Brian said Freddie wanted to get vocals perfect for John's song, Freddie sang it over and over, his throat began to bleed. Freddie was a perfectionist, he would do anything for the song.

Another John Deacon stroke of genius

@binxbolling

Ай бұрын

Stolen from Rapper's Delight.

@addickkelders2265

Ай бұрын

@@binxbolling which was a sample by Good Times.

@StevenQ74

Ай бұрын

John actualy wrote this after jamming in the studio with Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards from Chic, so that's exactly where the inspiration came from

@StevenQ74

Ай бұрын

@@binxbolling Good Times by Chic, you mean to say you never heard of that? it's been sampled in Hip Hop more than 140 times kzread.info/dash/bejne/doN2ldOLnc-8nKg.html

@DirectDemocrat

Ай бұрын

@@addickkelders2265 it wasn't sampled. It is simply a song in the style of,

John said it was originally about cowboys having a shoot-out... 'another one bites the dust'... then changed it to be about the Valentines day massacre.....he wanted it to be 'simple' ... and it turned out to be a mega-hit for the band.... I love John, as he was/is interested in Funk (just like me) and loved to make different sounds in the studio (he was an electrical engineer)... Thanks for the great reaction❤

@Sassypaws4927

Ай бұрын

True Once the band started laying down the musical tracks, he realized the original lyrics did not match the intensity of the music so he rewrote them.

@module79l28

Ай бұрын

I'm pretty sure John still IS an electrical engineer...

@Sassypaws4927

Ай бұрын

@@module79l28 John obtained a First Class Honors degree in Electronics in 1971 from Chelsea College but was never employed as an Electrical Engineer. Instead, he chose to become the bass guitarist for the band Queen.

@module79l28

Ай бұрын

@@Sassypaws4927 - Just because he never worked in the field doesn't mean he isn't.

@Sassypaws4927

Ай бұрын

​@@module79l28 Obtaining a degree in electrical engineering is a significant step toward becoming an engineer. However, it is just the first stepping stone toward becoming a skilled engineer, equipped to contribute to technological innovations and solve real-world problems.

And another comes on and another comes on, another one rides the bus, hey he's gonna sit by you, another one rides the bus.

@JacoWium

Ай бұрын

Another song ruined forever - cheers! 😄 Edit: Oh, I see that's Weird Al...of course!

I believe that the drone Amy is talking about is a couple of piano chords played backwards, E minor and G minor.

I feel like roller skating.

The fact John Deacon plays the same bass part for the majority of the song gives away his motivation - it's all about the groove. The drums, the guitar and the vocals are all layered upon the bass groove which we know was the starting point for the song. The repetitive groove is indeed a central element of disco but if you go back to early blues songs they often repeated guitar parts to give the feeling of travelling on train tracks, again creating a continuous groove. John Deacon may have been inspired by disco but he's using a long established technique for creating a driven groove in his song.

@JacoWium

Ай бұрын

Great post. I never imagined any instrumental connection between early blues and disco but what you explained here makes complete sense. Come to think of it, the foot-tappin' style of John Lee Hooker illustrates that point of a driven groove too. I don't think I'll ever take to disco - my tastes are too rootsy for that - but I'll be a bit more open-minded about it from now on. As some of the members of Queen were. Cheers!

this bass line is amazing, the creativity is so huge and this voice so punchy ! could listen to it 1 hour long

A great reaction and analysis of such a great Queen song, with its iconic bassline that many beginning bass players learn fairly early on. The bass line really provides the hook and foundation to this song. A great John Deacon composition and performance. It is amazing they were able to achieve all these sounds without synths, through a combination of effects, harmonizer, and recording techniques. There is a bit of a Michael Jackson feel to this. Great observation on the sounds and tones giving an urban and inner city feel. The music really does paint a picture for the lyrics. You had a lot of great observations on this one.

Freddie was a huge Hendrix fan too and went to see him performing in England. There's a big difference between Queen in the 70s and Queen in the 80s, musically speaking, but Freddie always needed to try new things and John had never liked hard rock that much, so between that and the influence of pop and techno, Queen's sound changed a lot. They still have great songs, though.

This song was very popular among non-Rock people, it was played in clubs all around the world. Somehow the first really "dancable" song that brought Queen to the masses.

The other song you were thinking of for CPR is Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gee's. This song was also parodied by Weird Al who changed it to Another One Rides The Bus. I believe it was the second one he did after My Bologna.

@gbsailing9436

Ай бұрын

Staying Alive or Tragedy? I've always thought it was Tragedy...

@bicho5393

Ай бұрын

@@gbsailing9436Is staying alive. That was the one the instructor sang in my last CPR-reanimation revalidation course

@lilianlaudouar6430

Ай бұрын

​@@bicho5393 yeah even here in France we use staying alive as a reference to keep the beat for heart ressucitation

The reason those sounds swell and cut off abruptly is that they are backwards piano notes. The cutting off of the sound is actually when the note is being struck in the beginning. Backwards guitar is similar, with the backwards sound of the pick being abrupt.

Since hearing the bit about Michael Jackson, I now notice some interesting similarities between "Beat It" and "Another one Bites the Dust". Super interesting stuff to think about.

Wouldn’t mind if Amy did “Another one rides the bus” by Weird Al Yankovic as a ‘cover’ of this piece 😅

@fatimaerdogan8193

Ай бұрын

😄😂🤣 kzread.info/dash/bejne/po6f0deupJCfgrQ.html

Yay! I’ve been waiting for your reaction to this one. This one makes you move! Brian said in the documentary Days of Our Lives that Freddie sang this over and over until he got it just as John heard it in his head. The sound effects were made by Brian on his Red Special guitar using the Deacy amp. Deacon has made some of the most memorable bass riffs in rock music.

@basstian

Ай бұрын

Right about the guitar, but not the amp. There were many records on which that amplifier was used, this was not one of them.

It’s funny how you mention Freddie’s English accent because when people watch the live performances of the band and Freddie talks to the audiences people are alway saying wait a minute are they British?

One of John's best attempts to keep Brian off his songs..

@denisepallin5316

Ай бұрын

😂

@dianecourtney2724

Ай бұрын

😂✌🏼

@jimcarter2092

Ай бұрын

Being a very knowledgeable and hardcore queen fan here..... That's funny!! 😅😅

@marblackCanada

Ай бұрын

@@jimcarter2092 But true.

We used the Bee Gees "Stayin' Alive" in CPR class, but I could see "Another One Bite's The Dust" working.

It’s so strange but I’ve never thought about whether I really like this song or not 🤔 It’s as iconic as Queen is. It’s always been in the background of my life. I don’t think the words matter … they just had to have words or it would be an instrumental… then it would not have been so iconic. Never thought of this song as being in the disco camp but after all these years I see that it is 😂 Thanks Amy You are amazing !

As a high school cheerleader, this song was part of every pep rally and halftime routine, so very familiar but as usual your ability to pick up all the layers and sounds brings a great new awareness to a classic..

I heard a jazz guy say that music can never be slower or faster than the human heart beat …maybe thats why it touches our soul!!!

@Quotenwagnerianer

Ай бұрын

Well if your heartbeat is at 200bpm you should go to the ER asap! ;)

@eddiejr540

Ай бұрын

@@Quotenwagnerianer …. I know right 🤣

When ever I hear this I just picture Freddie super strutting across the stage, full on posing. Brilliant.

I put this in the live chat but I was so late to the game I'm not sure anybody saw it. - so I'll repeat here Another song used in CPR training is the BeeGee's disco hit "Stayin' Alive". It has 103 bpm which also puts it in the 100-120 range. Of course one could argue that a song titled Staying' Alive would be much more appropriate for use in CPR. ;) OTOH Another one bites the dust, at 110 bpm, is more perfectly centered in the 100-120 range. So...

@DavidLindes

Ай бұрын

And, hey, maybe it helps prepare you for the potentiality of losing the person? :D (I mean, by some definitions, if you're doing CPR, it's because they're technically already dead, so...)

I'd love to see her react to Dragon Attack. Killer bass in that one.

@79BlackRose

Ай бұрын

Evidently, Vlad doesn't want her too.

Your analysis of this, in particular the crescendoing ‘drone’ sounds, made me recall the Rolling Stones’ track Undercover of the Night which I realize now is quite similar in its theme and musical features.

"The drone, they way if faded in and then ended abruptly" is an effect many call a "reverse echo" and is a commonly done on keyed instrument (piano/keyboards) but can also be done on guitar. It's essentially played in revers time. The abrupt ending is actually the initial "strike'.

Bernard Edwards (Chic - Good Times) should get major credit for this song.

@waldeck325

Ай бұрын

I just wanted to type that, thanks

Best Roller Skating song of all time.😁

I always forget that John played rhythm guitar on this

@susanp.7954

Ай бұрын

Peter (Ratty) Hince said John was the best rhythm guitarist he’d ever heard…”the best in the band”❤

Those sound effects ("drones that fade in and suddenly break off") are piano attacks played back backwards (playing the tape backwards).

yes, this is often used in my first aid training at work. i remember when this came out (I'm 56 years old) when I was in Jr. High. It was everywhere.

I think it’s more funk than disco.

@proudmoon3

Ай бұрын

That bass line sure is funky!

can not wait because this will be eye opening

Thanks, VR! This was very fun LIVE.. hope you watch sometime.... appreciate your reaction!

i would say John Deacon is very understated when anyone mentions queen they allways talk about freddie, brian, and roger but for me probably John Deacon is the backbone of most of their hit songs...

@susanp.7954

Ай бұрын

Absolutely..he was their rock❤

The sounds that fade in sound like a reversed piano. Roundabout by Yes starts with the same effect.

@calichamber

Ай бұрын

I agree.

@deanroddey2881

Ай бұрын

Also one of Duran Duran's tunes starts with a long one. In that case, I think he threw some metal roads into the piano.

Around 9:43 the brief guitar phrasing reminds me of Nile Rodgers' style. Great fun!

@TheFamilyman7

Ай бұрын

I believe you're correct. I think there's a story that Queen was touring in the U.S. in '79 at MSG in NYC around the time Chic was recording Good Times and I Want Your Love. Deacon, supposedly visited them in their studio and liked the bass line. If you listen carefully, the bass lines for all 3 tunes are very similar. If you ask me, not a coincidence.

That long building sound was probably a backwards piano!

@mightyV444

Ай бұрын

It definitely was! 😊👍

Amy talking about the text not matching the upbeat music in Queen and Beatles songs makes me want her to immediately jump to Maxwell‘s Silver Hammer before continuing the rest of the Beatles journey 😂

@martinconnelly1473

Ай бұрын

My thoughts exactly.

Does the rapid drum beat and the abrupt end of the song indicate that Freddie went down in a hail of bullets?

Freddie mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara in Stone Town, Zanzibar, on September 5, 1946.

The other song used to teach CPR is "Stayin' Alive" by the Bee Gees

When I was a kid playing space invaders this is the song I was singing in my head… I genuinely thought that the song was just for me, and also don’t stop me now was a song for me when I was running round school play ground.. no one ever needed to know these things but I’m glad I shared them with you 😂

Yes, Amy, there can be a dichotomy between dark lyrics and upbeat music, but isn't that just a reflection of life, which mixes happy and dramatic moments (sometimes at the same moment)?

Synthesizers were quite common at the time. The 1980s sound was built on synthesizers.

@basstian

Ай бұрын

Yes, and Queen used them often, but not here.

The guitar rhythm is very much based on the funk music genre. Here Brian only used it sparingly in certain places. The beat and bass take the lead for the dance floor, and it still works today. 💃🕺 Greetings from northern germany ♥️🇩🇪

@basstian

Ай бұрын

Except that Brian wasn't the one who played it. I mean, Brian did take part of the song, but only adding some of the distorted chords. The funky rhythm on a clean Telecaster was played by John.

@jca111

Ай бұрын

The rhythm guitar is all John in this tho.

@basstian

Ай бұрын

@@jca111 There are four rhythm guitars. Two of them (the one doubling the bass and the one doing the double-stops) are John, the other two (distorted power chords and harmoniser effects) are Brian. A fifth one, acoustic, was presumably also recorded by John but muted for the final mix.

I found it so interesting how you interpreted the sounds! 😀 I cannot unhear the shadow now 😄👍👍

"It's not a copy, it's not an imitation." It's Queen. When "Another One Bites the Dust" came out, I imagine it grew on people who were growing tired of disco but still liked a groove. "Soul Train" was still on the air :) To be fair, mixing social critique with a dance beat might still be something one might expect from punk, ska, and reggae musicians, rather than rock acts suitable for airplay. But the lyrics are also applicable to a lot of personal situations... It's Queen.

It was a great song to skate to at the Roller Rink back in the day.

Freddie's vocals can be quite rhythmic and percussive which is often a trait of black singers, I can imagine Michael Jackson singing it and a video like the more urban stagey gang kind of stuff he did

@JacoWium

Ай бұрын

Yep, you can play 'Another One Bites the Dust' and 'Beat It' back to back, and the uninitiated may suspect that it's the same artists. The differences may be obvious for those of us fortunate enough to have lived through that era, but there are notable overlaps between Michael Jackson and the 1980s permutation of Queen.

For more “elemental” but captivating rock, spend some time with AC/DC. Your rock journey won’t be complete without meeting them. I’ve always thought that they’re far more sophisticated than people realize-particularly with their use of syncopation, rests and silence, and lead and rhythmic guitar harmonies that complete each other perfectly. They’re also prime examples of your “ready, set, go” technique-they are masters at building tension, opening with often quite sparse compositions, and then subtly layering additional harmonies and rhythmic flourishes until inevitably crescendoing into their iconic and instantly memorable chorus hooks. Give them a try!

You know, I've never particularly thought about the Disco style connection for this song, though, like Amy, as soon as I hear it with that notion in mind, it's immediately obvious. And also: it causes some of these sounds to bring to mind another song, that I'd love to see Amy react to: Rapture, by Blondie.

@JacoWium

Ай бұрын

Same here. In my mind, my reference was merely "pop-rock song with a hypnotic beat". But once the disco (and funk) connection is mentioned, it does seem quite obvious. It's only fairly recently that the disco element in, of all bands, Pink Floyd's "Another Brick in the Wall" was pointed out to me and yes, I must admit, it is there. It's a nice illustration of how artists are open and perceptive to outside influences in general.

@DavidLindes

Ай бұрын

@@JacoWium Well, I'm going to go and have to listen for that, now. :) Part 2, I presume?

@DavidLindes

Ай бұрын

And actually, just letting some of it come into my mind, yeah, I can tell it's there!

At 6yo, I fell in love with this song because the Detroit Lions started out 5-0 in 1980 and played this after their home wins. Then came the 3-8 record for the rest of the season. They didn’t play it much after the 5-0 start. Typical life of a Lions fan LOL.

Thanks Amie another great breakdown.

As a guitarist, this is the absolute very coolest bass line ever.

the bass line of billy jean...that´s my lover... gracias

You should review the 1980 film "Flash Gordon" on your movie channel. Then you could do sort of a crossover reacting to the music which was done by Queen. The movie is campy fun and the soundtrack is full of some real fun music from Queen.

Much of the music of the 60s and 70s was shaped by the Vietnam War, which significantly included a national draft. This song was one of the few that put a light hearted spin on horrific acts committed by soldiers, against their wills. To put the impact of the Vietnam War into modern perspective: Imagine if today, all US males aged 18-40 who are not the primary bread winner of a family or in school, had their social security number entered into a lottery. Every week the government would select a group of "Winners," that could choose either 2 years of combat military service assisting a pro-Israeli solution, or 10 years in prison. Males could avoid the draft by enlisting in the service of their choice for 6 years, or forever leaving the country. The seriousness of the Vietnam War expanded the discourse of popular songs and, if enacted today, music would similarly do the same.

The sound you describe as a hand clap is Bassist John Deacon slapping his bass guitar. The rest of the 'effects' are produced by Brian May's Red Special Guitar connected to a treble blaster to the "Deacy" amp (John Deacon created the Deacy amp).

@basstian

Ай бұрын

Not really. The video shows that but the actual record has a Linn LM-1 drum computer, which may have generated those handclap sounds.

This was the first song that I remember hearing from Queen. I believe MJ enjoyed the beat and tempo so much that he used it for his smash hit, "Billie Jean". Coincidentally, my first MJ album was "Off the Wall" which came out right around the same time as "The Game", if my memory serves correctly (also still my favorite of his).

@mightyV444

Ай бұрын

'Off The Wall' is from 1979, 'The Game' from 1980 🙂

A little different from 'Lily Of The Valley' , isn't it Amy !?😂

I love John, this is brilliant work by him

#HighschoolBandMember it was our anthem ❤

Didn't know Joe Cocker was white til I saw him! & when my sister-in-law was having an operation this is song that was played in the room!

@martinconnelly1473

Ай бұрын

Ram Jam were a surprise to me.

Well, now that you mention it, I think the connection to the black voice was his more gentle sound in his voice. Like Hall & Oates. Blue Eyed Soul singer.

A couple of prime examples of the music and the lyrics going in different directions are" "I took a pill in Ibiza" by Mike Posner, and "Born in the USA" by Bruce Springsteen.

There's a remarkable 5.1 remix of this song on DVD Audio that is well worth listening to if you have an opportunity. A spectacular use of that format

This song was a hit when I was in middle school, and some of the members of our concert band kept playing the riff over and over. Our director got tired of this and decided that he would get the score and we would play it for a concert. Our poor parents! On the rehearsal list on the board, our director just listed it as AOBTD. I always sing "AOBTD" when I hear it now. Great memories!

I bought this album with my own money when I was 10 or 11 years old, which was 1980 or 81, I was living on Sylvan Street. No, it had to be 1980, I don’t know.😂 in that same purchase I bought Billy Joel‘s glass houses, and the robot album by Queen and Pete Townsends solo album, and the Cars panorama.🎉 I inherited my good taste from my parents.❤

They did the Flash Gordon soundtrack in the same year. Somehow similar.

with the 80s Queen changed a lot. I just wanted to say that Freddie, with this song, Hit his hightest note in a 'non falsetto', or 'falsettone' too, voice. If i well remember it was a 'Mi' over (E4)... or maybe Re over (D4).. i have to say, what you could think like a synth at minute 15:40 , that's just a piano note recorded backwards😉

My remaining brain cell has reminded me that Kenny Everett once got fired from Capital Radio, way back when, for playing this and then dedicating it to Ronnie Raygun (sic) after the assassination attempt on him in 1981. The man had class. LOLZZZZZ.

My dad was a (relatively) famous DJ from the 60's to the early 90's. He was a lover of music, from rock to blues to the almost unclassifiable Exuma (a musician you should check out. Tropical voodoo folk rock. His song seance in the Sixth Fret is him calling upon the spirits of the dead by name, then speaking for them. It's haunting) and he brought these records home. One day he brought home a new one and excitedly told my mom that she HAD to hear it because it was unlike anything else. It was Queen's first album.

Side note: Thats a cultural difference: we Austrians (Germans as well?) use the Radetzkymarsch (Strauss OP 228) to time compressions in CPR.

I loved "I'm outta love" by Anastacia when I heard it on the radio for the first time. By her voice I imagined a black woman. But I was wrong 🤭

the other song used for cpr is 'staying alive' by the beegees. the tempo is close to this one.

Two things: 1. I think people thought Freddie was black because the song was played on black stations and this was the first time Queen had been played on those stations. 2. Queen were HUGE Hendrix fans; Freddie reportedly followed his Britain tour and the whole band mourned his passing consequently botching a performance the next day. It is also said that Freddie was so enthralled by Hendrix because he was a black rock star and had so many white fans making it feasible that “a Persian Poppinjay” could also be a rock star.

Another song frequently used in CPR is, perhaps appropriately, Stayin' Alive, by the Bee Gees.

Have you listened to Maxwell's Silver Hammer [Beatles] - with some of what you said here about music and lyrics it made me think of that song. I think for many who assumed Freddie was Black comes from the lyrics and mood as it is similar to a lot of Rap lyrics. For many people that sort of thing drives their assumptions. Sometimes it is musical style that creates these misassumptions, such as people who assumed Charlie Pride was White.

@proudmoon3

Ай бұрын

Maxwell's Silver Hammer is the ultimate juxtaposition of upbeat music with macabre lyrics. Hope to see her react to it!

@TheFireMonkey

Ай бұрын

@@proudmoon3 That one is a wild ride indeed.

El baile es un rito ancestral, tribal. No fué creado cómo método de diversión. Quizá, aún muchos conservamos esas costumbres de utilizar el baile cómo herramienta de instrospección, espiritualmente, o simplemente cómo método terapéutico. La relación de la música de "baile" con letras oscuras conserva la lógica más milenaria. La del baile cómo un rezo. Saludos!

Wonderfull analysis ❤️ you would love The Golden Boy with Montserrat Caballé

Jimmy "Spiderman" Allen of the Detroit Lions recorded a cover of this song and it was used as a theme for the Lions during their 1980 football season. It was a fun time to be a Lions fan, even though they didn't even make the playoffs that year. I was 8 years old. :)

Abba was the big disco band along with the Beegees. It might be worth listening to Staying Alive or Dancing Queen.

Another absolute masterpiece of "visual song" is Private Investigations from Dire Straits. You should listen it, it's really a great song

Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees is also one of those CPR songs.

I didn’t know this was recommended as a song to do CPR to. It’s funny because you pointed out that “another one bites the dust” is hardly the phrase you want in your head when doing CPR and the song I was told to use as a regulator for CPR timing is the much more appropriately titled “staying alive” by the Bee Gees.

I think "Tragedy" by the Bee Gees is the other song with the correct beat for Resuss.

I'm of the belief that it's not helpful to question "Is this really rock-n-roll?' or "Is this really what we do as a band?". If it's good, just go for it. Pigeon holing and drawing boundaries on creative ventures serves no productive purpose, in my opinion...it just limits creativity.

The x noteheads in the guitar score means that the strings are muted. After playing a chord, the guitarist loosens his/her fretting hand's grip, while still touching the strings.

Lol. They fought all the time, because they were 4 very different personalities, equally strong and driven, but with different tastes. Brian is the "metal" guy, Deaky loved funk. Dunno how to define Freddie's or Roger's stand.

@martinconnelly1473

Ай бұрын

Freddie loved opera.

@juttapopp1869

Ай бұрын

@@martinconnelly1473 among many other things, but des, he was the most theatrical among them

@susanp.7954

Ай бұрын

Roger was a ‘rocker’..but then he wrote radio Gaga..who knew❤

For your CPR course, the other possible song for beats per minute, is most likely the BeeGees Staying Alive....both have the same bpm. And the same humor for CPR. I've heard/sung both in CPR courses :)

It always felt like they were making fun of the 'shoot em up' movies, where the hero stays safe while all the baddies bite the dust. A look inside the comic book world of cowboys or gangsters with a beat to safely dance to .. and survive.

Give her some Smiths or Moressey so she can hear the master of happy sounding songs with dark lyrics.

I always took it as a metaphor, king of the hill attitude, winner of the race, male bravado, etc.

Yeah…I can really see in my mind Michael Jackson dancing to this. Very much in his style.

I enjoyed your reaction. But you know Cole Porter used to write music that had sort of a bit of a dark story like Love for sale and My Heart Belongs to Daddy(not about the singer’s father) and they had upbeat arrangements. And let’s not forget Bobby Darren And Mack. The Knife.

Sounds like warfare in house to house fighting

Reverse piano held chords (heavily effected), that's the strange sound, I think.

Please explore Rare Earth.