The Works (Queen album)
Encyclopedia
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 machineDrum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the sound of drums or other percussion instruments. They are used in a variety of musical genres, not just purely electronic music...
. Afterwards John Deacon
John Deacon
John Richard Deacon is a retired English multi-instrumentalist and song writer, best known as the bassist for the rock band Queen. Of the four members of the band, he was the last to join and also the youngest, being only 19 years old when he was recruited by the other members of the band...
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 solo. Taylor sang all the backing vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, and used a Vocoder
Vocoder
A vocoder is an analysis/synthesis system, mostly used for speech. In the encoder, the input is passed through a multiband filter, each band is passed through an envelope follower, and the control signals from the envelope followers are communicated to the decoder...
throughout the song. Most of the song is made out of electronics and synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s.
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 YouWe Will Rock You
"We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded and performed by Queen for their 1977 album News of the World. Rolling Stone ranked it #330 of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004, and the RIAA placed it at #146 on its list of Songs of the Century...
" that drives the song.
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 LeoncavalloRuggero Leoncavallo
Ruggero Leoncavallo was an Italian opera composer. His two-act work Pagliacci remains one of the most popular works in the repertory, appearing as number 20 on the Operabase list of the most-performed operas worldwide.-Biography:...
's Vesti la giubba
Vesti la giubba
"Vesti la giubba" is a famous tenor aria from Ruggero Leoncavallo's 1892 opera Pagliacci. "Vesti la giubba" is the conclusion of the first act, when Canio discovers his wife's infidelity, but must nevertheless prepare for his performance as Pagliaccio the clown because "the show must go on".The...
, an aria from his opera Pagliacci
Pagliacci
Pagliacci , sometimes incorrectly rendered with a definite article as I Pagliacci, is an opera consisting of a prologue and two acts written and composed by Ruggero Leoncavallo. It recounts the tragedy of a jealous husband in a commedia dell'arte troupe...
. 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
Bohemian Rhapsody
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the band's 1975 album A Night at the Opera...
"-esque.
Man on the Prowl
"Man on the Prowl" is a three-chord rockabillyRockabilly
Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating to the early 1950s.The term rockabilly is a portmanteau of rock and hillbilly, the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style's development...
Mercury composition (similar to "Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
"Crazy Little Thing Called Love" is a song by the rock band Queen. Written by Freddie Mercury in 1979, the track featured on their 1980 album The Game, and also appears on the band's compilation album, Greatest Hits...
") 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. 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 MackReinhold Mack
Reinhold Mack is a German record producer and sound engineer, mostly known for his collaborations with rock bands Electric Light Orchestra and Queen. Most of this work took place at Giorgio Moroder's Musicland Studios in Munich...
programmed the synth-"demolition" using a Fairlight CMI II
Fairlight CMI
The Fairlight CMI is a digital sampling synthesizer. It was designed in 1979 by the founders of Fairlight, Peter Vogel and Kim Ryrie, and based on a dual-6800 microprocessor computer designed by Tony Furse in Sydney, Australia...
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
Queen II
Queen II is the second album by British rock group Queen, released in March 1974. It was recorded at Trident Studios, London in August 1973 with co-producers Roy Thomas Baker and Robin Cable, and engineered by Mike Stone....
, Flash and Larry Lurex
Larry Lurex
Larry Lurex was the artist name used for a musical project by Trident Studios’ house engineer Robin Geoffrey Cable, in 1972.The name is a pun on the stage name of glam rock star Gary Glitter and the metallic yarn Lurex....
's "Goin' Back
Goin' Back
"Goin' Back" is a song written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King in 1966. It describes the loss of innocence that comes with adulthood along with an attempt, on the part of the singer, to recapture that youthful innocence...
" (in fact Queen (sans John Deacon) under a pseudonym). This song, along with Radio Ga Ga
Radio Ga Ga
"Radio Ga Ga" is a 1984 song performed and recorded by the British rock band Queen, written by their drummer Roger Taylor. It was released as a single with "I Go Crazy" by Brian May on the original B-side and was included on the album The Works...
are some of the heaviest uses of electronics on the album.
I Want to Break Free
"I Want to Break Free" was written by John Deacon out of frustration. This pop songPop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
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
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Coronation Street
Coronation Street
Coronation Street is a British soap opera set in Weatherfield, a fictional town in Greater Manchester based on Salford. Created by Tony Warren, Coronation Street was first broadcast on 9 December 1960...
. The idea for the clip was from Roger Taylor. Freddie commented that 'Everybody ran into their frocks'. John Deacon, the song's author, insisted he didn't want a guitar solo on the track so a synth solo was played by Fred Mandel – live, however, May played the solo 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 HampshireThe Hotel New Hampshire (film)
The Hotel New Hampshire is a 1984 comedy-drama film based on John Irving's 1981 novel of the same name. The film was written and directed by Tony Richardson and stars Jodie Foster, Beau Bridges, Rob Lowe, and Nastassja Kinski. The film also features Wilford Brimley, Amanda Plummer, Matthew Modine,...
, based on a novel by John Irving
John Irving
John Winslow Irving is an American novelist and Academy Award-winning screenwriter.Irving achieved critical and popular acclaim after the international success of The World According to Garp in 1978...
. 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
"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). The song harks back to the Queen of old, with a song being built around a hard angular and muscular riff. The song features Freddie Mercury on lead vocals, doing a call and response with May, who sings the chorus. The song's music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
directed by David Mallet
David Mallet (director)
David Mallet is a British director particularly noted for his work on music videos, including David Bowie's innovative "Ashes to Ashes", Rush's "Distant Early Warning, and Queen's "Radio Ga Ga" and "I Want to Break Free" videos. He has also served as a producer on television programmes including...
, contains footage of a performance of the song in Brussels.
"Hammer to Fall" was a concert favourite, and was the third song the band performed at Live Aid
Live Aid
Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
in 1985. The song also features in the setlist of the band's Magic Tour in 1986.
Is This the World We Created...?
"Is This the World We Created...?" was written in Munich after Mercury and May watched the news of poverty in Africa, and performed at Live Aid. Mercury wrote most of the lyrics and May wrote the chords and made small lyrical contributions. The song was recorded with an OvationOvation Guitar
The Ovation Guitar Company, a holding of Kaman Music Corporation, is a guitar manufacturing company based in New Hartford, Connecticut, USA. Ovation primarily manufactures Steel-stringed acoustic guitars....
but live May used Taylor's Gibson
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
Chet Atkins CE nylon-stringed guitar. Originally, a Freddie Mercury composition,"There Must Be More To Life Than This" (which was around since the "Hot Space" sessions and finally ended up on Freddie's solo record "Mr Bad Guy") was supposed to be the album's last track.
I Go Crazy
"I Go Crazy" is another Brian May rocker from the Works time period, which ended up as the B-side to Roger Taylor's "Radio Ga GaRadio Ga Ga
"Radio Ga Ga" is a 1984 song performed and recorded by the British rock band Queen, written by their drummer Roger Taylor. It was released as a single with "I Go Crazy" by Brian May on the original B-side and was included on the album The Works...
". The song, which was demoed during the "Hot Space" sessions (some say it was tried out during "The Game" sessions) was not to the liking of the other band members and therefore removed from the album. Nonetheless, it ended up as a B-side, making its first digital appearance on the 1991 The Works CD release. Lead vocals are mostly sung by Mercury, with May singing lead on the bridge in the middle. The song ends with Taylor and Mercury alternating vocals on the word "crazy".
Personnel
- Freddie MercuryFreddie MercuryFreddie Mercury was a British musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Queen. As a performer, he was known for his flamboyant stage persona and powerful vocals over a four-octave range...
: lead and backing vocals, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, keyboards, programming - Brian MayBrian MayBrian Harold May, CBE is an English musician and astrophysicist most widely known as the guitarist and a songwriter of the rock band Queen...
: electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, twelve-string acoustic guitarAcoustic guitarAn acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
, backing vocals, keyboards, lead vocals on bridge of "I Go Crazy", programming - Roger Taylor: drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, electronic drums, backing vocals, keyboards, Vocoder on "Machines (Back to Humans)" and "Radio Ga Ga", programming - John DeaconJohn DeaconJohn Richard Deacon is a retired English multi-instrumentalist and song writer, best known as the bassist for the rock band Queen. Of the four members of the band, he was the last to join and also the youngest, being only 19 years old when he was recruited by the other members of the band...
: bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, rhythmRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
and acoustic guitars, keyboards, programming
With
- Fred Mandel: Synth Brass on "I Want To Break free", Piano, programming
- Mack: Fairlight CMI programming on "Machines", engineering
- Mike Beiriger: additional engineering
- Stefan Wissnet: additional engineering
- Ed Delena: additional engineering
- Bill Smith: sleeve design
- George HurrellGeorge HurrellGeorge Hurrell was a photographer who made a significant contribution to the image of glamour presented by Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s.-Early life:...
: 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" | 23 January 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')" | 2 April 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" | "Is This the World We Created...?" | 16 July 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" | 10 September 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)" | 26 November 1984 |
Others
| Format | A-side | B-side |
|---|---|---|
| US 7" Single & Cassette 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 & Cassette Single | "I Want to Break Free (Single Mix)" | "Machines (or 'Back to Humans') (Instrumental Version)" |
Chart positions
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... |
12 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 2 |
| Canadian Albums Chart RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
22 |
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
1 |
| French Albums Chart | 14 |
| Italian Albums Chart | 4 |
| Japanese Albums Chart Oricon , established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc... |
7 |
| New Zealand Albums Chart | 9 |
| Norwegian Albums Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
2 |
| Swedish Albums Chart | 3 |
| Swiss Albums Chart | 3 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 | 23 |
| West German Albums Chart | 3 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1984) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums Chart | 48 |
| Austrian Albums Chart | 2 |
| Canadian Albums Chart | 88 |
| Italian Albums Chart | 37 |
| UK Albums Chart | 14 |
Decade-end charts
| Chart (1980-89) | Position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums Chart | 32 |
Certifications
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