talon
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Post by talon on Jul 23, 2012 9:11:13 GMT -5
Doing All RightWritten by Tim Staffell and Brian May Musicians: Freddie Mercury - vocals Brian May - acoustic & electric guitars, piano, backing vocals John Deacon - bass guitar Roger Taylor - drums, backing vocals - This was a song originally recorded by pre-Queen band Smile. It was adapted by Queen for the first album. - This was the first song Freddie played the piano for in concert. - It was played live in concert til 1977. ALTERNATIVE RELEASED VERSIONS: BBC SESSION #1- ESSENTIAL LISTENING - Released on Queen At The Beeb in 1989 in the UK and Queen At The BBC in 1995 in the US. - Recorded during the first BBC session, this one has ONE major difference. Roger Taylor sings the last verse making for quite a change. - Personally this is my favorite version as I am a fan of all three band members' voices so I like that I get Freddie and Roger trading off here. UNRELEASED VERSIONS: SMILE VERSION- Obviously a little rougher but Tim is a nice vocalist as well although nowhere near Freddie. UNRELEASED & UNHEARD: - There are rumored alternate takes in existence. Not much is known. LIVE VERSIONS: LIVE AT EARLS COURT - 1977- One of the last times it was played - god that Freddie unitard!  PERSONAL NOTES: Although my favorites per album often change, this one is always right near the top. I love the soft balladry and the tempo changes as well as the great harmonies. Next up: Great King Rat
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gabby
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Action with Vision is making a positive difference.? Joel Barker
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Post by gabby on Jul 23, 2012 15:34:09 GMT -5
Wow, Talon! You are like a professor of Advanced Queen courses ;D How did you discover Queen and what made you such a loyal and dedicated fan? So glad you followed the link to Adamtopia and here you are giving us a chance to get to know Queen on their early days and a glimpse of their evolution as a very successful band worldwide.
Doing All Right
I assumed they are either on their late 20's or early 30's when this was recorded?
Freddie's voice here is like velvet.
RT - didn't know he sings until I saw Montreal '81 broadcast in Palladia (IILWMC) and his duet with Adam (UP) :D. I am impressed by his voice (BBC Session #1).
BM and TS - there are times when I can't tell who is singing which part until I really listen ... their voice seems to be similar but eventually I was able to identify TS's :D
Queen had such a unique sound and their voices really complement each other.
I also love the BBC Session #1 version :D
So I assume there was a time when both TS and FM were both in SMILE as vocalists until TS decided to leave?
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talon
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Post by talon on Jul 23, 2012 23:08:36 GMT -5
Wow, Talon! You are like a professor of Advanced Queen courses ;D ;D As long as you are here and enjoying learning, I'll keep going  It's a bit strange. I really came onto Queen VERY slowly. I have a lot of bits and pieces of them in my childhood that didn't come together til much later. 1. I had a jukebox in my parent's basements that used to be in one of my dad's bars (he owned a few). One of the singles on it was Another One Bites The Dust. 2. I LOVED Flash Gordon as a kid and would watch the movie non-stop while singing the songs. 3. I used to love We WIll Rock You and We Are The Champions. Now even with those 3 big things as a kid, I didn't really know who Queen were. In 1991 I got into Boston funk metal band Extreme (known mostly for their acoustic ballad More Than Words. Extreme were big Queen fans. At the same time Freddie died and Bohemian Rhapsody became a big hit again. BUt it all came together for me (unfortunately) at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. At that point I knew who Queen were and liked them but even more important to me, Extreme was performing at the concert. I taped it and Extreme put on the best performance...but I was spellbound by a few Queen songs. A friend of mine lent me Greatest Hits which I taped and loved...then after the concert I bought Classic Queen since it had Bohemian Rhapsody on it and THe Show Must Go ON (which I loved when I saw Elton perform it with Queen). That was it. It all went from there and Extreme was pushed to #2 as I went headlong into Queen. Freddie was around 24 and the rest of the boys a tad bit younger during this recording...THey were still babies! :D A wonderful time! Oh Roger has a GREAT instrument. Very raspy and raw...very rock and roll but quite good. Wait until I start playing some of his solo material...and he has some lead vocals on tracks as well! Love Roger's vocals! That was the best part about their voices. You had Roger who was gruff but could hit amazing high notes. You had Brian who had the more wistful ballady voice and then Freddie who was...well Freddie! Not actually at the same time. Freddie was Tim's roomate and often traveled to the gigs and gave his advice etc. And they might have jammed on stage a few times but Freddie never joined Smile until after Tim left and gave him his blessing. Tomorrow for the next track! |
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Post by theosgma on Jul 23, 2012 23:28:01 GMT -5
Wow, Talon! You are like a professor of Advanced Queen courses ;D ;D As long as you are here and enjoying learning, I'll keep going I told recently told my husband that my next project was to learn whatever I could about Queen as I was quite mesmerized by their music. I am so thrilled you are doing this. I think you will have several avid students. When I met my husband in 1966, our first date was an opera. We married shortly thereafter, and I just never listened to rock or later pop until my profession required that I get more "with it". I started watched Idol to get a quick education and the rest is history. I got hooked on that voice. However, I can safely say I am also now hooked on Queen. I will be here learning. |
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Post by theosgma on Jul 23, 2012 23:42:34 GMT -5
Ok last for tonight will be my look at the first song on the album...
Keep Yourself AliveWritten by: Brian May Musicians: Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals Brian May - guitars, backing vocals John Deacon - bass guitar Roger Taylor - drums, tambourine, backing vocals So much fun that the very first track is one we heard. Wonder what prompted Brian to chose it for QAL. Any thoughts? Didn't hear any versions with a glory note at the end. Did you find it jarring or did you like it? |
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talon
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Post by talon on Jul 24, 2012 10:19:03 GMT -5
[ I told recently told my husband that my next project was to learn whatever I could about Queen as I was quite mesmerized by their music. I am so thrilled you are doing this. I think you will have several avid students. When I met my husband in 1966, our first date was an opera. We married shortly thereafter, and I just never listened to rock or later pop until my profession required that I get more "with it". I started watched Idol to get a quick education and the rest is history. I got hooked on that voice. However, I can safely say I am also now hooked on Queen. I will be here learning. Excellent!!!! I will try to do at least one a day with the exception of next Tuesday to Sunday as I'm vacationing in Ocean City with the family so I won't be able to So much fun that the very first track is one we heard. Wonder what prompted Brian to chose it for QAL. Any thoughts? A few possibilities. 1st. When Sonisphere was first announced Brian and Roger asked fans what they wanted to hear. Most of the hardcore fans have been trying to get Bri and Rog to jettison some of the greatest hits to do some more obscure stuff...OR at the very least do some of the 70s stuff. I wouldn't be surprised if this was looked at because of that. 2nd. Last year was Queen's 40th anniversary so I'm not surprised they were looking back to the beginning They never did a dramatic ending like that so it was new and unique. I liked it They try new things and see what happens at times which I like - much like the new rocking ending to Somebody To Love that they first did with Queen Extravaganza and brought over to QAL. What's interesting is that the whole beginning medley is somewhat similar to one they did in 1984. While QAL had Flash (with a few chords from The Hero)/Seven Seas Of Rhye/Keep Yourself Alive/We Will Rock you in 1984-85 they did a medley of Somebody To Love/Killer Queen/Seven Seas Of Rhye/KeepYourself Alive/Liar Not quite the same but the transition between seven seas and KYA obviously are. The big difference is the "glory note" is definitely appropriate to go into WWRY fast while not as appropriate to go into Liar. But while it did surprise me when I first saw it, I dug it |
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talon
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Post by talon on Jul 24, 2012 10:58:07 GMT -5
Today we have... Great King Ratwritten by Freddie Mercury Musicians: Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals Brian May - acoustic & electric guitars, backing vocals John Deacon - bass guitar Roger Taylor - drums, tambourine, backing vocals - This is the first Freddie Mercury penned track to appear on the album and it begins his 2 album long fantasy lyrics binge. Many of his songs tend to explore religion/religious figures or the fantasy world he created called Rhye. - This is a true rocker - great tempo changes, and rocking vocals. - The band played this at their early concerts sporadically up until 1975 but there are not many recordings - and none of them very good quality. They did resurrect it...kind of during an old school medley in 1984...but they only did a minute of it. ALTERNATIVE RELEASED VERSIONS: DE LANE LEA DEMO- ESSENTIAL LISTENING - Released on the 2011 Island remastering of Queen Deluxe Version. - A slightly extended version. Very raw and Freddie's vocals are certainly not as polished. But a great look into one of the first recordings of the band. Again the drum sound is very different and preferable to the album version. BBC SESSION #1- NOT Essential listening. - Released on Queen At The Beeb in 1989 in the UK and Queen At The BBC in 1995 in the US. - Not much difference to be honest - some differences on the drum sound and some more effect on the guitar. Not significantly different. PRLEIMINARY MIX- NOT essential listening. - When Queen (the album) was remastered in both 1991 and 1994 the master used had been slightly damaged so they used a slightly different mix that was intact. I didn't even search on You Tube as it is really unnecessary. But I wanted it placed here for sake of completeness UNRELEASED VERSIONS: TAKE 1EARLY DEMO- NOT essential listening. - Recorded by a fan at a Queen convention. Bad sound quality and it has Greg Brooks, Queen archivst saying "Property of Queen Productions" over it throughout as they try to discourage bootleggers...without much success! It features some very different vocal takes from Freddie as they record for the first album. LIVE VERSIONS: LIVE IN JAPAN - 1975- One of the few complete versions existing. LIVE IN AUSTRIA - 1984- From a medley. PERSONAL NOTES: This is one of 3 songs that rotate through my favs from this album. I love the tempo changes, and I love the tribal rhythmic moments. Very nice stuff. It is strange to see how the band goes from this to stuff like Radio Ga Ga years later...they never sat still that's for sure. And I hope you all stick with me as I get from their creative peaks in the early 70s til we get towards songs you definitely know later on It's all interesting. I put a lot of info and youtube clips in...would it help if I gave advice on what's critical listening of the OTHER VERSION tracks? Or do you just want to listen to whatever you choose? Let me know! Up next...the FIRST in a line of songs that led up to Bohemian Rhapsody...this would be My Fairy King |
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gabby
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Action with Vision is making a positive difference.? Joel Barker
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Post by gabby on Jul 24, 2012 12:32:01 GMT -5
LOL! Was the Great King Rat released in the '70's? No backlash I'm sure since at that time people were questioning everything / self-discovery, etc. Now listen all you people
Put out the good and keep the bad
Don't believe all you read in the Bible
You sinners get in line Not really familiar with Queen's early recordings but I love these early works that you are introducing. In DOL Documentary, RT claimed he was not fond of the direction where the Freddie was going with the music since he was hanging out with that guy (forgot his name - Freddie's BF) and BM said that at first RT was not enamored with AOBTD  but played they did and became a hit! Love the BBC Session #1 version again. It could also be the quality of audio coming thru YT but the drum is more intense and I love it! BTW, what is BBC Session performance? Are these TV and/or radio sessions recording? Love the system you have in place right now. Really so grateful and appreciate the time you put into this. Do you have a massive library to archive all of these info? You are so organized and very detail-oriented :D Hope you'll have a wonderful vacation and we'll still be here when you get back. Thank you so much. |
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talon
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Post by talon on Jul 24, 2012 12:54:23 GMT -5
LOL! Was the Great King Rat released in the '70's? No backlash I'm sure since at that time people were questioning everything / self-discovery, etc. Now listen all you people
Put out the good and keep the bad
Don't believe all you read in the Bible
You sinners get in line It was never a single but it was on the 1973 release Yes They often questioned things. Their lyrics always seemed to be searching :D Almost a different band! Wait til we get to the dance album Not his boyfriend, but Paul Prenter who was Freddies assistant. I know that used to be euphemism for lover, but not in this case. Paul was a very bad influence on Freddie for various reasons and screwed Queen over with the press as I noted in an earlier post. And yeah Roger and Brian being the most rock and roll didn't really feel much of the gay club music Freddie was getting into so they had to make quite a concession...again see Hot Space But that will be a little while in coming but remember these posts in a few months time Very true!!! Roger was often highly opinionated but he was always glad to admit when he was wrong. He hated the drum work on AOBTD and thought it was too far away from rock and roll but he admitted it ended up being so well loved that he must have been wrong. The BBC sessions were sessions done by all the top artists in the day. Bands would go into the famous BBC studios and re-record tracks to be played on the radio. Queen always did four tracks when they went and they had a total of six sessions in the 70s. Many Queen fans are pushing for a full BBC release and it might get there eventually. There was an abbreviated release in the late 80s and early 90s which had 2 of the sessions on it. It was always cool to see some differences :D Then I shall keep on keepin' on at this point Thanks! I should get through most of the first album before I go :D |
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Post by theosgma on Jul 24, 2012 20:34:22 GMT -5
They never did a dramatic ending like that so it was new and unique. I liked it They try new things and see what happens at times which I like - much like the new rocking ending to Somebody To Love that they first did with Queen Extravaganza and brought over to QAL. What's interesting is that the whole beginning medley is somewhat similar to one they did in 1984. While QAL had Flash (with a few chords from The Hero)/Seven Seas Of Rhye/Keep Yourself Alive/We Will Rock you in 1984-85 they did a medley of Somebody To Love/Killer Queen/Seven Seas Of Rhye/KeepYourself Alive/Liar Not quite the same but the transition between seven seas and KYA obviously are. The big difference is the "glory note" is definitely appropriate to go into WWRY fast while not as appropriate to go into Liar. But while it did surprise me when I first saw it, I dug it [/quote] I loved listening to that medley. I am very struck by the validity of Brian's statement of how different Adam and Freddie are. Both are totally amazing but the voice, delivery and style is so different and yet so suited to the music. Very fascinating to see this in close proximity to the QAL concerts. Did they go to Brazil more than once? Seems like it might be a great place for a QAL concert.
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but played they did and became a hit!