Queen II

Queen II was released on March 8, 1974, on EMI Records in the UK and Elektra Records in the US. It was the band's second studio album.

The album was produced by Queen alongside Roy Thomas Baker, who had also produced the band's 1973 debut album. Baker's production established the densely layered, multi-tracked vocal sound that became a Queen trademark.

Side one of the original LP is labeled the 'White Side' and features songs written primarily by Brian May, while side two is the 'Black Side,' written primarily by Freddie Mercury. The Black Side includes the complex multi-section epic 'The March of the Black Queen.'

The lead single 'Seven Seas of Rhye' became Queen's first charting single, reaching the UK Top 10. The album itself was not a major commercial hit on initial release but helped build the fanbase that propelled 1975's 'A Night at the Opera' to breakthrough success.