Killer queen
| Killer queen | |
|---|---|
| Queen | |
| publication | October 11, 1974 |
| length | 3:00 |
| Author (s) | Freddie Mercury |
| Label | EMI , Elektra |
| album | Sheer Heart Attack |
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Chart positions Explanation of the data |
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Killer Queen is a song by the British rock band Queen . The piece, written by Freddie Mercury , was released as a single on October 11, 1974 and four weeks later on the album Sheer Heart Attack . The success of the single Killer Queen (released as a double A-side with Flick of the Wrist ) brought Queen the commercial breakthrough. In the UK, the song reached number two on the singles chart and silver status. The band's first single, Killer Queen, hit the charts outside the UK - in both Europe and the US.
The three-minute track was produced in the summer of 1974 by Queen and Roy Thomas Baker . According to his own account, Mercury wrote the lyrics before writing the music for Killer Queen . As usual for Queen songs of the time, Mercury's vocal part and Brian May's guitar interludes were recorded with overdubs .
About the song
About the content of Killer Queen , Freddie Mercury said, “It's about a top notch call girl . I'm trying to say that elegant people can be hookers too. That's what this song is about, although I prefer people to interpret it their own way - read from it what they want. "
Brian May later stated that Killer Queen was the turning point in the group's history. "It was the song that best summed up our style of music and a big hit, and we badly needed it as a token of success for ourselves."
occupation
- Freddie Mercury: lead vocals, piano, backing vocals
- Brian May: electric guitar ( Red Special ), backing vocals
- John Deacon : electric bass
- Roger Taylor : drums, backing vocals
live
From 1974 to 1978 the song was always played almost completely at concert appearances. From 1979 the band Killer Queen always played in the medley together with other numbers , after the first guitar solo it sometimes went straight to I'm in Love With My Car from the album A Night at the Opera . Queen kept this shape until 1981, when Killer Queen was removed from the program on the " Hot Space " tour. In 1984 the group put the song back on the setlist as part of a medley . On the Magic Tour, the last Queen tour in 1986, the band Killer Queen no longer played.
Live recordings of the song appeared on the sound carriers Live Killers (1979) and Queen Rock Montreal (recorded 1981).
Cover versions (selection)
- 2000: Arid (compilation album Glittering 2000 - Belgian Acts Revisiting Glam Classics )
- 2001: Travis (with guest singer Jason Falkner; single sing )
- 2001: Glenn Hughes u. a. (Compilation album Stone Cold Queen - A Tribute )
- 2005: Erika Stucky (album Princess )
- 2005: Sum 41 (compilation album Killer Queen - A Tribute to Queen )
- 2009: Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs (Album Under the Covers - Vol. 2 , bonus track)
- 2018: 5 Seconds of Summer (published on October 26th on Streamingdiensten)
Web links
- www.queensongs.info - song analysis (English)
- Queenpedia - images of the single covers
- Bechstein Debauchery - recording details and interview statements ( Memento of 5 March 2011 at the Internet Archive ) (English)
References and comments
- ↑ Charts DE Charts AT Charts UK Charts US
- ^ British Phonographic Industry (BPI): Certified Awards Search . Retrieved September 14, 2014.
- ^ Mercury: "It's about a high class 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 interpretation upon it - to read into it what they like. "- Quote from New Musical Express , November 2, 1974. (see Queen Archives )
- ↑ May: “'Killer Q [u] een' 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. "