Queen Rock Classic Show Tune Big Spender On The Greatest Live

Bruce Henne | 08-06-2023

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(hennemusic) Queen rock the classic show tune, "Big Spender", on the latest episode of the weekly series The Greatest Live.

Written for the 1966 Broadway musical Sweet Charity and originally recorded by Peggy Lee, the song and style was part of the mix of influences in Freddie Mercury's background although, as the episode's synopsis indicates, "it's more likely the song reached Mercury via the definitive rendition by legendary Welsh singer Dame Shirley Bassey, the three-time James Bond soundtrack theme song provider."

This week's archive footage mixes video of "Big Spender" from two of the band's most famous concerts: London's Hammersmith Odeon on Christmas Eve 1975 and a 1986 performance at Wembley Stadium.
"Sneaking my cabaret influences into our act was done slowly," Freddie told Hit Parader in 1977. "Could you imagine me doing 'Big Spender' when we were first starting? As a rock band? They'd freak. Now we do more a combination of rock 'n' roll and theatre."

Having made that leap of faith, Queen never looked back.

Watch video of these two classic performances here.