Queen Discussion Thread

Man On The Prowl

Written by: Freddie Mercury

Musicians:

Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals, piano
Brian May - guitars
John Deacon - bass guitar
Roger Taylor - drums
Fred Mandel - piano finale




- A 50s pastiche of sorts, with Freddie bellowing out lyrics from that era.
- It was going to be released as a single in November of 1984 but then it was cancelled when they decided to release a Christmas song instead.
- This track was never played live.
- Fred Mandel becomes the first touring member of Queen to record with them in the studio with his rip-roaring piano finale (as it's called in the liner notes)

ALTERNATE RELEASED VERSION

12" EXTENDED VERSION

- NOT ESSENTIAL
- All it really does is add some instrumental sections and a bit more piano but nothing terribly exciting to be honest.

PERSONAL NOTES:
- The piano finale makes the song worth listening to. That and Freddie. It amazes me that he can elevate a song. The song itself is merely listenable - to be honest it's a bit forgettable but let Freddie sing it and he can raise the bar a bit!

Next up: A bit of an ironic song given where the band is...and a song with the longest word ever used in rock...Machines (or Back To Humans

I Want To Break Free

Written by: John Deacon

Musicians:

Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals, synthesizer
Brian May - electric guitar
John Deacon - bass guitar, acoustic rhythm guitar, drum machine (?), synthesizer
Roger Taylor - drums (?)
Fred Mandel - synthesizer solo




- Issued as a single in the US where it hit #45 and in the UK where it hit #3. Also issued as a single in Australia where it hit #9, France, Germany, the Netherlands (where it hit #1), Japan and Mexico.

- Played live through 1986 and also revived for both QPR 2005-2008 and QAL 2012. Roger also brought it out for his both solo tours and many appearances.

- In a weird and unfortunately not uncommon occurrence Fred Mandel played a synth solo in the middle that sounded like a guitar. He thought it was to be a placeholder til Brian went in...but it stayed on the song. A little lazy of the band to be honest.

QUOTE:

- "One of our biggest hits. John didn't write many songs, but most of them sure counted." - Brian May 2003

ALTERNATE RELEASED VERSIONS

SINGLE MIX/VIDEO

- ESSENTIAL
- In a rare case, the single version is longer than the album version!
- This video is probably their most famous. The band decided to do a spoof of a British Soap Opera (Coronation Street) and the band all dressed in drag...Freddie though didn't shave off the 'tache! While Roger made straight boys question themselves for a moment as a way too convincing schoolgirl! Unfortunately America didn't quite get the joke. The machismo rock crowd only saw the band dressing as girls and shunned the video and it was one more nail in the coffin for the band in America.

US SINGLE EDIT

- NOT ESSENTIAL
- Slightly different than the real single version, just cuts out some of the intro and fades out sooner.

12" EXTENDED VESRION

- NOT ESSENTIAL but nice.
- Like More Of That Jazz the band does a medley of the album it came from.

GREATEST HITS II EDIT

- NOT ESSENTIAL
- Fades out sooner than the single mix.

EMI REMASTERING ERROR
- NO YT VID
- Remastered at the wrong speed so it runs a bit longer.

ULTRATRAXX MIX

- NOT ESSENTIAL
- Longer dancier mix.

OFFICIALLY RELEASED LIVE VERSIONS

LIVE MAGIC

- AUDIO only.
- Edited down which is annoying but it is from Knebworth - the final Queen gig.

LIVE AT WEMBLEY

- From the first night of the legendary concert.

HUNGARIAN RHAPSODY

- AUDIO only but a good performance.

QUEEN + LISA STANSFIELD - 1992 - FREDDIE TRIBUTE

- An alright version. Nothing to write home about.

ROGER TAYLOR - LIVE IN SHEPHERD'S BUSH 1994

- AUDIO only but released live as a B-Side. Great version!

QUEEN + TANDY -2003 - 46664

- As part of the big medley here. CRAP version as Tandy butchers it.

QPR - RETURN OF THE CHAMPIONS VERSION

QPR - LIVE IN UKRAINE VERSION

- Paul Rodgers actually does a really great version of these songs. I didn't expect this to be a song he would have done well with but it is a cousin to 12 bar blues so it did make sense.

UNOFFICIALLY RELEASED VERSIONS

ROGER TAYLOR - LIVE 1998


ROGER TAYLOR - 2005 BAND DU LAC

- Charity gig and a great performance.

QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT - 2012 - HAMMERSMITH

- Wonderful version, I love Brian's introduction that was new during these performances!

PERSONAL NOTES:
- Another one of those most enduring of Queen tracks. Not one of my favorites but still a very fun track! A very poppy, very John Deacon track. Roger especially fell for it as can be told by the times he played it on his solo tours! I love Roger's version quite a lot - perhaps as much as Freddie! But it is a version that almost all have done well...Freddie, Roger, Paul, and Adam!

Next up another anti-suicide track - Freddie's Keep Passing The Open Windows

Keep Passing The Open Windows

Written by: Freddie Mercury

Musicians:

Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals, piano, synthesizer
Brian May - guitars, backing vocals
John Deacon - bass guitar
Roger Taylor - drums, backing vocals




- Initially written for the film, The Hotel New Hampshire for which Queen was to do the soundtrack before the producers decided Queen wasn't in their budget.

- The bass line may seem familiar as it was recycled and repackaged for the single version of A Kind Of Magic for next album

- The track was never performed live.

QUOTE:

- "I write a song, I have in my head what the others can do and it's used as reference. But sometimes I do it knowing that it'll be difficult for everyone. It's my challenge. For example, I had written 'Keep Passing The Open Windows' for the film Hotel New Hampshire but it was finally refused so I had to change it completely so it could be adapted to The Works." - Freddie Mercury – 1984

ALTERNATE OFFICIAL RELEASES

12" EXTENDED VERSION

- NOT essential.
- Not much different, a bit longer with a bit added instrumentally at the end.

UNRELEASED VERSIONS

FREDDIE HOME DEMO

- NOT essential but nice - no lyrics just Freddie adlibbing and the piano

QUEEN DEMO

- NOT essential but nice. Mostly instrumental.

PERSONAL NOTES:
- For some reason this is an often slighted songs by Queen fans - I kind of like it. Great message, some nice rhythmic piano. Some decent vocals. While not a song I seek out often, I never skip it when it comes up in shuffle either! Next up, Brian continues the return to rock with Hammer To Fall

Excellent! I got this myself but wasn't sure if I was allowed to leak it...but if it's on YT then that's excellent! I have now edited that into the Cool Cat entry.