"Too Much Love Will Kill You" is a song written by British guitarist Brian May of Queen, Frank Musker and Elizabeth Lamers.Billboard 21 Jun 1997 Billboard. Retrieved 16 January 2011 The song reflected the breakdown of May's first marriage and attraction to his future wife, Anita Dobson. It was first recorded by Queen around 1988 or before, and was intended to be on the band's The Miracle album in 1989, but did not make the cut due to legal disputes following the band's decision that all songs on the album would be written by the group as opposed to individuals.
After Freddie Mercury's death in 1991, May arranged a solo version, which he performed at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992,The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert: Too Much Love Will Kill You Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 2 July 2011 and subsequently included on his solo album Back to the Light that same year. When released as a single, it reached number five on the UK Singles Chart, number two in Belgium, and topped the charts in the Netherlands.
Since it was first played publicly at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, a common misconception is that the song was written as a tribute to Freddie Mercury, although it had actually been written several years before he died, and Mercury sang the lead vocal on the Queen version, which was featured on the band's final studio album, Made in Heaven (1995).
Track listings 7-inch and cassette single A. "Too Much Love Will Kill You" – 4:29 B. "I'm Scared" – 4:00
UK CD single "Too Much Love Will Kill You" "I'm Scared" "Too Much Love Will Kill You" (guitar version) "Driven by You" (new version)
Personnel
Brian May – lead and backing vocals, piano, keyboard, acoustic and electric guitar
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1992)PeakpositionEurope (Eurochart Hot 100) 10Europe (European Hit Radio) 2Portugal (AFP) 8UK Airplay (Music Week) 5
Year-end charts Chart (1992)PositionBelgium (Ultratop) 27Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 70Europe (European Hit Radio) 22Netherlands (Single Top 100) 11UK Singles (OCC) 45UK Airplay (Music Week) 65
Certifications
Release history RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)United Kingdom24 August 1992ParlophoneAustralia5 October 1992Japan11 November 1992Mini-CDEMI
Queen version
A version of this song was recorded with Mercury on vocals. In 1995, four years after his death, the remaining members of Queen elected to include the original recording of "Too Much Love Will Kill You", with Mercury's vocals, on their 15th and final studio album, Made in Heaven.Made in Heaven (Track 8) Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 2 July 2011 Queen's version was released in the United States in December 1995 and was issued in the United Kingdom two months later. This version reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart, number 19 on Canada's RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart, and number 18 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100.
Although it failed to duplicate the chart success of May's solo version, Queen's version of the song has since come to be regarded as the definitive version, after being awarded "Best Song Musically and Lyrically" at the 1996 Novello Awards (May said later that if there was one song that he would have wanted to win an award for, it was this one), and being included on Queen's Greatest Hits III.Brian May interview. BBC Radio 2. Broadcast 12 September 2005.
Critical reception Steve Baltin from Cash Box wrote, "One of the last remnants of the late, great Freddie Mercury, the first single from the band’s new Made in Heaven album is vintage Mercury. After the wimpy opening that could’ve come from Styx or Chicago, Mercury's grandiose vocals kick in, eclipsing the lame melody. Hearing Mercury again, especially in such fine form vocally, is a surprisingly touching experience."
Track listings 7-inch single A1. "Too Much Love Will Kill You" – 4:20 B1. "We Will Rock You" – 2:00 B2. "We Are the Champions" – 3:00
CD single "Too Much Love Will Kill You" – 4:20 "Spread Your Wings" – 4:32 "We Will Rock You" – 2:00 "We Are the Champions" – 3:00
US single A. "Too Much Love Will Kill You" – 4:20 B. "Rock in Rio Blues" (live in Rio, January 1985) – 4:29
Personnel
Freddie Mercury – lead vocals, piano Brian May – guitars, keyboards, backing vocals Roger Taylor – drums, backing vocals John Deacon – bass guitar David Richards – keyboards, keyboard programming
Charts Chart (1995–1996)PeakpositionEurope (Eurochart Hot 100)41
Certifications
Release history RegionDateFormat(s)Label(s)United States21 November 1995Contemporary hit radioHollywood5 December 1995CDUnited Kingdom26 February 1996Parlophone
Music videos The video for the Brian May version of the song was directed by David Mallet and features May singing the song to the camera, and is intercut with footage from various home movies. The video for the Queen version of the song was directed by DoRo and is a montage-style video of clips mainly from live performances and promo videos, and uses the Promo Edit version of the song.
Other versions In 1992, Brian May performed "Too Much Love Will Kill You" at the first Pavarotti & Friends concert in Modena in Italy.The Televideo. (2023) Pavarotti & Friends. Too much love will kill you (Live). Brian May (HD). YouTube. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bfZZ0AzWDw (Accessed: January 1st 2025).
In 2003, May again performed a rendition of "Too Much Love Will Kill You", this time as a duet with Luciano Pavarotti, at the tenor's benefit concert held in Modena, Italy.Pavarotti and Friends 2003; Press and News Retrieved 21 January 2011
References
External links Official YouTube videos of Queen version: music video based on short film "Heart-Ache", at Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Lyrics at Queen official website