Flash (Queen song)

"Flash" is a song by British rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, "Flash" is the theme song of the 1980 film Flash Gordon.

"Flash (song)" redirects here. For other songs of the same name, see Flash§Songs.

"Flash"
UK single picture sleeve
Single by Queen
from the album Flash Gordon
B-side"Football Fight"
Released
  • 24 November 1980 (UK)
  • 27 January 1981 (US)
RecordedOctober 1980
GenreHard rock[1]
Length
  • 3:29 (album version)
  • 2:48 (single version)
Label
Songwriter(s)Brian May
Producer(s)
Queen singles chronology
"Need Your Loving Tonight"
(1980)		 "Flash"
(1980)		 "Under Pressure"
(1981)
Music video
"Flash" on YouTube

There are two versions of the song. The album version ("Flash's Theme") is in fact the start to the film, with all the dialogue from the first scene. The single version contains dialogue cut from various parts of the film, most memorably, Brian Blessed's character exclaiming "Gordon's alive?!" This version was also included on the Greatest Hits compilation from 1981.[2]

Flash is sung as a duet between Freddie Mercury and Brian May, with Roger Taylor adding the high harmonies. May plays all of the instruments except for the rhythm section. He used an Imperial Bösendorfer Grand Piano (with 97 keys instead of 88, having an extra octave on the low range), Oberheim OB-X synth (which he plays in the video) and his homemade Red Special electric guitar.

The song reached number 10 on the UK Singles Chart and number three in Germany. On the U.S. charts, "Flash's Theme aka Flash" reached number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100. It peaked at number 39 on the Cash Box Top 100.[3]

Record World described the single version as a "supersonic cut with a chorus hook guaranteed to rescue tired holiday ears."[4]

Music video

The video for the song was filmed at Advision Studios, London, in November 1980 and directed by Don Norman and shows the band performing the song to a screen showing clips from the film.[5] An alternative version broadcast during the Concert for Kampuchea in 1981 with different clips included on the Flash Gordon 2011 iTunes edition.

Personnel

Charts
Chart (1980–1981) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 16
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[7] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[8] 19
Canada RPM Top Singles[9] 24
Germany (Official German Charts)[10] 3
Ireland (IRMA)[11] 10
Italy (Musica e dischi)[12] 14
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] 18
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14] 13
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[15] 32
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[16] 17
UK Singles (OCC)[17] 10
US Billboard Hot 100[18] 42
US Cash Box Top 100[19] 39

Sales and certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[20] Silver 250,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Vanguard remix
"Flash"
Single by Queen + Vanguard
B-side"Jam" (Vanguard)[21]
Released10 February 2003 (2003-02-10)
Length3:04 (radio mix)
Label
Songwriter(s)Brian May
Producer(s)Vanguard
Queen singles chronology
"We Will Rock You"
(2000)		 "Flash"
(2003)		 "Another One Bites the Dust (The Miami Project Remixes)"
(2006)
Audio
"Flash" on YouTube

German producers Vanguard released a cover of "Flash", credited to "Queen + Vanguard", on 10 February 2003.[22] The single peaked at number 15 on the UK Singles Chart, number two on the UK Dance Chart, and number 17 in Germany.

Charts
Chart (2003) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[23] 95
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[24] 44
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[25] 2
Belgium Dance (Ultratop Flanders)[26] 12
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[27] 44
Germany (Official German Charts)[22] 17
Scotland (OCC)[28] 15
UK Singles (OCC)[29] 15
UK Dance (OCC)[30] 2
UK Indie (OCC)[31] 1

Live recording

In other media

The song is played during an ice dancing routine in the 2007 film Blades of Glory.[32]

The song is played in The Flash episode "Into the Void" where Cisco Ramon plays it when Barry Allen / The Flash enters a black hole to save Chester P. Runk, mentioning that he has been saving the song "for the right moment".[33]

In 2016, a re-recording of the song was used to advertise Flash Multi Surface Concentrated Cleaner in the UK.[34] In 2022, the song appears in the Toyota Corolla Cross commercial in Australia but it uses "Cross" instead of "Flash".

References
  1. Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Flash's Theme - Queen | Song Info". AllMusic. Retrieved 28 December 2018.
  2. "Queen: Greatest Hits". Allmusic. Retrieved 12 May 2012
  3. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, February 21, 1981". Archived from the original on 13 February 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  4. "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. 10 January 1981. p. 1. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  5. Hince, Peter (2015). Queen Unseen - My Life with the Greatest Rock Band of the 20th Century: Revised and with Added Material. Bonnier Zaffre.
  6. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 243. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. "Queen – Flash" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  8. "Queen – Flash" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  9. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 21 March 1981. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  10. "Queen – Flash" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  11. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Flash". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  12. "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 28 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Queen".
  13. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Queen" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  14. "Queen – Flash" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  15. "Queen – Flash". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  16. "Queen – Flash". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  17. "Queen: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 March 2022.
  18. "Queen Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  19. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, February 21, 1981". Archived from the original on 13 February 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2018.
  20. "British single certifications – Flash". British Phonographic Industry.
  21. Flash (UK CD single liner notes). Queen, Vanguard. Nebula, Frisbee Tracks, Virgin Records. 2003. NEBCD041.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. "Queen + Vanguard – Flash" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  23. "Issue 691" ARIA Top 100 Singles. National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 March 2023.
  24. "Queen %2B Vanguard – Flash" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  25. "Queen %2B Vanguard – Flash" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  26. "Queen %2B Vanguard – Flash" (in Dutch). Ultratop Dance. Retrieved 5 November 2020.
  27. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 21, no. 15. 5 April 2003. p. 13. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  28. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  29. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  30. "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  31. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
  32. Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "Blades of Glory (10/12) Best Movie Quote - Final Routine (2007)". YouTube.
  33. "The Flash FINALLY Uses the Song We've Waited Five Years For". CBR. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
  34. "Flash vows to 'Clean up the impossible'". Talking Retail. 15 August 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
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