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Killer Queen () is a song by the English rock band Queen. It was featured on the Sheer Heart Attack album released in 1974, and was written by Queen pianist and lead singer Freddie Mercury. One of the songs, Killer Queen, has a double a-side, "Flick of the Wrist". Mercury commented that the influences he received for the track included early Beatles records, Beach Boys and (lyrically) Noel Coward. He wrote the lyrics first before adding the complex yet catchy musical arrangements. The recording features elaborate 4-part vocal harmonies (particularly in the choruses, and also providing backing parts in the verses), and also an elaborate multitracked guitar solo by Brian May. The song is about a female assassin who poses as a high-class prostitute. It mentions Marie Antoinette, the queen of France, as well as the popular politicians of the 1950s and '60s Khrushchev and Kennedy. The single reached Paul Rodgers has stated that the song would not be played while Queen + Paul Rodgers is on tour, due to the fact that: "the melodies are just too on the spot".
Recording sessions Instead of using a 9 ft grand piano as he used to, Freddie Mercury recorded the song with an upright (credited as "jangle piano"), in order to give the track the appropriate vaudeville sound. Besides piano, bass, drums and guitar, there are several percussion instruments such as triangle and windchimes. Queen on the record Freddie Mercury: Brian May: Live recordings Cover versions | ||||||||
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