I will help Q3 with her countdown as well. Since most of the songs she chooses will have had entries in my thread I will just bring up highlights here as the countdown continues:
NevermoreWritten by: Freddie Mercury
Musicians:
Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals, piano
Brian May - guitars, backing vocals
John Deacon - bass guitar
Roger Taylor - backing vocals
- One of Freddie's most beautiful songs. It segues from
The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke and into
The March Of The Black Queen although the segue is far less abrupt.
- This track was never performed live - surprising as it could have very easily been part of a medley....or even as an intro.
ALTERNATE RELEASED VERSIONS:
BBC SESSION 4 VERSION- ESSENTIAL LISTENING
- Released on the 2011 Island remastering of
Queen II.
- Features a surprise addition of drums at the end making it a more powerful track - if that's possible. The vocals also have a slightly different tinge to them. Well worth the listen for 1:27!
UNRELEASED VERSIONS:
EARLY TAKE (AKA NEVER MORE)- NOT essential listening
- Played at a Queen convention which is why you hear Queen Archivist Greg Brooks' voice saying 'Property of Queen Productions' over the top of it :(
- Instrumental demo.
UNRELEASED AND UNHEARD:
ELECTRIC PIANO VERSION- There is a demo with Freddie performing the track on electric piano rather than his grand.
PERSONAL NOTES:
- If it were longer it would be amongst my favorite Queen songs of all time. As it is, it's still up there! As is our next track...the next in the line in the development of
Bohemian Rhapsody...the next track is
The March Of The Black Queen Written by: John Deacon
Musicians:
Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals
Brian May - guitars
John Deacon - bass guitar, rhythm guitar, piano
Roger Taylor - drums
- Queen's BEST selling single worldwide selling over 7 million copies and reaching #34 on Billboards Top 100 songs ever.
- It hit #1 in Argentina, Canada, Guatemala, Spain, the US and hit # 2 in New Zealand, #3 in South Africa, #4 in Ireland and Finland, #5 in Australia, #6 in Austria and Germany, #7 in Belgium and the UK, #8 in Switzerland, #10 in Italy, #14 in the Netherlands, #24 in France and #28 in Brazil
- Inspired by the Chic song,
Good Times- It has been claimed by some Christian zealots that when the song was played backwards it says "It's fun to smoke marijuana"
- It is used by many to train people in CPR as it has 110 beats per minute, and compressions of 100-120 are recommended! Of course I'm not sure if someone should be singing this song while performing CPR
- It was covered many times and played live from the first tour and has stayed throughout all the tours although Brian and Roger never played it during their solo tours.
QUOTES:
- “John Deacon, being totally in his own world came up with this thing which was nothing like what we were doing. We were going for the big drum sound: you know, quite pompous in our usual way. And Deakey says, ‘No, I want this to be totally different: it’s going to be a very tight drum sound.’ It was originally done to a drum loop – this was before the days of drum-machines. Roger did a loop, kind of under protest, because he didn’t like the sound of the drums recorded that way. And then Deakey put this groove down. Immediately Freddie became violently enthusiastic and said, ‘This is big! This is important! I’m going to spend a lot of time on this.’ It was the beginning of something quite big for us,
because it was the first time that one of our records crossed over to the black community. We had no control over that; it just happened. Suddenly we were forced to put out this single because so many stations in New York were playing it. It changed that album from being a million-seller to being a three-million seller in a matter of three weeks or so.” – Brian May - 1993
- "I'd been wanting to do a track like 'Another One Bites The Dust' for a while, but originally all I had was the line and the bass riff. Gradually, I filled it in and the band added ideas. I could hear it as a song for dancing but had no idea it would become as big as it did. The song got picked up off our album and some of the black radio stations in the US started playing it, which we've never had before. Michael Jackson actually suggested we release it as a single. He was a fan of ours and used to come to our shows." - John Deacon - Bassist and Bass Techniques –
1996
- “(Freddie) was good at finding roads in the mist. But he would certainly fight for things he believed in. Like ‘Another One Bites The Dust’, which was a bit of a departure for Queen. Roger, at the time, certainly felt that it wasn’t rock and roll and was quite angry at the way it was going. And Freddie said, ‘Darling, leave it to me. I believe in this.’ John had written the song. But it took Freddie’s support to make it happen.” – Brian May - 1998
- “This song was written ‘cause I always wanted to do something in the direction of black music. It’s not a typical Queen song and I do not know if we ever will do something similar again. We had disagreements about this song. Our company wanted this song as a single ‘cause it was very successful at black radio stations. Roger tried to avoid that because he said it’s too disco-like and that is not good for the reputation of Queen.” – John Deacon
- “A lot of people have used ‘Another One Bites The Dust’ as a theme song – the Detroit Lions used it for their games, and they soon began to lose, so they bit the dust soon afterwards (laughs), but it was a help to the record. And there’s been a few cover versions of various kinds, notably ‘Another One Rides The Bus’ which is an extremely funny record by a bloke called Mad Al (sic – Weird Al Yankovic) or something in the States – it’s hilarious. We like people covering our songs in any way, no matter what spirit it’s done in because it’s great to have anyone use
your music as a base, a big compliment.” – Brian May
ALTERNATIVE OFFICIAL RELEASES:
12" FLOWER POWER SEGUED DISCO MIXCould not find a YT but you aren't missing much
DAVE OGILVIE REMIX- ESSENTIAL listening.
- Remixed after Hollywood got the North American license for Queen but not used on the 1991 remaster of
The Game, I like this remix for the alternate takes of Freddie as well as some interjection of other Queen songs. It's a bit long, but it's fun.
PHASE 5 LONG DUSTED B-BOY VERSION- NOT essential.
- NOt much I want to say about it.
CHYSKILLZ REMIX- NOT ESSENTIAL and no YT vid
- A remix features Ice Cube, Hi-C, & Chyskillz who remixed the track.
- Very little of the original song is included.
ULTIMIX2000 KLM BOOTLEG DUB MIX- NOT ESSENTIAL and no YT vid...and again not worth really seeking out either.
QUEEN + WYCLEF JEAN - 1998- ESSENTIAL
- Humorous take. Wyclef basically remixed the original track and added his own take over the top for a film,
Small Soldiers The video is funny.
QUEEN + ANNIE CRUMMER - 2003-NOT ESSENTIAL
- Annie played the Killer Queen in the Spanish cast of
We Will Rock You- It's not a bad version at all but more Annie than Queen.
QUEEN VS. MIAMI PROJECT - 2006- NOT ESSENTIAL
- Another remix project. Nothing new or exciting.
OFFICALLY RELEASED LIVE VERSIONS:
ROCK MONTREAL VERSIONON FIRE AT THE BOWL VERSION- Both very good, loose versions closer to the album version.
LIVE MAGIC VERSION- AUDIO only
- My FAVORITE live version of the song. Freddie gets very playful. Rocking funk.
LIVE AT WEMBLEY 1986HUNGARIAN RHAPSODY- AUDIO only
- Queen at their peak and Freddie controlling the audience.
QPR - RETURN OF THE CHAMPIONS VERSIONQPR - LIVE IN UKRAINE VERSION- A song Paul handled VERY well surprisingly. I wasn't sure what to expect here but Paul's bluesy vocals took the track in a totally different direction but it worked quite well.
UNRELEASED LIVE VERSIONS:
QUEEN + PAUL YOUNG - COWDRAY PARK 1993- AUDIO Only
- This is a very unique concert. After Freddie's death and tribute concert there was a definite split over how the band should record the final Freddie album and how/if they should continue. Roger and Brian were definitely at their worst being a bit snarky in their quotes. SO this is the one time I know of that there is a concert (part of a festival) where QUEEN is billed but it's only Roger and John. Roger sang lead on a number of tracks, played some drums, and even some guitar. John played bass. Josh Macrae played drums (Roger's cohort from the Cross and eventual assistant producer), Jason Faloon on guitar (Roger's cohort from his solo tours, Adrian Milne on keyboards and on this song Paul Young on vocals.
- Paul's vocals are unfortunately not up to snuff although Roger does some extra drumming to make up for it!
QUEEN + PATTI RUSSO - AMSTERDAM 2002- Patti Russo has toured with Meat Loaf, Transiberian Orchestra and also played Killer Queen in the Las Vegas version of
We Will Rock You- Decent version even if it seems Brian gets out of time at one point
QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT - KIEV 2012- Another slower and slinkier version but it fits Adam VERY well...Adam takes it back in the more playful direction.
PERSONAL NOTES:
- I love the song itself. I do harbor a bit of negativity for what it led to in Hot Space and eventually losing America but I can't blame the song itself.
Next up, John does his best Beatles impersonation with the perfect pop rocker,
Need Your Loving Tonight
