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)
Khashoggi
Queen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Huh huh I'm in pretty good shape
The best years of my life are like a supernova
Huh huh perpetual craze I said that
Everybody drank my wine - you get my drift
And then we took a holiday on Khashoggi's ship, well
We really had a good good time they was all so sexy
We was bad we was blitzed
This big bad sucker with a fist as big as your head
Wanted to get me I said go away
I said kiss my ass honey
He pulled out a gun wanted to arrest me
I said uh uh uh babe
Now listen no-one stops my party
No-one stops my party
No-one no-one no-one stops my party
Just like I said
We were phased we was pissed
Just having a total eclipse
That's good
This one's on me so let us do it just right
This here one party don't get started 'till midnight
Everybody party to the left - party to the right
Do it all night alright alright
Should I lay my hands on you all right
Left, right
Left right no-one stops my
party
The song "Khashoggi" by Queen was released in 1989 as a tribute to Adnan Khashoggi, a billionaire Saudi Arabian businessman who was one of the richest men in the world in the 1980s. The song is a tribute to his extravagance and hedonism. The first verse reflects the idea that the best years of Khashoggi's life were like a supernova, bright and intense but short-lived. The second verse describes the party on Khashoggi's ship and how everyone was drinking his wine, reflecting his wealth and generosity. The third verse describes Khashoggi's encounter with a man who wanted to arrest him, but Khashoggi refused to let anyone stop his party.
The song was controversial at the time of its release because Khashoggi was controversial due to his involvement in various scandals and illegal activities. However, frontman Freddie Mercury defended the song and said that it was simply a fun tribute to an extravagant man.
Line by Line Meaning
Who said that my party was all over
Someone assumed my party was over, but it's not
Huh huh I'm in pretty good shape
I'm doing well despite what others may think
The best years of my life are like a supernova
My best years were bright, intense, but brief
Huh huh perpetual craze I said that
I'm always in a wild and crazy mood
Everybody drank my wine - you get my drift
Everyone enjoyed my hospitality
And then we took a holiday on Khashoggi's ship, well
We went on a vacation aboard Khashoggi's ship
We really had a good good time they was all so sexy
We had a great time with attractive people
We was bad we was blitzed
We were misbehaving and intoxicated
All in all it was a pretty good trip
Overall, it was a fun and enjoyable experience
This big bad sucker with a fist as big as your head
A large and intimidating person approached me
Wanted to get me I said go away
They tried to harm me, but I refused to give in
I said kiss my ass honey
I spoke confidently and dismissively to them
He pulled out a gun wanted to arrest me
The person tried to use force to control me
I said uh uh uh babe
I resisted their attempts to control me
Now listen no-one stops my party
I won't let anyone ruin my fun
Just like I said
I'm standing by what I previously stated
We were phased we was pissed
We were affected by the situation and upset
Just having a total eclipse
We were caught up in the moment and not fully aware
This one's on me so let us do it just right
I'm in charge, and I want things done perfectly
This here one party don't get started 'till midnight
The party doesn't start until late at night
Everybody party to the left - party to the right
Everyone should enjoy the party and have fun
Do it all night alright alright
We'll party until the morning without stopping
Should I lay my hands on you all right
I may get physical, but it's all in good fun
Left, right
We'll keep the party going in every direction
Left right no-one stops my
I won't let anyone ruin my fun, and I'll keep the party going
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRIAN HAROLD MAY, FREDDIE MERCURY, JOHN RICHARD DEACON, ROGER MEDDOWS TAYLOR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mzmadmike
Well, he's not a journalist, nor even really a blogger.
He wrote anti-Israel and anti-semitic op-eds for the Washington (com)Post.
He was a paid member of the Muslim Brotherhood, supported ISIS, and wrote a touching eulogy for poor Osama bin Laden.
And he's not American at all.
So I assume the more to the story is that the Democrats want to use his well-deserved death as an excuse to bash Trump, in the hopes that they can go back to drone-striking brown people, hating Israel, and destroying civilization.
Which is why every forum is full of NPCs wailing about this asshole who deserved worse than what happened to him.
@simonegallo323
Just imagine a Miracle Tour!
@philfitnesspt6139
Freddie did plan to do a few. Small shows but sadly his health went down hill in 1989. ☹
@JohnathonTAdams
And besides wembley was their last tour as a band in 1986
@CamusFR7
Yes, and after imagine a tour for "Innuendo".....
@philfitnesspt6139
@@CamusFR7 innuendo wouldn't probably have happened if Freddie wasn't so ill or at least a lot of the song's wouldn't be the same. Most of the miracle was made with rest of the band being unaware of the extent of Freddie's illness (if they knew..i think.they guessed something wasn't right ) he then told them after miracle in.1989 sometime. I guess we would have had headlong..i can't live with you and all gods people as i think Brian had.the ideas for first 2 for a while for his solo album and gods people was left over from Barcelona album. Unsure about the rest innuendo wd prob be a lot different and prob later maybe 1992 /93 time as they wouldn't normally start work on next album so quickly at that stage in their career. 🤷♂️🤔
@CamusFR7
@@philfitnesspt6139 Yes I am completely agree with you, without the terrible disease of Freddie most of the songs of Innuendo would not have existed or would have been different, not only in the lyrics. Mine was just a fantasy .....
@AndrewBishop1971
Queen could write songs about anything and make it amazing
@zabooza74
Definitely since this is about a pedophile orgy on the Ship of a criminal weapons dealer.
@josukehigashikata1882
Bicycle race 🙃
@jasonmtolela5261
Khashoggi's Ship: Party to the left, party to the right
The Hitman: Trouble in the east, troubled in the west
Wow. Interesting.