Queen Discussion Thread

Killer Queen

Written by: Freddie Mercury

Musicians:

Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals, piano, jangle piano, finger snaps
Brian May - guitars, backing vocals
John Deacon - bass guitar
Roger Taylor - drums, triangle, Aeolian chimes, backing vocals





- Queen's first big international hit! Issued as a Double-A side (which meant actually 2 singles at once) with Flick Of The Wrist. The pairing hit #12 in the US and #2 in the UK. Around the world it hit #23 in Australia, #3 in the Netherlands, and #27 in Japan.

- Inspired the name of the villain in the Queen musical, We Will Rock You

- Brian May has said (though I don't have the exact quote) this is his favorite of all his guitar solos mainly because it fits the song perfectly - something he always strived for - not speed or amazing power or individuality in his guitar track - but how the guitar track/solo fits the song.

-Amazingly the song was never performed in full! It was only performed as part of a medley!

QUOTES

- "Well, Killer Queen I wrote in one night. I’m not being conceited or anything, but it just fell into place. Certain songs do. Now, The March Of The Black Queen, that took ages. I had to give it everything, to be self indulgent or whatever. But with Killer Queen I scribbled down the words in the dark one Saturday night and the next morning I got them all together and I worked all day Sunday and that was it. I’d got it. It gelled. It was great.” – Freddie Mercury – Melody Maker – 1974.

- "People are used to hard rock, energy music from Queen., yet with this single, you almost expect Noel Coward to sing it. It’s one of those bowler hat, black suspender numbers – not that Noel Coward would wear that. It’s about a highclass call girl. I’m trying to say that classy people can be whores as well. That’s what the song is about, though I’d prefer people to put their own interpretation upon it – to read what they like into it.” – Freddie Mercury – NME – 1974

- "We’re very proud of that number. It’s done me a lot of proud. It’s just one of the tracks I wrote for the album, to be honest. It wasn’t written as a single. I just wrote a batch of songs for the Sheer Heart Attack album and when I finished writing it, and when we recorded it, we found that it was a very, very strong single. It really was. At that time it was very, very unlike Queen. They all said, ‘Awwwwwwwww.’ It was another risk that we took you know. Every risk we’ve taken so far has paid off.” – Freddie Mercury – Record Mirror – 1976.

- "When we put out Killer Queen everybody thought that it was the most commercial. I was worried that people would put us in a category where they thought we were doing something light. Sheer Heart Attack was, in my mind, quite heavy and dirty, and Killer Queen was the lightest and cleanest track, and I was worried about putting it out. But when I heard it on the radio I thought, ‘It’s a well-made record and I’m proud of it so it doesn’t really matter.’ Plus, it was a hit, so fuck it. A hit is a hit is a hit.” - Brian May – Guitar For the Practicing Musician – 1993

- "Killer Queen was the turning point. It was the song that best summed up our kind of music, and a big hit, and we desperately needed it as a mark of something successful happening for us.” – Brian May

- "The first time I heard Freddie playing that song, I was lying in my room in Rockfield (Studios), feeling very sick. After Queen’s first American tour, I had hepatitis, and then I had very bad stomach problems and I had to be operated on. So I remember just lying there, hearing Freddie play this really great song and feeling sad, because I thought, ‘I can’t even get out of bed to participate in this. Maybe the group will have to go on without me.’ No one could figure out what was wrong with me. But then I did go to the hospital and I got fixed up, thank God. And when I came out again, we were able to finish off ‘Killer Queen.’ They left some space for me and I did the solo. I had strong feelings about one of the harmony bits in the chorus, so we had another go at that too,” – Bran May

- "There’s nothing cluttered about Killer Queen There’s a fantastic amount going on but nothing ever gets in the way of anything else. I was pleased that the solo went along with that. Everything is crystal clear. And when the three voices of guitars are all doing little tunes of their own, it feels almost accidental that they go together. I was pleased how it came out.” – Brian May

UNRELEASED AND UNHEARD:

ACETATE VERSION

- Supposedly an acetate version appears in which the only difference wa additional intro finger snapping.

DEMOS

- Supposedly there are some recording sessions of the track which feature vocals and studio chatter

OFFICIALLY RELEASED LIVE VERSIONS:

LIVE KILLERS VERSION


- Audio only and as part of a medley it has an abrupt ending.

ROCK MONTREAL VERSION


- Includes some banter between Freddie and the crowd which leads to John starting the riff to Under Pressure leading Freddie to tell him to fuck off jokingly!

- Again part of a medley.

UNRELEASED LIVE VERSIONS:

LIVE AT THE RAINBOW - 1974


- Early early version, featuring a very young Freddie and the whole band was very into it.

LIVE AT EARLS COURT - 1977


- A bit later on featuring Freddie in one of his worst unitards I love it. I love the bit with John hitting the triangle once!

PERSONAL NOTES:
- This was the first real hit and can still be heard occasionally on classic rock radio today. It was the song to me that suddenly said Queen weren't just a hard rock/metal band. They had more depth and the future was limitless really. A great piece of work overall that has never dated.

- The last time it was played (still in medley form - was 1985. So it lasted quite awhile in the set list despite not being played in full). BUT at the same time no other singer has attempted it. Possibly because it is so camp that no one tries. Paul couldn't have done it. I can't imagine anyone at the Freddie Tribute...I thought that Adam was the best chance they had at doing the song...and still think it could work. We'll have to see!

NEXT up is Roger's track on the album and one of my favorite Roger tracks! An ode to youthful rebellion and good fun rock and roll...Tenement Funster

Wow thanks for the links talon, will check them out asap

Isn't it Brian that plays the Under Pressure riff in the Rock Montreal version? Sounds like a guitar to me but then I'm still a little bit deaf in one ear ;D

I've always found it strange that no one has covered Killer Queen as far as I've heard. I do think it's one that would more suit Tom than Adam, cause Tom's got Freddie's falsetto down where as Adam would mostly likely go for the less-campy-more-operatic head voice. I think Marc Martel would do a good job too.

Thanks for the links, I love Panic at the Disco, Brendon has a great voice if a bit whiny. A lot of Queen influence in their music.

Yes, Panic! are definitely a fun band...they don't take much seriously so I appreciate that!



Oh yes, The Darkness are HUGE Queen fans...and obviously quite influenced by them. They induced Queen into the UK Music Hall Of Fame in 2004:



- I wish I could find ACTUAL video...this is just the audio with stills from the induction, etc. Better than nothing...

As for performing...well in 2005 at Hyde Park The Darkness were going to come on stage and perform a few songs with Queen + Paul Rodgers. Unfortunately due to terrorist attacks on London, the concert was pushed back a few weeks and due to that The Darkness could no longer appear due to scheduling conflicts :(

BUT in 2011, Brian May did join them on stage! And they played 3 tracks together:

Bareback


Tie Your Mother Down


I Believe In A Thing Called Love


The 1st and 3rd are Darkness songs and appeared on the Darkness site as they professionally filmed it. I believe that's why TYMD didn't appear as they don't have the rights to show it? TYMD is a fan video but not too bad!

Killer Queen

Wow! ITA with you. This would have been one I would love Adam to have covered. Hopefully next time :D

BTW is this the last Queen song with "Queen" in the title? ;D
Just curious!

White Queen (As It Began)
The March of the Black Queen
Killer Queen

Today's track...

Tenement Funster

Written by: Roger Taylor

Musicians:

Roger Taylor - lead and backing vocals, drums
Freddie Mercury - piano
Brian May - guitars
John Deacon - bass guitar, acoustic guitar





- Early titles included Teen Dreams and at one point You're Young And You're Crazy

- Wasn't a single on its own right but was a part of Queen's First E.P. that took one track each from albums 2-5.

- Segues into the next track, Flick Of The Wrist (and Gabby, there are is one "medley" of segues on this album too of three songs and after the third I will post a video of all three together!)

- Queen as a band never played this track live but Roger did play it on his two solo tours, getting its debut in 1994, 20 years after it was written.

ALTERNATIVE RELEASED VERSIONS:

SINGLE VERSION


- NOT essential listening.

- From Queen's First EP and subsequent compilations.

- Fades out the Flick Of The Wrist intro.

JAPANESE SINGLE VERSION

- NOT essential listening...but nice.

- Complete standalone that ends on the ringing guitar chords.

BBC SESSION 5


- NOT essential listening.

- The backing track appears to be identical. I do believe Roger recorded a different vocal for it but overall this is not much different.

- Like the Japanese CD single, this one is a complete standalone ending.

UNRELEASED VERSIONS:

INSTRUMENTAL DEMO


- NOT essential listening.

- Played at a Queen convention complete with "talkover" from Greg Brooks.

- A few different guitar/drum overdubs.

INSTRUMENTAL DEMO W/FLICK OF THE WRIST INTRO


- NOT essential listening

- VERY similar to finished backing tracks.

UNRELEASED LIVE VERSIONS

ROGER TAYLOR LIVE IN PARIS - DEC 1994


- I loved this tour especially as Roger is up front but occasionally also went back to help drum.

BRIAN AND ROGER GUESTING WITH TAYLOR HAWKINS AND THE COATTAIL RIDERS - MAY 2010


- This gig is famous among Queen fans. Taylor Hawkins is the drummer for the Foo Fighters and along with Dave Grohl one of the band's best friend. Taylor has a side project and on their second album both Brian and Roger guested on songs. During a London tour, Taylor got both Brian and Roger to come up and they did songs they hadn't done in YEARS. If Brian and Roger had added a few more songs to the setlists over the year, the "purists" would be a lot more mollified! I just wish there were better quality vids of it. This is the only time Brian has played the track live.

PERSONAL NOTES:

- One of my favorite Rog songs. It's pure youthful rebellion. To me it kind of symbolized young rock and roll. It's one of those tracks I wish he'd perform nowadays as one of his songs during Queen shows.

Nest up...Freddie's first angry song directed at band management....Flick of The Wrist

Well.....she doesn't really. She's an actress. She's not bad but she's more actress than singer. She just did that TV star does an album thing in the 80s, especially as she hit it off with a rock god.



It was. I will eventually get to detailing this album as I consider it a Brian May solo project...although that's barely. It's probably my LEAST favorite Queen-related project with only a few songs I'd ever choose to listen to again :D I probably wouldn't even list it, but since I do love his Anthems album with Kerry Ellis, it didn't seem right to exclude one but not the other when it is basically the same circumstance. Brian writes, produces, and plays on virtually every track in some fashion! You will hear more later...with some interesting trivia none-the-less.



Not quite. They met at a film preview and he invited her to watch Queen at Wembley. It was a strange time in Brian's life.



Indeed. That's the best part of this project. Brian seemed to enjoy himself!