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)
Seaside Rendezvous
Queen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm merely contemplating what you feel inside
Meanwhile, I ask you to be my Clementine
You say you will if you could, but you can't
I love you madly
Let my imagination run away with you gladly
A brand new angle, highly commendable
Seaside rendezvous
Feels so romantic, can we do it again?
Can we do it again sometime (ooh, I'd like that)
Fantastic, c'est la vie, mesdames et messieurs
And at the peak of the season
The Mediterranean
This time of year, it's so fashionable
I feel like dancing in the rain
Can I have a volunteer? (Just keep right on dancing)
What a damn jolly good idea
It's such a jollification, as a matter of fact
So très charmant, my dear
Underneath the moonlight
Together, we'll sail across the sea
Reminiscing every night
Meantime (and in the meantime, baby)
I ask you to be my valentine
You say you'd have to tell your daddy if you can
I'll be your Valentino
We'll ride upon an omnibus and then the casino
Get a new facial
Start a sensation (sensational)
Seaside rendezvous (so adorable)
Seaside rendezvous (ooh)
Seaside rendezvous (give us a kiss)
The lyrics to Queen's song Seaside Rendezvous speak to the feeling of being hopelessly in love and wanting nothing more than to spend time with the person you love in a romantic setting. The song is set against the backdrop of the seaside, with the singer inviting their beloved to stroll along the beach with them. The singer is deeply in love, and is unable to contain their imagination or the joy that the prospect of spending time with their love brings them.
Throughout the song, there are numerous references to the beauty of the seaside and the joy that being there brings. The singer wants to share this experience with their love, and hopes that they will agree to be their valentine. There are also references to dancing in the rain, which adds to the romantic and whimsical nature of the song. The lyrics are playful and light-hearted, with the singer encouraging their love to give them a kiss and enjoy the moment with them.
Overall, the lyrics to Seaside Rendezvous capture the feeling of being head-over-heels in love and wanting to spend time with someone in a magical and romantic setting. The song is both fun and quirky in its references to dancing in the rain and riding on an omnibus, and serves as a reminder to enjoy the little moments in life with the person you love.
Line by Line Meaning
Seaside, whenever you stroll along with me
Whenever we walk along the coast, I'm curious about what's going on inside your mind.
I'm merely contemplating what you feel inside
I'm trying to figure out your emotions and thoughts.
Meanwhile, I ask you to be my Clementine
By the way, would you like to date me?
You say you will if you could, but you can't
You're interested in me, but you can't commit to a relationship.
I love you madly
I'm happily in love with you.
Let my imagination run away with you gladly
Join me on a journey of imagination.
A brand new angle, highly commendable
A fresh and exciting perspective, well worth exploring.
Feels so romantic, can we do it again?
This is so romantic, would you like to do it again?
Can we do it again sometime (ooh, I'd like that)
I'm hoping we'll have another romantic outing.
Fantastic, c'est la vie, mesdames et messieurs
Fantastic, such is life, ladies and gentlemen.
And at the peak of the season
During peak time.
The Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Sea.
This time of year, it's so fashionable
It's trendy to be here during this time of the year.
I feel like dancing in the rain
I have an urge to dance in the rain.
Can I have a volunteer? (Just keep right on dancing)
Would someone like to join me? (Keep on dancing.)
What a damn jolly good idea
That's a great idea.
It's such a jollification, as a matter of fact
It's a joyful occasion, actually.
So très charmant, my dear
So very charming, my dear.
Underneath the moonlight
Beneath the moon's light.
Together, we'll sail across the sea
We'll sail together across the ocean.
Reminiscing every night
Recollecting each night.
Meantime (and in the meantime, baby)
In the meanwhile (and in the meantime, darling)
I ask you to be my valentine
Will you be my valentine?
You say you'd have to tell your daddy if you can
You need to consult your father first.
I'll be your Valentino
I'll play the role of your handsome lover.
We'll ride upon an omnibus and then the casino
We'll take a bus ride and then visit the casino.
Get a new facial
Have a makeover.
Start a sensation (sensational)
Cause a stir, something sensational.
Seaside rendezvous (so adorable)
Meeting at the coast (so lovely).
Seaside rendezvous (ooh)
Meeting at the coast (ooh).
Seaside rendezvous (give us a kiss)
Meeting at the coast (give me a kiss).
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Freddie Mercury
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind