The Works
Released: February 27th, 1984
Recorded: August 1983- January 1984 at The Record Plant, Los Angeles, California, and Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany
Genre: Rock
Length: 37:11
Label: EMI, Parlophone (UK), Capitol, Hollywood (US)
Producer: Queen, Mack
Personnel:
· Freddie Mercury: lead vocals, piano, keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals
· Brian May: electric guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, lead vocals on “I Go Crazy” bridge, backing vocals
· Roger Taylor: drums, electronic drums, keyboards, guitar, lead vocals (“Machines”), backing vocals
· John Deacon: bass guitar, rhythm & acoustic guitars, keyboards
· Fred Mandel: piano (“Man on the Prowl”), keyboards, programming
· Mack: demolition fairlight programming on “Machines”, programming
· Mike Beiriger: additional engineering
· Ed Delena: additional engineering
· Bill Smith: sleeve design
· George Hurrell: photography
Singles:
Radio Ga Ga, released January 23rd, 1984
I Want to Break Free, released April 2nd, 1984
It’s a Hard Life, released July 16th, 1984
Hammer to Fall, released September 10th, 1984
Interesting Facts:
The album's title comes from a comment drummer Roger Taylor made as recording began – "Let's give them the works!"
This was the first Queen album to be released on Compact Disc.
"Radio Ga Ga" was composed on keyboards, after Roger Taylor heard his son Felix (3 years old at the time) saying "radio ca ca".He wrote it in Los Angeles and locked himself in the studio with a Roland Jupiter 8 and a drum machine.
To make the ‘machine’ part of the song “Machines (Back to Humans)”, they used electronic drums and synthesizers, and for the ‘human’ part of the song, they used traditional instruments.
"Keep Passing the Open Windows" was written by Mercury in 1983 for the film version of The Hotel New Hampshire, based on a novel by John Irving. The phrase is mentioned on a number of occasions throughout the film and was, according to the opening credits, also co-produced by the band's manager Jim Beach, who changed it in order to suit the album mood better. Mercury played piano and synths and wrote the lyrics after reading the quote in the book.
For the first and only time in their career, all the songs (and one non-album track, "I Go Crazy") from a Queen album were used as either A-sides or B-sides on singles. Starting with this album, the group began issuing singles in the United Kingdom under their own catalogue numbers.
For the filming of "I want to break free" Freddie had planned to wear 6-inch heels but he could barely stand up in them so he had to settle for 2-inch ones.
Track Listing:
Side One:
1. Radio Ga Ga (Taylor)—5:44
2. Tear It Up (May)—3:28
3. It’s a Hard Life (Mercury)—4:08
4. Man on the Prowl (Mercury)—3:28
Side Two:
1. Machines (Back to Humans) (Taylor, May)—5:10
2. I Want to Break Free (Deacon)—3:20
3. Keep Passing the Open Windows (Mercury)—5:21
4. Hammer to Fall (May)—4:28
5. Is This the World We Created (Mercury, May)—2:13
1991 Hollywood Record Bonus Tracks
1. I Go Crazy (original B-side) (May)—3:42
2. Radio Ga Ga (extended version)—6:50
3. I Want to Break Free (extended mix)—7:19
Recorded: August 1983- January 1984 at The Record Plant, Los Angeles, California, and Musicland Studios, Munich, Germany
Genre: Rock
Length: 37:11
Label: EMI, Parlophone (UK), Capitol, Hollywood (US)
Producer: Queen, Mack
Personnel:
· Freddie Mercury: lead vocals, piano, keyboards, rhythm guitar, backing vocals
· Brian May: electric guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, lead vocals on “I Go Crazy” bridge, backing vocals
· Roger Taylor: drums, electronic drums, keyboards, guitar, lead vocals (“Machines”), backing vocals
· John Deacon: bass guitar, rhythm & acoustic guitars, keyboards
· Fred Mandel: piano (“Man on the Prowl”), keyboards, programming
· Mack: demolition fairlight programming on “Machines”, programming
· Mike Beiriger: additional engineering
· Ed Delena: additional engineering
· Bill Smith: sleeve design
· George Hurrell: photography
Singles:
Radio Ga Ga, released January 23rd, 1984
I Want to Break Free, released April 2nd, 1984
It’s a Hard Life, released July 16th, 1984
Hammer to Fall, released September 10th, 1984
Interesting Facts:
The album's title comes from a comment drummer Roger Taylor made as recording began – "Let's give them the works!"
This was the first Queen album to be released on Compact Disc.
"Radio Ga Ga" was composed on keyboards, after Roger Taylor heard his son Felix (3 years old at the time) saying "radio ca ca".He wrote it in Los Angeles and locked himself in the studio with a Roland Jupiter 8 and a drum machine.
To make the ‘machine’ part of the song “Machines (Back to Humans)”, they used electronic drums and synthesizers, and for the ‘human’ part of the song, they used traditional instruments.
"Keep Passing the Open Windows" was written by Mercury in 1983 for the film version of The Hotel New Hampshire, based on a novel by John Irving. The phrase is mentioned on a number of occasions throughout the film and was, according to the opening credits, also co-produced by the band's manager Jim Beach, who changed it in order to suit the album mood better. Mercury played piano and synths and wrote the lyrics after reading the quote in the book.
For the first and only time in their career, all the songs (and one non-album track, "I Go Crazy") from a Queen album were used as either A-sides or B-sides on singles. Starting with this album, the group began issuing singles in the United Kingdom under their own catalogue numbers.
For the filming of "I want to break free" Freddie had planned to wear 6-inch heels but he could barely stand up in them so he had to settle for 2-inch ones.
Track Listing:
Side One:
1. Radio Ga Ga (Taylor)—5:44
2. Tear It Up (May)—3:28
3. It’s a Hard Life (Mercury)—4:08
4. Man on the Prowl (Mercury)—3:28
Side Two:
1. Machines (Back to Humans) (Taylor, May)—5:10
2. I Want to Break Free (Deacon)—3:20
3. Keep Passing the Open Windows (Mercury)—5:21
4. Hammer to Fall (May)—4:28
5. Is This the World We Created (Mercury, May)—2:13
1991 Hollywood Record Bonus Tracks
1. I Go Crazy (original B-side) (May)—3:42
2. Radio Ga Ga (extended version)—6:50
3. I Want to Break Free (extended mix)—7:19
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