dum” two-note bassline, which was famously (and controversially) sampled in Vanilla Ice’s 1990 hit
"Ice |ce Baby." It was written in one long studio session, with Bowie and Mercury recording their first
vocal takes separately, and features Freddie's signature scat vocal improvs (of which we'll hear more
later in the evening). Student arranger Karl Munroe has stayed true to the spirit of the classic 1981
single recording, adding his own twist on the ending, and there's enough (hot) space in our version for
vocalists Emme Cannon and Marlon Solomon to inject their own signature licks and style.

The Show Must Go On

Album: Innuendo (1991)

This powerful and prophetic anthem, from the band’s final album as a foursome, might be described
as the archetypal Queen song-huge harmonies, wonderful melodic quitar soloing, and a universal
human sentiment, delivered with a theatrical flavor. To know that Freddie was almost too ill to sing the
vocal (even though his performance is extraordinary) adds an extra poignancy to every word of the lyric,
particularly the dark valedictory humor of the sign-off line: “Inside my heart is breaking/My makeup
may be flaking/But my smile still stays on.” The arrangement is by student Li-Anne Kong, who has
chosen to begin the song by showcasing Maniya's lead vocal completely unaccompanied. This is one
of many songs this evening to feature our amazing 10-piece string section, led by Australian student
Emily Gelineau. And check out the key modulation from the guitar solo into the bridge-it takes some
cunning music theory (and a fair bit of audacity) to get from B minor to F major in only four beats.

You're My Best Friend

Album: A Night at the Opera (1975)

Given Queen’s musical excesses (particularly on A Night at the Opera), this three-minute feel-good pop
song was a departure of sorts. Written by bassist John Deacon for his wife, Veronica Tetzlaff, the lyric is
a sincere and authentic love poem, free of artful metaphors and using only the simplest sun/rain/shine
imagery to carry the emotional message. The original recording features a Wurlitzer electric piano, the
bass notes of which provide the opening pulsing octave riff. The version you'll hear tonight uses some
of the same instrumentation as the Queen original, but arranger James Yao adds a nod to Berklee's jazz
heritage, with some extended chords and cool four-to-the-bar guitar chord licks. Vocalists Katie Roeder
and Shane Daneyko perform the song as a duet, and it's a testament to Deacon'’s lyric-writing skills that
the timeless sentiment comes across so well in this format without changing a single word.

The Seven Seas of Rhye

Album: Queen 11(1974)

For some fans, Queen !l is the great underrated gem of the band's early years. “Seven Seas of Rhye”

is the last song on the album'’s B side (referred to as "Side Black” in a suitably art-rock gesture), and it
forms part of a fantastical journey into imaginary lands, in which we witness an "Ogre Battle,” “The Fairy
Feller's Master-Stroke,” and “The March of the Black Queen.” It opens with Freddie's frenetic 16th-note
piano riff, and features the stacked vocal harmonies that would go on to become the band’s signature
sound. The lyric tells the story of a defiant hero character as he claims his right in the mystical land of
Rhye, and there's some wonderful wordsmithery on show—check out the repeating alliteration in each
verse: “Lords and lady preachers/Peers and privy counselors/Shod and shady senators.” In Brandon
Cui's arrangement tonight, you'll hear many of the elements of the original recording, including that
tricky piano intro, with a slightly adapted ending to create a deeper sense of closure than the album’s
artistic crossfade. Listen for the moment near the end when vocalist Thalia Tymowski holds the band's
timing in stasis briefly, before they crash back in on the voice cue. Berklee students are required to
listen carefully to each other at all times.