The ABOTD thread made me think about other songs with loads of legends surrounding them.
Here's a list of things we know for sure about Another One Bites the Dust:
* Roger Taylor started it. It was originally about Martin Luther King, Jr.
* While it was being recorded, a lot of funny lyrics were experimented for it.
* Crazy effects were generated via slowing down vocals, tape saturations, reversed tape, etc. But synths were used as well.
* The initial distorted vocals say "God works in mysterious ways... Mysterious ways...".
* Produced by Mack, recorded in the EMI studios in Germany.
* It was released as a single before the release of the "A Kind Of Magic" album, of which it was part.
* Roger Taylor played synth drums, as also shown in the song's video clip. He also used regular drums.
* However, live, it was always played with regular drums only.
* The last line indeed says "Fried chicken", apparently, it was Freddie's boyfriend Jim Hutton, who suggested, that they keep it.
Things that are utterly false:
* The noises before the end repetition of the initial distorted vocals clearly say "Yes, my sweet Satan".
* Brian's riff after "I'm gonna tell you there's no black, and no white." inspired Michael Jackson's riff on his "Black or White".
* When played backwards, its initial distorted vocals say "Yes, my sweet Satan, yes, I've seen Sabbath".
* A version without any distorted vocals, whatsoever, was released in Islamic countries because Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran noticed the distorted vocals said Satanic stuff, when played backwards, and demanded Queen to make a new version, or he'd ban it.
Anything to add, correct, discuss, ask, etc... feel free to contribute. :)
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Battler Wrote: "Here's a list of things we know for sure about Another One Bites the Dust"
Are you sure you don't want to change that to 'One Vision'?
Are you sure you don't want to change that to 'One Vision'?
John S Stuart wrote:
Battler Wrote: "Here's a list of things we know for sure about Another One Bites the Dust"
Are you sure you don't want to change that to 'One Vision'?
It would be very cruel to write a song about Martin Luther King called Another One Bites The Dust :)
> * Produced by Mack, recorded in the EMI studios in Germany.
Actually, it's Musicland Studios in (then West) Germany.
> * Roger Taylor played synth drums, as also shown in the song's video clip. He also used regular drums.
Actually, it's e-drums. Not the same.
> * However, live, it was always played with regular drums only.
There are e-drums there too.
> * The last line indeed says "Fried chicken", apparently, it was Freddie's boyfriend Jim Hutton, who suggested, that they keep it.
Wrong: after 'fried chicken' there's a fading out 'vision vision vision...', then the slowed down 'God works in mysterious ways'. So, that is the last line.
Actually, it's Musicland Studios in (then West) Germany.
> * Roger Taylor played synth drums, as also shown in the song's video clip. He also used regular drums.
Actually, it's e-drums. Not the same.
> * However, live, it was always played with regular drums only.
There are e-drums there too.
> * The last line indeed says "Fried chicken", apparently, it was Freddie's boyfriend Jim Hutton, who suggested, that they keep it.
Wrong: after 'fried chicken' there's a fading out 'vision vision vision...', then the slowed down 'God works in mysterious ways'. So, that is the last line.
The fried chicken line is totally crass and almost destroys the song.
A version without any distorted vocals, whatsoever, was released in Islamic countries because Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran noticed the distorted vocals said Satanic stuff, when played backwards, and demanded Queen to make a new version, or he'd ban it.
So the Ayatollah was sitting back one day, spinning vinyl, and then promptly put a call into Freddie?
Made them re-work a song?
The Ayatollah?
It was the Ayatollah of Rock 'n' Rolla.
I actually remember reading/seeing/dreaming that the Shah(?) of Iran officially sanctioned Bo Rhap because of all the Bismillahs.
Fact - Listening to One Vision always makes me feel like a KFC.
Holly2003 wrote:
The fried chicken line is totally crass and almost destroys the song.
I think the lyrics "fried chicken" represent food. The idealogy of one vision etc is academic if the people are hungry and poor. However it is also their style of injecting humour into their songs i.e. we are just a rock band and not politicians.
The song is about MLK, the last line is about KFC. Couldn't be a simpler connection.
Zebonka12 wrote:
The song is about MLK, the last line is about KFC. Couldn't be a simpler connection.
Actually, it's not, since the last line's 'God works in mysterious ways' (said ca 10-15 seconds after 'fried chicken'). So, the song's about MLK, one of the lines is about KFC, and the first and last lines are about God.
I take it none of you are aware of the stereotypical association of fried chicken with African-Americans? Let's hope Queen weren't either, and this is just a stupid, throwaway line in the song. Still, it's no wonder Bowie criticised Queen for having no depth(?) -- even when they're being serious in a song about MLK they throw in a stupid line about fried chicken.
Sebastian wrote:
Zebonka12 wrote:
The song is about MLK, the last line is about KFC. Couldn't be a simpler connection.
Actually, it's not, since the last line's 'God works in mysterious ways' (said ca 10-15 seconds after 'fried chicken'). So, the song's about MLK, one of the lines is about KFC, and the first and last lines are about God.
Nah, I've always thought of that outro as effects more than actual lyrics. If someone's playing the song live, no one's going to bother to go "VISION Vision vision vi...." at the end. It ain't essential - it's just atmospherics.
[/QUOTE]
[/QUOTE]The real last line - the one they want you to remember - is obviously fried chicken, because the band were unrepentant racists to a man. Brian lobbied hard to get far worse than 'fried chicken' put into the song...[/QUOTE]
I always thought 'One Vision' was about the mythical beast 'cyclops'