Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon/Killer Queen

Albums: A Night at the Opera (1975)/Sheer Heart Attack (1974)

One of the many unusual things about Queen's vocal arrangements was their occasional tendency

to use call-and-response backing vocals very literally, as if the band is narrating the protagonist's
journey in the style of a Greek chorus. This technique appears in several of their songs (think of verse
two of “Somebody to Love,” with “I work hard / (He works hard).” In the two songs you'll hear tonight,
there are a few choice moments where the backing vocals play the part of this opinionated narrator,
including "bound to be proposing on a Saturday night (there he goes again)’, and the faux-obsequious
commentary "Perfume came naturally from Paris (naturally).” Li-Anne Kong's arrangement of “Lazing”
features an interpretation of the song's signature vaudeville-band instrumental section, originally
created using Brian May's multi-tracked guitar, and you'll hear Ektoras Georgiou's versatile and
expressive lead vocal, exploring the two very different characters that narrate each song.

| Want to Break Free

Album: The Works (1984)

This huge European hit was less well known in the U.S. at the time, possibly due to the band’s then-
controversial cross-dressing in the promotional video. Musically speaking, it's an example of Queen’s
preparedness to take a fresh approach to a well-known musical idea—in this case, the 12-bar blues form.
The synth-heavy instrumentation was a significant creative departure from past work, going so far as
to feature a synthesizer playing the instrumental solo. At the time this was a source of consternation to
Brian May, causing some tension in the studio, but Queen had an unwritten rule that the songwriter
has the final say, so John Deacon got his synth part. The Berklee version resolves the dispute, 35 years
on, by doubling guitar and synth on the solo. Student arranger Brandon Cui has added a live string
section in place of the original’s eight-to-the-bar synth part, giving a more organic feel to the intro
particularly, and presenting a great framework for Ryne Paez's soaring lead vocal.

You Take My Breath Away

Album: A Day at the Races (1976)

Tonight's concert features a great selection of classic Queen hits, but our creative team wanted to go
deeper and explore some of the band's more experimental moments. This darkly poignant minor-
key love song describes the pain of deep romantic longing; the protagonist inhabits the cusp of
devotion and obsession, and at times appears to be pleading: "l could give up all my life for just one
kiss/l would surely die/If you dismiss me from your love.” The all-Freddie contrapuntal choir on the
original recording was augmented by delicate piano and Brian May's “cello” guitar section. Tonight's
interpretation is performed by award-winning Berklee faculty/alumni a cappella ensemble Vox One,
and arranged by faculty member Yumiko Matsuoka.

Another One Bites the Dust

Album: The Game (1980)

As Queen explored synthesizers for the first time in 1980, they were also expanding their range of
stylistic influences. This timeless bassline, with its three solid staccato on-the-beat root notes, takes
some inspiration from Chic's “Good Times,” although it appears to stay the right side of exact copying;
both bands always spoke respectfully of each other in interviews. The disco-influenced recording
features sound effects galore, including backwards piano/guitar and harmonizer processing. The song
was released as a single at the suggestion of Michael Jackson, who reportedly advised “Freddie, you
need a song the cats can dance to." Melodically, the entire song covers a large range, from F below
middle C to C above, because the verses are sung in two different octaves. Throughout tonight's version
you'll hear the versatility of lead vocalist Tiffany Munroe, as she interprets the song’s tension-filled lyric.