TALON'S TAKE:
One of my favs of ALL time.
White Queen (As It Began)Written by: Brian May
Musicians:
Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals
Brian May - acoustic & electric guitars
John Deacon - bass guitar
Roger Taylor - drums
- A first. One of the first "power ballads" that rockers became known for. It's an ABSOLUTLEY gorgeous piece of work. From the swelling guitar orchestrations to Freddie's emotional vocals to the haunting lyrics...it really always leaves me with a tear or two. Quite climactic.
- One of the first Queen songs ever written, it was actually written by Brian in 1969 during his Smile days although it isn't known if Smile ever attempted it.
- Performed live through 1977 and then once more in 1978.
QUOTES:
- “I wrote this at College, where I led a relatively sheltered life, even though the University on the whole was a pretty rampant pace! I had been reading The White Goddess by Robert Graves which explored the role of the idealized Virgin/Mother/Queen figure in art through history, and the name for our group, decided just around that time, fitted in with this perfectly – which was one of the reasons I was convinced to go with the name. The personal side is bound up with a girl (of course!) whom I saw every day at College, and was to me the ultimate goddess. It’s incredible in retrospect, but because I held her in such awe, in three years I never had the courage to speak to tell her, or even speak to her.” – Brian May - 2004
ALTERNATE RElLEASED VERSIONS:
EP VERSIONEP VERSION- NOT essential.
- This was the version released on
Queen's First EP which collected a track from each of the band's second, third, fourth, and fifth albums instead of just a new single from the fifth album.
- It doesn't include the segue from
'Father To Son'GERMAN EDITGERMAN EDIT- NOT essential. In 1981 Germany put out a Queen compilation and in order to fit all the songs to vinyl they edited down the track so it starts at Freddie's vocals only.
UNRELEASED VERSIONS:
BBC SESSION 4 VERSION-
ESSENTIAL LISTENING. I know Q3 posted it but I can't not post it.
- Much different. This adds Freddie on the piano and is much closer to the live version. It is less layered than the studio version obviously and that is missed but overall it might be a better version!
UNRELEASED AND UNHEARD (?):
SMILE DEMOQUEEN SESSION DEMO- These are more speculation. It is known that Brian wrote it in 1969 during his Smile days. Does that mean it was recorded by Smile? Is there a demo from
Queen? It is unknown.
LIVE VERSIONS
LIVE AT THE RAINBOW - NOVEMBER 1974RAINBOW 1974 - Q3 POSTEDLIVE AT HAMMERSMITH - DECEMBER 1975HAMMERSMITH 1975 - Q3 POSTED- Both are great live versions from 1974's Rainbow and 1975's Hammersmith concerts. Much closer to the BBC session version but I could listen forever
PERSONAL NOTES:
- I've given you personal notes throughout but all I can say is that I always return to this song.
Great Great track.
CHANCES:
White Queen (As It Began).....40% -- Ok that might be way too high, but I'm willing the world to make it happen. I tweeted it to Brian. It *IS* the 40th Anniversary of Queen II and it is a Brian song which he likes...so just maybe this one gets brought out of the mothballs.
The March Of The Black QueenWritten by: Freddie Mercury
Musicians:
Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals, piano
Brian May - guitars, tubular bells, backing vocals
John Deacon - bass guitar
Roger Taylor - drums, lead and backing vocals
- This is the next step in the line of
Bohemian Rhapsody It started last album with
My Fairy King and continues here with it's tempo shifts and ballad moments, and rock moments.
- Roger gets lead vocal credits for the line:
- It was never performed live in full, however the rock section was performed as part of a medley through 1976. Then after that it was often quoted by Freddie during piano improvs.
- There has been some recent controversy as one of Freddie's lyrics was "nigger sugar". From what I've learned it was a common colloquialism for brown sugar at the time. Given that one of Freddie's role models was Jimi Hendrix and one of his best friends was Peter Straker - I have a hard time believing him racist but people are entitled to their opinion.
- The song does segue a bit from
Nevermore but there is a separation so it isn't jarring. The ending is a bit abrupt here as well as it goes straight into
Funny How Love IsQUOTES:
- “Those were the days of the sixteen-track studios. Before when we did so many overdubs on 16 track, it was like we just kept piling it on and on. The tape went transparent because it just couldn’t take anymore. I think it snapped in two places as well.” – Freddie Mercury – 1977
- “We lasted recording that one until the tape went transparent. Genuinely!” – Roger Taylor – 1977
- “We spent ages and ages rehearsing this one - not very easy at all, I can assure you!” – John Deacon
ALTERNATIVE RELEASED VERSIONS:
DEEP CUTS VERSIONDEEP CUTS - Q3 POSTED- ESSENTIAL listening (for the last :30).
- It is the SAME track but is given a standalone ending as it doesn't segue. The standalone bit just takes the final chord that is present during the album version but is played over by the instrumentation of the next song. It is a bit jarring as all of a sudden the music cuts off and there is only an AHHHHHH.
- Released on
Deep Cuts: Volume 1: 1973-1976 an Island compilation intended to introduce listeners to non-Greatest Hits tracks from the first five albums.
UNRELEASED VERSIONS:
BBC SESSION 4 VERSION- NOT essential listening.
- I couldn't find a YT video but that's because as far as Queen scholars are concerned, the band just used the album cut on the BBC session. That's not how it's supposed to work and the track may be very slightly remixed but for all intents and purposes it is the same track that fades out at the end to make up for the segue not being there.
TAKES 3-5NO YT VID
- NOT essential listening.
- A collection of 3 takes placed in one track that was debuted at a Queen Convention with the usual Greg Brooks talking as well. They show Queen making a backing track of the song with Freddie dictating rhythm. Interesting listen once but not something for the ipod.
LIVE VERSIONS:
LIVE AT HYDE PARK - 1976- Very short as it is only a part of the medley but still a fun glimpse - especially as it includes Roger's one line!
LIVE IN SUN CITY - 1984- As before, Freddie toying with both this track and
My Fairy King as part of a piano improv.
PERSONAL NOTES:
- I know I've said this a lot, but this really is one of my favorite Queen songs of all time. I always thought of this as a companion piece to
White Queen (As It Began). Whereas that tune was about a true though unrequited love of a woman that embodied good, this is the tragic tale of love of an evil woman who though beautiful is demanding and overpowering.
- One of my favorite parts of Queen songs is when Freddie, Brian, and Roger share lead vocals during a song so when Roger comes in for a line it makes me smile
CHANCES:
March Of The Black Queen.....2% -- IF they do a early 70s medley then maybe, but I doubt it highly. It has a 0% chance of being played in full.
SUPPLEMENTAL
Hang On In ThereWritten by: Freddie Mercury
Musicians:
Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals, piano, keyboards
Brian May - guitars, keyboards (?)
John Deacon - bass guitar
Roger Taylor - drums
- Originally titled
A Fiddly Jam demo.
- Appeared as a bonus track on the CD version and also as a B-Side
ALTERNATE RELEASED VERSIONS
SINGLE EDITNO YT VID
- NOT ESSENTIAL
- Fades a bit earlier.
A FIDDLY JAM DEMO- ESSENTIAL
- Mostly instrumental with some adlibs but great to see where it came from.
PERSONAL NOTES:
- Another song I loved, and I'm not sure why it wasn't on the album proper. It's a great message, and I love the tempo increase towards the frantic ending. Great tune.
CHANCES:
Hang On In There.....0.5% -- I can't see them playing a b-side - not their style. The only (non album) B-Side they ever played was See What A Fool I've Been.
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