Hello,
I don't know if this has been discussed before, but has anyone noticed that in the beginning of Brigthon Rock, there is somebody whistling the tune sung-a-long at the end of Seven Seas Of Rhye? Between the fair noise and the guitar riff... I have listened Brighton for more that 15 years, and i had never noticed that!
Is everybody aware of this or am i the only fool that didnt hear it?
The tune (Roger I believe?) whistled is called, "I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside", which was a favourite British Edwardian music hall (psuedo-Vauderville) type tune, made famous in the early 1920s/ish.
So the popularity of this tune pre-dates "Sheer Heart Attack" by approx 50 years.
Brighton, was (and still is) a famous British Seaside Tourist resort, where the most popular attractions, (especially for London day-trippers), were the beach, Pier, funfairs, and all the attractions of the wide open spaces.
Therefore, the "whistling tune" evokes a flavour of both Brighton, and the period (time and place), in much the same way as the "Carouselle" funfair medley, and is a great introduction to the "Brighton Rock" track.
At the end "Seven Seas Of Rhye" the whistler reprises the "I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside" theme, and ends the album - just the same as it began.
Ofcourse, the fact that the sea-side begins at Brighton, is another master-stroke - as Queen escort us from the "realistic" world of Brighton's shores, through the classical world of the "Two-way mirror mountain", and leave us firmly castaway on a fantasy island by the shores of Rhye at the end of the album. From the White side, to the Black side infact.
Oh I do like to be beside the seaside
Oh I do like to be beside the sea
Oh I do like to stroll along the prom prom prom
Where the brass bands play "Tiddley om-pom-pom"
Oh I do like to be beside the seaside
Oh I do like to be beside the sea
When I’m down beside the sea
I’m beside myself with glee
Beside the seaside
Beside the sea
(I know, I know, I guess Saturday morning's are NOT the best time to reply to such threads, but hey, it's fun while it lasts!).
PS: Queen cut a vocal version of this - which you can still hear (Roger especially - on what seems to be a "drunken chorus"), if you know what you are looking for, deep down in the mix.
Bohardy: "What are you on about John?! Brighton Rock doesn't start off Queen II!"
God - I knew I was a bit p*ssed when I started writing, but I guess I had a wee bit more than I thought!
I think the beginning of Brighton Rock was supposed to mimick what one would hear, were one strolling down the promenade at Brighton. For us non-Brits, the promenade was a giant, covered fair and market that stretched out into the ocean on a huge pier. I read that it was torn down a few years ago, unfortunately, so that's one more place to cross off my big list of Queen-related places to visit when I get enough money to make the trip.
There's a little less magic in the air, it would seem.
No Brighton Pier is still there I think, just in a skeletal form! I did read an interesting article about it the other day when I happened to be looking at a Who Quadrophenia site!