Queen (June 6, 1980) “Play The Game” / “A Human Body” – Single 7" US

Jun 6, 1980

2 min read

In June 1980, Queen released “Play The Game”, the second single from their album The Game, showcasing Freddie Mercury’s soaring vocals and the band’s evolving sound that blended rock with emerging synth elements.

RELEASE DETAILS

Artist: Queen

Label: Elektra

Date: June 6, 1980

Catalogue: E-46652

Format: 7" Vinyl Single

Country: United States

Genre: Rock

Style: Glam Rock, Arena Rock

A-Side: “Play The Game”

Written by: Freddie Mercury

Produced by: Queen

B-Side: “A Human Body”

Written by: Roger Taylor

Produced by: Queen

TRACK LIST US 7"

Commercial Single (E-46652)

A. Play The Game

B. A Human Body

LINKED RELEASES / VARIANTS

US Commercial – E-46652 (Stereo)
US Promo – E-46652 (Mono A-side / Stereo B-side, “For Radio Station Use Only”)

International Variants: UK (EMI), Argentina (EMI), Australia (Elektra), Barbados (EMI), Belgium (Elektra), Bolivia (EMI International), Brazil (EMI), Canada (Elektra), France (EMI), Germany (EMI), Guatemala (EMI), Ireland (EMI), Italy (EMI), Japan (Elektra), Mexico (EMI), Netherlands (EMI), New Zealand (Elektra), Panama (EMI), Peru (EMI), Philippines (EMI), Portugal (EMI), South Africa (EMI), Spain (EMI), Sweden (EMI)

PERSONNEL

Freddie Mercury – lead vocals, piano
Brian May – guitar, vocals
Roger Taylor – drums, vocals, writer of B-side
John Deacon – bass

THE STORY

“Play The Game” marked Queen’s continued evolution with more sophisticated production while retaining their anthemic power. The non-album B-side “A Human Body” gave fans exclusive material, making this single highly collectible.

CONTEXT & NOTES

The single performed strongly internationally and helped drive the success of The Game, which became one of Queen’s biggest albums. Promo copies were specially pressed for radio with a mono mix on the A-side.

SOURCES

45worlds.

All single artwork, photographs, labels, and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference.