The March of the Black Queen
| "The March of the Black Queen" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"The March of the Black Queen" is a song by British rock band Queen. The song was composed by lead vocalist and pianist Freddie Mercury. It is the ninth track on their second studio album Queen II.
The song is one of Queen's most complex songs with over more than eleven sections in the whole song. Many credit this song as more complex than their 1975 hit, "Bohemian Rhapsody".
Recording
Mercury wrote the song in 1973, shortly before recording the album.
The song is one of the two Queen songs (the other being "Bohemian Rhapsody") containing polyrhythm/polymeter (two different time signatures simultaneously 8/8 and 12/8) and a simpler polyrhythm around the end uptempo section, which is very rare for popular music. The lead vocals cover two and a half octaves (G2 - C5).
The song segues into the next track, "Funny How Love Is". This song ends with an ascending note progression, which climaxes in the first second of the following track.
Live performances
The song was too complex to be performed live. However, the hard rock section containing the lines "My life is in your hands, I'll foe and I'll fie..." etc. was sometimes included in a live medley (usually after "Killer Queen") with vocals by Mercury and Taylor, during the mid 1970s.[1][2][3]
Personnel
- Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals, piano
- Brian May - acoustic and electric guitars, tubular bells, backing vocals
- Roger Taylor - drums, co-lead and backing vocals
- John Deacon - bass guitar
References
- ^ Queen live on tour: Sheer Heart Attack: Setlist Queen Concerts. Retrieved 1 September 2011
- ^ Queen live on tour: A Night At The Opera: Setlist Queen Concerts. Retrieved 1 September 2011
- ^ Queen live on tour: Summer 1976 :Setlist Queen Concerts. Retrieved 1 September 2011
