B-side Staying Power Format Vinyl record (7", 12") Genre Funk rock | Released 9 August 1982 Recorded 1981 – 1982 | |
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Length 4:31 (Album version)
4:10 (Single remix)
6:58 (12" extended version) | ||
"Back Chat", written by the bass guitarist John Deacon, is the track most influenced by funk 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. This act of defiance caused friction amongst fellow band members, particularly Brian May, who fought to retain at least some rock sensibilities in their funk diversions. After heated debate, the band finally decided to include a guitar solo on "Back Chat". It reached #40 on the UK Singles Chart, but was a #3 hit in France and a #19 entry in Ireland.
The track was performed on the Hot Space Tour at a faster tempo, with a more rock-oriented arrangement. "Back Chat", the title, is an English idiom referring to a "impertinent or impudent replies, especially to a superior". In a Rolling Stone Magazine album review, the critic John Milward described the musical style of the song as: "a hot rock-funk tune, with guitar tracks as slick as an icy dance floor."