The Works - Album
The Works (Album) by Queen
Queen>
Artist Biography For Queen
Queen Is An English Rock Band Originally Consisting Of Four Members Vocalist And Pianist Freddie Mercury Guitarist Brian May Bass Guitarist John Deacon And Drummer Roger Taylor. 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
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Biography - Queen
Queen Is An English Rock Band Originally Consisting Of Four Members Vocalist And Pianist Freddie Mercury Guitarist Brian May Bass Guitarist John Deacon And Drummer Roger Taylor. 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 read less
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- 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 read less
16 Similar Artists To Queen - Frogtoon Music
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Following The Release Of And Subsequent Touring For Their 1982 Album Hot Space The Four Members Of Queen Opted To Take A Break From The Band The Following Year Indulging In Solo Projects And Taking The Chance To Stretch In Individual Directions. While A Spring Tour Of South America Had Been An Early Possibility Especially Following The Band's Success There Two Years Prior Equipment And Promotional Problems Brought An End To These Plans. Brian May Worked With Eddie Van Halen And Others On The Star Fleet Project While Freddie Mercury Began Work On His Solo Album. By August 1983 However The Band Had Reunited And Began Work On Their Eleventh Studio Album. It Would Be Queen's First Album For EMI And Its United States Affiliate Capitol Records Worldwide After The Band Nullified Its Recording Deal With Elektra For The United States Canada Australia And Japan. Recording Commenced At Record Plant Studios In Los Angeles – Queen's First Time Recording In America – And Musicland Studios In Munich. Also During This Time Their Manager Jim Beach Offered Them The Opportunity To Compose The Soundtrack For The Film The Hotel New Hampshire. The Band Agreed But Soon Discovered Much Of Their Time Was Being Spent On The Soundtrack Instead Of The Upcoming Album And The Project Fell Through. Only One Song Written For The Soundtrack "Keep Passing The Open Windows" Made It Onto The Works. By November 1983 Roger Taylor's "Radio Ga Ga" Was Chosen As The First Single From The Album. The Works Was Released On February 27 1984. Track Listing Side One
"Radio Ga Ga" Taylor – 5 44 "Tear It Up" May – 3 28 "It's A Hard Life" Mercury – 4 08 "Man On The Prowl" Mercury – 3 28 Side Two
"Machines Or 'Back To Humans' " May/Taylor – 5 10 "I Want To Break Free" Deacon – 3 20 "Keep Passing The Open Windows" Mercury – 5 21 "Hammer To Fall" May – 4 28 "Is This The World We Created...?" Mercury/May – 2 13 Bonus Tracks 1991 Hollywood Records CD Reissue "I Go Crazy" May Original B-Side – 3 42 "Radio Ga Ga Extended Version " Taylor – 6 50 "I Want To Break Free Extended Mix " Deacon – 7 19 Song Information Radio Ga Ga
Main Article Radio Ga Ga
"Radio Ga Ga" Was Composed On Keyboards After Roger Taylor Heard His Son Felix 3 Years Old At The Time Saying "radio Ca Ca". He Wrote It In Los Angeles And Locked Himself In The Studio With A Roland Jupiter 8 And A Drum Machine. Afterwards John Deacon Came Up With A Suitable Bass Line. Mercury Reconstructed The Track Both Musically And Lyrically. It Was Still Credited To Taylor Since Mercury Was An Arranger Rather Than A Co-Writer. Fred Mandel Their Session Keyboardist Put Together An Additive Track With Piano Synth And A Temporary Bass Part. May Used A Glass Slide For His Guitar Show-Off. Taylor Sang All The Backing Vocals And Used A Vocoder Throughout The Song. Most Of The Song Is Made Out Of Electronics And Synthesizers. Tear It Up
"Tear It Up" Is May's Song And The Demo Features Him Doing The Vocals Instead Of Mercury. It Was Written As An Attempt To Revive Queen's Old Sound. It Features Stomping Percussion Similar To "We Will Rock You" That Drives The Song. The Song Is About A Relationship With A Girl. It's A Hard Life
Main Article It's A Hard Life
"It's A Hard Life" Is One Of May's And Taylor's Favourite Songs From Mercury Although They Admitted That They Hated The Video . May Contributed With Some Of The Lyrics And The Intro Was Based On Ruggero Leoncavallo's Vesti La Giubba An Aria From His Opera Pagliacci. Mercury Played Piano And Did Most Of The Vocals And Conducted May About The Scales He Should Use For The Solo Described By May In The Guitar Program Star Licks As Very "Bohemian Rhapsody"-Esque. Man On The Prowl
"Man On The Prowl" Is A Three-Chord Rockabilly Mercury Composition Similar To "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" In Which Fred Mandel Plays The Piano Ending. Note That "Tear It Up" "It's A Hard Life" And This Song Are Free Of Synthesizers. Mercury Played Rhythm Guitar Throughout The Song While May Played The Solo Using A Telecaster. Machines Or 'Back To Humans' "Machines Or 'Back To Humans' " Came Up As An Idea By Taylor And May Collaborated With Him And Finished It. Producer Reinhold Mack Programmed The Synth-"demolition" Using A Fairlight CMI II Sampler And The Song Is Sung As A Duet Between Two Mercury Harmonising With Each Other And A Robotic Taylor Using A Roland VP330 Vocoder . The Instrumental Remix Of The Song Samples Parts Of "Ogre Battle" From Queen's Second Album Queen II. This Song Along With Radio Ga Ga Are Some Of The Heaviest Uses Of Electronics On The Album. I Want To Break Free
Main Article I Want To Break Free
"I Want To Break Free" Was Written By John Deacon Out Of Frustration. This Pop Song Is Best Known Probably Because Of Its Controversial Video Featuring All Four Queen Members Dressed Up As Women In A Parody Of The British Soap Opera Coronation Street. The Synth Solo Is Played By Fred Mandel – Live However May Played It On Guitar. Keep Passing The Open Windows
"Keep Passing The Open Windows" Was Written By Mercury In 1983 For The Film Version Of The Hotel New Hampshire Based On A Novel By John Irving. The Phrase Is Mentioned On A Number Of Occasions Throughout The Film And Was According To The Opening Credits Also Co-Produced By The Band's Manager Jim Beach Who Changed It In Order To Suit The Album Mood Better. Mercury Played Piano And Synths And Wrote The Lyrics After Reading The Quote In The Book. Hammer To Fall
Main Article Hammer To Fall
"Hammer To Fall" Is May's Other Rock Song In The Album. Live Versions Were Considerably Faster And He Sang It In His Solo Tours As Well. Synths Are Played By Mandel And Most Of Vocal Harmonies Were Recorded By May Himself Particularly In The Bridge Save For "oh No" Which Is Taylor . "Is This The World We Created...?" Was Written In Munich After Mercury And May Watched The News. Mercury Wrote The Lyrics And May Wrote The Chords. The Song Was Recorded With An Ovation But Live They Used May's Gibson Chet Atkins CE Nylon-Stringed Guitar. Personnel
Freddie Mercury Lead Vocals Piano Keyboards Rhythm Guitar Backing Vocals Brian May Electric Guitar 12-String Acoustic Guitar Backing Vocals Roger Taylor Drums Electronic Drums Keyboards Guitar Lead Vocals Machines Backing Vocals John Deacon Bass Guitar Rhythm And Acoustic Guitars Keyboards With Fred Mandel Piano "Man On The Prowl" Keyboards Programming Mack Demolition Fairlight Programming On "Machines" Engineering Mike Beiriger Additional Engineering Stefan Wissnet Additional Engineering Ed Delena Additional Engineering Bill Smith Sleeve Design George Hurrell Photography Singles
For The First And Only Time In Their Career All The Songs And One Non-Album Track "I Go Crazy" From A Queen Album Were Used As Either A-Sides Or B-Sides On Singles. Starting With This Album The Group Began Issuing Singles In The United Kingdom Under Their Own Catalogue Numbers. Number Format A-Side B-Side Released Date UK QUEEN 1 7" Single "Radio Ga Ga" "I Go Crazy" — 12QUEEN 1 12" Single "Radio Ga Ga Extended Version " "Radio Ga Ga Instrumental Version "/"I Go Crazy" January 23 1984 QUEEN 2 7" Single "I Want To Break Free Single Mix " "Machines Or 'Back To Humans' " — 12QUEEN 2 12" Single "I Want To Break Free Extended Mix " "Machines Or 'Back To Humans' " April 2 1984 QUEEN 3 7" Single "It's A Hard Life" "Is This The World We Created...?" — 12QUEEN 3 12" Single "It's A Hard Life Extended Version " "Is This The World We Created...?" July 16 1984 QUEEN 4 7" Single "Hammer To Fall Headbanger's Mix Edit " "Tear It Up" — 12QUEEN 4 12" Single "Hammer To Fall Headbanger's Mix " "Tear It Up" September 10 1984 QUEEN 5 7" Single "Thank God It's Christmas" Non-Album Track "Man On The Prowl"/"Keep Passing The Open Windows" — 12QUEEN 5 12" Single "Thank God It's Christmas" "Man On The Prowl Extended Version "/"Keep Passing The Open Windows Extended Version " November 26 1984 Others
Format A-Side B-Side US 7" Single "Radio Ga Ga US Single Edit " "I Go Crazy" US Promo 7" Single "I Want To Break Free Single Mix " "I Want To Break Free Special 7" Single Edit " US 7" Single "I Want To Break Free Single Mix " "Machines Or 'Back To Humans' Instrumental Version " Charts
Country Charts Sales Peak Position Weeks Certification Sales Ireland 1 Platinum 20.000 Netherlands 1 Gold 50.000 Portugal 1 Gold 20.000 Austria 2 40 Platinum 100.000 Norway 2 10 United Kingdom 2 93 3x Platinum 1.000.000 Germany 3 Gold 470.000 Sweden 3 5 40.000 Switzerland 3 32 Platinum 125.000 Belgium 4 Italy 4 2xPlatinum 200.000 Spain 4 Gold 50.000 Japan 7 150.000 Canada Platinum 150.000 France 14 180.000 United States 23 20 Gold 900.000 Brasil 100.000
Published: 03 Mar 2009, 00:56
The Works Is A 1984 Rock Album By English Band Queen. The Band's Eleventh Studio Album It Marked A Partial Return To Their Rock Roots Although With A Much Lighter Approach. It Has Also The Heaviest Electronics Amongst All Group Albums. In Comparison Rock Was Mostly Absent On Their Previous Effort Hot Space Giving Room To Dance And Funk With The Use Of Analogue Synths And Brass While Electronics Were Not That Much Present. Recorded At The Record Plant Studios And Musicland Studios From August 1983 To January 1984 The Album's Title Comes From A Comment Drummer Roger Taylor Made As Recording Began – "Let's Give Them The Works!" This Was The First Queen Album To Be Featured On Compact Disc. HistoryFollowing The Release Of And Subsequent Touring For Their 1982 Album Hot Space The Four Members Of Queen Opted To Take A Break From The Band The Following Year Indulging In Solo Projects And Taking The Chance To Stretch In Individual Directions. While A Spring Tour Of South America Had Been An Early Possibility Especially Following The Band's Success There Two Years Prior Equipment And Promotional Problems Brought An End To These Plans. Brian May Worked With Eddie Van Halen And Others On The Star Fleet Project While Freddie Mercury Began Work On His Solo Album. By August 1983 However The Band Had Reunited And Began Work On Their Eleventh Studio Album. It Would Be Queen's First Album For EMI And Its United States Affiliate Capitol Records Worldwide After The Band Nullified Its Recording Deal With Elektra For The United States Canada Australia And Japan. Recording Commenced At Record Plant Studios In Los Angeles – Queen's First Time Recording In America – And Musicland Studios In Munich. Also During This Time Their Manager Jim Beach Offered Them The Opportunity To Compose The Soundtrack For The Film The Hotel New Hampshire. The Band Agreed But Soon Discovered Much Of Their Time Was Being Spent On The Soundtrack Instead Of The Upcoming Album And The Project Fell Through. Only One Song Written For The Soundtrack "Keep Passing The Open Windows" Made It Onto The Works. By November 1983 Roger Taylor's "Radio Ga Ga" Was Chosen As The First Single From The Album. The Works Was Released On February 27 1984. Track Listing Side One
"Radio Ga Ga" Taylor – 5 44 "Tear It Up" May – 3 28 "It's A Hard Life" Mercury – 4 08 "Man On The Prowl" Mercury – 3 28 Side Two
"Machines Or 'Back To Humans' " May/Taylor – 5 10 "I Want To Break Free" Deacon – 3 20 "Keep Passing The Open Windows" Mercury – 5 21 "Hammer To Fall" May – 4 28 "Is This The World We Created...?" Mercury/May – 2 13 Bonus Tracks 1991 Hollywood Records CD Reissue "I Go Crazy" May Original B-Side – 3 42 "Radio Ga Ga Extended Version " Taylor – 6 50 "I Want To Break Free Extended Mix " Deacon – 7 19 Song Information Radio Ga Ga
Main Article Radio Ga Ga
"Radio Ga Ga" Was Composed On Keyboards After Roger Taylor Heard His Son Felix 3 Years Old At The Time Saying "radio Ca Ca". He Wrote It In Los Angeles And Locked Himself In The Studio With A Roland Jupiter 8 And A Drum Machine. Afterwards John Deacon Came Up With A Suitable Bass Line. Mercury Reconstructed The Track Both Musically And Lyrically. It Was Still Credited To Taylor Since Mercury Was An Arranger Rather Than A Co-Writer. Fred Mandel Their Session Keyboardist Put Together An Additive Track With Piano Synth And A Temporary Bass Part. May Used A Glass Slide For His Guitar Show-Off. Taylor Sang All The Backing Vocals And Used A Vocoder Throughout The Song. Most Of The Song Is Made Out Of Electronics And Synthesizers. Tear It Up
"Tear It Up" Is May's Song And The Demo Features Him Doing The Vocals Instead Of Mercury. It Was Written As An Attempt To Revive Queen's Old Sound. It Features Stomping Percussion Similar To "We Will Rock You" That Drives The Song. The Song Is About A Relationship With A Girl. It's A Hard Life
Main Article It's A Hard Life
"It's A Hard Life" Is One Of May's And Taylor's Favourite Songs From Mercury Although They Admitted That They Hated The Video . May Contributed With Some Of The Lyrics And The Intro Was Based On Ruggero Leoncavallo's Vesti La Giubba An Aria From His Opera Pagliacci. Mercury Played Piano And Did Most Of The Vocals And Conducted May About The Scales He Should Use For The Solo Described By May In The Guitar Program Star Licks As Very "Bohemian Rhapsody"-Esque. Man On The Prowl
"Man On The Prowl" Is A Three-Chord Rockabilly Mercury Composition Similar To "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" In Which Fred Mandel Plays The Piano Ending. Note That "Tear It Up" "It's A Hard Life" And This Song Are Free Of Synthesizers. Mercury Played Rhythm Guitar Throughout The Song While May Played The Solo Using A Telecaster. Machines Or 'Back To Humans' "Machines Or 'Back To Humans' " Came Up As An Idea By Taylor And May Collaborated With Him And Finished It. Producer Reinhold Mack Programmed The Synth-"demolition" Using A Fairlight CMI II Sampler And The Song Is Sung As A Duet Between Two Mercury Harmonising With Each Other And A Robotic Taylor Using A Roland VP330 Vocoder . The Instrumental Remix Of The Song Samples Parts Of "Ogre Battle" From Queen's Second Album Queen II. This Song Along With Radio Ga Ga Are Some Of The Heaviest Uses Of Electronics On The Album. I Want To Break Free
Main Article I Want To Break Free
"I Want To Break Free" Was Written By John Deacon Out Of Frustration. This Pop Song Is Best Known Probably Because Of Its Controversial Video Featuring All Four Queen Members Dressed Up As Women In A Parody Of The British Soap Opera Coronation Street. The Synth Solo Is Played By Fred Mandel – Live However May Played It On Guitar. Keep Passing The Open Windows
"Keep Passing The Open Windows" Was Written By Mercury In 1983 For The Film Version Of The Hotel New Hampshire Based On A Novel By John Irving. The Phrase Is Mentioned On A Number Of Occasions Throughout The Film And Was According To The Opening Credits Also Co-Produced By The Band's Manager Jim Beach Who Changed It In Order To Suit The Album Mood Better. Mercury Played Piano And Synths And Wrote The Lyrics After Reading The Quote In The Book. Hammer To Fall
Main Article Hammer To Fall
"Hammer To Fall" Is May's Other Rock Song In The Album. Live Versions Were Considerably Faster And He Sang It In His Solo Tours As Well. Synths Are Played By Mandel And Most Of Vocal Harmonies Were Recorded By May Himself Particularly In The Bridge Save For "oh No" Which Is Taylor . "Is This The World We Created...?" Was Written In Munich After Mercury And May Watched The News. Mercury Wrote The Lyrics And May Wrote The Chords. The Song Was Recorded With An Ovation But Live They Used May's Gibson Chet Atkins CE Nylon-Stringed Guitar. Personnel
Freddie Mercury Lead Vocals Piano Keyboards Rhythm Guitar Backing Vocals Brian May Electric Guitar 12-String Acoustic Guitar Backing Vocals Roger Taylor Drums Electronic Drums Keyboards Guitar Lead Vocals Machines Backing Vocals John Deacon Bass Guitar Rhythm And Acoustic Guitars Keyboards With Fred Mandel Piano "Man On The Prowl" Keyboards Programming Mack Demolition Fairlight Programming On "Machines" Engineering Mike Beiriger Additional Engineering Stefan Wissnet Additional Engineering Ed Delena Additional Engineering Bill Smith Sleeve Design George Hurrell Photography Singles
For The First And Only Time In Their Career All The Songs And One Non-Album Track "I Go Crazy" From A Queen Album Were Used As Either A-Sides Or B-Sides On Singles. Starting With This Album The Group Began Issuing Singles In The United Kingdom Under Their Own Catalogue Numbers. Number Format A-Side B-Side Released Date UK QUEEN 1 7" Single "Radio Ga Ga" "I Go Crazy" — 12QUEEN 1 12" Single "Radio Ga Ga Extended Version " "Radio Ga Ga Instrumental Version "/"I Go Crazy" January 23 1984 QUEEN 2 7" Single "I Want To Break Free Single Mix " "Machines Or 'Back To Humans' " — 12QUEEN 2 12" Single "I Want To Break Free Extended Mix " "Machines Or 'Back To Humans' " April 2 1984 QUEEN 3 7" Single "It's A Hard Life" "Is This The World We Created...?" — 12QUEEN 3 12" Single "It's A Hard Life Extended Version " "Is This The World We Created...?" July 16 1984 QUEEN 4 7" Single "Hammer To Fall Headbanger's Mix Edit " "Tear It Up" — 12QUEEN 4 12" Single "Hammer To Fall Headbanger's Mix " "Tear It Up" September 10 1984 QUEEN 5 7" Single "Thank God It's Christmas" Non-Album Track "Man On The Prowl"/"Keep Passing The Open Windows" — 12QUEEN 5 12" Single "Thank God It's Christmas" "Man On The Prowl Extended Version "/"Keep Passing The Open Windows Extended Version " November 26 1984 Others
Format A-Side B-Side US 7" Single "Radio Ga Ga US Single Edit " "I Go Crazy" US Promo 7" Single "I Want To Break Free Single Mix " "I Want To Break Free Special 7" Single Edit " US 7" Single "I Want To Break Free Single Mix " "Machines Or 'Back To Humans' Instrumental Version " Charts
Country Charts Sales Peak Position Weeks Certification Sales Ireland 1 Platinum 20.000 Netherlands 1 Gold 50.000 Portugal 1 Gold 20.000 Austria 2 40 Platinum 100.000 Norway 2 10 United Kingdom 2 93 3x Platinum 1.000.000 Germany 3 Gold 470.000 Sweden 3 5 40.000 Switzerland 3 32 Platinum 125.000 Belgium 4 Italy 4 2xPlatinum 200.000 Spain 4 Gold 50.000 Japan 7 150.000 Canada Platinum 150.000 France 14 180.000 United States 23 20 Gold 900.000 Brasil 100.000