YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY

Queen albums explored many different styles, yet there were some predictable features: most albums had at least one piano ballad written and sung by Mercury, where he did all or most of the backing vocals (Nevermore, Lily of the Valley, Love of My Life, My Melancholy Blues, Jealousy, Play the Game, Life Is Real, It's a Hard Life).

General Information:

Music & Lyrics by: Freddie Mercury
Arranged by: Freddie Mercury
Written: 1976
Length: 5:07
Released on: 10th December 1976

Produced by: Queen
Mixed by: Queen & Mike Stone
Engineered by: Mike Stone

Recorded: July - November 1976
 Recorded at: Wessex and/or Sarm East, London, and/or Sarm Hookend, Hookend Manor

Keys: C Lydian b3, Chm, Cm
Metre: 4/4
Form: Cyclic

Acoustic Drums: Roger Taylor
Electric Bass: John Deacon
Electric Guitar: Brian May
Acoustic Piano: Freddie Mercury

Lead Vocals: Freddie Mercury
Backing Vocals: Freddie Mercury

Songwriting:

Freddie was inspired by Japanese traditional pentatonic scale. This piece has some interesting modal changes, starting in the unusual Lydian b2 (derived from GhM), then going to C Harmonic Minor and finally landing on Cm, one of Freddie's favourite keys (e.g. We Are the Champions, My Baby Does Me).

Recordings:

Most of the song is only Freddie, but then there's a nice multi-tracked bit with guitars, drums and bass (people often think Dr May was the only one adding orchestral backdrops but he wasn't).

Equipment:

Bechstein Concert Grand Piano

Fender P-Bass

Ludwig Drums

Red Special Electric Guitar