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)
Gimme The Prize (Kurgan's Them
Queen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It also left a man's decapitated body lying on the floor next to his own severed head,
A head which at this time has no name"
"I know his name"
Here I am I'm the master of your destiny
I am the one the only one I am the god of kingdom come
Give me your kings let me squeeze then in my hands
Your puny princes
Your so called leaders of your land
I'll eat them whole before I'm done
The battle's fought and the game is won
I am the one the only one
I am the god of kingdom come
Gimme the prize just gimme the prize
"Now you die"
"I have something to say,
It's better to burn out than to fade away...
There can be only one"
Move over I said move over
Hey hey hey clear the way
There's no escape from my authority - Didn't I tell you
I am the one the only one I am the god of kingdom come
Gimme the prize just gimme the prize
I am the one the only one
I am the god of kingdom come
Gimme the prize
"There can be only one."
The lyrics to Queen's song Gimme The Prize (Kurgan's Theme) are mostly inspired by the movie "Highlander". The song specifically refers to the character called Kurgan, who is an immortal and an antagonist in the film. The first verse of the song describes a scene of violence, which is believed to be caused by Kurgan. The second verse begins with "Here I am I'm the master of your destiny" and describes Kurgan's confidence, arrogance and tyranny. He considers himself the "god of kingdom come" and demands that he be given the prize, which, in the context of the movie, means becoming the last immortal standing and winning the ultimate power.
The line "I know his name" is a response to the line "A head which at this time has no name", implying that Kurgan knows the name of the decapitated man on the floor. The final verse starts with "Move over I said move over", asserting Kurgan's authority and power. The line "There can be only one" refers to the rule of the immortals in the movie, which states that there can only be one immortal left standing in the end.
Overall, the song captures the essence and spirit of Kurgan's character in the film "Highlander", showcasing his ruthless and power-hungry nature.
Line by Line Meaning
Garage and water from the sprinklers
There's been a catastrophic event that's left physical evidence of destruction.
It also left a man's decapitated body lying on the floor next to his own severed head,
The incident was a gruesome one resulting in a brutal murder.
A head which at this time has no name
The victim hasn't been identified yet.
I know his name
The artist is confident in their ability to succeed.
Here I am I'm the master of your destiny
The artist is in control and has a plan for their future.
I am the one the only one I am the god of kingdom come
The singer is powerful and dominant.
Gimme the prize just gimme the prize
The singer will stop at nothing to achieve their goal.
Give me your kings let me squeeze then in my hands
The artist wants to eliminate competition and have complete control over everything.
Your puny princes
The artist sees all other authority figures as inferior.
Your so called leaders of your land
The artist doesn't respect the leaders in place and wants to take their place.
I'll eat them whole before I'm done
The singer will stop at nothing to gain power and control.
The battle's fought and the game is won
The artist has already won their desired outcome in their mind.
Now you die
The singer threatens those who stand in their way.
I have something to say,
It's better to burn out than to fade away...
The singer wants to leave a lasting impact and not be forgotten.
There can be only one
The singer sees themselves as the only option for leadership and control.
Move over I said move over
Hey hey hey clear the way
There's no escape from my authority - Didn't I tell you
The artist demands respect and obedience, and those who don't comply will suffer the consequences.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN MAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@shaneinkster
1980 Superman II
1981 Escape from New York
1982 Conan the Barbarian
1983 The Return of the Jedi
1984 The Terminator
1985 Rambo First Blood
1986 Highlander
1987 Robocop
1988 Die Hard
1989 Batman
Those are my favourite 80s Action movies
@christianfarina3056
Queen could write any kind of song. Freddie could sing any kind of song. Unmatched.
@xaagripha7326
And we got songs about highlander and when he was gone he took the magic of highlander with it.
@adriantrusca1245
Yeah but they were mostly a rock band.
@apostolos1348
Freddie could squeal in the mic and it would be a hit
@SamanthaGuttesen
@Apostolos A. He could sing the phonebook
@Jakehoneychuck
what about rap
@redspecialsniper5595
Freddie's voice is so damn powerful that when he says " give me your kings, let me squeeze them in my hand", you would actually do it.
@MultiRamon21
Amen.
@melissabattles3196
LOL YES! Is it terrible that I would've literally done ANYTHING this man wanted me to? Freddie was just perfection. ;D
@82Greekfire
OH IVE DONE IT ... AND ILL DO IT AGAIN EEYRTIME I HEAR THIS