Queen
Produced by: John Anthony , Roy Baker, and Queen
Recorded at: Trident Studios
UK EMI LP: 13 July 1973 EMC 3006 / UK Chart #24
USA Elektra LP: 4 September 1973 EKS-75064 / Billboard #83
Side One
1. Keep Yourself Alive (May) 3:47
2. Doing All Right (May/Staffell) 4:09
3. Great King Rat (Mercury) 5:43
4. My Fairy King (Mercury) 4:08
| |
Side Two
1. Liar (Mercury) 6:25
2. The Night Comes Down (May) 4:23
3. Modern Times Rock 'N' Roll (Taylor) 1:48
4. Son And Daughter (May) 3:20
5. Jesus (Mercury) 3:44
6. Seven Seas Of Rhye (Mercury) 1:15
|
Related Songs
Mad The Swine (Mercury), Polar Bear (May), Silver Salmon (Staffell), Hangman
Singles
UK Singles
Keep Yourself Alive c/w Son And Daughter / Did Not Chart
US Singles
Keep Yourself Alive c/w Son And Daughter / Did Not Chart
Liar c/w Doing All Right / Did Not Chart
Keep Yourself Alive c/w Lily Of The Valley / God Save The Queen / Did
Not Chart
Album Info
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.
Seven Seas Of Rhye is not the top 10 hit that appeared later on Queen II.
Rather, the version that appears on Queen is a short instrumental of the
yet-to-be-finsihed track.
...and nobody played synthesizer.
Keep Yourself Alive
Keep Yourself Alive (Album Version)
3:47
Appears on: Queen,
Track 1
Keep Yourself Alive (US Single Edit - Stereo) 3:29
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Doing All Right (Album Version)
4:09
Appears on: Queen,
Track 2
Doing All Right (BBC Session 1) 4:13
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
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
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
Great King Rat (Album Version) 5:43
Appears on: Queen,
Track 3
Great King Rat (Preliminary Mix) 5:43
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
My Fairy King (Album Version) 4:08
Appears on: Queen,
Track 4
My Fairy King (BBC Session 1) 4:09
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
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
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
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
Liar (Album Version) 6:25
Appears on: Queen,
Track 5
Liar (US Single Edit) 3:03
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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)
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
The Night Comes Down (Album Version)
4:23
Appears on: Queen,
Track 6
The Night Comes Down (De Lea Lane Demo) 4:23
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
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
Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll (Album
Version) 1:48
Appears on: Queen,
Track 7
Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll (BBC Session 3) 2:02
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
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
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
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
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
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
Son And Daughter (Album Version)
3:20
Appears on: Queen,
Track 8
Son And Daughter (Australian Censored Single Version)
3:12
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
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
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
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
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
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
Jesus (Album Version) 3:44
Appears on: Queen,
Track 9
Jesus (De Lane Lea Demo) 5:06
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
Mad The Swine
Mad The Swine 3:23
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
Silver Salmon (Take 4) 3:10
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
Polar Bear (Take 2) 4:33
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
Feelings 2:08
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
Hangman (Studio Demo)
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)
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.