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)
Under Pressure
Queen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Doom-boom-ba-beh
Doo-boo-boom-ba-beh-beh
Pressure pushin' down on me
Pressin' down on you, no man ask for
Under pressure that brings a building down
Splits a family in two, puts people on streets
Dee-day-da, ee-day-da
That's okay
That's the terror of knowing what this world is about
Watchin' some good friends screamin', "Let me out"
Pray tomorrow gets me higher
Pressure on people, people on streets
Da-da-da, mm-mm
Da-da-da-ba-bum
Okay
Chippin' around, kick my brains 'round the floor
These are the days it never rains but it pours
Ee-doh-ba-buh, ee-da-ba-ba-bop
Mm-bo-bop, beh-lup
People on streets, ee-da-dee-da-day
People on streets, ee-da-dee-da-dee-da-dee-da
It's the terror of knowing what this world is about
Watching some good friends screaming, "Let me out"
Pray tomorrow gets me higher, higher, high
Pressure on people, people on streets
Turned away from it all like a blind man
Sat on the fence but it don't work
Keep comin' up with love but it's so slashed and torn
Why, why, why?
Love
Insanity laughs under pressure we're breaking
Can't we give ourselves one more chance?
Why can't we give love that one more chance?
Why can't we give love, give love, give love, give love
Give love, give love, give love, give love?
'Cause love's such an old-fashioned word
And love dares you to care for
The people on the edge of the night
And love dares you to change our way of
Caring about ourselves
This is our last dance
This is our last dance
This is ourselves
Under pressure
Under pressure
Pressure
The lyrics to Queen's song Under Pressure convey a message of the intense pressure and stress that people face in their daily lives. The song starts with the mellow and rhythmic verse "Mm-noom-ba-deh, Doom-boom-ba-beh, Doo-boo-boom-ba-beh-beh" and builds up to the powerful chorus "Under pressure, Pressure." The song's title itself represents the pressure that individuals face and how it can be overwhelming, leading to conflicts and breakdowns that may break families apart and put people on the streets. The lyrics also highlight the importance of love and care for others amidst all the pressure and chaos.
The lyrics also depict the terror of knowing about the harsh realities of the world that people live in, where people are often left screaming for help. The song suggests that such pressure can lead to the breakdown of mental health, causing people to turn away and sit on the fence, unable to cope. The lyrics encourage giving love one more chance and daring individuals to care about others on the edge of the night. The song ends with the repeated message of "Under Pressure," emphasizing the constant pressure that humans face.
Line by Line Meaning
Mm-noom-ba-deh
Vocals used as intro, no specific meaning
Doom-boom-ba-beh
Instrumental used as intro, no specific meaning
Doo-boo-boom-ba-beh-beh
Instrumental used as intro, no specific meaning
Pressure pushin' down on me
Feeling overwhelmed and burdened by the stresses of life
Pressin' down on you, no man ask for
Feeling burdened by external pressures not caused by oneself
Under pressure that brings a building down
Intense pressure can cause irreparable damage to the things we hold dear
Splits a family in two, puts people on streets
Pressure can cause family and community breakdown, leading to displacement and homelessness
Mm-ba-ba-beh, mm-ba-ba-beh
Instrumental used in transition, no specific meaning
Dee-day-da, ee-day-da
Instrumental used in transition, no specific meaning
That's okay
Acknowledging life's difficulties but striving to carry on
That's the terror of knowing what this world is about
Coming to terms with the frightening reality of the world we live in
Watchin' some good friends screamin', "Let me out"
Seeing those close to us struggling against the pressures of life
Pray tomorrow gets me higher
Hoping for relief and a better future
Pressure on people, people on streets
The weight of pressure affects everyone, even leading to homelessness and poverty
Da-da-da, mm-mm
Instrumental used in transition, no specific meaning
Da-da-da-ba-bum
Instrumental used in transition, no specific meaning
Okay
Acknowledging that things will be tough, but trying to stay optimistic
Chippin' around, kick my brains 'round the floor
Feeling lost and overwhelmed, unable to think clearly
These are the days it never rains but it pours
Life feels like a constant battle, with multiple negative issues piling up
Ee-doh-ba-buh, ee-da-ba-ba-bop
Instrumental used in transition, no specific meaning
Mm-bo-bop, beh-lup
Instrumental used in transition, no specific meaning
People on streets, ee-da-dee-da-day
Acknowledging the prevalence of homelessness and poverty
People on streets, ee-da-dee-da-dee-da-dee-da
Reiterating that homelessness and poverty are widespread issues, affecting many
Turned away from it all like a blind man
Feeling helpless and disconnected from the world around us
Sat on the fence but it don't work
Trying to stay neutral in difficult situations, but feeling like it's not enough
Keep comin' up with love but it's so slashed and torn
Striving to maintain loving relationships, but feeling like they're falling apart
Why, why, why?
Expressing frustration and confusion about life's difficulties
Love
Love is the solution to many of the world's problems
Insanity laughs under pressure we're breaking
The stress of life can lead to madness and breakdown
Can't we give ourselves one more chance?
Urging oneself and others to not give up, but to keep trying
Why can't we give love that one more chance?
Stressing the importance of love and connection to overcome life's difficulties
Give love, give love, give love, give love
Repeating the importance of showing love and care for others
Cause love's such an old-fashioned word
Acknowledging that love can be seen as cheesy or outdated
And love dares you to care for
Love challenges us to show compassion and concern for others
The people on the edge of the night
Empathizing with those who are struggling and vulnerable
And love dares you to change our way of
Love motivates us to change the status quo, to make the world a better place
Caring about ourselves
Encouraging self-love and self-care, as a way to better care for others
This is our last dance
This life is fleeting, and we must make the most of it
This is our last dance
Reiteration that we must make the most of our time on this earth
This is ourselves
We are responsible for how we live our lives, and the impact we have on others
Under pressure
A refrain throughout the song, representing the challenges and stresses of life
Under pressure
Reiteration of the challenges of modern life
Pressure
Summarizing the overarching theme of the song
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: David Bowie, John Richard Deacon, Brian Harold May, Freddie Mercury, Roger Meddows Taylor
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@The-Cat
@@terry3252 some people like to talk like Americans always exaggerating descriptions
THE GREATEST
THE MOST
THE BIGGEST
...
It's ridiculous but over the years i've just grown to mumble about it in silence and just move on....
@andylam350
Freddie Mercury is the only person that can say “fuck you” to a crowd without offending anyone.
@lettucelettucelettuce
@Hill-Billy Boy trust me, those 10 year old white girls are gonna try to find some way to “cAnCeL” Freddie. And when they do we raise hell 😎
@shockwave2008
@@lettucelettucelettuce
EVERYTHING is offensive for them.
@bradybaker2155
Green Day did it too but yeah
@Saientific
nobody would get offended... yall hyper sensitive to peoples sensitivities that dont even exist
@goby3807
@@Saientific Exactly, some of these older folk think that the people of Twitter represent all young people...
@mamamajestic9872
Interviewer: What instrument do you play, Mr. Mercury?
Freddie: The audience, darling.
@ellie301
yes
@ethanmoyes8204
yes
@user-lw5fl1xb7b
yep