Queen to Release New Album With Unreleased Freddie Mercury Songs (rollingstone.com)

[GivenToFly]

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/queen-to-release-new-album-with-unreleased-freddie-mercury-songs-20140527

Queen to Release New Album With Unreleased Freddie Mercury Songs

Brian May also reveals sequel to 'We Will Rock You' musical in the works

Queen guitarist Brian May stopped by BBC Radio ostensibly to discuss Diableries: Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell, his new book on 19th century French stereoscopic cards. But after detailing his lifelong love of the cards and their odd visions of hell, May revealed plans for a new Queen album featuring unreleased Freddie Mercury vocals from the Eighties.

Asked what his favorite Queen song ever recorded was, May said the answer changes every time, but "my favorite at the moment is 'Made in Heaven,' which was never a single but it's the title track off the [1995] album we made after Freddie was gone with all the pieces that were left.

"I've just been doing something very similar because we found a few more tracks with Freddie singing and all of us playing and they're quite beautiful. People will be hearing this work toward the end of the year."

May revealed the album will "probably" be called Queen Forever, with the material primarily taken from the Eighties "when we were in full flight." "It's a compilation but it will have this new material on which nobody in the world has ever heard and I think people will really enjoy it," said the guitarist. "It's the big, big epic sound. It wouldn’t have been if we hadn’t have done this restoration job. We only had scraps, but knowing how it would've happened had we finished it, I can sit there and make it happen with modern technology."

The guitarist also admitted that he has "secretly and quietly workshopped" a follow-up to We Will Rock You, the wildly successful musical based on the band's songs. "We are working on a sequel, yes," said May. "In fact, we've already very secretly and quietly workshopped, which means you stand it up and get people to sing it and act it. Everybody loved it, so we're looking for a theatre and we hope to have a sequel out there at some point. More than this, I cannot say. It's a little naughtier than the first one." We Will Rock You author Ben Elton will return for the sequel.

But before any of that, Queen will embark on a 19-date cross-country tour with Adam Lambert kicking off June 19th at Chicago's United Center and wrapping up July 20th at Washington D.C.'s Merriweather Post Pavilion. "This is the closest that you'll ever get to see Queen as it was in our golden days, but it's not a reproduction," May told Rolling Stone. "It's not an imitation. We're here live and real and we have a great singer. They'll be a lot of newness about this. I think that's very exciting. It'll be loud and dangerous and all the things that people used to look for in us."

Edited May 28, 2014 by GivenToFly

[username]

I'm excited and skeptical at the same time.

[DR DOOM]

Made In Heaven is probably my favourite Queen song too.

I've said this before but Queen were an awesome sounding band with ( as far as I'm concerned ) surprisingly few awesome songs.

I remember being pretty underwhelmed when I started delving into their discography, which I had grown up assuming would be magical.

[bran]

I'm excited and skeptical at the same time.

[luciusfunk]

If it's as good as Made in Heaven, I'm sold. Hardly news though. They've been talking about it since 2012. The "news" is the title "Queen Forever", which I'm a little iffy about.

[Street Of The Blues]

Hopefully he just said that as a spur of the moment thing. Members of Queen can come up with a better album title than that. Otherwise I have no reason to believe a new Queen album wouldn't kick everybody's ass.

[Georgy Zhukov]

Is John Deacon involved?

[GivenToFly]

Is John Deacon involved?

The songs were recorded in the 80s so he would have to be.

[Georgy Zhukov]

Is John Deacon involved?

The songs were recorded in the 80s so he would have to be.

He wrote the best songs in that era.

[luciusfunk]

Forever might be an ok title, but I don't like Queen Forever.

I wonder if they'll rework any solo songs like on Made In Heaven. That one had two solo songs from Freddie, one from Brian and one from Roger.

[luciusfunk]

Is John Deacon involved?

The songs were recorded in the 80s so he would have to be.

He wrote the best songs in that era.

One Year of Love

Pain Is So Close to Pleasure

My Baby Does Me

Cool Cat

But I suppose the good outweighs the bad.

I Want to Break Free

Another One Bites the Dust

My Life Has Been Saved

Friends Will Be Friends

Need Your Loving Tonight

The Miracle

Rain Must Fall

Back Chat

Under Pressure (bass line depending on who you ask)

But his 70s songs were great, too.

You're My Best Friend

Misfire

If You Can't Beat Them

Spread Your Wings

Who Needs You?

You and I

He was possibly the most consistent writer in Queen.

[luciusfunk]

Wikipedia mentions additional vocals from Bowie, Andy Gibb, Michael Jackson, and Rod Stewart.

Bowie only ever recorded Under Pressure and backing vocals on an early version of Cool Cat.

[DieselDaisy]

Queen Forever sounds like a greatest hits album with two new songs to cashgrab from fans who would not normally buy a greatest hits album, due to, owning all of the albums. I hate it when bands do that.

Edited May 28, 2014 by DieselDaisy

[luciusfunk]

Queen Forever sounds like a greatest hits album with two new songs to cashgrab from fans who would not normally buy a greatest hits album, due to, owning all of the albums. I hate it when bands do that.

Wow, Diesel totally called it. It's not so much a greatest hits with two or three new songs, but fuck you were close.

Pisses me off they talk about this new album with unreleased material. We get the Freddie/MJ duet, a slow version of a Freddie solo song, and a song they worked on for The Works and Brian have to Anita Dobson. The rest is a mix of hits and deep cuts.

The press release mentions reworked tracks, but they don't say which ones or how they're reworked. Apparently Barry Gibb sang on Play the Game, maybe that's the version on here. Queen fans couldn't be that lucky.

[luciusfunk]

19th September 2014

Press Release: Queen Forever

QUEEN FOREVER

Queen Bring Back Freddie

New Queen Forever CD Collection Brings New Freddie Mercury Tracks to Light

RELEASED NOVEMBER 10TH 2014

Three previously unreleased Queen tracks featuring late singer Freddie Mercury spearhead an exciting new Queen album, Queen Forever, due November 10th 2014 on the Virgin Records label.

The tracks include a long anticipated track from Queen and Michael Jackson, There Must Be More to Life Than This, a previously unfinished Mercury-Queen track Let Me In Your Heart Again originating from the bands The Works album recording sessions, and a scorching new stripped-down ballad version of Mercurys first solo hit, his Giorgio Moroder collaboration, Love Kills.

Click here to listen to Roger and Brian announcing the album and playing all three new tracks on Radio 2! Listen from 1h 39mins.

PRE-ORDER QueenOnline Store*

Store - http://smarturl.it/QFSTORE

1CD http://smarturl.it/QFSTORE_STD

2CD - http://smarturl.it/QFSTORE_DLX

*Pre-Order now to be added to the Queen mailing list for all the latest news on releases and live events

PRE-ORDER International

1CD: http://smarturl.it/QueenForever_1CD

2CD: http://smarturl.it/QueenForever_2CD

The rest of the package brings together Queen hits, classic tracks, and new takes on well-known songs, matched with band recordings Brian May describes as things that we have collected together that are representative of our growth rather than the big hits in a collection immaculately assembled by May and Roger Taylor themselves. The tracks are all linked to represent a definitive collection of Queens timeless love songs.

Queen Forever is available as a 20-track single CD and as an extended 36-track, two-CD set, and celebrates the extraordinary musical path of one of the worlds greatest rock bands.

Anticipation for these new Mercury tracks has been high since May and Taylor first hinted earlier this year that new tracks featuring Mercury were being explored.

Speaking at the press conference to launch their North American concert tour with singer Adam Lambert earlier in the year, May said: "There was a little bit more in the can that we had overlooked for a long time, so we have a few songs which we're working on right now. Freddie sounds as fresh as yesterday."

On the subject, Taylor said: Weve got some great new tracks that havent been heard and theres an interesting selection of older stuff.

The Queen and Michael Jackson duet, There Must Be More to Life Than This, began as a song written by Mercury during sessions for Queens 1981 album, Hot Space. The band recorded a backing track, but the song was never completed. Mercury visited Michael Jackson at his home studio in Los Angeles where he recorded Jackson singing the song for an unfinished version. Queen revived the track during sessions for 1984s The Works, but again it was not finished. A year later, Freddies own version of the song surfaced on his debut solo album, 1985s Mr Bad Guy. This new production of the powerful ballad fuses Queens original backing track and Mercury and Jacksons distinctive vocals, and has been produced and remixed by celebrated Madonna/Robbie Williams producer William Orbit.

Talking of his involvement, Orbit say: I had known Roger for many years, now he was on the phone asking if I would get involved in this musical adventure.

When I first played it in my studio I opened a trove of delights provided by the greatest of musicians. Hearing Michael Jackson's vocals was stirring. So vivid, so cool, and poignant, it was like he was in the studio singing live. With Freddie's vocal solo on the mixing desk, my appreciation for his gift was taken to an even higher level."

The musicianship of all four members of Queen is phenomenal. Roger, an extraordinarily multi talented man I've always admired. John Deacon's original bass part with its lyrical fluidity that made it easy for me to know where to put the odd reinforcement. Freddie's original piano carried most of the song's musical DNA. Brian, one take for the solo, a blur of fingers, and the spirits of MJ and FM fully present, in the moment, sending shivers down the spine.

Perhaps the biggest revelation on Queen Forever is Brian Mays composition, Let Me In Your Heart Again. The song was first recorded by Queen for The Works album, but not completed at the time and has remained overlooked since then. An authentic, live-in-the-studio track from the same golden age as Radio Ga Ga and I Want To Break Free, this never-before-heard Queen track shows off Freddies timeless vocals and features newly recorded guitar parts and new backing vocals from Brian and Roger. This thrilling track finally reaches us nearly 30 years after Freddie first laid down his original vocal.

The third new track, Love Kills, was composed by Freddie Mercury and famed German producer/songwriter Giorgio Moroder for the soundtrack to Moroders newly restored and tinted version of Fritz Langs 1927 classic silent movie Metropolis in 1984 to which he added a pop soundtrack featuring various music artists. Mercury recorded a high-energy dance version of the song that became his debut solo hit in 1985. However, it is less well known that all four members of Queen played on the original track. Prior to Queen embarking on their recent tour with lead singer Adam Lambert, Brian May proposed performing an acoustic ballad version of Love Kills, which became one of the most memorable moments of the current Queen & Adam Lambert shows. This new Queen-Freddie studio version is shaped in the same ballad style and revives the Queen original with some newly recorded guitars and drums by May and Taylor, becoming a glorious showcase for one of Freddies most adrenaline-charged vocal performances.

Alongside this new material, both the one and two-CD versions of Queen Forever feature songs that spotlight the bands songwriting prowess, studio experimentation and remarkable development. Its a timely reminder that, almost uniquely in the world of rock and pop, all four members of Queen were accomplished songwriters and superlatively gifted musicians.

Queen Forever reaches back as far as 1974 with fan favourite Nevermore, a Freddie Mercury song originally included on Queen II, the album that first saw Queen use the recording studio as an instrument in its own right. From the same year comes the dramatic power ballad In The Lap Of The Gods Revisited, once the grand finale of any Queen show, and since revived by Queen & lead singer Adam Lambert on their 2014 tour. Meanwhile, the upbeat single, Youre My Best Friend, written by bass guitarist John Deacon, showcased Queens poppier side and was released as the follow-up to 1975s Bohemian Rhapsody, becoming a Top 10 UK and Top 20 US hit in the same year and gave John Deacon his first Queen hit single.

Elsewhere, 1977s Long Away remains the only Queen single to feature Brian May on lead vocals; and the same years B-side Drowse includes a rare Queen performance from Roger Taylor on guitar. Queen saw out the decade with a run of hits that included the gospel-flavoured Somebody To Love, memorably performed by Queen and George Michael at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in 1992, and finished on a high with 79s US Number 1 hit, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, an exuberant rockabilly pop song composed by Freddie Mercury in the bath in Munich.

By touching on prog rock, gospel, acoustic balladry, Elvis-style rocknroll and more, these songs alone encapsulate Queens diversity in the 1970s. However, the band threw out the rulebook completely in the decades that followed, embracing funk, hard rock, soul and pure pop, but always sounding unmistakably Queen. The band used synthesizers for the first time on 1980s Play The Game single; Freddie sang some of his vocals in Spanish on the 1982 hit Las Palabras De Amor, and 1986s One Year Of Love featuring unusually a saxophone. The album is completed by latter-day Queen hits, including 91s no. 1 These Are The Days Of Our Lives and 95s Too Much Love Will Kill You, together with the poignant A Winters Tale, recorded during Freddie Mercurys final Queen recording sessions in Montreux in 1991.

Queen Forever is both a showcase for these exclusive new recordings, but also an enduring tribute to the extraordinary musical achievements of John Deacon, Brian May, Roger Taylor and the late, great Freddie Mercury whose singular talent we can again get to marvel at with the arrival of these previously unheard tracks.

Queen Forever. Forever? Who can tell? But for now we can be certain that this highly rewarding collection of Queen new, rare, and at their most accomplished, more than serves to uphold the bands indisputable place in music history and is certain to earn a prized place in music collections for a long time to come.

Queen certainly rates in the top among Britains favourite bands. The UKs Official Charts Company earlier this year confirmed Queens 1981 Greatest Hits album as Britains best-selling album of all time all after surpassing the 6 million sales milestone. A staggering one in three British households now own a copy of the iconic acts original best-of collection.

And if 6 million sales isnt enough for the band, Queens follow-up, Greatest Hits II, which was released in October 1991 also rides high at Number 10 in the all-time Official Albums Chart, having notched up a further 3.9 million UK sales to date.

*******

Queen Forever Track Listings

Single CD:

Let Me In Your Heart Again

Love Kills The Ballad

There Must Be More To Life Than This (William Orbit Mix)

Its A Hard Life

Youre My Best Friend

Love Of My Life

Drowse

Long Away

Lily Of The Valley

Dont Try So Hard

Bijou

These Are The Days Of Our Lives

Las Palabras De Amor

Who Wants To Live Forever

A Winters Tale

Play The Game

Save Me

Somebody To Love

Too Much Love Will Kill You

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

2-CD SET

CD1

Let Me In Your Heart Again

Love Kills The Ballad

There Must Be More To Life Than This (William Orbit Mix)

Play The Game

Dear Friends

Youre My Best Friend

Love Of My Life

Drowse

You Take My Breath Away

Spread Your Wings

Long Away

Lily Of The Valley

Dont Try So Hard

Bijou

These Are The Days Of Our Lives

Nevermore

Las Palabras De Amor

Who Wants To Live Forever

CD2

I Was Born To Love You

Somebody To Love

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Friends Will Be Friends

Jealousy

One Year of Love

A Winters Tale

39

Mother Love

Its A Hard Life

Save Me

Made in Heaven

Too Much Love Will Kill You

Sail Away Sweet Sister

The Miracle

Is This The World We Created

In The Lap Of The GodsRevisited

Forever

[Zeppelin]

Holy facepalm moment.

[ZoSoRose]

Well, this is dissapointing. Pass!

[Bruno P.]

Well, the three 'new' tracks are worthy. Especially this one...

Let Me In (Your Heart Again)

Awesome vocals, as expected. Freddie being Freddie, hitting high notes, great control, tone, vibrato, etc. Brian May's work is damn great, especially the ending of the song, with Freddie and Brain sounding great together.

Love Kills sound great as a ballad, May's guitar is great here...

Now on to the Freddie & Jackson duet, There Must Be More To Life Than This. I love the new arrangements, I really do. I can't, however, say that I love the new mix. Freddie's vocals do not sound as good as when he released this through his solo career. I don't know what the producer did, but he fucked up Freddie's vocals. But he nailed Jackson's vocals, sounds crystal clear. Maybe it's a thing from the Jackson family? I don't know. But the track is awesome, the Brian solo is great, etc.

[Andrew07]

probably still gonna pick this up for the three new tracks, i was hoping for a little more but this is still good

[luciusfunk]

From what I read, Freddie's vocals on TMBMTLTT aren't the same as what appear on the demo floating around or the Mr. Bad Guy version, but they're from The Game sessions.

Edit: The Rolling Stone article says it's a Hot Space era song. I know Michael Jackson convinced them to release Another One Bites the Dust as a single and mentioned Hot Space as an influence on Thriller. I'm not sure when they recorded together, because according to Brian, the track includes John on bass, so it's not from the Mr. Bad Guy sessions as no Queen members played on it. Last.fm also mentions 1981 Hot Space sessions. /shrug

Edited September 21, 2014 by luciusfunk

[DieselDaisy]

They love, cashing in, May/Taylor. No wonder Deacon does not bother his arse. Why for instance did they not put these songs on the, generally piss poor, bonus discs that came with the 2011 remastered albums? Why must we buy a bunch of songs we already own for three new ones? Shamless. Download job I am afraid.

[username]

Definitely not spending my money on this.

[luciusfunk]

They love, cashing in, May/Taylor. No wonder Deacon does not bother his arse. Why for instance did they not put these songs on the, generally piss poor, bonus discs that came with the 2011 remastered albums? Why must we buy a bunch of songs we already own for three new ones? Shamless. Download job I am afraid.

The problem is they don't like cashing in as much as you say, or we'd have had better bonus discs in 2011. Brian and Roger didn't even want to add the bonus tracks. If they loved cashing in so much, where's the "Beatles Anthology" type release we've been promised for 14 years now?

[DieselDaisy]

They love, cashing in, May/Taylor. No wonder Deacon does not bother his arse. Why for instance did they not put these songs on the, generally piss poor, bonus discs that came with the 2011 remastered albums? Why must we buy a bunch of songs we already own for three new ones? Shamless. Download job I am afraid.

The problem is they don't like cashing in as much as you say, or we'd have had better bonus discs in 2011. Brian and Roger didn't even want to add the bonus tracks. If they loved cashing in so much, where's the "Beatles Anthology" type release we've been promised for 14 years now?

Quality fan friendly releases and mercenary cash-ins are not synonyms.

The remasters were shameless. What a cash grab! The only good bonus discs were the ones for Queen 1 and 2. The rest were filled with previously released live recordings and radio edits, i.e. complete shite.

Edited September 22, 2014 by DieselDaisy

[luciusfunk]

No, the best remasters were the last ones. Invisible Man demo was great. Everything from Queen and most of Queen II had been around for years. Mad the Swine and See What a Fool I've Been were on the 1991 Hollywood remasters.