Amazon 07.12.2008 09:20 |
I was curious about how all the albums got their respective titles. Queen and Queen II are obvious. A Kind Of Magic, The Miracle, Innuendo and Made In Heaven are named after title tracks. A Night At The Opera and A Day At The Races are named after Marx Brothers films. Flash is a soundtrack. The above mentioned albums are pretty obvious, however I'm not as certain about the other albums. I believe that Hot Space refers to the space between the notes and The Works comes from Roger's comment; "Let's give them the works!" I also read somewhere that The Game was originally intended to be named Play The Game but the group felt it sounded too conformist. The Cosmos Rocks probably would sound better than The Cosmos is Rocking. Sheer Heart Attack, I believe, was originally meant to be named after the track, but the song wasn't completed in time. Jazz, apart from the song 'More of that Jazz,' is a bit of a mystery to me, while I have absolutely no idea about News of the World. If anyone could tell me how News got its title and whether other albums were named for different reasons to the ones I mentioned, I would be really grateful! |
dbruce 07.12.2008 10:29 |
News of the World is the name of a British tabloid newspaper. That's about all I can add really! |
Mr Prime Jive 07.12.2008 12:39 |
"A Kind Of Magic" is a quote from Higlander. |
GT 07.12.2008 14:40 |
Pretty much all you have said about the albums is true. The live album titles are obvious too. Didn't Roger see the words JAZZ and a similar logo on the Berlin Wall? |
boca 07.12.2008 17:38 |
You were wrong about Hot Space. The group had dinner once, all together, and it was very hot. Freddie suggested that they could call album Hot Space. Cheers |
Claudio_CQI 07.12.2008 18:12 |
Jazz took the name by the ongoing Montreux Jazz festival while the band recorded at Mountain Studios. But I was not yet born to be 100% secure..... |
Holly2003 07.12.2008 18:48 |
Anyoen know how they came up with the name Queen Greatest Hits Vol. 3? |
August R. 07.12.2008 19:03 |
Am I the only one who thinks there's something fishy about the SHA story? I mean WHY would they name an album after a song that's NOT on the record. Is Sheer Heart Attack really that strong title on its own right? It doesn't sound that special to my ear, but I'm not a native English speaker, so I probably don't get all the nuances and connotations of the title. Is there actually a demo of the song from 1974 or an interview from 1974/1975 where they tell us that they had a song of the same title but it didn't make it to the album? I'm asking this 'cos to me, the whole story sounds like something they made up after NOTW was released. |
Raf 07.12.2008 19:26 |
claudiox, I'm afraid you're wrong - I read somewhere the same story GT has posted here. Maybe both of us could be wrong and you could be right, but I'm pretty sure I had read it on a reliable website (I thought it was Queenpedia, but nothing there...). |
john bodega 08.12.2008 05:22 |
Beer + spare time + deadlines = album titles. |
Amazon 08.12.2008 07:07 |
Thanks, guys. I really appreciate your replies. I've alaways been quite curious how Queen came about its album titles, but I can't seem to find the explanations for some of the titles anywhere. |
L-R-TIGER1994 08.12.2008 10:39 |
The lyrics of Innuendo were written as a tribute to Led Zeppelin and their song "Kashmir" so then the name of the Album. |
Micrówave 08.12.2008 11:42 |
The Miracle was Brian's nod to the 1980 U.S. Men's Hockey team. John and Roger made him drop the "on Ice" prior to releasing it. |
shieldmatron 08.12.2008 19:46 |
Amazon wrote: ...The Cosmos Rocks probably would sound better than The Cosmos is Rocking.... Since the term cosmos means an orderly or harmonious system, those who have listened to TCR and decline to bask in the Q+PR love, might find it to be very un-harmonious and annoying to the ear, self included. Of course, Brian might think that Carl Sagan's Cosmos rocked (which it did) and wanted to honor the documentary. I'm quite sure Brian thinks the cosmos rocks, so it's an appropriate title for any aged rocker who is also an astronomer. Actually, a more accurate title for the album would have been The Cosmos Is Expanding. |
Charlie Brown 08.12.2008 22:45 |
Hello Amazon, i believe all of the album titles have been pretty well explained in this thread except for Jazz. My understanding is that in 1978 Queen bought Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland which is the home of an annual jazz festival. Jazz was recorded in Mountain Studios and Super Bear Studios in Nice, France. As for the album cover, Roger saw something similar to the white concentric circles on a black background that would be used as the album art painted on the wall that was erected by communist East Germany in 1961 to separate East Berlin from West Berlin. |
Amazon 09.12.2008 01:25 |
Charlie Brown wrote: Hello Amazon, i believe all of the album titles have been pretty well explained in this thread except for Jazz. My understanding is that in 1978 Queen bought Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland which is the home of an annual jazz festival. Jazz was recorded in Mountain Studios and Super Bear Studios in Nice, France. As for the album cover, Roger saw something similar to the white concentric circles on a black background that would be used as the album art painted on the wall that was erected by communist East Germany in 1961 to separate East Berlin from West Berlin.They have, and I appreciate it. However if soneone could confirm Sheer Heart Attack (is the album connected to the song in any way?) and could explain News of the World as well (that is, why would the group name an album after a tabloid?) I would really grateful.They, alng with Jazz, have been the three albums whose titles have always puzzled me. I must say, I've become rather hooked to this site. I've never been on a Queen fan site before, but I've recently been spending much of my time on this and Queenpedia (which I only just discovered yesterday.) [img=/images/smiley/msn/teeth_smile.gif][/img] |
Charlie Brown 10.12.2008 01:24 |
Amazon wrote:Charlie Brown wrote: Hello Amazon, i believe all of the album titles have been pretty well explained in this thread except for Jazz. My understanding is that in 1978 Queen bought Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland which is the home of an annual jazz festival. Jazz was recorded in Mountain Studios and Super Bear Studios in Nice, France. As for the album cover, Roger saw something similar to the white concentric circles on a black background that would be used as the album art painted on the wall that was erected by communist East Germany in 1961 to separate East Berlin from West Berlin.They have, and I appreciate it. However if soneone could confirm Sheer Heart Attack (is the album connected to the song in any way?) and could explain News of the World as well (that is, why would the group name an album after a tabloid?) I would really grateful.They, alng with Jazz, have been the three albums whose titles have always puzzled me. I must say, I've become rather hooked to this site. I've never been on a Queen fan site before, but I've recently been spending much of my time on this and Queenpedia (which I only just discovered yesterday.) [img=/images/smiley/msn/teeth_smile.gif][/img] My understanding is that the song Sheer Heart Attack was going to be the title track for well Sheer Heart Attack, but Roger developed something like writers block concerning the song. Either Roger didn't finish writing the song till 1977 and the recording of News Of The World album or the group didn't want to include the song on their two previous albums. I believe the News Of The World title was Queens sort of back handed slap at the media especially the British media for their coverage of the band. Erin and Pieter who are both members of this site run Queenpedia and have put in a good effort on it. This site is addictive and like cocaine or heroine it drives its addicts into the arms of madness![img=/images/smiley/msn/tounge_smile.gif][/img] |
Charlie Brown 11.12.2008 01:09 |
^ Amazon i tried responding to you last night but the quote function malfunctioned as its prone to do around here, sorry. The song Sheer Heart Attack was supposed to be the title track for well Sheer Heart Attack, but Roger developed something like writers block concerning the song and either didn't finish the song till 1977 and the recording of News Of The World or the band didn't think the song suited their two previous albums. I believe that naming the album News Of The World was meant as sort of a back handed slap at the media especially the British media who they felt had not been fair in their coverage of Queen. Erin and Pieter who are members of this site run Queenpedia and have put in a good effort on it. And yes this site is addictive and like cocaine or heroine it drives its addicts into the arms of madness![img=/images/smiley/msn/wink_smile.gif][/img] |
August R. 11.12.2008 03:17 |
Charlie Brown wrote: The song Sheer Heart Attack was supposed to be the title track for well Sheer Heart Attack, but Roger developed something like writers block concerning the song and either didn't finish the song till 1977 and the recording of News Of The World or the band didn't think the song suited their two previous albums. Yes, that's the story we all know but is there any truth behind it? (See my earlier post for details.) |
Amazon 11.12.2008 06:07 |
Charlie Brown wrote: ^ Amazon i tried responding to you last night but the quote function malfunctioned as its prone to do around here, sorry. The song Sheer Heart Attack was supposed to be the title track for well Sheer Heart Attack, but Roger developed something like writers block concerning the song and either didn't finish the song till 1977 and the recording of News Of The World or the band didn't think the song suited their two previous albums. I believe that naming the album News Of The World was meant as sort of a back handed slap at the media especially the British media who they felt had not been fair in their coverage of Queen. Erin and Pieter who are members of this site run Queenpedia and have put in a good effort on it. And yes this site is addictive and like cocaine or heroine it drives its addicts into the arms of madness![img=/images/smiley/msn/wink_smile.gif][/img] |
Charlie Brown 12.12.2008 00:04 |
^ Amazon i'm glad i helped put your mind at ease. [img=/images/smiley/msn/shades_smile.gif][/img] Enjoy yourself on your trip. August i read your original post concerning the Sheer Heart Attack story and i imagine its possible that Queen made up the story just because they thought it would be more interesting. Although to my knowledge it would be the only time they did such a thing. Also if the story is untrue Roy Thomas Baker, Mike Stone, etc. would have been in on the lie not just the band members. |
Bo Rhap 13.12.2008 06:16 |
Wasnt News Of The World gonna be called Duck Soup on account of the fact that the two previous albums were called after Marx brothers films |
ITSM 14.12.2008 15:30 |
I think Roger saw JAZZ painted on a wall, with the same pink letters, and maybe the logo too...? INNUENDO... does it mean they make innuendos about the fact that Freddie is going to die soon ? |
Amazon 22.12.2008 06:02 |
Charlie Brown wrote: ^ Amazon i'm glad i helped put your mind at ease. [img=/images/smiley/msn/shades_smile.gif][/img] Enjoy yourself on your trip. August i read your original post concerning the Sheer Heart Attack story and i imagine its possible that Queen made up the story just because they thought it would be more interesting. Although to my knowledge it would be the only time they did such a thing. Also if the story is untrue Roy Thomas Baker, Mike Stone, etc. would have been in on the lie not just the band members. Thanka. I recntly reyrrned form my romantic getaway (although it wasn't that romantic, but that's not important [img=/images/smiley/msn/teeth_smile.gif][/img] ) Thanks, I recently returned from my romantic getaway (although it wasn't that romantic) and the first thing I did was put on SHA. Brilliant album! |
Bo Alex 22.12.2008 18:10 |
ITSM wrote: I think Roger saw JAZZ painted on a wall, with the same pink letters, and maybe the logo too...? INNUENDO... does it mean they make innuendos about the fact that Freddie is going to die soon ? I used to think the same about Innuendo: they were insinuating the near death of Freddie in the lyrics of some songs. But I think the song came before that idea and then the title fixed very well with the situation of the band on those days. |
Charlie Brown 23.12.2008 00:55 |
Amazon wrote:Charlie Brown wrote: ^ Amazon i'm glad i helped put your mind at ease. [img=/images/smiley/msn/shades_smile.gif][/img] Enjoy yourself on your trip. August i read your original post concerning the Sheer Heart Attack story and i imagine its possible that Queen made up the story just because they thought it would be more interesting. Although to my knowledge it would be the only time they did such a thing. Also if the story is untrue Roy Thomas Baker, Mike Stone, etc. would have been in on the lie not just the band members. Thanka. I recntly reyrrned form my romantic getaway (although it wasn't that romantic, but that's not important [img=/images/smiley/msn/teeth_smile.gif][/img] ) Thanks, I recently returned from my romantic getaway (although it wasn't that romantic) and the first thing I did was put on SHA. Brilliant album! Welcome back Amazon. Yes SHA is a true album in that the songs seem to compliment each other and are more impressive collectively than as individual songs. |