for which Queen wrote the music. The song reached number three in the UK Singles Chart, top ten in a number of European countries, and number forty-two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100...
", feature the bass as the main instrument. When performing with Queen, Deacon delivered a highly technical style, with numerous runs, walking basslines and tight quick note changes. Deacon mainly used his fingers, though sometimes he did use a pick. He generally did not play with a floating thumb and occasionally played with his thumb itself. His basslines are notable on "Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is a song by the rock band Queen. Written by Freddie Mercury in 1979, the track featured on their 1980 album The Game, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
", "Another One Bites the Dust
Another One Bites the Dust
"Another One Bites the Dust" is a song by the English rock band Queen. Written by bass guitarist John Deacon, the song featured on the group's eighth studio album The Game . The song was a worldwide hit, charting number one on the United States Billboard Hot 100, number two on the R&B charts and...
", "Liar", "Brighton Rock", "Under Pressure
Under Pressure
"Under Pressure" is a 1981 song recorded by Queen and David Bowie. It marked Bowie's first released collaboration with another recording artist as a performer, and is featured on Queen's 1982 album Hot Space. The song reached #1 on the UK Singles Chart. It was also number 31 on VH1's 100 Greatest...
", "'39", "You're My Best Friend", "I Want to Break Free
I Want to Break Free
"I Want to Break Free" is a song by the British rock band Queen, which was written by its bassist John Deacon. The song was featured on the Queen's 1984 album The Works and distributed as a single on 7-inch and 12-inch vinyl records and 3-inch and 5-inch CDs. The song had three versions: album,...
", and "One Year of Love
One Year of Love
"One Year of Love" is a song by Queen from their 1986 album A Kind of Magic and also the film Highlander. Written by bassist John Deacon, it was released as a single in France and Spain. Like his other composition, "You're My Best Friend", this song has some of Deacon's most notable instrumental...
".
A trademark of Deacon's playing are his bass runs. In a 1975 review of Sheer Heart Attack
Sheer Heart Attack
Sheer Heart Attack is the third album by the British rock group Queen, released in November 1974. It was produced by Queen and Roy Thomas Baker and distributed by EMI in the United Kingdom, and Elektra in the United States....
, the reviewer wrote: "Only at the end would a new initiate to Queen recognise John Deacon's unmistakable trademark: the bass runs under the fade are a fast and facile as any to be heard. The least well known musician in Queen is one of his rock generation's most able."
Singer
Deacon is the only member of Queen never to sing any lead vocals on any of their tracks. He even admitted in interviews that he was incapable of competing with the three strong vocalists in the group. Deacon is not credited as a vocalist on any Queen album.In live shows, Deacon did not receive his own microphone until the band's first headlining tour in support of their "Sheer Heart Attack
Sheer Heart Attack
Sheer Heart Attack is the third album by the British rock group Queen, released in November 1974. It was produced by Queen and Roy Thomas Baker and distributed by EMI in the United Kingdom, and Elektra in the United States....
" album. Despite this promising development, the main purpose of this was to play one note on the triangle in "Killer Queen". Before this, he had sung backing vocals during "Liar" into Mercury's microphone. There have been occasions where his microphone was turned up to a point where his voice can be heard, such as a 1977 Earls Court
Earls Court
Earls Court is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, England. It is an inner-city district centred on Earl's Court Road and surrounding streets, located 3.1 miles west south-west of Charing Cross. It borders the sub-districts of South Kensington to the East, West...
bootleg, where his voice was clearly heard on "Somebody to Love
Somebody to Love (Queen song)
"Somebody to Love" is a song by British rock band Queen. Written by lead vocalist and pianist Freddie Mercury, the track featured on their 1976 album A Day at the Races, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
" and "In The Lap of the Gods Revisited".
He is also credited as backing vocalist on the closing credits of the band's first live video, "Queen at the Rainbow" (shot live in November 1974 and released on The Box of Tricks
Box of Tricks
Box Of Tricks is a compilation box set by Queen which was sold in England in 1992 for £50.-Contents:* The 12" Collection* PAL video tape of Queen - Live at the Rainbow* Album and single covers poster* A sew-on cloth Queen patch* A metal Queen pin...
).
Despite this, Deacon is almost always shown to be singing in Queen's music videos, such as "Bohemian Rhapsody", "You're My Best Friend", "Somebody To Love", "Tie Your Mother Down", and "Don't Stop Me Now", among others.
Gear
Deacon's first bass was an EkoEko guitars
Eko is an Italian manufacturer of electric guitars, acoustic guitars and similar instruments, catering to professional level and manufacturing largely for export...
, and he later acquired a Rickenbacker 4001
Rickenbacker 4001
The Rickenbacker 4001 is a bass guitar that was manufactured by Rickenbacker as a "deluxe model" of the 4000 between 1961 and 1981 before being replaced by an updated version, the Rickenbacker 4003...
, which was used for his audition for Queen, the very first concerts and the recording sessions at De Lane Lea in 1971. When the band began recording at Trident, he had problems with it and acquired a Fender Precision
Fender Precision Bass
The Fender Precision Bass is an electric bass.Designed by Leo Fender as a prototype in 1950 and brought to market in 1951, the Precision was the first electric bass to earn widespread attention and use. A revolutionary instrument for the time, the Precision Bass has made an immeasurable impact on...
1962 model with the silver 1964 transition logo and sunburst finish, which became his main instrument for the last concerts in 1972 and all 1973–1975 tours. As a backup he had another one of the same model, but with the black 1967 transition logo. Before the beginning of the 'Night at the Opera' sessions he stripped the paint from both, left them with a natural finish and switched them; from then on the black logo one would be his main guitar for most tours and recordings.
In early 1977, Deacon got two new basses: a Fender Precision Fretless, which he used for "'39" (emulating the double bass he used in the original recording) and "My Melancholy Blues" on stage, and a Music Man StingRay
Music Man StingRay
Music Man StingRay is an electric bass guitar by Music Man, introduced in 1976.- History :In 1971, Fender employees Forrest White and Tom Walker, unhappy with the way CBS was managing the company, left their positions with Fender to start their own venture. First known as Tri-Sonic and then later...
which he used as main for the "Day at the Races" tour and some videos. From the 'News of the World' tour up until 'The Works' tour in 1985, the Music Man would remain for just specific numbers ("Sheer Heart Attack", "Another One Bites the Dust" and "Back Chat"), and used sometimes in the studio as well. The fretless type kept being used for "'39" and "My Melancholy Blues" live until the end of the decade.
During late 1977, at the beginnings of "News of the World" tour in the US, Deacon tried another Fender P-Bass, a sunburst 1954 model with the original single-coil pickup, but eventually gave it up and returned to the black logo '67 model. The old Fender kept being used occasionally as a backup, in the recordings of "Coming Soon" (1979) and in the video of "Back Chat" (1982).
In 1980, Kramer made him a custom bass, which he used as a backup for some tours and in videos (e.g. "Play the Game", "Las Palabras De Amor
Las Palabras de Amor
"Las Palabras de Amor " is a rock ballad by English rock band Queen. It was released as the third single from their 1982 album Hot Space...
"). Next year, Fender gave him a special prototype model which he used for recording "Under Pressure" for "Hot Space" and performing it during the 1981–1985 period.
A new Fender P-Bass came to his hands: a red Elite 1, which he used for mimed performances, some videos and recordings (e.g. "One Vision
One Vision
"One Vision" is a song written and recorded by the rock band Queen, first released as a single in November 1985 and then included on their 1986 album A Kind of Magic...
"), part of the Leiden 1986 gig, the entire Marbella and Knebworth 1986 gigs and "Radio Ga Ga
Radio Ga Ga
"Radio Ga Ga" is a 1984 song performed and recorded by the British rock band Queen, written by their drummer Roger Taylor. It was released as a single with "I Go Crazy" by Brian May on the original B-side and was included on the album The Works...
" at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was an open-air concert held on Easter Monday, 20 April 1992 at London's Wembley Stadium, for an audience of 72,000. The concert was produced for television by Ray Burdis and broadcast live on television and radio to 76 countries around the...
. In 1986, Deacon got a Warwick Buzzard, used for some videos and mimed performances, but not on recordings. Before the Magic Tour, he refurbished and spray-painted his Precision bass black and continued using it as his main instrument for several gigs (e.g. The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert
The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness was an open-air concert held on Easter Monday, 20 April 1992 at London's Wembley Stadium, for an audience of 72,000. The concert was produced for television by Ray Burdis and broadcast live on television and radio to 76 countries around the...
for AIDS Awareness, "No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)
No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)
"No-One But You " is a song recorded by the remaining three members of the British rock band Queen following the death of singer Freddie Mercury. Guitarist Brian May – the writer of the song – and drummer Roger Taylor share lead vocals...
").
For other instruments, Deacon mostly used Telecaster and Stratocaster guitars; his main was a custom Tele which he used on stage. In the recordings of "Misfire" he demonstrated he too could play guitar harmonies. For acoustic he mostly used Martin D-18 and Ovation
Ovation Guitar
The Ovation Guitar Company, a holding of Kaman Music Corporation, is a guitar manufacturing company based in New Hartford, Connecticut, USA. Ovation primarily manufactures Steel-stringed acoustic guitars....
. The piano he played in "Another One Bites the Dust" was a Bösendorfer
Bösendorfer
Bösendorfer is an Austrian piano manufacturer, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Yamaha. The brand is known for producing pianos with a uniquely rich, singing, and sustaining tone...
, and in "You're My Best Friend", a Wurlitzer Electric Piano
Wurlitzer electric piano
Wurlitzer 200A|250px|thumbThe Wurlitzer electric piano was one of a series of electromechanical stringless pianos manufactured and marketed by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Corinth, Mississippi, U.S. and Tonawanda, New York...
(though May has stated that it was a Fender Rhodes
Rhodes piano
The Rhodes piano is an electro-mechanical piano, invented by Harold Rhodes during the fifties and later manufactured in a number of models, first in collaboration with Fender and after 1965 by CBS....
). For synths, he used Oberheim OB-X
Oberheim OB-X
The Oberheim OB-X is an analog polyphonic synthesizer. It was the first Oberheim synthesizer that was created with internal prewired modules and not with the bulky SEM modules. Because of this, it was more functional for live performance, and therefore more portable. It was introduced in 1979 and...
, Roland Jupiter 8 and Yamaha DX7
Yamaha DX7
The Yamaha DX7 is an FM Digital Synthesizer manufactured by the Yamaha Corporation from 1983 to 1986. It was the first commercially successful digital synthesizer. Its distinctive sound can be heard on many recordings, especially Pop music from the 1980s...
.
Retirement
After playing live with Queen twice more — at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness on 20 April 1992, and at the opening of the Bejart Ballet in Paris on 17 January 1997, performing only "The Show Must Go OnThe Show Must Go On (Queen song)
"The Show Must Go On" is a song by English rock band Queen, featured as the twelfth and final track on their 1991 album Innuendo. It is credited to Queen, but written primarily by Brian May. The song chronicles the effort of Freddie Mercury continuing to perform despite approaching the end of his...
" with Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
on lead vocals — he made the decision to retire from music, re-appearing only briefly by joining his ex-band mates in October 1997 for the recording of the final Queen song "No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)
No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)
"No-One But You " is a song recorded by the remaining three members of the British rock band Queen following the death of singer Freddie Mercury. Guitarist Brian May – the writer of the song – and drummer Roger Taylor share lead vocals...
", included in the Queen Rocks
Queen Rocks
-Video version:A video version of the album was made. It included slightly different videos for all these songs.# “I Want It All”...
album released a month later.
Deacon has reportedly spoken out about the May/Taylor/Robbie Williams
Robbie Williams
Robert Peter "Robbie" Williams is an English singer-songwriter, vocal coach and occasional actor. He is a member of the pop group Take That. Williams rose to fame in the band's first run in the early- to mid-1990s. After many disagreements with the management and certain group members, Williams...
cover of "We Are the Champions
We Are the Champions
"We Are the Champions" is a power ballad written by Freddie Mercury, recorded and performed by British rock band Queen for their 1977 album News of the World. One of their most famous and popular songs, it remains among rock's most recognisable anthems...
", recorded for A Knight's Tale. In an interview with The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
about the collaboration he said, "It is one of the greatest songs ever written but I think they've ruined it ... I don't want to be nasty but let's just say Robbie Williams is no Freddie Mercury. Freddie can never be replaced – and certainly not by him".
He chose not to be present at Queen's induction into The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2001, or join in the collaboration with Paul Rodgers
Queen + Paul Rodgers
Queen + Paul Rodgers was a supergroup collaboration between Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen and Paul Rodgers...
. On the Queen + Paul Rodgers collaboration album The Cosmos Rocks
The Cosmos Rocks
The Cosmos Rocks is the debut studio album by Queen + Paul Rodgers released on 15 September 2008 in Europe and 28 October 2008 in North America. It contains 14 new tracks written by Brian May, Paul Rodgers and Roger Taylor...
which featured new material from the trio, he was listed in the Thanks Notes on the CD.
Discography
Queen songs John Deacon wrote that were released as singles:- "You're My Best Friend" from A Night at the OperaA Night at the Opera (Queen album)A Night at the Opera is the fourth studio album by the British rock group Queen, released in November 1975. Co-produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Queen, A Night at the Opera was, at the time of its release, the most expensive album ever recorded...
- "Spread Your WingsSpread Your Wings"Spread Your Wings" is a rock ballad by Queen, from their 1977 album News of the World. Written by bassist John Deacon, it was released as the A side of the single Spread Your Wings/Sheer Heart Attack in 1978. It features Deacon on guitar and bass, Freddie Mercury on piano and vocals, Brian May on...
" from News of the WorldNews of the World (album)News of the World is the sixth studio album by British rock group Queen, released in 1977. Containing hit songs "We Will Rock You", "We Are the Champions" and "Spread Your Wings", the album went 4x platinum in the US, 2x platinum in the UK, and achieved high certifications around the world as... - "Another One Bites the DustAnother One Bites the Dust"Another One Bites the Dust" is a song by the English rock band Queen. Written by bass guitarist John Deacon, the song featured on the group's eighth studio album The Game . The song was a worldwide hit, charting number one on the United States Billboard Hot 100, number two on the R&B charts and...
" and "Need Your Loving Tonight" from The GameThe Game (Queen album)The Game is the eighth studio album by British rock band Queen released on 30 June 1980. It was the only Queen album to reach #1 in the US and became Queen's best selling studio album in the US with four million copies sold to date, tying News of the Worlds US sales tally. The album received very... - "Back ChatBack Chat"Back Chat", written by bassist John Deacon, is the track most influenced by black music on the 1982 Queen album Hot Space. Deacon had chosen a no-compromise method of eliminating any rock elements from his songs for Hot Space...
" from Hot SpaceHot SpaceHot Space is the tenth studio album by British rock band Queen, released in May 1982. Marking a notable shift in direction from their earlier work, Queen employed many elements of disco, pop music, R&B and dance music on Hot Space, being partially influenced by the success of their 1980 hit... - "I Want to Break FreeI Want to Break Free"I Want to Break Free" is a song by the British rock band Queen, which was written by its bassist John Deacon. The song was featured on the Queen's 1984 album The Works and distributed as a single on 7-inch and 12-inch vinyl records and 3-inch and 5-inch CDs. The song had three versions: album,...
" from The WorksThe Works (Queen album)-Radio Ga Ga:"Radio Ga Ga" was composed on keyboards, after Roger Taylor heard his son Felix saying "radio ca ca". He wrote it in Los Angeles and locked himself in the studio with a Roland Jupiter 8 and a drum machine. Afterwards John Deacon came up with a suitable bass line. Mercury reconstructed... - "Friends Will Be FriendsFriends Will Be Friends"Friends Will Be Friends" is a song performed by Queen and written by Freddie Mercury and John Deacon, included on the album A Kind of Magic. It was the band's 30th single in the UK upon its release on 9 June 1986, reaching number 14 in the UK....
", "Pain Is So Close to PleasurePain Is So Close to Pleasure"Pain Is So Close to Pleasure" is a song by Queen, released only in Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and the USA as the second single from their 1986 album A Kind of Magic....
" (both cowritten with Freddie MercuryFreddie MercuryFreddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
) and "One Year of LoveOne Year of Love"One Year of Love" is a song by Queen from their 1986 album A Kind of Magic and also the film Highlander. Written by bassist John Deacon, it was released as a single in France and Spain. Like his other composition, "You're My Best Friend", this song has some of Deacon's most notable instrumental...
" from A Kind of MagicA Kind of MagicA Kind of Magic is a 1986 album by British rock band Queen. It was the band's twelfth studio album and their first to be recorded digitally, and is based on the soundtrack to the film Highlander, the first in a series directed by Russell Mulcahy.... - " The Miracle" from The Miracle (cowritten with Freddie Mercury.)
Selected Queen album tracks:
- "Misfire" from Sheer Heart AttackSheer Heart AttackSheer Heart Attack is the third album by the British rock group Queen, released in November 1974. It was produced by Queen and Roy Thomas Baker and distributed by EMI in the United Kingdom, and Elektra in the United States....
- "You and I" from A Day at the RacesA Day at the Races (album)A Day at the Races is the fifth album by British rock group Queen, released in December 1976. A Day at the Races was the band's first completely self-produced album, and the first not to feature producer Roy Thomas Baker. Recorded at Sarm East, The Manor and Wessex Studios in England, A Day at the...
- "Who Needs You" from News of the World
- "If You Can't Beat Them" and "In Only Seven Days" from Jazz
- "Execution Of Flash" and "Arboria" from Flash GordonFlash Gordon (album)-Personnel:* John Deacon: bass guitar, rhythm guitar, synthesizer* Brian May: lead guitar, backing vocals, synthesizer, piano on "Flash's Theme" and "The Hero," co-lead vocals on "Flash's Theme," guitar orchestration on "The Wedding March"...
- "Cool Cat" from Hot Space (co-written with Freddie Mercury)
- "Rain Must Fall" from The Miracle
- "My Life Has Been Saved" (two versions, the first in 1989 as a non-album single B-side, then re-recorded between 1993 and 1995 for the 1995 album Made in HeavenMade in HeavenMade in Heaven is the fifteenth studio album by British rock group Queen and the final one to feature lead singer Freddie Mercury and bassist John Deacon, released on 6 November 1995...
)
Selected solo efforts:
- Jive Junior And Man Friday: "Picking Up Sounds" (7" single, 1983)
- The Immortals: "No Turning Back" (single from Biggles: Adventures in TimeBiggles: Adventures in TimeBiggles: Adventures in Time is a 1986 adventure film based on the character of Biggles from the series of novels written by Captain W.E. Johns...
soundtrack) (1986)
Collaborations
- 1975: All four members of Queen helped produce a session with the soul band Trax. Nothing was ever released.
- 1983: "Picking Up Sounds" by Man Friday and Jive Junior – co-wrote, produced and played bass guitar on this single.
- 1984: "It's An Illusion" by Roger Taylor – bass guitar on this track from the album Strange FrontierStrange FrontierStrange Frontier is the second album by English musician Roger Taylor. This album includes two covers as well as a heavier sound than the previous album...
. - 1984: "I Cry For You" by Roger Taylor – bass guitar on the remixed version of this song, on the single Strange Frontier.
- 1985: "Too Young" by Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
– bass guitar on this song from the LP Ice On FireIce on FireIce on Fire is the nineteenth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, recorded at Sol Studios and released in 1985. It was the first album since Blue Moves produced by John's original longtime producer, Gus Dudgeon. But it was met with little praise, and only reached number 48 on the...
. - 1985: Strawberry SwitchbladeStrawberry SwitchbladeStrawberry Switchblade was a female pop rock band formed in Scotland in 1981 by Jill Bryson and Rose McDowall, best known for their song "Since Yesterday" in 1985.-Before being signed:...
– produced self-titled first album. - 1986: "Angeline" by Elton John – bass guitar on this song from the LP Leather JacketsLeather Jackets (album)Leather Jackets is the twentieth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, recorded at Sol Studios in England and Wisseloord Studios in The Netherlands. and released in 1986. It was his first album to not create any top 40 singles in either the US or the UK since 1970's Tumbleweed...
. - 1986: "This Is Your Time" by Errol BrownErrol BrownErrol Brown MBE is a singer and songwriter, best known as the frontman of Hot Chocolate. He has British citizenship by marriage to Ginette and they live in The Bahamas...
– co-wrote and bass guitar on this track, which was never released. - 1987: "I Dream Of Christmas" by Anita DobsonAnita DobsonAnita Dobson is an English television actress and singer. She gained her highest profile while playing Angie Watts in the BBC soap opera, EastEnders...
– bass guitar on this track from the album Talkin' Of Love. - 1988: "Roulette" by Minako HondaMinako Honda, born Minako Kudo was a Japanese "idol" pop-star and musical singer. She became famous and popular as "Japan's Madonna" because of her sexy fashion and live performances in the mid to late 1980s...
– co-wrote this song (in fact "No Turning Back" remake with other lyrics) from the album Cancel. John did not participate in the Minako Honda recording, although his bandmate May wrote and produced two songs for this album. - 1988: "How Can I Go On" by Freddie MercuryFreddie MercuryFreddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
& Montserrat CaballeMontserrat CaballéMontserrat Caballé is a Spanish operatic soprano. Although she sang a wide variety of roles, she is best known as an exponent of the bel canto repertoire, notably the works of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi....
– bass guitar on this single from the album BarcelonaBarcelona (album)Barcelona is an album recorded by Freddie Mercury, the front-man of the popular British rock band Queen, and operatic soprano Montserrat Caballé. The album was recorded in 1987 and 1988, and released in 1988...
. - 1988: Stutter Rap (No Sleep Til Bedtime) by `Morris Minor and the MajorsMorris Minor and the MajorsMorris Minor and the Majors was a band led by the comedian and writer Tony Hawks. They were made vaguely famous by their 1988 song, "Stutter Rap ". The song aimed to parody the then popular Beastie Boys. The other two members were Rusty Wing and Phil Errup .It reached No. 4 in the UK Singles...
John makes an appearance, wearing a blue wig and playing guitar. - 1989: "Who Wants to Live Forever" by Ian & Belinda – bass on this charity record, produced by Brian May, also featuring May and Roger Taylor.
- 1992: "Nothin' But Blue" by Brian May – plays bass on this track from Back To The LightBack to the LightBack to the Light is the first solo effort of Queen's guitarist Brian May and his second non-Queen album. It was recorded between 1988 and 1992 at the Allerton Hill Studios, mixed at the Metropolis Studios and then released on September 28, 1992 in the UK...
. - 1992: "Somewhere In Time" by Cozy PowellCozy PowellColin Flooks , better known as Cozy Powell, was an English rock drummer who made his name with many major rock bands.-Early history:...
– plays bass on this instrumental version of "Nothin' But Blue" from Cozy Powell's album The Drums Are Back. - 1994: "Bushfire" by Steve GregorySteve GregorySteve Gregory is an English jazz saxophonist and composer. He plays tenor, alto, soprano and baritone saxophone as well as the flute.Steve Gregory was born in the UK. At St. Paul's School he learned guitar and piano and played clarinet in the school orchestra. He turned down a place at the...
– plays bass on this track from the eponymous album. - 1997: "That's The Way God Planned It" by SAS Band – plays bass on this track from their début (and only studio) album. Roger Taylor sings a verse as well on this cover track, originally recorded by Billy PrestonBilly PrestonWilliam Everett "Billy" Preston was a musician who gained notoriety and fame, first as a session musician for the likes of Sam Cooke, Ray Charles and The Beatles, and later finding fame as a solo artist with hits such as "Space Race", "Will It Go Round in Circles" and "Nothing from...
.
Quotations about Deacon
- "When I was five years old my hero was John Deacon, who used to do the most incredible upper-register work and those melodic, tight groove parts." – Richie EdwardsRichie EdwardsRichie Edwards was born on 25 September 1974, in Lichfield, England. He is the former bassist of the British hard rock band The Darkness and the guitarist/vocalist of their successor band Stone Gods. He was confirmed as a member on 13 June 2005 replacing Frankie Poullain on bass...
- "Grossly underrated. His bass parts are like little stories, yet he never gets in anyone's way. With all the guitars and vocals going on, he finds the spaces and plays basically what he wants. He's loose, fluid, and quite busy at times, but I can't find one song where he stepped on the vocal or guitar parts." – Danny Miranda
Sources
- Mark Hodkinson (2004). The Early Years: Queen. Omnibus Press. ISBN 1-84449-012-2
- Mark Blake (Editor) (2005). MOJO Classic Queen Special Edition. EMAP Metro Limited.
External links
- Queen official site – info on John Deacon – and all about his history in Queen