Queen's "Fat Bottomed Girls" Missing From New "Greatest Hits" Release

[TTL News 308]

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Fat bottomed girls might make the rockin’ world go round, but Queen‘s racy song is nowhere to be found on a new release of Greatest Hits.

Recognized as the U.K.’s all-time best-selling album, Queen’s early career compilation is now available on kids’ audio platform Yoto, where listeners can “rock out to” 16 classic tracks, reads a statement. 

“Fat Bottomed Girls,” one of the Rock And Roll Hall of Famers’ naughtier songs, is missing from the published tracklist.

The blurb accompanying the album points out that “the lyrics in some of these songs contain adult themes, including occasional references to violence and drugs.” The songs are the original and unedited recordings, and that “parental discretion is advised” when playing the songs around younger children.

Released in 1978, “Fat Bottomed Girls” was a double-a side with “Bicycle Race,” a relatively harmless song that includes a cheeky reference to those bike-riding “fat bottomed girls,” and appears in the Yoto version of Queen’s Greatest Hits.

 

Read more here.

[Chris 2,162]

Perhaps one of the more ironic responses to this is people saying it should be removed, as the content isn't appropriate for young kids. 

But books detailing graphic sex acts are perfectly okay it seems. 

[MsKreed 1,182]

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The song doesn’t make the cut on Yoto, most likely due its lyrical content. On it, the late Freddie Mercury sings, “Left alone with big fat Fanny/ She was such a naughty nanny/ Big woman, you made a bad boy out of me.”

I guess some might call that a little racy, but certainly not as explicit as a lot more stuff out there. So, it’s not clear if what “lyrical content” was the reason to leave it out.

The article reads like the disclaimer about “adult themes” is for the songs that are on the album release....so is it sex and drugs OK, but ‘fat’ reference is too offensive???

It wouldn’t surprise me. I know I often hear radio playing a version of Dire Straits’ Money for Nothing that says “That little maggot, he’s a millionaire”.....and seldom hear “Lola” played at all.

 

And I fully expect at some point in the near future, the question “All the same old cliches, ‘Is it woman, is it man?’ " will be cut from Bob Segar’s Turn The Page. LOL

[Chris 2,162]

48 minutes ago, MsKreed said:

so is it sex and drugs OK, but ‘fat’ reference is too offensive???

I'm thinking maybe not sex with "Mrs. Robinson"? If it's about having a big ass, then there's a LOT of stuff to be looking on on Top 40 now. 

What I don't understand is, is this like a "Kidz Bop" type of compilation we're gearing towards elementary school kids? Or is it just a Greatest Hits and they're suddenly worried a kid will hear it? I mean if it's the former, it seems kinda weird to be making an album of original music and aiming it at kids specifically. Almost like someone wanted there to be something to talk about. 

[Andy 70]

So it’s effectively a toy that plays audio files like audiobooks and music for kids. 
Their website has a lot of these “cards” for sale, other music themed ones look like a mix of originals, Kidz Bop, and other established groups like The Beatles and Laurie Berkner (throwback for me).

It doesn’t even look like only for elementary kids, it looks more geared to SUPER young kids. They have options from ages 0-9

Sounds like a total nothingburger of a story really. A toy company that makes things for incredibly young kids errs on what they perceive to be the side of caution. The headline makes it sound like the song was removed from a more traditional release, which it’s really not. It’s a kids toy. The song is still perfectly intact on all the music streaming services, and I feel like you’d be hard pressed to find a Queen fan who really cares about using a toy to listen to their music. 

And if a parent really wants their child to listen to Fat Bottomed Girls, then they can listen on the streaming services or any CD release that’s been out for ages!

Edited August 21, 2023 by Andy

[MsKreed 1,182]

26 minutes ago, Andy said:

The headline makes it sound like the song was removed from a more traditional release, which it’s really not. It’s a kids toy. The song is still perfectly intact on all the music streaming services, and I feel like you’d be hard pressed to find a Queen fan who really cares about using a toy to listen to their music. 

Oh FFS.....I just looked up Yoto.....

You're right. Hardly worth reporting, and it's sad that Billboard is thirsty enough for clicks that they made such an intentionally misleading headline. 

I thought it was an actual "Queen's Greatest Hits" album type release. Not knowing what "Yoto" was, I assumed from the story that anything with Queen, it was some normal platform/market that I just hadn't heard of.

Edited August 21, 2023 by MsKreed

[Hal 341]

🎵🎵 Get on your bikes and ride 🎵🎵in this case right on into nothingness !