WCSX Classic Cuts : Seven Seas of Rhye
WCSX Classic Cuts
Queen: “Seven Seas of Rhye”
The Hook: Don’t make the same mistake twice.
Album: Queen Two
Year: 1974
Writer: Freddie Mercury
Stats: Didn’t chart in the U.S., but was their first U.K. hit, peaking at number-10 on the British charts.
Background: “Seven Seas of Rhye” was written towards the end of the recording of Queen’s debut album, and they even included a snippet of it as a minute-long instrumental that ends that album. The song reappeared in its entirety on Queen Two and was the only single from that album. As guitarist Brian May tells it, the band had been told that their first single, “Keep Yourself Alive,” was a flop because it took way to long to get to Freddie Mercury’s vocal, he explains how “Seven Seas of Rhye” was a reaction to that.
Queen guitarist Brian May on how “Seven Seas of Rhye” became the single from Queen II after they were told that their previous single, “Keep Yourself Alive,” had flopped because it took them to long to get to the vocal. OC:…the verse. :14
“We said, ‘Right, you buggers, the next one you get everything in the first 15 seconds,’ – which is exactly what happens in ‘Seven Seas of Rhye.’ You know, the whole kitchen sink is in there and before you know where you are Freddie’s in there singing the verse.”
