Queen - Killer Queen Song Facts

“KILLER QUEEN

Freddie Mercury / 3:00

Musicians

Freddie Mercury: lead vocals, backing vocals, piano and tack piano, finger snapping

Brian May: electric guitar, backing vocals

John Deacon: bass

Roger Taylor: drums, triangle, tubular bells, backing vocals

Recorded

Wessex Sound Studios, London: early and late August 1974

Trident Studios, London: September 1974 (mixing)

Technical Team

Producers: Queen, Roy Thomas Baker

Sound Engineer: Mike Stone

Assistant Sound Engineers: Geoff Workman (Wessex), Neil Kernon (Trident)

Single

Side A: Killer Queen / 3:00

Side AA: Flick of the Wrist / 3:21

UK Release on EMI: October 11, 1974 (ref. EMI 2229)

US Release on Elektra: October 21, 1974 (ref. E-45226)

Best UK Chart Ranking: 2

Best US Chart Ranking: 12”

“Though “Killer Queen” was one of the last songs recorded for the album in September 1974. 

Written by Freddie Mercury the song became the lead single from the Sheer Heart Attack album. 

Released on October 11, it shot straight to number two in the UK charts, just behind “Gonna Make You a Star” by David Essex. 

Little known fact Killer Queen was double A-side with the song “Flick of the Wrist.”

“Freddie often joked about this, willingly admitting that the song would be perfectly at home in the discography of the late Noel Coward, an actor and pianist famous for his good taste and slightly old-fashioned elegance.

“When Kenny Everett, famous Capital Radio disc jockey, decided to broadcast “Killer Queen” at the end of 1974 said  “I’m going to play something on the radio, have a listen to this, it’s the best record that’s ever been made by anybody ever.”

In this video Roger Taylor mentions Kenny loving Killer Queen 

 A number of people have declared themselves to be the source of inspiration for the song. These include former EMI press attaché Eric Hall, who claimed in Maureen Goldthorpe’s documentary The Story of Queen: Mercury Rising that he kept Moët & Chandon champagne in his office at EMI, and that Freddie himself had told him that he was at the center of his song.”

Production 

“During the recording of Killer Queen, Freddie Mercury made two identical piano takes, but with two different instruments: the first with the prestigious studio grand piano, and the second with a piano whose sound was much closer to the honky-tonk models. 

Known as a jangle, or tack, piano (detuned piano), this instrument was modified in order to transform its sound. 

Thumbtacks were attached to the hammer felts, and with each percussion on the strings, a brilliant sound was produced—a sound quite close to that of the harpsichord. 

It is the mix of the two takes that gives the introduction to “Killer Queen” its very particular sound, which we find again later on “Bring Back That Leroy Brown,” 

To learn to play the Brian May solo 

Info source Queen All The Songs 

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