Keep Yourself Alive

Last updated

"Keep Yourself Alive"
Keep Yourself Alive.png
Single by Queen
from the album Queen
B-side "Son and Daughter"
Released
  • 6 July 1973 (UK)
  • 8 October 1973 (US)
RecordedJune–November 1972 at Trident Studios
Genre
Length3:47
Label
Songwriter(s) Brian May
Producer(s)
Queen singles chronology
"Keep Yourself Alive"
(1973)		"Liar"
(1974)
Music video
"Keep Yourself Alive" on YouTube

"Keep Yourself Alive" is the debut single by the British rock band Queen. Written by guitarist Brian May, it is the opening track on the band's self-titled debut album (1973). It was released as Queen's first single along with "Son and Daughter" as the B-side.

Contents

"Keep Yourself Alive" was largely ignored upon its release and failed to chart on either side of the Atlantic. In July 1975 the song was re-released in the US backed with "Lily of the Valley" and "God Save the Queen". [4]

In 2008, Rolling Stone rated the song 31st on its list of "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time". [5]

Writing and recording

According to Mark Hodkinson, author of Queen: The Early Years, "Keep Yourself Alive" was conceived on acoustic guitars during Queen's practice sessions at Imperial College and the garden at Ferry Road in 1970. [6] At the time, Queen had not yet found a permanent bassist; the group consisted of lead singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, and drummer Roger Taylor. In a radio special about their 1977 album News of the World , May said he had penned the lyrics thinking them ironic and tongue-in-cheek, but their sense was completely changed when Mercury sang them.

The first version of "Keep Yourself Alive" was recorded in December 1971 at De Lane Lea Studios. It was produced by Louie Austin and includes the intro played on Brian May's Hallfredh acoustic guitar. All of the song elements were already present, including Mercury's call-and-response vocals (verses) and during the break, where Taylor sang a line and May answered it. This demo version remains May's personal favourite take of the song.

They subsequently made several attempts to "recapture the magic" when they went on to capture the "real" version at the famous Trident Studios. The version mixed by Mike Stone was the only one considered moderately acceptable by the band, and was the one deemed fit to release as a single. This version includes Mercury doing all of the harmony vocals in the chorus (multi-tracking himself) and May singing the "two steps nearer to my grave" line instead of Mercury (who did it in earlier versions and would often do so live). This particular recording does not utilise May's acoustic guitar; the printed transcription on EMI Music Publishing's Off the Record sheet music lists at least seven different electric guitar parts, one of which uses a prominent phasing effect. It should also be noted that this recording includes the line "Come on and get it, get it, get it, boy, keep yourself alive," which was not in the original version.

Live performances

Brian May, writer of "Keep Yourself Alive", performing live with his Red Special guitar in 1977 BrianMayNov1977.jpg
Brian May, writer of "Keep Yourself Alive", performing live with his Red Special guitar in 1977

The newly formed Queen would quickly add "Keep Yourself Alive" to their live set. Mercury commented that the song "was a very good way of telling people what Queen was about in those days". [7] Indeed, the number included a drum solo by Taylor and one line sung/spoken by him.

"Keep Yourself Alive" was part of the band's live set until the early 1980s. Through late 1979 to 1981, the band would play an improvisational jam before the start of the song then after the drum solo, it would morph into Taylor's timpani drum solo followed by May's echo-plexed guitar solo spot before either segueing into "Brighton Rock" finale or a drum and guitar climax that segued into a Flash Gordon medley (which consisted of "Vultan's Theme"/"Battle Theme"/"Flash's Theme"/"The Hero"). The band would not play it again until 1984 on The Works tour as part of a medley of old songs (with "Somebody to Love", "Killer Queen", "Seven Seas of Rhye", and "Liar").

In live performances, Mercury would often sing the line "all you people keep yourself alive" (which is sung only two times in the studio version) in place of the more-repeated line "take you all your time and a money honey you'll survive".

The song also appears on the 1989 live album release At the Beeb , originally recorded for BBC Radio 1's programme Sound of the 70s in 1973. Although not released until much later, this live studio recording predates Queen's eponymous debut and presents a version of "Keep Yourself Alive" more in line with that of their live set.[ original research? ]

Release and reception

EMI Records released "Keep Yourself Alive" as a single in the United Kingdom on 6 July 1973, a week before Queen hit the stores. A few months later, on 9 October 1973, Elektra Records released the single in the United States. [8] However, "Keep Yourself Alive" received little radio airplay and was largely ignored on both sides of the Atlantic; it failed to chart in either the UK or the US. [9] According to Queen biographer Mark Hodkinson, "[o]n five separate occasions EMI's pluggers attempted to secure it space on [Britain's Radio 1] play list", yet they were denied each time - reportedly because the record took "too long to happen". "Keep Yourself Alive" is the only Queen single not to have charted in the UK. [10]

The single received mixed reviews from the British music press. New Musical Express praised the "cleanly recorded" song, as well as the "good singer", and quipped that if Queen "look half as good as they sound, they could be huge". [11] The reviewer for Melody Maker felt that Queen made "an impressive debut with a heavily phased guitar intro and energetic vocal attack"; however, he thought the song unoriginal, and unlikely to become a hit. [12] On the other hand, Disc magazine's critic believed the single "should do well". The review praised "Keep Yourself Alive"'s drum solo, as well as its "attractively stilted, vaguely Hendrix-y lead riff". [13] The South Yorkshire Times rated the single as "good"; the newspaper predicted that "[i]f this debut sound from Queen is anything to go by, they should make very interesting listening in the future." [14] In his album review of Queen for Rolling Stone, Gordon Fletcher hailed "Keep Yourself Alive" as "a truly awesome move for the jugular." [15]

Retrospectively, "Keep Yourself Alive" is cited as the highlight of Queen's debut album. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic wrote that while Queen "too often... plays like a succession of ideas instead of succinct songs", "[t]here is an exception to that rule — the wild, rampaging opener 'Keep Yourself Alive' - one of their very best songs." [16] In 2008, Rolling Stone rated the song 31st on its list of "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time". The magazine dubbed "Keep Yourself Alive" as "Brian May's statement of purpose: a phalanx of overdubbed guitars crying out in unison, with rhythm and texture from over-the-top effects...an entire album's worth of riffs crammed into a single song." [5]

Personnel

Track listing

All songs written by Brian May, except where noted.

1973 UK 7" single
  1. "Keep Yourself Alive" – 3:47
  2. "Son and Daughter" – 3:20
1974 Australian 7" single
  1. "Keep Yourself Alive" – 3:47
  2. "Son and Daughter" (censored) – 3:12
1975 US 7" single reissue
  1. "Keep Yourself Alive" – 3:29
  2. "Lily of the Valley (Freddie Mercury) – 1:35
  3. "God Save the Queen (traditional, arr. May) – 1:15

Certifications

Certifications for "Keep Yourself Alive"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil) [17] Gold30,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen (band)</span> British rock band

Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1970 by Freddie Mercury, Brian May, and Roger Taylor, later joined by John Deacon (bass). Their earliest works were influenced by progressive rock, hard rock, and heavy metal, but the band gradually ventured into more conventional and radio-friendly works by incorporating further styles, such as arena rock and pop rock.

<i>Queen II</i> 1974 studio album by Queen

Queen II is the second studio album by the British rock band Queen. It was released on 8 March 1974 by EMI Records in the UK and Elektra Records in the US. It was recorded at Trident Studios and Langham 1 Studios, London, in August 1973 with co-producers Roy Thomas Baker and Robin Geoffrey Cable, and engineered by Mike Stone. It is significant for being the first album to contain elements of the band's signature sound of multi-layered overdubs, vocal harmonies, and varied musical styles.

<i>Sheer Heart Attack</i> 1974 studio album by Queen

Sheer Heart Attack is the third studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 8 November 1974 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States. Digressing from the progressive themes featured on their first two albums, the album featured more pop-centric and conventional rock tracks and marked a step towards the "classic" Queen sound. It was produced by the band and Roy Thomas Baker, and launched Queen to mainstream popularity in the UK and throughout the world.

<i>A Night at the Opera</i> (Queen album) 1975 studio album by Queen

A Night at the Opera is the fourth studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 28 November 1975 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and Elektra Records in the United States. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker and Queen, it was reportedly the most expensive album ever recorded at the time of its release.

<i>Innuendo</i> (album) 1991 studio album by Queen

Innuendo is the fourteenth studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 4 February 1991 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and was the band's first studio album to be released by Hollywood Records in the United States. Produced by David Richards and the band, it was the band's last album to be released in lead singer Freddie Mercury's lifetime, and their most recent one to be composed of entirely new material, save for The Cosmos Rocks by the Queen + Paul Rodgers collaboration. The album reached the No. 1 spot on the UK album charts for two weeks, and also peaked at No. 1 in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland, staying at No. 1 for three weeks, four weeks, six weeks, and eight weeks, respectively. It was the first Queen album to go Gold in the US upon its release since The Works in 1984.

<i>Queen</i> (Queen album) 1973 debut studio album by Queen

Queen is the eponymous debut studio album by the British rock band Queen. Released on 13 July 1973 by EMI Records in the UK and by Elektra Records in the US, it was recorded at Trident Studios and De Lane Lea Music Centre, London, with production by Roy Thomas Baker, John Anthony and the band members themselves.

<i>The Miracle</i> (album) 1989 album by Queen

The Miracle is the thirteenth studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 22 May 1989 by Parlophone Records and Capitol Records in both the United Kingdom and the U.S. respectively, where it was the band's third and final studio album to be released on latter label, and their first studio album on the former label. The album was recorded as the band recovered from Brian May's marital problems and Freddie Mercury's HIV diagnosis in 1987. Recording started in January 1988 and lasted for an entire year. The album was originally going to be called The Invisible Men, but three weeks before the release, according to Roger Taylor, they changed the name to The Miracle. It was also the last Queen album with a photo of the band on the front cover.

<i>Jazz</i> (Queen album) 1978 studio album by Queen

Jazz is the seventh studio album by the British rock band Queen. It was released on 10 November 1978 by EMI Records in the United Kingdom and by Elektra Records in the United States. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, the album artwork was suggested by Roger Taylor, who previously saw a similar design painted on the Berlin Wall. The album's varying musical styles were alternately praised and criticised. It reached number two in the UK Albums Chart and number six on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart.

<i>A Kind of Magic</i> 1986 studio album by Queen

A Kind of Magic is the twelfth studio album by the British rock band Queen, released on 2 June 1986 by EMI Records in the UK and by Capitol Records in the US. It is based on the soundtrack to the film Highlander, directed by Russell Mulcahy.

<i>Queen Rocks</i> 1997 compilation album by Queen

Queen Rocks is a compilation album by the British rock band Queen, released on 3 November 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seven Seas of Rhye</span> 1974 song by Queen

"Seven Seas of Rhye" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was primarily written by Freddie Mercury, with Brian May contributing the second middle-eight. The song is officially credited to Mercury only. A rudimentary instrumental version appears as the final track on the group's self-titled debut album (1973), with the final version on the follow-up Queen II (1974).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">These Are the Days of Our Lives</span> 1991 single by Queen

"These Are the Days of Our Lives" is a song by the British rock band Queen. Although credited to the whole band, it was largely written by their drummer Roger Taylor, and is the eighth track on the band's 1991 album Innuendo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Show Must Go On (Queen song)</span> 1991 single by Queen

"The Show Must Go On" is a song by British rock band Queen, featured as the twelfth and final track on their 1991 album, Innuendo. It is credited to Queen, but was primarily written by guitarist Brian May. The song chronicles the effort of frontman Freddie Mercury continuing to perform despite approaching the end of his life, although his diagnosis with HIV/AIDS had not yet been made public in spite of ongoing media speculation that he was seriously ill. When the band recorded the song in 1990, Mercury's condition had deteriorated to the point that May had concerns as to whether he was physically capable of singing it. May recalls; "I said, 'Fred, I don't know if this is going to be possible to sing.' And he went, 'I'll do it, darling'—vodka down—and went in and killed it, completely lacerated that vocal".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sheer Heart Attack (song)</span> 1978 song by Queen

"Sheer Heart Attack" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released on their sixth studio album News of the World in 1977. It is one of two songs on the album entirely written by Roger Taylor, the other being "Fight from the Inside".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Cross (band)</span> British rock band

The Cross were an English rock band formed in 1987 by Queen drummer Roger Taylor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flick of the Wrist</span> 1974 single by Queen

"Flick of the Wrist" is a song by the British rock band Queen, released as a double A-side with "Killer Queen" in the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, the United States and most other territories. It was written by Freddie Mercury for the 1974 album Sheer Heart Attack.

<i>The Works</i> (Queen album) 1984 studio album by Queen

The Works is the eleventh studio album by the British rock band Queen. It was released on 27 February 1984 by EMI Records just shortly after recording for the album had been completed in the United Kingdom and it is the band's first studio album to be released by Capitol Records in the United States. After the synth-heavy Hot Space (1982), the album saw the re-emergence of Brian May and Roger Taylor's rock sound, while still incorporating the early 80s retro futuristic electronic music and New York funk scenes. Recorded at the Record Plant Studios in Los Angeles, California, and Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany, from August 1983 to January 1984, the album's title comes from a comment Taylor made as recording began – "Let's give them the works!".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Deacon</span> English musician and songwriter (born 1951)

John Richard Deacon is an English retired musician who was the bass guitarist for the rock band Queen. He wrote several songs for the group, including Top 10 hits "You're My Best Friend", "Another One Bites the Dust" and "I Want to Break Free"; co-wrote "Under Pressure", "Friends Will Be Friends" and "One Vision"; and he was involved in the band's financial management.

<i>Queen Rock Montreal</i> 2007 live album by Queen

Queen Rock Montreal is a live album by the British rock band Queen. It was released on 29 October 2007 as a double CD, Blu-ray, DVD, and triple vinyl in the UK and the following day in the US.

<i>Deep Cuts, Volume 1 (1973–1976)</i> 2011 compilation album by Queen

Deep Cuts, Volume 1 (1973–1976) is a compilation of Queen tracks between 1973 and 1976. Unlike other compilations released by Queen, Deep Cuts contains songs which are largely not as well known as Queen's hits. The album was released on 14 March 2011 as part of Queen's 40th anniversary. Deep Cuts Volume 1 was released at the same time Queen's first five albums were re-released. The songs picked were all personal favourite songs, that were not hits, selected by Brian May, Roger Taylor, and Taylor Hawkins. It is the only release to feature the complete ending of "The March of The Black Queen" and of "Ogre Battle". The three songs "Tenement Funster", "Flick of the Wrist" and "Lily of the Valley" all segue into each other just as on the original Sheer Heart Attack album.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ O'Neill, Andrew (2017). A History of Heavy Metal. Headline. p. 66. ISBN   9781472241467.
  2. ↑ Popoff, Martin (5 January 2024). "The Top 20 unlikely Progressive Rock hits, ranked". Goldmine . Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  3. ↑ "Queen: Sheer Heart Attack - Album Of The Week Club Review". Louder Sound . 12 November 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2019. Their first single Keep Yourself Alive is as brash a slice of glammy power-pop as you'll hear and Funny How Love Is hints at a Phil Spector sound.
  4. ↑ "1975 re-issue". Discogs . 1975.
  5. 1 2 "The 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time: 31. 'Keep Yourself Alive'". Rolling Stone. 12 June 2008. Retrieved on 3 October 2009.
  6. ↑ Hodkinson, p. 122.
  7. ↑ RAM, 21 May 1976, p 17
  8. ↑ "QOL History—Queen". QueenOnline. Retrieved on 29 June 2009.
  9. ↑ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Keep Yourself Alive" song review. Allmusic. Retrieved on 29 June 2009.
  10. ↑ Hodkinson, p. 158
  11. ↑ "Queen: 'Keep Yourself Alive' (EMI)". New Musical Express . 14 July 1973.
  12. ↑ "Queen: 'Keep Yourself Alive' (EMI)". Melody Maker . 21 July 1973.
  13. ↑ "Queen: 'Keep Yourself Alive' (EMI 2036)". Disc. 21 July 1973.
  14. ↑ "'Keep Yourself Alive'/'Son and Daughter'—Queen (EMI)". South Yorkshire Times. 27 July 1973.
  15. ↑ Fletcher, Gordon. "Queen review". Rolling Stone . 6 December 1973. Retrieved on 2 August 2009.
  16. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Queen review". Allmusic. Retrieved on 2 August 2009.
  17. ↑ "Brazilian single certifications – Queen – Keep Yourself Alive" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil . Retrieved 26 August 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.