Seven Seas of Rhye

"Seven Seas of Rhye"
Instrumental by Queen
from the album Queen
Released13 July 1973
RecordedApril – 30 July 1972
StudioTrident, London
Length1:15
Label
Songwriter(s)Freddie Mercury
Producer(s)
"Seven Seas of Rhye"
Single by Queen
from the album Queen II
B-side
Released
  • 22 February 1974 (UK)[1]
  • 20 June 1974 (US)
RecordedAugust 1973 – February 1974[2][3]
StudioTrident, London
Genre
Length2:47
Label
Songwriter(s)Freddie Mercury
Producer(s)
Queen singles chronology
"Liar"
(1974)
"Seven Seas of Rhye"
(1974)
"Killer Queen" / "Flick of the Wrist"
(1974)
Music video
"Seven Seas of Rhye" on YouTube

"Seven Seas of Rhye" is a song by the British rock band Queen. It was primarily written by Freddie Mercury, with Brian May contributing the second middle-eight. The song is officially credited to Mercury only. A rudimentary instrumental version appears as the final track on the group's self-titled debut album (1973), with the final version on the follow-up Queen II (1974).[6]

The completed version served as the band's third single, and after performing the song on the BBC's Top of the Pops in February 1974 it became their first hit, reaching number 10 on the UK Singles Chart. It is the earliest-released song to appear on their Greatest Hits album, with the exception of some versions where their first single, "Keep Yourself Alive", is included. "Seven Seas of Rhye" is inspired by the fantasy world of Freddie Mercury and his sister, Kashmira Bulsara when they were children.

  1. ^ Queen Chronology. Patrick Lemieux, Adam Unger. 11 April 2018. p. 13. ISBN 9781926462103. Retrieved 4 January 2023. February 23 (1974): Queen releases "Seven Seas of Rhye" 7" single in UK
  2. ^ Queen Chronology. Patrick Lemieux, Adam Unger. 11 April 2018. p. 13. ISBN 9781926462103. Retrieved 4 January 2023. August 1973
  3. ^ "QUEENLIVE.ca". Retrieved 12 January 2020.
  4. ^ Fowles, Paul (2009). A Concise History of Rock Music. Mel Bay Publications, Inc. p. 244. ISBN 978-0786666430. the intricately-woven hard rock single Seven Seas of Rhye from the Queen II album
  5. ^ a b Simpson, Dave (26 October 2018). "Queen's 50 UK singles – ranked!". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference allmusic was invoked but never defined (see the help page).