Mr. Bad Guy

Produced by: Mack and Freddie Mercury
Recorded at: Musicland Studios
UK CBS LP: 29 April 1985 CBS 86312 / UK Chart #6
USA Columbia LP: 7 May 1985 FC 40071 / Billboard #159

Side One
1. Let's Turn It On (Mercury) 3:39
2. Made In Heaven (Mercury) 4:02
3. I Was Born To Love You (Mercury) 3:36
4. Foolin' Around (Mercury) 3:26
5. Your Kind Of Lover (Mercury) 3:31
  Side Two
1. Mr. Bad Guy (Mercury) 4:10
2. Man Made Paradise (Mercury) 4:07
3. There Must Be More To Life Than This (Mercury) 2:56
4. Living On My Own (Mercury) 3:21
5. My Love Is Dangerous (Mercury) 3:38
6. Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow (Mercury) 3:34

Related Songs

Stop All The Fighting (Mercury), She Blows Hot And Cold (Mercury), Gazelle (Mercury), Money Can't Buy Happiness (Mercury), Love Makin' Love (Mercury), God Is Heavy (Mercury), New York (Mercury)

Singles

UK Singles
- I Was Born To Love You c/w Stop All The Fighting 7" / UK Chart #11
- I Was Born To Love You (Extended Version) c/w Stop All The Fighting 12"
- Made In Heaven (Remix) c/w She Blows Hot And Cold 7" / UK Chart #57
- Made In Heaven (Remix) c/w She Blows Hot And Cold 7" picture disc
- Made In Heaven (Extended Remix) c/w Made In Heaven (Remix) / She Blows Hot And Cold 12"
- Living On My Own (Single Mix) c/w My Love Is Dangerous 7" / UK Chart #50
- Living On My Own (Extended Version) c/w My Love Is Dangerous (Extended Version) 12"
- Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow c/w Let's Turn It On 7" / UK Chart #76
- Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow (Extended Version) c/w Let's Turn It On (Extended Version) 12"
- Living On My Own (No More Brothers Radio Mix) c/w Living On My Own (Julian Raymond Mix) 7" / UK Chart #1

US Singles
- I Was Born To Love You c/w Stop All The Fighting 7" / Billboard #76
- I Was Born To Love You (Extended Version) c/w Stop All The Fighting 12"
- Living On My Own (Single Mix) c/w My Love Is Dangerous 7" / Did Not Chart
- Living On My Own (US Extended Mix) c/w Living On My Own (Single Mix) 12" / Did Not Chart

Album Info

Freddie Mercury's first solo album, Mr. Bad Guy, came as a result of his desire to express himself outside the band and maybe, more importantly, to increase his bank account balance. Queen manager Jim Beach negotiated a solo deal for Freddie with CBS, who were awash with money after the success of Michael Jackson's Thriller. Freddie's advance was significantly more than Queen's, which caused some dissention in the band. The album, which was originally going to be called Made In Heaven, was released by CBS on April 29, 1985 in the UK. It was a modest success, reaching #6 and going gold. In the US, Columbia released the album on May 7, 1985, charting at an abysmal #159 and leaving the charts after only 7 weeks. At least two songs began life as Queen tracks, There Must Be More To Life Than This was attempted by the band for both Hot Space and The Works and Man Made Paradise also didn't make the cut for The Works.

Four singles were released to support the album, all of which feature extended versions on their respective 12" vinyl discs. I Was Born To Love You, paired with the non-album track Stop All The Fighting, was the lead single, released on April 7, 1985 in the UK and barely missed the top ten there; it settled at #11 while reaching #76 stateside. A single remix of Made In Heaven, paired with the non-album track She Blows Hot And Cold, followed in July and barely made a dent on the charts, reaching #57. On September 2, 1985, a single mix of Living On My Own was the next UK single, and fared slightly better, reaching #50. The single was also released in the US on 7" and 12" (which features a unique extended mix) but didn't chart. The final single, Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow, was released in November, but also failed to find an audience, only reaching #76.

After Freddie's death, Jim Beach, still Queen's manager and now the executor of Freddie's estate, approached EMI about remixing and re-releasing Living On My Own as a single. EMI passed on the project, so Jim Beach released it independently on the No More Brothers label. Living On My Own (Radio Mix) subsequently gained popularity in the clubs of Europe. As a result, EMI had a change of heart, releasing it all over Europe in 1993. This time, the song was a hit, reaching #1 on the UK charts, staying in the top spot for two weeks. This remains the only Queen solo song to top the charts.

Queen's final album, aptly titled Made In Heaven, was released in November 1995, reaching #1 all around the world (including the UK) and became their highest selling studio album. Tracks for the album were culled from various sources and sessions, including two songs from Mr. Bad Guy (Made In Heaven and I Was Born To Love You) which were reworked by the band.

Mr. Bad Guy was re-released in November 2000 as part of the 10 CD/2CD boxset The Solo Collection and its 3 CD counterpart, Solo, which reached #13 in the UK. In October 2019, a Special Edition of the album was released featuring a new contemporary mix. The 80s production was abandoned, minimalizing reverb and synthesizers; instead, this new mix highlighted Freddie's natural voice and the backing instrumentation. Bass parts on the Special Edition for Made In Heaven, Foolin' Around, Your Kind Of Lover, Man Made Paradise, My Love Is Dangerous and Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow were re-recorded by Queen + Adam Lambert touring bassist Neil Fairclough.

Let's Turn It On

Let's Turn It On (Album Version) 3:39
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy, Track 1

Let's Turn It On (2019 Special Edition Mix) 3:42
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) CD, Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) vinyl, Never Boring Box Set


Let's Turn It On (Extended Version) 5:08
Appears on: UK Mr. Bad Guy CD, UK Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow 12" vinyl, The Solo Collection

An extended version of Let's Turn It On was released as a B-Side to the 12" vinyl single of "Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow". Lots of synthesizer instrumental bits have been added, but in the end nothing much new has been added. Some neat effects were added here and there though (with some abrupt edits and odd ending).

Let's Turn It On (A Capella) 3:04
Appears on: The Solo Collection, Lover Of Life Singer Of Songs (Limited Edition)

This a capella mix is Freddie's lead vocal taken from the album version. Throughout the track you can hear some audio being leaked from Freddie's headphones while recording his vocals. The vocals were edited close together to compensate for long instrumental portions of the song.

Let's Turn It On (Jeff Lord-Alge Mix) 3:45
Appears on: US The Great Pretender CD, The Freddie Mercury Album, The Solo Collection

Jeff Lord-Alge is an engineer and producer best known for his work with Steve Winwood and Santana. He was commisioned to remix Let's Turn It On for the 1992 compilation releases The Freddie Mercury Album (UK) and The Great Pretender (US). This remix features a whole new synthesized backing track that sounds like something from Jock Jams. There are some new guitar bits which do work quite well though.

Made In Heaven

Made In Heaven (Album Version) 4:02
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy, Track 2


Made In Heaven (2019 Special Edition Mix) 4:06
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) CD, Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) vinyl, Never Boring CD, Never Boring vinyl, Never Boring Box Set


Made In Heaven (7" Remix) 4:07
Appears on: UK Made In Heaven 7" vinyl, UK Made In Heaven 7" picture disc, UK Made In Heaven 12" vinyl, Messenger Of The Gods - The Singles

Made In Heaven was released in the UK on July 1, 1985 as the second single from the Mr. Bad Guy album. The song was specially remixed for the release. When comparing this to the album version, not a whole lot has changed from the original mix. There are subtle differences though. The synthesizer backing track is pushed to the back, which makes the vocals and piano more prominent, and the ending is also extended slightly. In the end, the song was not a hit, peaking at #57 in the UK.

Made In Heaven (Extended Remix) 4:50
Appears on: UK Made In Heaven 12" vinyl, The Solo Collection, Lover Of Life Singer Of Songs (Limited Edition)

Also referred to on The Solo Collection as the Extended Version. This mix has an excellent, haunting vocal chorus opening by Freddie that adds a lot to the overall song. There are long instrumental piano bits too that seem to really make the song fuller. The ending is also changed with Freddie ending the song with an echoing "written in the stars..." This version is actually better than the album version and almost as good as the Queen version. Highly worth checking out.

Made In Heaven (Video Version) 4:17
Appears on: The Solo Collection, Lover Of Life, Singer Of Songs DVD

The video version is the single remix with some added sound effects for the purpose of the video. The opening has some light instrumental sounds and the end has audience clapping effects.

Made In Heaven (Instrumental Version) 4:17
Appears on: The Solo Collection

A slightly longer instrumental version of the album track. This works very well on its own without vocals and has enough to keep the listener interested.

Made In Heaven (Alternative Version) 4:27
Appears on: The Solo Collection

An early demo of the track recorded May 31, 1984. There are some notable vocal parts that aren't finished or fully fleshed out yet and some interesting lyric differences. Even though this version is early and not complete, it is still quite good and you can see the direction it is headed.

I Was Born To Love You

I Was Born To Love You (Album Version) 3:36
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy, Track 3


I Was Born To Love You (2019 Special Edition Mix) 3:39
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) CD, Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) vinyl, Never Boring CD, Never Boring vinyl, Never Boring Box Set


I Was Born To Love You (Extended Version) 7:05
Appears on: UK Mr. Bad Guy CD, UK I Was Born To Love You 12" vinyl, US I Was Born To Love You 12" promo vinyl, The Solo Collection, Lover Of Life Singer Of Songs (Limited Edition)

I Was Born To Love You was released in the UK on April 9, 1985 as the lead single to the Mr. Bad Guy album. The 12" vinyl featured an extended version of the song, almost doubling the length of the track. Like most extended versions from the '80s, this is a reworking of the album version to great effect. There are nice long instrumental sections highlighting parts of the backing tracks you may not have picked up before in the original because they get buried in the mix. The song was a minor success, reading #11 on the UK charts.

I Was Born To Love You (Vocal & Piano Version) 2:58
Appears on: The Solo Collection, UK 2011 Made In Heaven Deluxe CD

This is simply Freddie's vocal and piano tracks from the album version, with a few bits cut out where there was no piano and no vocal (the finale section with all the synths). The song actually suffers a lot from the lack of the full backing. A full instrumental version might have been a more interesting inclusion to the boxed set.

I Was Born To Love You (George Demure Almost Vocal Mix) 4:02
Appears on: Lover Of Life Singer Of Songs (Limited Edition)

The name of the mix almost sums it up: there are almost no vocals in this mix, which makes this version just an odd electronica backing track with the barest echo of Freddie saying "born" over and over.

I Was Born To Love You (Demo) 1:41
Appears on: Unreleased

Fragments of the song, seemingly as Freddie was composing it, this track sounds more like it was cut from one or more rehearsals or demos. It is a curiosity, to be sure, but a bit muddy sounding and lacking anything really unheard in the final album version.

Foolin' Around

Foolin' Around (Album Version) 3:26
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy, Track 4


Foolin' Around (2019 Special Edition Mix) 3:29
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) CD, Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) vinyl, Never Boring Box Set


Foolin' Around (Teachers Soundtrack Mix) 3:41
Appears on: Teachers Soundtrack

At first glance, there appears to be no difference between this and the standard version of the song. However, this version, which was released on the soundtrack album for the film Teachers a year before Mr. Bad Guy came out, has one small difference: an extra 10 seconds of improvised lyrics and jangly guitar near at the end. According to The Solo Collection boxed set, this was slated for a single release to promote the film (a few other songs from the soundtrack were issued as singles at the time), but the single never happened.

Foolin' Around (Original 12" Mix) 5:37
Appears on: The Solo Collection

When this song was proposed for a single release to accompany the Teachers soundtrack, two alternative mixes were commissioned: this 12" Mix and the Instrumental (see below). Sadly, the single was never issued and these two versions didn't see the light of day until The Solo Collection boxed set. Based on the Teachers version, this mix has some great extended instrumental sections and some reworking here and there, resulting in a solid remix. Highly recommended.

Foolin' Around (Instrumental Version) 3:40
Appears on: The Solo Collection

A straight-forward instrumental version, with some of the backing vocals retained to excellent effect. This was likely going to be the b-side to the unreleased single (the same way the "Time" and "The Golden Boy" instrumentals backed their respective singles), but since it was never issued, we'll never know. As with the 12" Mix, this is based on the Teachers version, rather than the album version.

Foolin' Around (Early Version) 4:14
Appears on: The Solo Collection, Lover Of Life Singer Of Songs (Limited Edition)

A work-in-progress demo recorded May 31, 1984 with some different, early lyrics and simpler backing track. Still very nice and not far from how the song would end up. Freddie sounds as enthusiastic here as he does on the finished version.

Foolin' Around (Steve Brown Mix) 3:35
Appears on: US The Great Pretender CD, The Freddie Mercury Album, The Solo Collection, Lover Of Life Singer Of Songs, Lover Of Life Singer Of Songs (Limited Edition)

An excellent and very listenable remix. It retains the light and airy feel of the original and some of the original backing, as well as adding some nice piano and beefier drums. Incidentally, this remix retains the missing bits found in the Teachers Soundtrack Version, but fades out a little earlier.

Your Kind Of Lover

Your Kind Of Lover (Album Version) 3:31
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy, Track 5


Your Kind Of Lover (2019 Special Edition Mix) 3:34
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) CD, Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) vinyl, Never Boring Box Set


Your Kind Of Lover (Vocal & Piano Version) 3:38
Appears on: The Solo Collection, Lover Of Life Singer Of Songs (Limited Edition)

Stripped of the rest of the backing, this version retains only Freddie's vocal and piano (and some drum fills), and is still pretty listenable. You can hear the rest of the backing very faintly sometimes because it was coming out of Freddie's headset and was getting picked up by his vocal mic.

Your Kind Of Lover (Early Version) 4:47
Appears on: The Solo Collection

This is fun demo, with multi-layered Freddie vocals, so he sounds as if he's singing with himself (similar to Queen's "Stealin'" demo). The lyrics are incomplete, but that doesn't stop either Freddie doing some improvised scat here and there. This is easily a highlight on The Solo Collection boxed set.

Your Kind Of Lover (Steve Brown Mix) 3:59
Appears on: US The Great Pretender CD, The Freddie Mercury Album, The Solo Collection

Freddie's vocals and piano are backed here with a new '90s dance track and the result is not terribly inspiring. The dead stop before the second verse doesn't help either. Not the worst of the '90s remixes, but far from the best. Stick with the original.

Mr. Bad Guy

Mr. Bad Guy (Album Version) 4:10
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy, Track 6


Mr. Bad Guy (2019 Special Edition Mix) 4:10
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) CD, Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) vinyl, Never Boring Box Set


Mr. Bad Guy (Argentina 7" Promo Edit) 3:19
Appears on: Argentina I Was Born To Love You 7" vinyl promo

This edit appears on the Argentina promo release of I Was Born To Love You. The track fades out at Freddie's final vocals at the end of the track, leaving the instrumental ending cut.

Mr. Bad Guy (Instrumental Version) 4:14
Appears on: The Solo Collection

A clean-cut instrumental mix with no vocals. This holds up very well one its own.

Mr. Bad Guy (Early Version) 3:29
Appears on: The Solo Collection

Recorded in May 1984, this early version has synthesizers filling in for the orchestra and almost completely different lyrics.

Mr. Bad Guy (Bad Circulation Version) 3:26
Appears on: Lover Of Life Singer Of Songs (Limited Edition)

Also recorded in May 1984, the Bad Circulation Version sounds like the same temporary backing track as the Early Version, but the lyrics are getting closer to the finished product. There are still some new and different lines, indicating a fair amount of rewrites happened before the song was done.

Mr. Bad Guy (Orchestra Out-takes) 0:35
Appears on: The Solo Collection

This is a short snippet of what sounds like the orchestra practicing the opening bit, apparently from a tape recording made during the Mr. Bad Guy sessions. Not something you need to listen to more than once, but in context of the boxed set, it earns its place.

Mr. Bad Guy (US Brian Malouf Mix) 4:01
Appears on: US The Great Pretender CD, The Solo Collection

A rock remix, which sees the orchestral backing lessened in favor of new heavy guitars and drums. Malouf knows how to make a good remix, that's for sure (all his Queen-related remixes are worth seeking out). This is definitely a keeper.

Mr. Bad Guy (UK Brian Malouf Mix) 3:55
Appears on: The Freddie Mercury Album

Almost the same as the US mix, retaining more of the orchestra, but is still pretty rockin'. You can't go wrong with either mix, honestly. Curiously, this one fades out at the end, where the US mix has a definite ending.

Man Made Paradise

Man Made Paradise (Album Version) 4:07
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy, Track 7

Man Made Paradise (2019 Special Edition Mix) 4:09
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) CD, Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) vinyl, Never Boring Box Set


Man Made Paradise (Freddie Mercury Solo Demo)
Appears on: Unreleased

Man Made Paradise was the only track from the Mr. Bad Guy album not to appear in demo form on The Solo Collection. The reasoning is that the song started out as a Queen track and solo/band demos were very similar. A Queen Anthology box set was planned at the time and the Queen version of this song was most likely to be included. A small snippet of a Man Made Paradise demo does appear on The Untold Story documentary.

There Must Be More To Life Than This

There Must Be More To Life Than This (Album Version) 2:56
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy, Track 8


There Must Be More To Life Than This (2019 Special Edition Mix) 3:01
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) CD, Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) vinyl, Never Boring Box Set


There Must Be More To Life Than This (Instrumental Version) 3:08
Appears on: The Solo Collection

A beautiful instrumental track, this mix retains all the power of the album version, even without vocals.

There Must Be More To Life Than This (Piano Out-takes) 2:48
Appears on: The Solo Collection

Recorded on May 25, 1984, these out-takes feature Freddie practicing the opening eight bars over and over again until he gets it just right. It is amusing to hear him get frustrated and bang around on the keys, and then telling the engineer he's going to try it again. This is interesting for fans who like to hear a bit of what songwriting is like in the studio, but like most demos, this isn't something to listen to repeatedly.

There Must Be More To Life Than This (Demo with Michael Jackson) 2:04
Appears on: Unreleased

In 1983, Freddie visited Michael Jackson at his home in Encino, California and recorded three tracks with him in his home studio. One of the tracks was There Must Be More To Life Than This. Freddie had previously worked on the song with Queen during the Hot Space sessions and decided to try a version with Michael during this visit. A very rough demo cassette of this performance was owned by Freddie's personal assistant Peter Freestone which has since leaked to the public. In this take, Michael sings all the vocals to Freddie's piano backing. You hear Freddie prompt Michael to ad-lib at one point. Multi-tracks from this session were later used to make a full Queen + Michael Jackson version of the song.

Living On My Own

Living On My Own (Album Version) 3:21
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy, Track 9


Living On My Own (2019 Special Edition Mix) 3:23
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) CD, Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) vinyl, Never Boring Box Set

Living On My Own (Single Mix) 3:03
Appears on: UK Living On My Own 7" vinyl, US Living On My Own 12" vinyl, Japan Made In Heaven 7" vinyl, Messenger Of The Gods - The Singles

Living On My Own was the third single released in support of the Mr. Bad Guy album. The UK 7" and the US 12" both feature a Single Mix of the track. This mix is the same as the album version up to 2:56 (with Freddie going "yeeow"). The last 7 seconds or so of the album version are tacked on after that. Also of note, the original 1985 video uses the audio from the Single Mix. The single, which was released September 2, 1985, only managed to chart at #50 on the UK chart.

Living On My Own (Single Mix - 2019 Special Edition Mix) 3:03
Appears on: Never Boring Box Set

The Never Boring compilation box set featured a DVD and Blu-Ray disc of remastered high-resolution videos. The newly restored Living On My Own video uses a new audio mix. The 2019 Special Edition Mix is edited down to mimic the original 1985 Single Mix.

Living On My Own (Extended Version) 6:39
Appears on: The Solo Collection, UK Living On My Own 12" vinyl, UK Mr. Bad Guy CD

Released in the UK, this Extended Version stays true to the original, building off the original as most of the '80s remixes did. It retains the fun and bounciness of the album version while drawing out instrumental sections and reworking the whole thing. Very good overall.

Living On My Own (US Extended Mix) 6:36
Appears on: US Living On My Own 12" vinyl

Released in the US and Brazil in 1985, this Extended Version rebuilds the song very differently than its UK counterpart, but with just as much skill. It is a shame it was left off The Solo Collection boxed set. This is worth hunting down and vastly superior to most of the later '90s remixes.

Living On My Own (Hybrid Edit: Early/Later Versions) 4:29
Appears on: The Solo Collection

Recorded in April and May 1984, this edit consists of incomplete works-in-progress versions mixed together to make a full track. The early segment has some interesting different lyrics and the later version sounds suspiciously like the final album version. Near the end, some vocals come in whose only other appearance is on the Underground Solutions Mix. Not bad, but certainly patchy and downright manic around the three-minute mark.

Living On My Own (No More Brothers Radio Mix) 3:38
Appears on: 1993 Living On My Own 7" vinyl, 1993 Living On My Own 12" vinyl, 1993 Living On My Own CD single, The Solo Collection, Solo, Messenger Of The Gods - The Singles, Never Boring CD, Never Boring vinyl, Never Boring Box Set

In 1992, Queen Manager Jim Beach brought the idea of releasing a remixed version of Living On My Own to EMI. EMI rejected the proposal, saying that the Mr. Bad Guy album didn't work. Jim decided to go forward with the concept and release it independently. A new radio mix rearranged, produced and recorded by Serge Ramaekers, Colin Peter, and Carl Ward for No More Brothers productions in Antwerp. The new version became such a dance hit that EMI reconsidered their position and released it under their label as a single. Two years after Freddie's death, this remix reached the top the UK charts. It remains the only solo #1 hit by a member of Queen. Of all the Living On My Own remixes, this one is easily the best of the '90s remixes of this song. Moody and atmospheric throughout, this remix balances its own new production with the fun of the original, without overdoing it. Some second pressings (dating from 1993) of The Great Pretender album in the US replaced the Raymond Mix with this version; probably by mistake, as the liner notes say it is the Raymond Mix. This has been corrected on later pressings.

Living On My Own (No More Brothers Extended Mix) 5:16
Appears on: 1993 Living On My Own 12" vinyl, 1993 Living On My Own CD single, Remixes CD, The Solo Collection, Lover Of Life Singer Of Songs (Limited Edition)

This is an extended version of Radio Mix, adding some longer instrumental breaks and repeated choruses.

Living On My Own (Club Mix) 4:27
Appears on: 1993 Living On My Own 12" vinyl, 1993 Living On My Own CD single, The Solo Collection

The Club Mix of Living On My Own is the third No More Brothers remix of track. This mix deviates quite a bit from the Radio and Extended mixes. The track opens with over a minute of synth dance back beat and finger snaps. Electric steel drums repeat throughout the backing track. This mix is not as successful as the Radio Mix.

Living On My Own (Dub Mix) 5:10
Appears on: 1993 Living On My Own 12" vinyl

The Dub Mix of Living On My Own is the fourth and final remix of the song by No More Brothers. A reworking of the Radio Mix, this version starts a bit abruptly, but otherwise is a good remix, breaking down the production in places to keep it from sounding too much like the Extended Mix. A nice alternative, but hard to come by as it is only on 12" single.

Living On My Own (Julian Raymond Album Mix) 3:39
Appears on: US The Great Pretender CD, The Freddie Mercury Album, Greatest Hits III, The Solo Collection, Messenger Of The Gods - The Singles

Julian Raymond's "Album Mix" of Living On My Own was commissioned for inclusion on The Freddie Mercury Album and The Great Pretender compilation CDs. Not a bad effort, with some good, new piano added, which keeps this remix from drifting too far into dance club territory. This mix was later included on Queen's Greatest Hits III.

Living On My Own (Techno Mix) 3:48
Appears on: US The Great Pretender CD

The Techno Mix is another version of Living On My Own remixed by Julian Raymond. The track opens with synthesized strings that wouldn't sound out of place in a Looney Tunes cartoon. The mix continues with a hard dance beat and some programmed keyboards around the middle of the song. This mix first appeared as an unlisted bonus track on the third pressings of The Great Pretender album in the US. Current pressings list it, so it is not hard to find.

Living On My Own (L.A. Mix) 3:40
Appears on: 1993 Living On My Own 12" vinyl, 1993 German Living On My Own CD single

The L.A. Mix is the final Living On My Own remix by Julian Raymond. This remix is similar to the Techno Mix, featuring the same synth string opening proceeded by a police siren. The dance beat is the same at the beginning and from there the backing track deviates a bit.

Living On My Own (Underground Solutions Mix) a.k.a. Roger S Mix 5:45
Appears on: UK In My Defence (Part 2), Remixes CD, The Solo Collection

The Underground Soluations Mix was remixed by Roger S for Indeep Productions and included on the second In My Defence CD single in November 1992. This is another dance remix of the song, but differs quite a bit from other versions. The backing track is less heavy beat oriented, instead it has a lighter programmed back beat.

Living On My Own (The Egg Remix) 5:37
Appears on: Lover Of Life Singer Of Songs (Limited Edition), UK Living On My Own CD promo single (2006)

The Egg is a British electronic dance music band who were commissioned to remix Living On My Own for the Lover Of Life, Singer Of Songs collection in 2006. This remix, if nothing else, is different than the other 90s dance remixes. The remix is a bit more "spacey" with swooshing synthesizer effects and a simple drum track, which gives the whole thing a trance mix feel.

Living On My Own (Egg Extended Disco Dub) 7:15
Appears on: UK Living On My Own Egg Extended Disco Dub 12" promo vinyl

The Egg Extended Disco Dub appears on a 1 sided, 1 track UK 12" promo vinyl. This title explains it all, it is an extended version of The Egg Remix. While The Egg Remix was a decent mix, this goes on way too long; there are too many repeating/looping instrumental pieces to really keep one's interest.

My Love Is Dangerous

My Love Is Dangerous (Album Version) 3:38
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy, Track 10


My Love Is Dangerous (2019 Special Edition Mix) 3:43
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) CD, Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) vinyl, Never Boring Box Set


My Love Is Dangerous (Extended Version) 6:29
Appears on: UK Living On My Own 12" vinyl, The Solo Collection, Lover Of Life Singer Of Songs (Limited Edition)

An extended version of My Love Is Dangerous was used as the B-Side to the Living On My Own 12" single. This is an effective extended version that doesn't try to do too much. The song simply builds, taking its cue from the progression established in the original, just drawing it out more and letting each new piece be introduced.

My Love Is Dangerous (Early Version) 2:12
Appears on: The Solo Collection

Recorded May 29, 1984 this early version is a demo of the first half of the song. It is more or less how it would end up in the finished product with some slightly different lyrics and early enough that Freddie hadn't put in the tempo change yet. As a result, there's nowhere for the song to go at the end.

My Love Is Dangerous (Jeff Lord-Alge Mix) 3:40
Appears on: Remixes CD, US The Great Pretender CD, The Solo Collection

A full-on rock remix, and a good one at that. If you thought the original was too laid back, this version will wake you up. With all new backing and even a female vocalist counter-pointing Freddie's vocals, this remix is one of the better ones on The Great Pretender.

Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow

Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow (Album Version) 3:34
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy, Track 11


Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow (2019 Special Edition Mix) 3:45
Appears on: Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) CD, Mr. Bad Guy (Special Edition) vinyl, Never Boring CD, Never Boring vinyl, Never Boring Box Set, UK/US Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow RSD 7" pink vinyl

Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow (Extended Version) 5:32
Appears on: UK Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow 12" vinyl, The Solo Collection

Released on November 18, 1985, Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow was the final single released from the Mr. Bad Guy album. The 12" vinyl featured an extended version which added almost 2 minutes to the track time. Much of the remixing is at the beginning and end of the song, which saves this extended version from being to too much of a good thing. Par for '80s extended mixes, the backing track gets a chance to shine a bit brighter in places than it does on the album version and it runs just as long as it needs to. The single, however, was not a success, peaking at #76 in the UK.

Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow (Instrumental Version) 4:03
Appears on: The Solo Collection

An added ethereal intro, similar to the Extended Version, gives this instrumental a nicer beginning than it would have had without (listen to how the music comes in on the album version to see what I mean). Otherwise, it's the full instrumental backing track and it is still very powerful.

Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow (2019 Special Edition Instrumental Mix) 3:45
Appears on: UK/US Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow RSD 7" pink vinyl

Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow was released as a Record Store Day 7" pink vinyl in July 2021. The A-Side is the Special Edition mix which was featured on both the Never Boring compilation and Mr. Bad Guy special edition. The B-Side is an instrumental mix of the special edition version of the song; exclusive to this 7" release.

Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow (Early Version) 2:18
Appears on: The Solo Collection

Recorded May 29, 1984, this is almost a different song in many places (except the chorus, really) and a far cry from the end result. Worth listening to for the different lyrics and to see how much a song can change in its development, this version seems to show the first stage of the song's evolution.

Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow (2nd Early Version) 1:03
Appears on: The Solo Collection

Recorded July 1, 1984, the 2nd Early Version is another step in the growth of the song. This is different enough from the final product to keep your attention, but it's getting more familiar. Beware the sudden stop, though.

Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow (3rd Early Version) 3:26
Appears on: The Solo Collection

Recorded January 1985, the 3rd Early Version see the song start to take it's final shape. The song is recognizable, even with the slightly different lyrics. Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow (Live Take) 4:22
Appears on: The Solo Collection

Recorded in June 1984, this like take is Freddie and his session band practicing the backing track and getting it pretty close to the finished version. They finish with a brief double-tempo reprise, which is unexpected and shows them having fun in the studio.

Stop All The Fighting

Stop All The Fighting 3:19
Appears on: UK I Was Born To Love You 7" vinyl, UK I Was Born To Love You double 7" vinyl, UK I Was Born To Love You 12" vinyl, The Solo Collection, UK 1993 The Great Pretender CD single, UK 1993 The Great Pretender 7" vinyl, Messenger Of The Gods - The Singles

A non-album b-side from the Mr. Bad Guy sessions, this track is not terribly hard to find as it has appeared on more than a few re-issued singles. It starts with some old rag-time music before the modern drums and synthesizers kick in. Not as strong as the album tracks, but still pretty good and worth having.

Stop All The Fighting (Extended Version) 6:37
Appears on: UK I Was Born To Love You double 7" vinyl, The Solo Collection

One of many great things about Queen and their solo catalogue is that even non-album b-side tracks are worthy of getting the Extended Version treatment. Nothing really new here, but if you like the original version, you should enjoy this one. There are some frenetic and fun changes in the middle, to keep your attention, and the end result is a respectable entry in the list of '80s extended mixes.

She Blows Hot And Cold

She Blows Hot And Cold 3:29
Appears on: UK Made In Heaven 7" vinyl, Messenger Of The Gods - The Singles

Another non-album b-side, this track starts with some studio chatter from Freddie before launching into a rough and tumble, piano driven number that's nothing but fun. As good as it is, this is in a slightly different league than the tracks which ended up on the album. For one thing, there are no synthesizers, which is good because the track doesn't really age. Well worth finding this track.

She Blows Hot And Cold (Re-release) 3:26
Appears on: UK In My Defence CD single (Part One), The Solo Collection

For reasons known only to record companies, things like this happen: a track gets edited slightly and they think fans won't notice. The opening chatter, piano notes, and drum beats gets the ax here, which doesn't really affect the song, but takes away some of the sense of spontaneity. Worse still, this is the version which ends up on all subsequent releases, including The Solo Collection boxed set.

She Blows Hot And Cold (Extended Version) 5:50
Appears on: UK Made In Heaven 12" vinyl, The Solo Collection

A solid extended version, keeping the pace set by the regular version. Though it doesn't cover any new ground; it is still six minutes of fun.

She Blows Hot And Cold (Alternative Version featuring Brian May) 4:36
Appears on: The Solo Collection

This is actually the original version recorded by Freddie, with Brian on guitar. Because Freddie didn't want the other members to appear on the album, he asked Brian to do the guitar track with the intention of getting the session guitarist to redo it more or less the same way Brian did it. So the finished version has the session guitarist Paul Vincent copying this performance by Brian. The drums and piano aren't as punchy as the finished version, but this is still a must for Queen fans as Freddie and Brian seem to be having a lot of fun.

She Blows Hot And Cold (2019 Never Boring Mix) 3:25
Appears on: Never Boring CD, Never Boring vinyl, Never Boring Box Set

Gazelle

Gazelle (Demo) 1:20
Appears on: The Solo Collection

Recorded on April 19, 1984, this demo was recorded early in the Mr. Bad Guy sessions. Gazelle sees Freddie trying out ideas for a song that didn't end up past this demo. Short and sweet, with a good backing track that is entirely percussion layers and bass. Freddie is in fine voice, too, on a very nice track.

Money Can't Buy Happiness

Money Can't Buy Happiness (Demo) 2:37
Appears on: The Solo Collection

Recorded on February 10, 1984 in Musicland Studios, Money Can't Buy Happiness is a good little track recorded as a demo for the Mr. Bad Guy album. The song sounds a bit like "Foolin' Around". With a bit more work, this probably could have been finished and maybe ended up as an album track.

Love Makin' Love

Love Makin' Love (Demo) 3:35
Appears on: The Solo Collection, Lover Of Life Singer Of Songs (Limited Edition)

Recorded December 9, 1984, Love Makin' Love is another nearly finished demo track, this time from late in the Mr. Bad Guy sessions.

God Is Heavy

God Is Heavy (Demo) 1:22
Appears on: The Solo Collection

Recorded in January 1984, this is one of the earliest demos from Mr. Bad Guy. It is fairly sparse, with a basic electronic percussion track and Freddie on piano. No real lyrics to speak of and Freddie seems to have a cold during the recording.

New York

New York (Demo) 2:12
Appears on: The Solo Collection

Recorded on July 6, 1984, New York progressed a little further before being abandoned near the end of the Mr. Bad Guy sessions. Freddie spent a lot of time in New York City in the mid-1980s, so this is his serenade, in a light, finger snapping ditty.

New York (Demo - Early Take) 2:31
Appears on: Unreleased

Munich in 1983 was a busy period for the band. Queen progressed on their album The Works and simultaneously Freddie was working on tracks for his first solo album Mr. Bad Guy. Quite a few songs, such as Man Made Paradise and There Must Be More To Life Than This, could have ended up on either project; both Queen and Freddie solo takes exist. A cassette tape, originating from Freddie's personal assistant Peter Freestone has since been leaked amongst the trading community with six songs from this time period in Munich (New York, two versions of Keep Passing The Open Windows, Coming On Far Too Strong, an instrumental of the aforementioned track, and Sorry / You Are The Only One). This early take is simply Freddie on piano, ad-libbing the vocal line with no real lyrics.