Queen's debut album, simply called 'Queen' is described in the liner notes as "representing at last something of what Queen music has been over the last three years". Recorded during downtime at Trident Studios in the Soho district of London, the album captures the band in their early, raw form. Released on July 13, 1973 in the UK by EMI, it initially failed to make an impact on the charts. The American audience would have to wait almost two months for the album to appear before it was released on September 4, 1973 by Elektra Records. The album peaked at #83 in the US and by 1975 reached a respectable #24 on the UK chart. Queen achieved Gold sales status in both territories. The US and Japanese editions feature a different sleeve, with early American versions sporting a gold foil Queen logo.

Released a week before the album debuted, Keep Yourself Alive was the lone single in the UK and did not chart. In the US, Keep Yourself Alive was released in October 1973 to no acclaim. The follow-up single, an edited version of Liar, came in February 1974. Keep Yourself Alive was re-released in 1975 in the US in edited form.

The band recorded five demo tracks at De Lane Lea Studios in 1971 that caught the attention of Trident Productions and eventually led to their signing. Four of those songs would be re-recorded for the album while The Night Comes Down was remixed from the De Lane Lea sessions. All of the De Lane Lea demos would later be made available in 2011 as a bonus EP CD. Several outtakes from the Queen sessions remain unreleased including the Tim Staffell penned Silver Salmon and the Brian May track Polar Bear, which was originally recorded by Smile. Hangman originates from this period and was played regularly by the band live; however, there is debate on whether a studio version ever existed or survives to this day. Mad The Swine, newly mixed by David Richards, appeared as a B-Side to Headlong in 1991, some 19 years after it was recorded.

...and nobody played synthesizer.

Keep Yourself Alive (Album Version) 3:47
Written by Brian May
Appears on: Queen, Track 1

Keep Yourself Alive (US Single Edit - Stereo) 3:29
Written by Brian May
Appears on: US Keep Yourself Alive 7" vinyl (1973), US Keep Yourself Alive 7" vinyl (1975), US Greatest Hits vinyl (Elektra 1981), Another One Bites The Dust (Spun Gold) 7" vinyl
In 1975, Keep Yourself Alive was re-recorded during the A Night At The Opera sessions for a potential US release. The new version, since known as the 'Long Lost Re-Take', was discarded in favor of an edit of the original album version. The single was released in August, 1975 and is highly sought after because it contains three unique single versions (this edit of Keep Yourself Alive, the US single version of Lily Of The Valley, and the US single version of God Save The Queen). This edited version fades early, removing the last 17 secords at the end.

Keep Yourself Alive (US Single Edit - Mono) 3:29
Written by Brian May
Appears on: US Greatest Hits CD (Elektra 1983), US Keep Yourself Alive 7" vinyl promo (1975), US Greatest Hits vinyl (Elektra 1981)
The US Single Edit of Keep Yourself Alive was included on the original US version of Greatest Hits. Both the CD and vinyl, however, have this song in mono instread of stereo. This is the only time this edit was released in a digital format.

Keep Yourself Alive (Video Version) 3:43
Written by Brian May
Appears on: Greatest Video Hits 1, Classic Queen VHS, Greatest Flix I & II Laserdisc, UK Box Of Flix VHS
The video version of Keep Yourself Alive fades four seconds early to accompany the footage.

Keep Yourself Alive (1998 Karaoke Version) 3:15
Written by Brian May
Appears on: 1998 Greatest Karaoke Hits
The 1998 Karaoke Version of Keep Yourself Alive unfortunately cuts about 10 seconds off the beginning by omitting the guitar intro. The track fades out short of the proper end. There is no click track at the beginning.

Keep Yourself Alive (2004 Karaoke Version) 3:36
Written by Brian May
Appears on: 2004 Greatest Karaoke Hits
The 2004 Karaoke Version of Keep Yourself Alive is much more complete than the earlier 1998 karaoke release. The song starts properly, keeping the guitar intro. This version fades out early, just like the 1998 version. There is also no click track at the beginning.

Keep Yourself Alive (Karaoke Video Version) 3:20
Written by Brian May
Appears on: Greatest Karaoke Hits DVD
The Karaoke Video Version of Keep Yourself Alive begins with a fade-in deep into the song, which cuts off much of the guitar intro. The track fades out at the same point as the CD Karaoke Version.

Keep Yourself Alive (BBC Session 1) 3:49
Written by Brian May
Appears on: At The Beeb, On Air
Queen's first BBC Radio session was recorded on February 5, 1973 at Langham 1 Studio in London. The session was produced by Bernie Andrews and engineered by John Etchells. BBC Radio 1 broadcast the session on John Peel's Sounds Of The 70s on February 15, 1974. This first BBC session was organized by Trident productions to promote the band a full five months before the release of their first album. All of the songs on BBC Session 1 started with the backing tracks that were in progress for the album. New lead vocals were overdubbed onto these backing tracks along with some guitar here and there. So, the final broadcasted product was a mixture of Trident Studios and Langham 1 recordings. Freddie's lead vocal performance is similar to the delivery used on the final version. This session saw its first official release in 1989 on "At The Beeb" from the Band Of Joy label.

Keep Yourself Alive (BBC Session 1 with DJ Chatter) 3:53
Written by Brian May
Appears on: On Air - Deluxe Edition
The deluxe 6 CD edition of 2016's "On Air" includes additional dialogue from the various radio presenters on most BBC session songs. At the end of the song John Peel comments that the song was written by guitarist Brian May, who also contributed some nice noises to the track.

Keep Yourself Alive (BBC Session 1 - 1995 Stereo Swap) 3:48
Written by Brian May
Appears on: At The BBC
To capitalize on the success of The Beatles Live At The BBC, Hollywood Records released "At The BBC". Previously available in the UK as "At The Beeb", this release features recordings from Queen's first and third sessions at Lanham 1 Studio in London. On this CD release, the left and right stereo channels have been accidentally swapped.

Keep Yourself Alive (BBC Session 2) 3:50
Written by Brian May
Appears on: On Air
Queen's second BBC Radio session was recorded on July 23, 1973 at Langham 1 Studio in London. The session was produced by Jeff Griffin and engineered by Chris Lycett and John Etchells. BBC Radio 1 broadcast the session on Alan Black's Sounds Of The 70s on August 13, 1973. As with Session 1, Queen's second session used the album's backing track for this song and a new lead vocal recorded by Freddie. Again, like Session 1, this version is not much of a departure from the album version.

Keep Yourself Alive (BBC Session 2 with DJ Chatter) 3:56
Written by Brian May
Appears on: On Air - Deluxe Edition
The deluxe 6 CD edition of 2016's "On Air" includes additional dialogue from the various radio presenters on most BBC session songs. At the end of the song Alan Black comments that Queen's session is excellent and there are fine writers in the band. He gives Brian credit for writing Keep Yourself Alive and mentions their new album is out now.

Keep Yourself Alive (De Lane Lea Demo) 3:51
Written by Brian May
Appears on: UK/US 2011 Queen Deluxe CD, De Lane Lea Demos acetate
Recorded during studio downtime in December 1971, the De Lane Lea Demos are the first Queen studio recordings. The only known original source is Brian May's own 12" acetate. The De Lane Lea Demo of Keep Yourself Alive begins with the needle hitting the acetate; giving it an authentic and special feel. The intro is on acoustic guitar before the Red Special takes over. The fade-out ending is similar to the album version.

Keep Yourself Alive (Trident Studios Early Version) 3:51
Written by Brian May
Appears on: Unreleased
This alternative take of Keep Yourself Alive originated from a 12" acetate of the first Queen album. The orange album sleeve that encases the acetate is plain, but does have "Queen" written on it in ink and the Trident logo in the top left-hand corner. This early version shows the progression from the De Lane Lea version towards the final album version. Brian May described this version as "awful" in a BBC Radio One 1983 interview. Produced by Roy Thomas Baker, this shelved version is a bit over-produced but is still a nice alternative.

Keep Yourself Alive (Withdrawn UK 7'' Promo Mix) 3:49
Written by Brian May
Appears on: UK Keep Yourself Alive 7" promo vinyl (withdrawn)
In the UK, Keep Yourself Alive was originally to be released on June 15, 1973 and 7" promo vinyl copies were pressed for demonstration purposes. What was discovered on these promo copies however, was the wrong mix of the song was used. All incorrect pressings were taken back from DJs and presumably destroyed. A new release date was given for Keep Yourself Alive of July 6, 1973 and correct promo vinyl discs were pressed and distributed. John Ingham, a former EMI Press officer, kept 14 copies, the only known copies to exist. So, how do you spot one of these rare copies? The label is dated 15.6.73 directly above the large letter A for A-side. For more information, check out the excellent article at QueenMuseum.com.

Keep Yourself Alive (Long Lost Re-take) 4:04
Written by Brian May
Appears on: Queen Hollywood Remaster (1991), UK Keep Yourself Alive 7" acetate vinyl, US Keep Yourself Alive 25th Anniversary promo CD, UK/US 2011 A Night At The Opera Deluxe CD
The Long Lost Re-take is a completely different take than the album version, recorded in 1975 for a possible US single release. As it turns out, an edit of the regular album version was released instead. This reworked version was first released on the Queen I remaster by Hollywood Records in 1991 and has been recently discovered on an acetate record. Recommended just for the sake of hearing something different.

Keep Yourself Alive (Short Lost Re-take) 3:29
Written by Brian May
Appears on: UK Keep Yourself Alive 7" acetate vinyl
Coming from the same acetate as the "Long Lost Re-take," this edit remains unreleased. Thirty seconds have been taken off the full version by means of an earlier fade-out, the intro being cut, and bits around the drum solo being edited.


Doing All Right (Album Version) 4:09
Written by Brian May and Tim Staffell
Appears on: Queen, Track 2

Doing All Right (BBC Session 1) 4:13
Written by Brian May and Tim Staffell
Appears on: At The Beeb, On Air
Queen's first BBC Radio session was recorded on February 5, 1973 at Langham 1 Studio in London. The session was produced by Bernie Andrews and engineered by John Etchells. BBC Radio 1 broadcast the session on John Peel's Sounds Of The 70s on February 15, 1974. This first BBC session was organized by Trident productions to promote the band a full five months before the release of their first album. All of the songs on BBC Session 1 started with the backing tracks that were in progress for the album. New lead vocals were overdubbed onto these backing tracks along with some guitar here and there. So, the final broadcasted product was a mixture of Trident Studios and Langham 1 recordings. Freddie's lead vocal performance is done in a style similar to the final album version. Unlike the album version, Roger sings lead vocals on the final verse. This session saw its first official release in 1989 on "At The Beeb" from the Band Of Joy label.

Doing All Right (BBC Session 1 with DJ Chatter) 4:17
Written by Brian May and Tim Staffell
Appears on: On Air - Deluxe Edition
The deluxe 6 CD edition of 2016's "On Air" includes additional dialogue from the various radio presenters on most BBC session songs. At the end of the song John Peel comments that he's seen the photos and this was Queen with Doing All Right.

Doing All Right (BBC Session 1 - 1995 Stereo Swap) 4:10
Written by Brian May and Tim Staffell
Appears on: At The BBC, UK Let Me Live CD single - Part 2
To capitalize on the success of The Beatles Live At The BBC, Hollywood Records released "At The BBC". Previously available in the UK as "At The Beeb", this release features recordings from Queen's first and third sessions at Lanham 1 Studio in London. On this CD release, the left and right stereo channels have been accidentally swapped. This version was later used for the second CD single release of Let Me Live in the UK.


Great King Rat (Album Version) 5:43
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: Queen, Track 3

Great King Rat (Preliminary Mix) 5:43
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: Queen Hollywood Remaster (1991), Queen EMI Remaster (1994)
For any new release, the best available source is preferable. EMI did not know where the first generation stereo master tapes were stored, so the 1986 and 1988 CD releases of Queen CD's used production masters for their source. The production masters were stored at Abbey Road and easily obtainable. Production masters were tapes created for the cutting of the original vinyl records. The process, as Brian May explained in an issue of the Fan Club Magazine, is as follows; the stereo master tapes of each track were taped together and all recorded onto one long production master tape. That production master tape would be the easiest way to cut to vinyl. The quality, however, would be one generation removed from the stereo master of each individual track. These production masters were used for the very first Queen CD releases, which explains their "hissy" sound. In 1990, Queen retrieved their original stereo master tapes and found some had been lost or damaged over time. Some tracks from Queen I, Flash Gordon, and Live Killers had some damage. When it came time for Eddy Schreyer to remaster the album for Hollywood Records' 1991 release, the best source was preferable. Great King Rat from the first generation stereo master-mix had a tape dropout three minutes into the song, which would have been very noticable. Since the first generation master-mix of Great King Rat was not available, the next best thing was used; a first generation source from a mix close to the final version. As a result, a preliminary mix of Great King Rat was used for Schreyer's Queen remaster. The performance is the same as the album version, but the mix is different. This preliminary mix is unbalanced; there are silences in the left channel on half of the guitar intro and in the right channel during the acoustic break in the middle. Also of note, later releases of Queen do have the real album version of Great King Rat from the "best available sources." The real album version that appears on the 2001 and 2011 remasters is from a safety copy, which is not ideal, but is cleaned up using current noise reduction technology. Also of note, Schreyer's remaster was also used for the 1994 Digital Master Series.

Great King Rat (BBC Session 3) 5:57
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: At The Beeb, On Air
Queen's third BBC Radio session was recorded on December 3, 1973 at Langham 1 Studio in London. The session was produced by Bernie Andrews and engineered by Nick Griffiths. BBC Radio 1 broadcast the session on John Peel's Sounds Of The 70s on December 6, 1973. Unlike some of their other sessions the band did not use any existing backing tracks, instead they opted to record all new versions in Langham 1. The Session 3 version starts with great heavy guitar effects. The drum sound is very tight with no echo or reverb. The middle drum part is a bit more colorful in this version than any other. Freddie's vocal delivery is good, but not as strong as the album version.

Great King Rat (BBC Session 3 with DJ Chatter) 5:57
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: On Air - Deluxe Edition
The deluxe 6 CD edition of 2016's "On Air" includes additional dialogue from the various radio presenters on most BBC session songs. At the end of the song John Peel says that was Great King Rat by Queen.

Great King Rat (BBC Session 3 - 1995 Stereo Swap) 5:56
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: At The BBC
To capitalize on the success of The Beatles Live At The BBC, Hollywood Records released "At The BBC". Previously available in the UK as "At The Beeb", this release features recordings from Queen's first and third sessions at Lanham 1 Studio in London. On this CD release, the left and right stereo channels have been accidentally swapped.

Great King Rat (De Lane Lea Demo) 6:09
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: UK/US 2011 Queen Deluxe CD, De Lane Lea Demos acetate
Recorded during studio downtime in December 1971, the De Lane Lea Demos are the first Queen studio recordings. The only known original source is Brian May's own 12" acetate. Like the other De Lane Lea Demos, this version is a bit less produced and more raw than the album take. The middle drum part (at around 2:40) is a bit different to the final version. Freddie's vocals are good, but not as impressive as the final version. The track ends with the drum roll.

Great King Rat (Take 1) 3:48
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: Unreleased
This track premiered at the 19th International Fan Club Convention in Prestatyn. Freddie Mercury counts-in to begin the take. The lyrics are not finished, but are beginning to develop The track goes up to the bridge when Freddie counts-out.

Great King Rat (Take 4) 6:29
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: Unreleased
This track premiered at the 20th International Fan Club Convention in Prestatyn. From the Queen sessions, Trident Studios, 1973. This take is fairly different but similar to the album version. The track is developed more fully than on Take 1. It doesn't appear than any of the bits from this take survived to the final version.


My Fairy King (Album Version) 4:08
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: Queen, Track 4

My Fairy King (BBC Session 1) 4:09
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: At The Beeb, On Air
Queen's first BBC Radio session was recorded on February 5, 1973 at Langham 1 Studio in London. The session was produced by Bernie Andrews and engineered by John Etchells. BBC Radio 1 broadcast the session on John Peel's Sounds Of The 70s on February 15, 1974. This first BBC session was organized by Trident productions to promote the band a full five months before the release of their first album. All of the songs on BBC Session 1 started with the backing tracks that were in progress for the album. New lead vocals were overdubbed onto these backing tracks along with some guitar here and there. So, the final broadcasted product was a mixture of Trident Studios and Langham 1 recordings. Freddie's vocal performance is unique enough to differentiate this version from the final album release. This session saw its first official release in 1989 on "At The Beeb" from the Band Of Joy label.

My Fairy King (BBC Session 1 with DJ Chatter) 4:17
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: On Air - Deluxe Edition
The deluxe 6 CD edition of 2016's "On Air" includes additional dialogue from the various radio presenters on most BBC session songs. At the end of the song John Peel comments this is the group's first broadcast as he announces the song title. John Peel was correct in his statement, this broadcast of My Fairy King is the first Queen song ever to be broadcast.

My Fairy King (BBC Session 1 - 1995 Stereo Swap) 4:06
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: At The BBC, UK Let Me Live CD single - Part 2
To capitalize on the success of The Beatles Live At The BBC, Hollywood Records released "At The BBC". Previously available in the UK as "At The Beeb", this release features recordings from Queen's first and third sessions at Lanham 1 Studio in London. On this CD release, the left and right stereo channels have been accidentally swapped. This version was later used for the second CD single release of Let Me Live in the UK.

My Fairy King (BBC Session 1 - Acetate Edit) 3:52
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: My Fairy King acetate
This acetate pressing of the My Fairy King BBC Session 1 take fades in roughly 16 seconds into the beginning of the track.


Liar (Album Version) 6:25
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: Queen, Track 5

Liar (US Single Edit) 3:03
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: US Liar 7" vinyl, US Liar 7" vinyl promo, US Killer Queen (Spun Gold) 7" vinyl
This is edit of Liar may possibly be the worst Queen edit. Most of the Elektra edits were not sanctioned by Queen and this one in particular has been mentioned in interviews as a big disappointment. A butchering would be a more appropriate description. The edit begins at 1:13 into the song, cuts from 2:14 through 3:27, picks up 3:28 through 3:44, cuts 3:45 through 4:17, plays 4:18 through about 4:57, cuts 4:58 through 5:31, and plays the rest of the song from that point onward. The 7" promo vinyl is hard to find and has become a collector's item.

Liar (BBC Session 1) 6:30
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: At The Beeb, On Air
Queen's first BBC Radio session was recorded on February 5, 1973 at Langham 1 Studio in London. The session was produced by Bernie Andrews and engineered by John Etchells. BBC Radio 1 broadcast the session on John Peel's Sounds Of The 70s on February 15, 1974. This first BBC session was organized by Trident productions to promote the band a full five months before the release of their first album. All of the songs on BBC Session 1 started with the backing tracks that were in progress for the album. New lead vocals were overdubbed onto these backing tracks along with some guitar here and there. So, the final broadcasted product was a mixture of Trident Studios and Langham 1 recordings. Freddie's lead vocal performance deviates in quite a few places from the final album version, making this recording an interesting alternative. This session saw its first official release in 1989 on "At The Beeb" from the Band Of Joy label.

Liar (BBC Session 1 with DJ Chatter) 6:38
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: On Air - Deluxe Edition
The deluxe 6 CD edition of 2016's "On Air" includes additional dialogue from the various radio presenters on most BBC session songs. At the end of the song John Peel comments that Queen have an LP coming out soon and this was the last track, Liar.

Liar (BBC Session 1 - 1995 Stereo Swap) 6:28
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: At The BBC, UK Let Me Live CD single - Part 2
To capitalize on the success of The Beatles Live At The BBC, Hollywood Records released "At The BBC". Previously available in the UK as "At The Beeb", this release features recordings from Queen's first and third sessions at Lanham 1 Studio in London. On this CD release, the left and right stereo channels have been accidentally swapped. This version was later used for the second CD single release of Let Me Live in the UK.

Liar (BBC Session 1 - Acetate Edit) 5:09
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: Liar acetate
This acetate pressing of the Liar BBC Session 1 take fades in roughly 1:19 into the beginning of the track, which removes the entire guitar intro.

Liar (BBC Session 2) 6:29
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: On Air
Queen's second BBC Radio session was recorded on July 23, 1973 at Langham 1 Studio in London. The session was produced by Jeff Griffin and engineered by Chris Lycett and John Etchells. BBC Radio 1 broadcast the session on Alan Black's Sounds Of The 70s on August 13, 1973. As with Session 1, Queen's second session used the album's backing track for this song and a new lead vocal recorded by Freddie. Again, like Session 1, this version is not much of a departure from the album version but a good alternative.

Liar (BBC Session 2 w/ DJ Chatter) 6:37
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: On Air - Deluxe Edition
The deluxe 6 CD edition of 2016's "On Air" includes additional dialogue from the various radio presenters on most BBC session songs. At the end of the song Alan Black comments there are not many bands as strong vocally and musically as Queen.

Liar (De Lane Lea Demo) 7:54
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: UK/US 2011 Queen Deluxe CD, De Lane Lea Demos acetate
Recorded during studio downtime in December 1971, the De Lane Lea Demos are the first Queen studio recordings. The only known original source is Brian May's own 12" acetate. The track starts with an awesome opening drum part, sounding much more full than the album cut. Features great extra guitar work by Brian, including guitar solos that later appear in Great King Rat and Brighton Rock (that solo seems to show up everywhere). Backing vocals are a bit flat, although Freddie's vocals sound good. A nice extended version of the track and worth finding for the guitars alone.

Liar (John Luongo and Gary Hellman Remix) 6:26
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: Queen Hollywood Remaster (1991)
Hollywood Records commissioned various producers and engineers to remix songs from the Queen catalog for their 1991 re-release campaign. John Luongo (producer, remixer) and Gary Hellman (Engineer) were asked to remix Liar as a bonus track for the Queen I album. The 1991 bonus remix of Liar is one of the better Hollywood Records remixes. The track is not much different than the album version, but does feature some extra procussion.

Liar (The eYe Version)
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: Queen: The eYe
From the Electronic Arts videogame, Queen: The eYe. An edit of the album version, simply consisting of the first minute and a half of the song. Note that this version appears twice in The eYe.

Official Queen Archivist Greg Brooks on the Liar sessions: There are few takes in the archive and those which have survived are only marginally different to the familiar cut. Nothing survives from the early demo period, or with alternative lyrics - which is more or less true of the whole album. What did emerge, during the research for the forthcoming Queen rarities collection was that 'Liar', without lead and backing vocals, is an extraordinarily different beast. This is true of most Queen material, but most noticeably here. There's a great deal going on behind which cannot properly be heard in the master mix, particularly in the regard of the lead and bass guitars - but then Deacon's innovative bass was always largely overlooked. - Record Collector, June 2002


The Night Comes Down (Album Version) 4:23
Written by Brian May
Appears on: Queen, Track 6

The Night Comes Down (De Lea Lane Demo) 4:23
Written by Brian May
Appears on: UK/US 2011 Queen Deluxe CD, De Lane Lea Demos acetate
Recorded during studio downtime in December 1971, the De Lane Lea Demos are the first Queen studio recordings. The only known original source is Brian May's own 12" acetate. The De Lane Lea demo of The Night Comes Down is actually the first mix of the final album version.

The Night Comes Down (The eYe Version) 0:48
Written by Brian May
Appears on: Queen: The eYe
From the Electronic Arts videogame, Queen: The eYe. An edit of the album version, using the instrumental opening part of the song (before the first verses begin).


Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll (Album Version) 1:48
Written by Roger Meddows-Taylor
Appears on: Queen, Track 7

Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll (BBC Session 3) 2:02
Written by Roger Meddows-Taylor
Appears on: At The Beeb, On Air
Queen's third BBC Radio session was recorded on December 3, 1973 at Langham 1 Studio in London. The session was produced by Bernie Andrews and engineered by Nick Griffiths. BBC Radio 1 broadcast the session on John Peel's Sounds Of The 70s on December 6, 1973. Unlike some of their other sessions the band did not use any existing backing tracks, instead they opted to record all new versions in Langham 1. Roger handles lead vocals on this one, just like the album version. The tempo is a bit more frenetic, featuring faster drumming and heavier guitar.

Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll (BBC Session 3 with DJ Chatter) 2:06
Written by Roger Meddows-Taylor
Appears on: On Air - Deluxe Edition
The deluxe 6 CD edition of 2016's "On Air" includes additional dialogue from the various radio presenters on most BBC session songs. At the end of the song John Peel comments that he's never seen Queen live but would like to.

Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll (BBC Session 3 - 1995 Stereo Swap) 2:00
Written by Roger Meddows-Taylor
Appears on: At The BBC
To capitalize on the success of The Beatles Live At The BBC, Hollywood Records released "At The BBC". Previously available in the UK as "At The Beeb", this release features recordings from Queen's first and third sessions at Lanham 1 Studio in London. On this CD release, the left and right stereo channels have been accidentally swapped.

Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll (BBC Session 4) 2:47
Written by Roger Meddows-Taylor
Appears on: On Air
Queen's fourth BBC Radio session was recorded on April 3, 1974 at Langham 1 Studio in London. The session was produced by Pete Ritzema and engineered by John Sparrow. BBC Radio 1 broadcast the session on Bob Harris' Sounds Of The 70s on April 15, 1974. This take may be the best officially released studio performance of Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll. Overall, the song's tempo is slower and more deliberate. Brian does some excellent guitar work throughout the track. Roger's lead vocal performance is in fine form, rivaling the album version. Freddie even comes in to add some surprise backing vocals at around the 2 minute mark.

Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll (BBC Session 4 with DJ Chatter) 2:53
Written by Roger Meddows-Taylor
Appears on: On Air - Deluxe Edition
The deluxe 6 CD edition of 2016's "On Air" includes additional dialogue from the various radio presenters on most BBC session songs. Bob Harris introduces the song at the beginning of the track. At the end of the song, Bob Harris comments this is the first of three songs on that evening's program. It is interesting that he comments that this is the first of three, not four songs for the evening. The March Of The Black Queen was played that evening, but was not recorded during the BBC Sessions, rather the album version was played with a fade-out.

Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll (The eYe Version) 1:44
Written by Roger Meddows-Taylor
Appears on: Queen: The eYe
From the Electronic Arts videogame, Queen: The eYe. A full instrumental version of the album version. Slightly repetitive, but neat to hear.


Son And Daughter (Album Version) 3:20
Written by Brian May
Appears on: Queen, Track 8

Son And Daughter (Australian Censored Single Version) 3:12
Written by Brian May
Appears on: Australian Keep Yourself Alive 7" vinyl
From a 1974, this Australian censored version of Son And Daughter appeared on the first Keep Yourself Alive 7" available in the country. Because of the use of the word "shit", two verses were completely edited out of the song. The lines "the world expects a man to buckle down and shovel shit" have been edited out.

Son And Daughter (BBC Session 2) 6:03
Written by Brian May
Appears on: On Air
Queen's second BBC Radio session was recorded on July 23, 1973 at Langham 1 Studio in London. The session was produced by Jeff Griffin and engineered by Chris Lycett and John Etchells. BBC Radio 1 broadcast the session on Alan Black's Sounds Of The 70s on August 13, 1973. This is a very strong version of the track, featuring great, heavy performances from everyone in the band. Instead of the "shovel shit" lyric, Freddie sings "shovel shhhh...". Not surprisingly, a bit of the Brighton Rock guitar solo appears during Brian's guitar bit with some additional guitar effects. Roger provides a spoken interlude partway through the instrumental solo, saying "steel yourself, this is valid".

Son And Daughter (BBC Session 2 with DJ Chatter) 6:14
Written by Brian May
Appears on: On Air - Deluxe Edition
The deluxe 6 CD edition of 2016's "On Air" includes additional dialogue from the various radio presenters on most BBC session songs. At the end of the song Alan Black comments that the song is high energy and the band has been holding back until they feel they are ready and that time has arrived.

Son And Daughter (BBC Session 3) 7:13
Written by Brian May
Appears on: At The Beeb, On Air
Queen's third BBC Radio session was recorded on December 3, 1973 at Langham 1 Studio in London. The session was produced by Bernie Andrews and engineered by Nick Griffiths. BBC Radio 1 broadcast the session on John Peel's Sounds Of The 70s on December 6, 1973. Unlike some of their other sessions the band did not use any existing backing tracks, instead they opted to record all new versions in Langham 1. Freddie's vocals aren't as dynamic here as in other versions. Instead of the "shovel shit" lyric, Freddie sings "shovel shhhh..." and "shovel it" respectively. Like the BBC Session 2 version the Brighton Rock solo appears during Brian's much extended guitar bit.

Son And Daughter (BBC Session 3 with DJ Chatter) 7:17
Written by Brian May
Appears on: On Air - Deluxe Edition
The deluxe 6 CD edition of 2016's "On Air" includes additional dialogue from the various radio presenters on most BBC session songs. At the end of the song John Peel comments that's the last song from Queen and they sound nutters.

Son And Daughter (BBC Session 3 - 1995 Stereo Swap) 7:08
Written by Brian May
Appears on: At The BBC
To capitalize on the success of The Beatles Live At The BBC, Hollywood Records released "At The BBC". Previously available in the UK as "At The Beeb", this release features recordings from Queen's first and third sessions at Lanham 1 Studio in London. On this CD release, the left and right stereo channels have been accidentally swapped.


Jesus (Album Version) 3:44
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: Queen, Track 9

Jesus (De Lane Lea Demo) 5:06
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: UK/US 2011 Queen Deluxe CD, De Lane Lea Demos acetate
Recorded during studio downtime in December 1971, the De Lane Lea Demos are the first Queen studio recordings. The only known original source is Brian May's own 12" acetate. The De Lane Lea demo of Jesus is longer and arguably a suppier performance to the album version. The guitars are much heavier and a long guitar solo is added. After being bootlegged for years, this performance finally was released on 2011's deluxe edition of Queen.


Seven Seas Of Rhye (Album Version) 1:15
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: Queen, Track 10


Mad The Swine 3:23
Written by Freddie Mercury
Appears on: Queen Hollywood Remaster (1991), UK Headlong CD Single, UK Headlong 12" vinyl, UK/US 2011 Queen Deluxe CD
This track from the Queen I sessions was recorded in June 1972 and remained unreleased until 1991. The track was rejected from the first Queen album but was later reproduced by Innuendo producer David Richards. What is the difference between the Richards mix and the Roy Thomas Baker mix? Apparently just minor changes in drum volume. This track is easily found on the US Hollywood Remaster of Queen, the UK Headlong CD single, and wonderfully remastered by Adam Ayan on the 2011 UK Deluxe CD release of Queen.


Silver Salmon (Take 4) 3:10
Written by Tim Staffell
Appears on: Unreleased
Silver Salmon is a song, like Doing All Right and Polar Bear, that dates back to the Smile days. The song was written by Tim Staffell and was originally more of a sci-fi themed folk song. The track was never properly recorded by Smile, but several Queen studio versions of the song were found in 1990. Silver Salmon (Take 4) was played at several Queen Fan Club Conventions by official archivist Greg Brooks. This version was traded amongst collectors and was later leaked in good quality onto the internet. Take 4 starts with studio banter from Freddie before it breaks out into heavy guitar and drums. There is also much speculation on when this particular version was recorded. Even though the song dates back to Smile, there is some evidence that this take was recorded much later, perhaps during the News Of The World sessions. Gary Taylor, who is a Queen expert and assisted writing the 2011 remaster liner notes, revealed this information on queenzone.com:
"the band would very often play around in the studio to new songs and even old songs before they would get down to actually recording new tracks for an album. Tracks like Feelings and Silver Salmon were often played in a band jam and they would even play other artists songs as part of this warm up."


Polar Bear (Take 2) 4:33
Written by Brian May
Appears on: Unreleased
It had been rumored for years that a Queen version Polar Bear existed with Freddie on vocals. These claims were denied by Queen Productions. A copy was leaked at about the same time as Silver Salmon. The Queen version is superior to the Smile version in just about every way. The track starts with 38 seconds of studio banter between Roger and the rest of the band, all the while Freddie is trying to start the take. Track starts at 0:39 with Freddie finally saying "Right, take two." There are some minor lyrical differences between the Queen and Smile version as well. It is unknown if further takes were attempted.


Feelings 2:08
Written by Unknown
Appears on: Unreleased
This demo, which has been dubbed "Feelings" premired at the 2000 UK Fan Club Convention. This is a bluesy jam that sounds inspired by Led Zeppelin. There are some similarities to the 1977 track Feelings Feelings; it is possible this track evolved into that song.


Hangman (Studio Demo)
Written by Unknown
Appears on: Trident Studios Hangman 10" Acetate
Although denied to exist by Queen Productions, collector John S. Stuart apparently owns a 10" acetate that does in fact have a studio version of Hangman. It is unknown if there are any other studio versions or acetates of this track.

Hangman (Live Versions)
Written by Unknown
Appears on: Unreleased
Hangman appears frequently during Queen's 1973/74 concerts (Bristol, Oxford, etc.). It is a kind of heavy/bluesy song, in the same vain as See What A Fool I've Been. Bootleg versions can be found, but in very poor quality.


Rock n' Roll Medley
Written by various artists
Appears on: Unreleased
During early concerts, Queen usually played a Rock n' Roll medley. It has been rumored for years that a studio Rock n' Roll medley recording exists. This studio recording, if it exists, is most likely a live studio take for rehearsal purposes. Judging from what cover tracks were played by them at the time, the medley most likely would consist of Jailhouse Rock, Stupid Cupid, and Bamalamaloo.