Queen – “Keep Yourself Alive”

"Keep Yourself Alive" (Brian May) Copyright 1972 Queen Music Ltd

Some bands take time to develop a unique sound, but Queen sounded like Queen right from the beginning. “Keep Yourself Alive” was the opening track on their first album, and it contains all the requisite Queen elements: the heavy riffs & orchestrated guitars, the vocal harmonies, dramatic musical shifts and Freddie’s powerful voice. The band would go on to scale bigger heights, but the magic was there from the start. Let’s have a listen.

“Keep Yourself Alive” (Brian May) Copyright 1972 Queen Music Ltd

— This show is one of many great music-related podcasts on the Pantheon network. You should check them out! And remember to subscribe to this show, so you never miss an episode.

Marvin Gaye – “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”

"I Heard It Through The Grapevine" (Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong) Copyright 1966 Jobette Music Co, Inc., BMI

Hard to believe now, but Motown resisted releasing this song as a single. Marvin’s version sat on a shelf for months before being relegated to an album track– until some DJ’s discovered it, and the rest is history. It became Motown’s biggest selling hit at that time. And it’s a true classic. In this episode, we’ll look at how the track was put together and marvel at Marvin’s performance. One of the greats.

“I Heard It Through The Grapevine” (Norman Whitfield & Barrett Strong) Copyright 1966 Jobette Music Co, Inc., BMI

— This show is one of the many great podcasts on the Pantheon Podcasts network. Check ’em all out!