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Queen - Seven Seas Of Rhye

Music Video | 1974
ArtistQueen
SongSeven Seas Of Rhye
AlbumQueen II
DirectorRudi Dolezal
DirectorHannes Rossacher
GenreRock
IntroNo
OutroNo
Sound MixStereo
Technical Specificationscolour - format unknown

Wiki

Synopsis

Queen perform "Seven Seas Of Rhye" in a television-studio setting, with Freddie Mercury commanding the frame at the piano and microphone while Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon play behind him. The footage emphasizes the band's early glam-rock image, dramatic poses, and tightly mimed performance rather than a narrative storyline. Different edits combine appearances from BBC's *Top Of The Pops* in 1974, creating a document of Queen just as the song was introducing them to a much larger audience.

Factoids & Trivia

  • The video is built primarily from Queen's 1974 appearances on BBC's *Top Of The Pops*, with material associated with performances recorded on February 21, March 14, and March 28.
  • Queen's first *Top Of The Pops* appearance came at short notice when David Bowie did not appear as scheduled. The opportunity gave the band national exposure at a crucial point in its early career.
  • "Seven Seas Of Rhye" became Queen's first UK hit, eventually reaching No. 10 on the singles chart. The song was then included on *Queen II*, released in March 1974.
  • The surviving video material has a complicated history. BBC archive footage from the period was deleted, so later presentations used surviving recordings and reconstructed edits rather than a single complete original master.
  • A later version made for the 2011 *Queen: Days Of Our Lives* release expanded the presentation by combining four 1974 *Top Of The Pops* performances with footage from Queen's live appearance at the Rainbow Theatre.
  • The song began as a shorter instrumental passage on Queen's 1973 debut album. Its completed vocal version became the closing track of *Queen II* and one of the band's first clear breakthroughs.

Lyrics

(Mercury)

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 privvy counselors
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

...
© Queen - Seven Seas Of Rhye. This is an excerpt, provided as citation under fair-use.
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