egillis@manager
Mon, 07/10/2023 - 15:44
Edited Text
Medley:
We Will Rock You/Flash/We Are the Champions
Albums: News of the World (1977)/Flash (1980)/News of the World
Two of these songs need no introduction-"We Will Rock You” and "We Are the Champions” are icons
of musical culture, enjoying radio airplay, cover band performances, and sports-stadium singalongs
all over the world. “Flash” is perhaps slightly less well known in the U.S., having been written for the
1981 movie Flash Gordon, and achieving only modest chart success as a single. It features perhaps
the simplest rock riff of all time-a single low note, pulsing as eight-to-the-bar, doubled with piano,
bass, and kick drum, building up to the camp retro-sci-fi harmony lines that follow each “Flash...ahhh."
We're using "Flash” here partly to have some fun with these big textures, and also as a transition song
to give our special guest drummer time to take the stage. Shane Daneyko's anthemic tenor leads the
proceedings; the band explores some polyrhythms and chord substitutions in the outro choruses. We're
telling you that now, in case you miss anything while you're singing along at the top of your voice.
Medley:
Don't Stop Me Now/God Save the Queen
Albums: Jazz(1978)/A Night at the Opera (1975)
From the perspective of 2019, it's hard to believe that “Don't Stop Me Now" reached only number 86
inthe U.S. charts when it was released; it's one of those songs that feels like it's always been a classic.
The song is an unashamed paean to partying and hedonism, with unsubtle imagery of rocket ships,
tigers, and travelling at supersonic (and light) speed. Queen’s original band arrangement, by their own
standards, is a study in restraint; it's just piano, bass, drums, and voices for the first two minutes, and
the guitar is only unleashed for the solo, playing an unlayered single-note line and then dropping out
for the rest of the song. Emme Cannon takes lead vocals for the intro, but you can expect to hear from
most of our cast on this final song. We've augmented the original band arrangement slightly with Trace
Zakur's rasping tenor sax, but for the most part, the song’s musical and lyrical excesses don't need much
adornment. In our final bow to Queen, we end the show just as they did, both in their shows and on
A Night at the Opera—with the British national anthem. Some audience members may know that the
melody of "America (My Country, ‘Tis of Thee)" (1831) was borrowed from “God Save the Queen”
(1744), with new lyrics added by Samuel Francis Smith while a student at the Andover Theological
Seminary in Massachusetts. Smith's song was first performed in public on July 4, 1831, at Park Street
Church in Boston. The Berklee arrangement is a tribute to Queen's status as rock royalty, featuring drum
rolls, cymbals, layered overdriven guitars, and of course the famous gong.
We Will Rock You/Flash/We Are the Champions
Albums: News of the World (1977)/Flash (1980)/News of the World
Two of these songs need no introduction-"We Will Rock You” and "We Are the Champions” are icons
of musical culture, enjoying radio airplay, cover band performances, and sports-stadium singalongs
all over the world. “Flash” is perhaps slightly less well known in the U.S., having been written for the
1981 movie Flash Gordon, and achieving only modest chart success as a single. It features perhaps
the simplest rock riff of all time-a single low note, pulsing as eight-to-the-bar, doubled with piano,
bass, and kick drum, building up to the camp retro-sci-fi harmony lines that follow each “Flash...ahhh."
We're using "Flash” here partly to have some fun with these big textures, and also as a transition song
to give our special guest drummer time to take the stage. Shane Daneyko's anthemic tenor leads the
proceedings; the band explores some polyrhythms and chord substitutions in the outro choruses. We're
telling you that now, in case you miss anything while you're singing along at the top of your voice.
Medley:
Don't Stop Me Now/God Save the Queen
Albums: Jazz(1978)/A Night at the Opera (1975)
From the perspective of 2019, it's hard to believe that “Don't Stop Me Now" reached only number 86
inthe U.S. charts when it was released; it's one of those songs that feels like it's always been a classic.
The song is an unashamed paean to partying and hedonism, with unsubtle imagery of rocket ships,
tigers, and travelling at supersonic (and light) speed. Queen’s original band arrangement, by their own
standards, is a study in restraint; it's just piano, bass, drums, and voices for the first two minutes, and
the guitar is only unleashed for the solo, playing an unlayered single-note line and then dropping out
for the rest of the song. Emme Cannon takes lead vocals for the intro, but you can expect to hear from
most of our cast on this final song. We've augmented the original band arrangement slightly with Trace
Zakur's rasping tenor sax, but for the most part, the song’s musical and lyrical excesses don't need much
adornment. In our final bow to Queen, we end the show just as they did, both in their shows and on
A Night at the Opera—with the British national anthem. Some audience members may know that the
melody of "America (My Country, ‘Tis of Thee)" (1831) was borrowed from “God Save the Queen”
(1744), with new lyrics added by Samuel Francis Smith while a student at the Andover Theological
Seminary in Massachusetts. Smith's song was first performed in public on July 4, 1831, at Park Street
Church in Boston. The Berklee arrangement is a tribute to Queen's status as rock royalty, featuring drum
rolls, cymbals, layered overdriven guitars, and of course the famous gong.
