KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE


Brian's first back-up was a pre-CBS Stratocaster.

As Queen's debut single, this song had several "trade-card" elements, such as the fact Roger and Brian had one lead vocal line each, there was a drum solo, a bass-break, and of course, layered guitars and some interesting vocals. In terms of music, it shows some of Brian's trademarks as well as some more generic rock concepts (e.g. gradually thickening intro).

It's a shame it wasn't a big hit, it surely deserved to be.

General Information:

Music & Lyrics by: Brian May
Arranged by: Brian May
Written: 1970
Length: 3:45
Released on: July 13th 1973

Produced by: Queen, Roy Thomas Baker & John Anthony
Mixed by: Mike Stone
Engineered by: Roy Thomas Baker, Mike Stone, Ted Sharpe & David Hentschel

Recorded: 1971 - 1972
 Recorded at: Trident Studios, Soho, London

Keys: F, Fm, D, E, B
Meter: 4/4
Form: Cyclic

Acoustic Drums: Roger Taylor
Tambourine: Uncredited
Electric Bass: John Deacon
Electric Guitars: Brian May

Lead Vocals: Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor & Brian May
Backing Vocals: Freddie Mercury

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Form:

Intro
Verse
Verse'
Chorus
Intro'
Verse
Verse'
Chorus
Drum Solo
Chorus
Chorus
Chorus
Bridge
Chorus...

We find some interesting points:

- Verses have alternate endings. Brian'd apply the same concept for other sections in the future (e.g. Show Must Go On, Prophet's Song, I Want It All).

- Middle-eight is indeed "authentic" (it lasts eight bars and changes the key), but the way it's done is very creative (dialog and then ascending scale).

- As it often happens in Queen music (specially in that era), the basic cycle (intro, verse and chorus) is done twice and then new sections are introduced while there are no more verses. Check out I Want It All or Show Must Go On.

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Harmony:

Verse
Chords
F7
Bb
F
F7
F/A
Bb
F
F Major
V-IV
IV
I
V-IV
IV
I
Chords
C
Db
Ab
C
F Major
V
bVI
bIII
V
F Minor
V
VI
III
V
Verse'
Chords
F7
Bb
F
F7
F/A
Bb
F
F Major
V-IV
IV
I
V-IV
IV
I
Chords
C
Db
Ab
A
F Major
V
bVI
bIII
III
F Minor
V
VI
III
#III
D Major
bVII
V-III
bV
V
Chorus
Chords
D
D
A
D
F#7
Bm
G
A
D
D Major
I
I
V
I
V-vi
vi
IV
V
I

We can interpret verses in different ways. For instance:

- All the time in F, using some modal chords in the second part.

- Mixolydian mode (emphasized by the V-IV chord).

- Parallel I > i modulation (even though Fm doesn't appear in the second part, but pitch-set corresponds to it).