The band formed in London in 1970 after May and Taylor's former band Smile split after having released an album and single. Freddie replaced lead vocalist Tim Staffell, after the latter's departure from the original trio.
There was much deliberation as to what the band's name would be. May and Taylor had settled upon the Grand Dance, derived from a C.S. Lewis Trilogy of books Out Of The Silent Planet.
Ultimately, the band went with Queen, a name that was entirely Freddie's. Originally Roger and, especially, Brian did not like the name, though Mercury would eventually persuade them both that it was "right" for the band.
"Years ago I thought up the name Queen... It's just a name, but it's very regal, and it sounds splendid. It's a strong name, very universal and immediate. It had a lot of visual potential and was open to all sorts of interpretations. I was certainly aware of the gay connotations, but that was just one facet of it. "
- Freddie Mercury.
Queen went through several bass players before a young electronics major by the name of John Deacon arrived on the scene in January of 1971.
"Until John, it had been exploding bass player syndrome. If they musically worked they'd look all wrong, and if they felt all right they couldn't play. - Brian May.
This quite shy guy turned up with his immaculate Rickenbacker bass and immaculate amplifier, plugged in, and as soon as he started playing we realized it was right." - Brian May.
Later that year, the band was secured recording time at the newly built De Lane Lea studio, and used the opportunity to record several songs that would later appear on their debut album - Liar, Keep Yourself Alive, Jesus, and The Night Comes Down. The demo reel was passed around from producer to producer with little success, until a staff member of Trident records by the name of Roy Thomas Baker was introduced to the band by fellow Trident producer John Anthony. Baker dropped in to watch the band at work and, clearly liking what he heard, recommended Queen to his superiors.
It was eventually agreed upon that the fledgling band could record at Trident studios, though after already-established artists had finished their work, such as the likes of Elton John and David Bowie. Relegated to the wee hours of the morning to record the remaining tracks of their first album, the band nonetheless stuck it out until they reached their ultimate goal of "perfection".
Queen's self-titled debut album was released in 1973 and received little attention from the general public. They quickly followed it a year later with a second album, "Queen II" which also failed to generate much interest from music fans in Britain, despite the success of the album's single, Seven Seas of Rhye, which would reach #10 on the charts after the band's mimed appearance on Top of the Pops.
The band's second album was recorded with a higher budget than the first, and the band threw everything they had into recording it. Queen II was somewhat of a "concept album", split into "White Side" vs. "Black Side".
As was in their nature, the band pressed onward after the mediocre success of their first two albums, immersing themselves in a world-wide tour to promote Queen II. Queen played in America for the first time, as a support act for Mott the Hoople.
Sheer Heart Attack would be released later that year, focusing more on being accessible to listeners, than the grand and complex ideas of the previous two albums. The recording of their third album was met with some hardships, as May fell victim to a series of illnesses brought on by an infected inoculation, required for the band's rigorous touring schedule.
Sheer Heart Attack brought even more success for the band, with May's Now I'm Here and the song that would be the band's "turning point", the Mercury-penned Killer Queen, the latter of which would reach #2 on the UK charts.
During this time, the band began developing a huge following in Japan and witnessed their popularity for themselves when they visited the country, mainly in 1975, to promote their fourth and most famous album "A Night At The Opera", featuring the epic "Bohemian Rhapsody".
Queen's popularity grew steadily through the latter half of the 70s as they released hit album after hit album, reaching its peak in the mid-80s after their "Live Aid" appearance, and continuing into the early 90s before Mercury's untimely death on 24th November 1991. The official cause of death was bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS.
Over the course of their 30 year career, the band did sound tracks for two films ("Flash Gordon" and "Highlander"), released a string of live and studio albums, and had many many fans across the world.
In 1995, 4 years after Mercury's death, the band released the album "Made In Heaven". This album saw the surviving band members in the studio completing or reworking unused vocals, unreleased variations of Freddie solo material (a Queen version of "I Was Born To Love You" for example), and tracks where Brian and Roger added lyrics to flesh out a song ("Mother Love").
Queen have been on indefinite hiatus since 1997, when John Deacon decided to retire.
Several "Queen + ..." projects have been developed in the following years, a few of them mere remixes with no artistic involvement from the band. In 1999, a "Greatest Hits III" album was released. This featured, among others, "Queen + Wyclef Jean" on a rap version of "Another One Bites the Dust", a live version of "Somebody to Love" performed by George Michael, and a live version of "The Show Must Go On" performed live in 1997 with Elton John.
Brian May and Roger Taylor have performed together as Queen on several occasions (award ceremonies, charity concerts, and the like), sharing vocals with various guest singers. They have also recorded several covers of Queen's hits with guest vocalists, including "We Will Rock You" (first with Five and later Britney Spears, Beyonce, John Farnham and P!nk) and "We Are the Champions" (with Robbie Williams).
On the 14th of May 2002 the Queen musical 'We Will Rock You' opened in the Dominion theatre in London's 'West End'. A Musical about young people in the distant future who aren't allowed to listen to music not generated by computers. Various Queen songs are used in the story, played by a live band. This live band was supported by Brian May and Roger Taylor on the premiere evening.
At the end of 2004, May and Taylor announced that they would reunite and return to touring in 2005, with Paul Rodgers (founder and former lead singer of Free and Bad Company). Brian May's website also stated that Rodgers would be 'featured with' Queen as 'Queen + Paul Rodgers', not replacing Mercury. The retired John Deacon would not be participating.
Between 2005 and 2006 Queen + Paul Rodgers embarked on a world tour, the first leg in Europe and the second, Japan and then the US in 2006. On 15 August 2006, Brian May confirmed through his website and fan club that Queen + Paul Rodgers would begin producing their first studio album beginning in October, to be recorded at a "secret location". The album, titled The Cosmos Rocks, was released in Europe on 12 September 2008 and in the United States on 28 October 2008. Following the album the band again embarked on a tour through Europe, opening on Kharkiv's Freedom Square in front of 350,000 Ukrainian fans. The show in Ukraine was later released on DVD.
Queen and Paul Rodgers officially split up without animosity on 12 May 2009. Rodgers did not rule out the possibility of working together again.
Since 2012, Queen has been touring with Adam Lambert as the frontman.
More information about Queen + Paul Rodgers can be found on their last.fm page.
Official website: www.queenonline.com
Discography:
1.- Queen (1973)
2.- Queen II (1974)
3.- Sheer Heart Attack (1974)
4.- A Night at the Opera (1975)
5.- A Day at the Races (1976)
6.- News of the World (1977)
7.- Jazz (1978)
8.- The Game (1980)
9.- Flash Gordon (1980)
10.- Hot Space (1982)
11.- The Works (1984)
12.- A Kind of Magic (1986)
13.- The Miracle (1989)
14.- Innuendo (1991)
15.- Made in Heaven (1995)
Barcelona
Queen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Un sueño me envolvió
This dream was me and you
Tal vez estás aquí
I want all the world to see
Un instinto me guiaba
A miracle sensation
My guide and inspiration
The wind is a gentle breeze
Él me habló de ti
The bells are ringing out
El canto vuela
They're calling us together
Guiding us forever
Wish my dream would never go away
Barcelona it was the first time that we met
Barcelona how can I forget
The moment that you stepped into the room you took my breath away
Barcelona la musica vibró
Barcelona Y ella nos unió
And if God willing we will meet again, someday
Let the songs begin
Déjalo nacer
Let the music play
Ah
Make the voices sing
Nace un gran amor
Start the celebration
Ven a mi
And cry
Grita
Come alive
Vive
And shake the foundations from the skies
Ah, Ah, Shaking all our lives
Barcelona such a beautiful horizon
Barcelona like a jewel in the sun
Por ti seré gaviota de tu bella mar
Barcelona suenan las campanas
Barcelona abre tus puertas al mundo
If God is willing
If God is willing
If God is willing
Friends until the end
Viva, Barcelona
The song "Barcelona" was released in 1987 and was a collaboration between Freddie Mercury, the lead singer of Queen, and Montserrat Caballé, a Spanish soprano. The lyrics of the song describe Freddie's dream of meeting Montserrat Caballé and performing together in Barcelona. The dream becomes reality, and the two artists sing together, celebrating their shared love of music and the city of Barcelona.
The song begins with the line "I had this perfect dream", describing Freddie's idealized vision of meeting Montserrat. He sings about a "miracle sensation" that guides and inspires him, sparking his desire to share his dream with the world. The lyrics also celebrate the beauty of Barcelona itself, with its gentle breeze, ringing bells, and stunning horizon.
The chorus of the song is particularly powerful, using the repetition of the word "Barcelona" to evoke a sense of pride and joy. Freddie and Montserrat sing about coming together in celebration, letting the music play and the voices sing. They promise to remain friends until the end and express hope for the future, saying "If God is willing, we will meet again someday".
Line by Line Meaning
I had this perfect dream
The singer is describing a dream he had that he believes is perfect.
Un sueño me envolvió
The dream enveloped the singer completely.
This dream was me and you
The dream was about the singer and the person he is addressing.
Tal vez estás aquí
The artist is unsure if the person he is addressing is really there or not.
I want all the world to see
The artist desires for everyone in the world to witness the miracle sensation the dream brings.
Un instinto me guiaba
The singer is being guided by his instincts.
A miracle sensation
The dream is described as something miraculous and sensational.
My guide and inspiration
The person the artist is addressing is the inspiration and guidance he needs to make the dream come true.
Now my dream is slowly coming true
The artist's dream is gradually becoming a reality.
The wind is a gentle breeze
The wind described is a soft and mild breeze.
Él me habló de ti
The singer is being spoken to about the person he is addressing.
The bells are ringing out
The sound of bells is emanating from the distance.
El canto vuela
The song seems to be flying.
They're calling us together
The ringing bells seem to be bringing the singer and the person he is addressing closer.
Guiding us forever
The sound of the bells seems to be guiding them for eternity.
Wish my dream would never go away
The artist wishes that his dream will never end.
Barcelona it was the first time that we met
The artist and the person he is addressing first met in Barcelona.
Barcelona how can I forget
The singer is asking how he could possibly forget Barcelona.
The moment that you stepped into the room you took my breath away
The person the singer is addressing had an immediate impact on the singer.
Barcelona la musica vibró
Barcelona is described as a place where music fills the air.
Barcelona Y ella nos unió
Barcelona brought the artist and the person he is addressing together.
And if God willing we will meet again, someday
The artist is hopeful that they will reunite in the future, should it be part of God's plan.
Let the songs begin
The singer begins by suggesting that they start the songs.
Déjalo nacer
The artist is encouraging the music to come forth.
Let the music play
The singer encourages the music to play on.
Ah
A sound of affirmation, encouragement or bliss.
Make the voices sing
The singer is calling for the singers' voices to blend beautifully.
Nace un gran amor
A great love is born.
Start the celebration
It's time to start the festivities and party!
Ven a mi
The singer is calling out to the person he is addressing to come closer.
And cry
The singer is telling the person he is addressing to cry, either of joy or to express strong emotions.
Grita
The artist is telling the person he is addressing to shout or scream.
Come alive
The singer is inviting everyone to come to life, express their true selves and have fun.
Vive
The singer is telling the listener to live and enjoy the moment.
And shake the foundations from the skies
The singer implores the listeners to dance with such fervor that their joy will reach the heavens and shake the foundations of the sky.
Ah, Ah, Shaking all our lives
Expressing how wonderful the moment feels by shaking oneself knowingly and nodding one's head in affirmation.
Barcelona such a beautiful horizon
Barcelona has an incredibly picturesque skyline.
Barcelona like a jewel in the sun
Barcelona shines like a precious gem in the sun.
Por ti seré gaviota de tu bella mar
The singer promises to be like a seagull in the beautiful sea of Barcelona.
Barcelona suenan las campanas
The bells are ringing in Barcelona
Barcelona abre tus puertas al mundo
Barcelona opens its doors to the world.
If God is willing
The singer is hopeful that if it's part of God's plan, they'll meet again.
Friends until the end
The singer wants to remain friends with the person he is addressing until the end of time.
Viva, Barcelona
The singer lives and loves Barcelona.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: Freddie Mercury, Mike Moran
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@lizlizchristian
You can see on Montserrat's face how much she is enjoying singing with Freddie ❤they are singing like two angels together
@michaelhurley457
He tried for years to put this tune together with her it's a mix masterpiece
@mustaphatarmant9868
Barcelona n.™®🧭©™; iov🇦🇩🇻🇦✌️Ⓜ️🌼🕺🇮🇹❤️👭🔞🇿🇦🐾🇪🇺🏨🏟️⚖️🔝✈️🌃💃🩸👍🎗️🌶️😛🍕🇲🇦🇮🇩🐂🚴💏🏎️🤬
@miroslavshatan3854
But he didnt look very often to her eyes…. Anyway amazing 😍👌
@sil1378
No puedo evitar emocionarme con esta obra de arte, a parte no solo admiro a estos increíbles artistas si no como catalana que soy esta canción me toca de lleno. ❤
@craigbray6285
I get goosebumps whenever I hear this timeless classic.
@bruces6347
Freddie said she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, I agree.
@louiseturner9811
So do I. RIP to both of them.🙏😓🙏
@stanafratrik6650
Two Queens, Two Divas... What a duet!
One of the most memorable moments in music/theatre history.
@perryrush6563
Underrated comment. I appreciate the creativity.