Live At The Rainbow '74


(Bonus disc: Queen II Tour - March Show)


[discography | gallery]

Queen 'Live At The Rainbow '74'

Released on 8 September 2014, as part of the deluxe and vinyl versions of the 'Live At The Rainbow '74' album.
Length 64:30.

Tracklisting:
1. Procession
2. Father To Son
3. Ogre Battle
4. Son And Daughter
5. Guitar Solo
6. Son And Daughter (reprise)
7. White Queen (As It Began)
8. Great King Rat
9. The Fairy Feller's Masterstroke
10. Keep Yourself Alive
11. Drum Solo
12. Keep Yourself Alive (reprise)
13. Seven Seas Of Rhye
14. Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll
15. Jailhouse Rock / Stupid Cupid / Be Bop A Lula (medley)
16. Liar
17. See What A Fool I've Been

 

Queen are:
Roger Taylor - drums and backing vocals
Freddie Mercury - lead vocals and piano
Brian May - guitars and backing vocals
John Deacon - bass guitar and backing vocals
.... and nobody played synthesiser

Executive producers Brian May and Roger Taylor
Music produced by Justin Shirley-Smith, Joshua J. Macrae and Kris Fredriksson
Recorded by Roy Thomas Baker and Mike Stone
Mastered by Tim Young at Metropolis Mastering
Post production supervision by Kris Fredriksson and Justin Shirley-Smith
Management by Jim Beach
Design by Richard Gray
Photography by Douglas Puddifoot, Johnny Dewe Matthews, Jill Furmanovsky, Mike Putland, Ian Dickson and Richard Paul-Jones

Recorded at the Rainbow Theatre, London, England, on 31 March 1974.


This show was released as part of the 'Live At The Rainbow '74' album, forming the bonus disc on the 'deluxe edition' CD and download releases. It was also included in full as part of the four LP set, and twelve of the seventeen tracks were included on a two LP set (omitting 'White Queen', 'Great King Rat', 'The Fairy Feller's Masterstroke', 'Jailhouse Rock / Stupid Cupid / Be Bop A Lula (medley)' and 'See What A Fool I've Been'). Four tracks ('Son And Daughter', 'Guitar Solo', 'Son And Daughter (reprise)' and 'Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll') were also included as video footage on the DVD and Blu-ray releases, as this was the only available footage at the time. Five tracks were previously released "officially" as part of the 'Top 100 Bootlegs' project on the 'Cardiac Arrest' bootleg, these being 'Procession', 'Father To Son', 'Keep Yourself Alive', 'Seven Seas Of Rhye' and 'Liar', although obviously in vastly inferior quality.

This show is the earliest known professionally recorded Queen concert, and at the time, it was intended to form Queen's first live album. The album was edited, mixed and prepared for release, but cancelled fairly late on, possibly as the band wanted to concentrate on new studio material. The first disc of the 2 LP set is a reproduction of this abandoned album, which would have had a running time of approximately 37 minutes.

'Great King Rat' and 'The Fairy Feller's Masterstroke' are the only live versions of these tracks which have ever been released (ignoring the BBC sessions). The latter was a huge surprise and undoubted highlight, as it was hardly ever performed live.


Procession


Track 1. Track length 1:14, song length 1:12.
This track segues into 'Father To Son', and is a complete instrumental, with no dialogue nor lyrics.
Details of the original version can be found on the 'Queen II' album page.

Father To Son


Track 2. Track length 6:07, song length 5:37.
This track segues from 'Procession'.
Details of the original version can be found on the 'Queen II' album page.

Lyrics:
A word in your ear, from father to son
Hear the word that I say
I fought with you, fought on your side
Long before you were born
Kings will be crowned, the word goes around
Father to son, to son

Every now and again
Time after time I keep a calling you, warning you on your way, yes
Don't destroy what you see, your country to be
Just keep building on the ground that's been won
Kings will be crowned, the word goes around
Father to son, to son
Hear I say

Yes
Do, do, do, do, do, do
Do, do, do, do, do
Do, do, do, do, do
Our family song

Do, do, do, do, do, do
Do, do, do, do, do
Do, do, do, do, do, oooh, yeah

Do, do, do, do, do, do
Do, do, do, do, do
Do, do, do, do, do
Then we move along, along, oooh

Take this letter that I give you
Hold it sonny and hold it high
You won't understand a word that's in it
But you'll write it out again before you die
Ohh, yeah

Oooh, oooh
To-dah, to-dah, to-dah, oh yeah
I'm gonna write you out a letter


(Unknown lyric)

Oooh, oooh

A word in your ear
From father to son
Funny you don't hear a single word I say
But my letter to you will stay by your side
Through the years though the loneliness has gone

Sing if you will
But the air you breathe I live to give you
Father to son
Father to, father to, father to son


Freddie: Thank you, thank you, lovely. Good evening, ooh, see you've all come out in force. How you feeling? I think I've seen most of you before, in fact I've seen nearly all of you before, ha, ha, ha, we'd like to do something from our 'Queen II' album now, would you like that? Yes you would, it's a number entitled -

Ogre Battle


Track 3. Track length 5:27, song length 4:49.
Details of the original version can be found on the 'Queen II' album page.

Lyrics:
Freddie: 'Ogre Battle'

Ah, come on

Ha, ha, ha, ha, haa
Now once upon a time
An old man told me a fable
When the piper is gone
And the soup is cold on your table
And if the black crow flies
Find a new destination
That is the sign
Come tonight
Come to the ogre sight
Come to ogre battle fight


Freddie: What do you think of the show so far?

He gives a great big cry
Swallow up the ocean
With a mighty tongue he catches flies
The palm of a hand incredible size
Great big eye
Has a focus in your direction
And the battle is won
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Come tonight
Come to the ogre sight
Come to ogre battle fight

Ha, ha, ha, ha, haa
Hit it

The ogre men are still inside
The two-way mirror mountain
You gotta stay clear and out of sight
You can't see in but you can see out
Keep a look out
The ogre men are coming out
Two-way mirror mountain
They're running up behind
And they're coming all about
Can't go east 'cos you gotta go south


(Unknown lyric)

Ogre men are going home
And then the great big fight is over
Bugle blow let trumpet cry
Ogre battle lives for evermore
Wow, oh, oh
But you can come along
You can come along
Come to ogre battle

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ha, ha, ha, ha, haa


Freddie: Nice one. Thank you
Roger: Yeah, that's really nice of you
Freddie: Thank you, thank you very much. How are you lot doing up there? All there, they're all awake. How would you like if we did something from the first album? I knew you'd dig that, which one would you like? (Audience shout 'Liar'). I tell you what, I knew I asked for that one, this one's called 'Son And Daughter'

Son And Daughter


Track 4. Track length 3:30, song length 3:28.
This track segues into Brian's guitar solo, and reprises afterwards, and appears on the DVD and Blu-ray releases as video footage.
Details of the original version can be found on the 'Queen' album page.

Lyrics:
Brian: Three, four

I want you
So watch out

Tried to be your son and daughter
Rolled into one, yes I did
You said you'd equal any man
For having your fun
Ooh, now didn't you feel surprised to find
The cap just didn't fit
A woman expects a man
To buckle down and a shovel
What'll you do for loving
If it's the one and the only game, yeah

I want you
To be a woman, yeah

Yeah
Well I tried to be a preacher
And a fisher of men
An equal people preacher
Will you lead us all the same
Well I travelled all round
The world and found
A brand new word for day
Watching the time
Never linger behind
Pardon me I have to get away
What'll you do for heaven
If it's a back from where you came, yeah

I want you

Freddie: What comes next?
To be a woman
I want you to be a woman
Oh, dig it

Guitar Solo


Track 5. Track length 2:25, solo length 2:25.
This track segues from 'Son And Daughter' and into it's reprise. It features Roger and John, as well as Brian, in an early 'Brighton Rock' style improvisation, and is a complete instrumental, with no dialogue nor lyrics. It appears on the DVD and Blu-ray releases as video footage.
Details of other guitar solos can be found on the Live Solos & Improvisations page.

Son And Daughter

(reprise)


Track 6. Track length 2:02, song length 1:31.
This track segues from Brian's guitar solo, and appears on the DVD and Blu-ray releases as video footage.
Details of the original version can be found on the 'Queen' album page.

Lyrics:
Ooh, yeah

Now didn't you feel surprised to find
The cap just didn't fit
A woman expects a man
To buckle down and a shovel it
What'll you do for heaven
If it's a back from where you came

I want you to be a woman
A woman, let's hear


Freddie: Thank you. How nice. Lovely, lovely, ha, ha, ha, I see you're getting warmed up, nice
Roger: Ah, OK we'd like to something a little quieter now, this is a song written by Brian May, it's on the second album, featuring Mr Mercury on piano I think, it's called 'White Queen'

White Queen

(As It Began)


Track 7. Track length 5:48, song length 5:25.
This track was omitted from the double LP set.
Details of the original version can be found on the 'Queen II' album page.

Lyrics:
So sad her eyes
Smiling dark eyes
So sad her eyes
As it began

On such a breathless night as this
Upon my brow the lightest kiss
I walked alone
And all around the air did say
My lady soon will stir this way
In sorrow known
The white queen walks and the night grows pale
Stars of lovingness in her hair

Needing - unheard
Pleading - one word
So sad her eyes
She cannot see

How did thee fare, what have thee seen
The mother of the willow green
I call her name
And 'neath the window have I stayed
I loved the foot steps that she made
And when she came
White queen how my heart did ache
And dry my lips no words could make
Still I wait

My Goddess hear my darkest fear
It's not too late
It's for evermore that I wait

Dear friend, goodbye
No tears my eyes
So sad it ends
As it began


Freddie: Thank you
Roger: Thanks, thanks for listening
Freddie: Ha, ha, ha, I tell you what, how, how would you like to know about a dirty old man that I know about. Ha, ha, ha, do you know what he's called? He's called 'Great King Rat'

Great King Rat


Track 8. Track length 7:04, song length 6:37.
This track was omitted from the double LP set.
Details of the original version can be found on the 'Queen' album page.

Lyrics:
Great king rat died today
Born on the twenty-first of May
Died syphilis forty-four on his birthday
Every second word he swore
Yes, he was the son of a whore
Always wanted by the law

Now would you like to know
A wouldn't you like to know
A wouldn't you like to know
Great king rat was a dirty old man
And a dirty old man was he
Now what did I tell you
Would you like to see?
Ow

Where will I be tomorrow
Will I beg, will I borrow
I don't care anyway
Come on, come on, the time is right
The man is evil and that is right
I told you
And that's no lie

Would you like to know
A wouldn't you like to know
A wouldn't you like to know
Great king rat was a dirty old man
And a dirty old man was he
Now what did I tell you
Would you like to see?
Let him show you, ha

Ooh yeah

Now would you like to know
A wouldn't you like to know
People
Great king rat was a dirty old man
And a dirty old man was he
Now what did I tell you
Would you like to see?

Hit it
You bugger you

Now listen all you people
Throw out the good and keep the bad
Very soon you're gonna be in the bible
You sinners get in line
Saints you leave far behind
And very soon you're gonna be a disciple

Don't listen to what your mama says
Not a word, not a word mama says
Or else you'll find yourself being the rival, sure
The great Lord before he died
Knelt sinners by his side
Said 'you're going to realise tomorrow'

No, I'm not gonna tell you
What you already know
'Cos time and time again
The old man said it all a long time ago
Come on, come on the time is right
This evil man will fight
I told you once before
Yes, and that's no lie

Great king rat was a dirty old man
And a dirty old man was he
Now what did I tell you
Would you like to see?


Freddie: Thank you
Brian: Hope you like our new arrangement
Freddie: Do you know, they didn't give me enough time to change, the nasty ones
Brian: We'd now like to something for you, which we don't often do, it's especially for you, which is off the second album, features Freddie on the jangle box again, it's called 'The Fairy Feller's Masterstroke'

The Fairy Feller's Masterstroke


Track 9. Track length 2:52, song length 2:41.
This track was omitted from the double LP set.
Details of the original version can be found on the 'Queen II' album page.

Lyrics:
Ahhh-ahhh-ahh
Ahhh-ahhh

Fairy folk have gathered round
The new moon shine
See the feller crack a nut
At night's noon-time
Axe he swears
As it climbs he dares
To deliver

Ploughman, 'Waggoner Will' and types
Politician with senatorial pipe
Dally-o
Pedagogue squinting wears a frown
And a satyr peers under a lady's gown
What a dirty laddio

Tatterdemalion and a junketer
There's a thief and a dragonfly trumpeter
Hero
Fairy dandy tickling the fancy
Of his lady friend
In yellow
What a quaere fellow

Soldier, sailor, tinker, tailor, ploughboy
Waiting to hear the sound
And the arch-magician presides
He is the leader
Oberon and Titania watched by a harridan
Mab is the queen
And there's a good apothecary man
Come to say hello
Fairy dandy tickling the fancy
Of his lady friend
In yellow
What a quaere fellow

The ostler stares with hands on his knees
Come on Mr Feller
Crack it open if you please
Ahhhh, ahh


Roger: Thank you
Freddie: Tell you what, it's time you all joined in, everybody, and I know you know the words to this one, all you gotta do is clap along, sing along the choruses, it's

Keep Yourself Alive


Track 10. Track length 2:22, song length 2:20.
This track segues into Roger's drum solo, and reprises afterwards.
A US promo CD contains an edit of the track, lasting 3:24, which must also include the track's reprise and Roger's drum solo, with unknown sections edited out.
Details of the original version can be found on the 'Queen' album page.

Lyrics:
Freddie: Called 'Keep Yourself Alive'

Ahh

Yeah
Keep yourself alive
Get down
Yeah

I was told a million times of all the troubles in my way
Might he grow a little wiser, little better every day
But if I crossed a million rivers, and I rode a million miles
Still be where I started, bread and butter for a smile
Sold a million mirrors in a shop in alley way
But I never saw my face in any window any day
Now they say your folks are telling you be a superstar
Tell you just be satisfied and stay right where you are

Keep yourself alive, keep yourself alive
All you people keep yourself alive

That's right
That's right
Wow

Well I loved a million women in a belladonic haze
And I ate a million dinners brought to me on silver trays
Give me everything I need, feed my body and my soul
Grow a little bigger, maybe that can be my goal
Told a million times of all the people in my way
How I had to keep on trying and get better every day
But if I crossed a million rivers, rode a million miles
Still be where I started, same as when I started

Keep yourself alive, keep yourself alive
All you people keep yourself alive

Drum Solo


Track 11. Track length 0:28, solo length 0:28.
This track segues from 'Keep Yourself Alive' and into the reprise, and is a complete instrumental, with no dialogue nor lyrics.
Details of other drum solos can be found on the Live Solos & Improvisations page.

Keep Yourself Alive

(reprise)


Track 12. Track length 1:23, song length 0:58.
This track segues from Roger's drum solo.
Details of the original version can be found on the 'Queen' album page.

Lyrics:
Keep yourself alive, keep yourself alive
Take you all your time and a money
And honey you'll survive

Do you think you're better every day?
No, I just think I'm two steps nearer to my grave

Keep yourself alive, keep yourself alive
All you people keep yourself alive
Keep yourself alive, keep yourself alive
All you people keep yourself alive
Keep yourself alive, come on, come on, keep yourself alive
All you people keep yourself alive


Roger: Yeah, thank you
Freddie: Thank you very much. Tell you what we do right now, this is a, our current release, thank you, it's called, he's announced it for me, the 'Seven Seas Of Rhye'

Seven Seas Of Rhye


Track 13. Track length 3:10, song length 2:48.
Details of the original version can be found on the 'Queen II' album page.

Lyrics:
Fear me you Lords and Lady preachers
I descend upon your earth from the skies
I command your very souls you unbelievers
Bring before me what is mine
The seven seas of rhye

Can you hear me you peers and privy councillors
I stand before you naked to the eyes
I will destroy any man who dares abuse my trust
I swear that you'll be mine
The seven seas of rhye

Sister - I live and lie for you
Mister - do and I'll die
You are mine I possess you
Belong to you forever, ever, ever

Storm the master marathon I'll fly through
By flash and thunder fire I'll survive (I'll survive, I'll survive)
Then I'll defy the laws of nature
Come out alive
Then I'll get you

Be gone with you, you shod and shady senators
Give out the good, leave out the bad evil cries
I challenge the mighty Titan and his troubadours
And with a smile
I'll take you to the seven seas of rhye

Ooh yeah
Come on let me take you
Come on let me take you
Seven seas of rhye, alright


Freddie: Thank you, ahh. How would you like some rock 'n' roll? Some rock and roll, ha, ha, thought you didn't hear me the first time. This is 'Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll'

Roger: One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four

Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll


Track 14. Track length 2:41, song length 2:32.
This track appears on the DVD and Blu-ray releases as video footage.
Details of the original version can be found on the 'Queen' album page.

Lyrics:
Yeah

Got to make do with a worn out rock and roll scene
The old bop is getting tired, don't you know, well you know what I mean
Fifty-eight that was great but it's over now, that's all
Something harder's coming up, gonna knock a hole in the wall
Gonna grab you, hit you hard, make you feel ten feet tall

Well I hope that a brand new baby's gonna come along soon
And I know it could happen, any old rainy afternoon
With the juke box blowing, juke box blowing no fuse
And the temperature's like, just like a Sunday school cruise
And you know everybody in this world could use

Modern times - rock 'n' roll
Modern times - rock 'n' roll, yeah

Ooh

Get your high heeled guitar styled boots and groovy clothes
Get a hair piece on your chest, a ring through your nose
Find a nice little man who's gonna make you a big, big star
Stars in your eyes, ants in your pants, you gotta go far
And you know everybody in this bum sucking world should go far

Rock 'n' roll
Rock 'n' roll
Rock 'n' roll
(Rock 'n' roll) you move it the left, you move it the right
(Rock 'n' roll) groovin' and shakin' all of the night
(Rock 'n') roll
Rock 'n' roll, ow
Rock 'n' roll
Rock 'n' roll
Rock 'n' roll


Freddie: Thank you
Roger: One more? Oh

Jailhouse Rock / Stupid Cupid / Be Bop A Lula

(medley)


Track 15. Track length 4:32, song length 4:19.
This track was omitted from the double LP set.
Details of this cover version medley can be found on the Live Only Songs page.

Lyrics:
The warden threw a party in the county jail
Prison band was there and they began to wail
Band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing
Should've heard them knocked out jailbirds sing
Let's rock - everybody let's rock
Everybody in the whole cell block
Dancing to the jailhouse rock

Number forty-seven said to number three
'You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see'
'Sure would be delighted in your company'
'Come on and do the jailhouse rock with me'
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock
Everybody in the whole cell block
Dancin' to the jailhouse rock

Well, Spider Murphy played the tenor saxophone
Little Joe was blowing on his slide trombone
Drummer boy from Illinois went crash, boom, bang
Whole rhythm section was the purple gang
Let's rock, everybody, let's rockin' and a rollin' tonight
Everybody in the whole cell block
Dancing to the jailhouse rock

One more time

Stupid cupid, you're a real mean guy
Woman, woman, oh you can fly
Ooh, it's a crying shame
Stupid stop playing that game
Hey, hey, set me free
Stupid stop a ohh

Be bop a lula - you're shooting my baby
Be bop a lula - she's driving me crazy
Be bop a lula - she don't understand
Be bop a lula - don't a play that game
You've got a rocker, you've got a roller
You've gotta be my baby, baby, baby, ooh

One more time

Well, sad sack sittin' on a block of stone
Way in the corner weepin' all alone
Don't you tell nobody, don't you be no square
Can't find a partner use a wooden chair
Let's rock, everybody let's rock
Everybody in the whole cell block
Dancing to the jailhouse rock

We've gone dancing to the jailhouse rock
Gone dancing to the jailhouse rock
Dancing
Dancing
Let me hear you do it
Yeah

Freddie: You clapping up there?

They've got a boogie
They've got a rhythm
They've got a shakin'

(Unknown lyric)
They've got a boogie
You're doing well

Dancing to the jailhouse rock
Gone dancing to the jailhouse rock
Dancing
Dancing
Dancing
You've got 'em dancing to the jailhouse rock
Dancing to the jailhouse rock
Dancing to the jailhouse rock
Dancing to the jailhouse rock
Dancing to the jailhouse rock
Dancing to the jailhouse rock


Freddie: Thank you. We'd like to end, we'd like to end with the number we usually end with, for those who've seen us, it's called 'Liar'

Liar


Track 16. Track length 8:28, song length 7:29.
Details of the original version can be found on the 'Queen' album page.

Lyrics:
Alright

Ahhh

Oooh

I have sinned dear father
Father I have sinned
Try and help me father
Won't you let me in
Liar, oh nobody believes me
Liar, why don't you leave me

Sire, I have stolen
Stolen many times
Raised my voice in anger
When I know I never should
Liar, oh everybody deceives me
Liar, why don't you leave me alone

Brian

Liar, I have sailed the seas
Liar
Liar, I have drunk the wine
Liar, time after time
Liar, you're lying to me
Liar, yes, you're lying to me
Father, please forgive me
You know you'll never leave me
Please will you direct me
In the right way
In the right way
Yeah, yeah, yeah

Liar, liar, liar, liar, everybody
Liar,
(unknown lyric)
Liar, every day and every night
Liar, all the time
Liar, oh, oh-woh-woh
They keep calling me liar
They know I'm a liar
And that's the way to go

Move over baby

Keep on

Listen
Now you're gonna listen
Ooh, yeah
Mama I'm gonna be your slave (all day long)
Mama I'm gonna try behave (all day long)
Mama I'm gonna be your slave (all day long)
I'm gonna love you till your dying day (all day long)
I'm gonna kneel down by your side and pray
All day long
All day long
All day long
I'm gonna pray
I'm gonna kneel down by your side and pray


(Unknown lyric)

All day long, all day long, all day long

Liar, liar, they never ever let you win
Liar, liar, everything you do is sin
Liar, nobody believes you
Liar, they bring you down before you begin
Now let me tell you this
So now you know you could be dead before they let you


Freddie: Thank you, thank you very much, good night, thank you

Freddie: 'See What A Fool I've Been'

See What A Fool I've Been


Track 17. Track length 4:58, song length 4:42.
This track was omitted from the double LP set.
Details of the original version can be found on the 'Queen II' album page.

Lyrics:
Well she's gone
Gone this morning
See what a fool I've been
Oh Lord, I said
What a fool I've been
Watch out

I caught a train
A train to Georgia
Sixteen coaches long
Oh Lord, I said
Sixteen coaches long, yeah

Dog ain't too hungry
He just kept on barking, wow, wow
He said, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, oh Lord I said
He just, feel the same
Brian
Your turn

Come on out, come on out

Oh
Ooh
Oooh, ooh, ooh

(Unknown lyric)

Well I get so lonely
Went and told my neighbour
And she said ooh-ooh-oohhh
Oh Lord, I said
What a fool I've been
Then she told me what to do
She said go home

Ooh, more, baby

Well she's gone
Gone this morning
See what a fool I've been, oh lord I said
What a
Fo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oool

Freddie: Lovely darlings, thank you
I've been

Freddie: Thank you very much