Flash (song)

"Flash" is a song by Queen. It was written by Brian May. This song is the theme tune of the 1980 movie Flash Gordon. The soundtrack released to coincide with the film contained only that music composed and performed by the rock band Queen (a soundtrack containing the original orchestral score by Howard Blake was released in 2000).

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

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

Covers

UK DJ Vanguard remixed the theme and released as single during the early DVD release of the film. The single managed to peak at #15 on the UK singles charts at that time.

In 1988, Public Enemy used a sample of "Flash" for their song "Terminator X to the Edge of Panic", released on the album It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back.

The song is played at Philadelphia Phillies home games when Phillies reliever Tom Gordon, whose nickname is "Flash Gordon", enters the game.

The theme song to the anime The Big O also bears a strong similarity to "Flash."

The song is played in the movie Blades of Glory when Will Ferrell and Jon Heder do their final competition together, with the song as the background and basis for their routine at the end of the movie.

The song is regarded by scholars and music aficionados as being the fastest riff in the world.

Flash is the opening song that Tenacious D plays in their Complete Masterworks DVD.

Some Sci Fi Channel teaser-advertisements for the 2007 Flash Gordon series play the signature beats from the song over a simple logo. The song is not used in the actual show.

Chicago-based band Tub Ring has been known to cover the song at concerts.

The song was played by My Chemical Romance on the Projekt Revolution tour, in several shows.

Garage rock band Louis XIV covered the song on the 2007 EP The Distances from Everyone to You.

Mark Dudbridge, an English darts player from Bristol, uses it as his entrance music on stage. A take on his nickname Flash.

"Flash" has been used as the opening theme song for Fuji TV's Formula One coverage in Japan since the 2007 season.

This song Has Been played On Toy Story 2 advert On ABC1 And Disney Channel Using "Buzz" Instead Of "Flash".

Live recording

Queen on Fire - Live at the Bowl

v • d • e

Flash Gordon

TV Series

Flash Gordon (1954 TV series) • The New Adventures of Flash Gordon • Defenders of the Earth • Flash Gordon (1996 TV series) • Flash Gordon (2007 TV series)

Film

Flash Gordon: The Greatest Adventure of All • Flash Gordon

Movie Serials

Flash Gordon • Flash Gordon's Trip to Mars • Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe

Characters/Actors

Flash Gordon	Gale Gordon (1935) • Buster Crabbe (1936 - 1940) • Steve Holland (1954) • Robert Ridgely (1979, 1982) • Sam J. Jones (1980) • Lou Richards (1986) • Toby Proctor (1996) • Eric Johnson (2007)

Dale Arden	Jean Rogers (1936 - 1938) • Carol Hughes (1940) • Irene Champlin (1954) • Diane Pershing (1979, 1982) • Melody Anderson (1980) • Lexa Doig (1996) • Gina Holden (2007)

Ming the Merciless	Bruno Wick (1935) • Charles Middleton (1936 - 1940) • Alan Oppenheimer (1979) • Max von Sydow (1980) • Vic Perrin (1982) • William Callaway (1986) • John Ralston (2007)

Hans Zarkov	Maurice Franklin (1935) • Frank Shannon (1936 - 1940) • Joseph Nash (1954) • Alan Oppenheimer (1979) • Topol (1980) • Bob Holt (1982) • Paul Shaffer (1996) • Jody Racicot (2007)

Princess Aura	Priscilla Lawson (1936 - 1938) • Shirley Deane (1940) • Melendy Britt (1979, 1982) • Ornella Muti (1980) • Anna van Hooft (2007)

Prince Barin	Richard Alexander (1936 - 1938) • Roland Drew (1940) • Robert Ridgely (1979) • Timothy Dalton (1980) • Robert Douglas (1982) • Steve Bacic (2007)

Prince Vultan	John Lipson (1936 - 1938) • Alan Melvin (1979) • Brian Blessed (1980) • Ted Cassidy (1982) • Ty Olsson (2007)

Prince Thun	James Pierce (1936) • Ted Cassidy (1979) • George Harris (1980) • David Opatoshu (1982)

Other Media

List of Flash Gordon comic strips • Flash Gordon (album) • "Flash" (song) • Flash Gordon (computer game)

Alex Raymond • King Features Syndicate

v • d • e Queen singles discography

1970s	1973: "Keep Yourself Alive" • 1974: "Liar" • "Seven Seas of Rhye" • "Killer Queen" • 1975: "Now I'm Here" • "Bohemian Rhapsody" • 1976: "You're My Best Friend" • "Somebody to Love" • 1977: "Tie Your Mother Down" • "Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)" • "Long Away" • "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy" • "We Are the Champions"/"We Will Rock You" • 1978: "Spread Your Wings" • "It's Late" • "Bicycle Race"/"Fat Bottomed Girls" • 1979: "Don't Stop Me Now" • "Jealousy" • "Mustapha" • "Love of My Life" • "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"

1980s	1980: "Save Me" • "Play the Game" • "Another One Bites the Dust" • "Need Your Loving Tonight" • "Flash" • 1981: "Under Pressure" (w/ David Bowie) • 1982: "Body Language" • "Las Palabras de Amor" • "Calling All Girls" • "Staying Power" • "Back Chat" • 1984: "Radio Ga Ga" • "I Want to Break Free" • "It's a Hard Life" • "Hammer to Fall" • "Thank God It's Christmas" • 1985: "One Vision" • 1986: "A Kind of Magic" • "Princes of the Universe" • "Friends Will Be Friends" • "Who Wants to Live Forever" • "Pain Is So Close to Pleasure" • "One Year of Love" • 1989: "I Want It All" • "Breakthru" • "The Invisible Man" • "Scandal" • "The Miracle"

1990s	1991: "Innuendo" • "I'm Going Slightly Mad" • "Headlong" • "The Show Must Go On" • "These Are the Days of Our Lives" • 1995: "Heaven for Everyone" • "A Winter's Tale" • "Too Much Love Will Kill You" • 1996: "You Don't Fool Me" • "I Was Born to Love You" • "Let Me Live" • 1997: "No-One but You (Only the Good Die Young)"

2000s	2007: "Say It's Not True" (w/ Paul Rodgers) • 2008: "C-lebrity" (w/ Paul Rodgers)

Hidden category: Single articles with infobox field chart position

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