What was the VERY FIRST Queen CD?

Thank you Walter. Great and useful info, as always. Much appreciated.

How do you know this stuff? Is the CD area of Queen something you specialise in??? Have you done specific research into this?

By the way... are you coming to the UK convention in march???

Hi Greg,

You're welcome. I have made lists with cataloguenumbers and releasedates from most releases from around the world. Not only cds, but also vinyls.

I've just read this...

As far as I know, the first QUEEN CD album is GREATEST HITS by Nippon Elektra (32XD-329 / 5E-564-2), released in Japan and for the USA in November 1982, and before the "target" CDs.

*** The above is nonsense! Please red further posts from me. Sorry for any inconvenience ***

The first proper QUEEN CD single would be the Seven Seas Of Rhye UK CD3, released in November 1988 by Parlophone/EMI Records (20 3005 3 UK: QUECD1). The first QUEEN CD5 is the UK promo for I Want It All, also by Parlophone/EMI Records (CDPROMOQU 1). But the first QUEEN CD single would be the I Want To Break Free promo CD-video (video portion only playable on PAL LaserDisc players) released in late 1984/early 1985.

I think the first Queen CD on Earth was NOTW Elektra Target CD: http://s019.radikal.ru/i608/1401/1f/25473d02f8a0.jpg

It has the earliest catalog number in 3-digits format (112-2) and even in 5-digits format (00112-2).

'The Game' has 513-2 in 3-digit format and 64513-2 in 5-digits. It's very possible that 64- prefix were added sometime later after NOTW release with 00- prefix.


BTW, http://www.targetcd.com/

The NEWS OF THE WORLD CD by Elektra takes its catalogue number from the vinyl. Its back sleeve mentions Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Under Pressure. I think this could suggest that this CD came third, after GREATEST HITS and THE GAME.

Anyway, it has to be an Elektra/Asylum release. By the way, QUEEN switched from Elektra/Asylum Records to Capitol Records in late 1983. Brian May's STAR FLEET PROJECT was the first QUEEN-related release to see the light under the new agreement with Capitol for the former Elektra/Asylum territories in late 1983. Of course, that wouldn't matter too much for the USA back catalogue, which was renegotiated in late 1990 for Hollywood Records.

[QUOTE] [b]Wilki Amieva wrote:[/b]

I've just read this...

As far as I know, the first QUEEN CD album is GREATEST HITS by Nippon Elektra (32XD-329 / 5E-564-2), released in Japan and for the USA in November 1982, and before the "target" CDs.

The first proper QUEEN CD single would be the Seven Seas Of Rhye UK CD3 for I Want It All, released in November 1988 by Parlophone/EMI Records (20 3005 3 UK: QUECD1). The first QUEEN CD5 is the UK promo for I Want It All, also by Parlophone/EMI Records (CDPROMOQU 1). But the first QUEEN CD single would be the I Want To Break Free promo CD-video (video portion only playable on PAL LaserDisc players) released in late 1984/early 1985.[/QUOTE]

Hi Wilki,

First of all, I have great respect for your knowledge, but I think you're not right about the Greatest Hits album from Japan. That CD-album with cataloguenumber 32XD-329 was released in Japan November 28th, 1985. The album for the Japanese market has a red OBI-sticker.

There is also a Greatest Hits CD-album from Japan with cataloguenumber 38XP-94. This one has a golden OBI-sticker. As far as I know that album was released in Japan November/December 1984.

Thanks, Walter! My memory it's not what it used to be, so I checked my notes. For some reason I was under the impression that the "target" CDs came after the Japanese CDs. Well, I stand corrected. It helped a lot I am in the process of relocating/sorting/cleaning my CD collection...

The first QUEEN CDs were pressed by PolyGram in West Germany for Elektra/Asylum Records in the USA during 1983 (82?)-1984.
- THE GAME, catalogue number: 513-2 (64513-2), matrix number: 7559 64513-2 2893 026 01, traditional 'E' logo, barcode in back sleeve.
- NEWS OF THE WORLD, catalogue number: 112-2 (00112-2), matrix number: 7559 00112-2 2893 278 01, traditional 'E' logo, barcode and no barcode editions (for longboxes?).
- GREATEST HITS, catalogue number: 5E-564-2, matrix number: 7559 00564-2 2893 799 02, new 'sunset' logo, no barcode (longboxes with barcode exist).
The last one was also released by Elektra/Asylum Records in Japan in late 1984.
- GREATEST HITS, catalogue number: 38XP-94, matrix number: 7559 00564-2 2893 799 02 (?), new 'sunset' logo, no barcode, golden obi, no lyric sheet (date?).
These are known as "target" CDs because of the label on the surface of the CDs.

Then GREATEST HITS was also pressed by JVC in Japan for the US market and also for the internal market in late 1985, respectively:
- GREATEST HITS, catalogue number: 5E-564-2, matrix number: 564-2-U3E123, new 'sunset' logo, no barcode (longboxes with barcode exist).
- GREATEST HITS, catalogue number: 32XD-329, matrix number: 564-2-U3E (?), new 'sunset' logo, no barcode, red stickered obi and lyrics sheet, "I-11-28" date.

Elektra abandoned its traditional 'E' logo for the new 'sunset' logo in late 1983/early 1984, so perhaps it's safe to say that NEWS OF THE WORLD and THE GAME are pre-1984, while all GREATEST HITS are from 1984 and later.

Judging by the matrix numbers, it would appear that THE GAME came first, and then NEWS OF THE WORLD (whose back sleeve refers to Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Under Pressure).

I looked through all of the 1983 fanclub mags and the Autumn issue mentions that The Game is available on CD in the US. No mention of News Of The World or Greatest Hits. I imagine that the productions were limited due to them being signed to Captiol by 1984.

Good spot, Adam! I was going to check the fanzines myself later. I also have several folders with EMI-Odeon and Elektra/Asylum Records documentation that I have to go through.

So we have, in tentative order:
- THE GAME, catalogue number: 513-2 (64513-2), matrix number: 7559 64513-2 2893 026 01, traditional 'E' logo, barcode in back sleeve, manufactured by PolyGram West Germany for Elektra/Asylum Records USA before Autumn 1983.
- NEWS OF THE WORLD, catalogue number: 112-2 (00112-2), matrix number: 7559 00112-2 2893 278 01, traditional 'E' logo, barcode and no barcode editions (for longboxes?), manufactured by PolyGram West Germany for Elektra/Asylum Records USA (in late 1983?).
- GREATEST HITS, catalogue number: 5E-564-2, matrix number: 7559 00564-2 2893 799 02, new 'sunset' logo, no barcode (longboxes with barcode exist), manufactured by PolyGram West Germany for Elektra/Asylum Records USA (in late 1984?).
- GREATEST HITS, catalogue number: 38XP-94, matrix number: 7559 00564-2 2893 799 02 (?), new 'sunset' logo, no barcode, golden obi, no lyric sheet (date?), manufactured by PolyGram West Germany for Elektra/Asylum Records Japan (in late 1984?).
- GREATEST HITS, catalogue number: 5E-564-2, matrix number: 564-2-U3E123, new 'sunset' logo, no barcode (longboxes with barcode exist), manufactured by JVC Japan for Elektra/Asylum Records USA (in late 1985?).
- GREATEST HITS, catalogue number: 32XD-329, matrix number: 564-2-U3E (?), new 'sunset' logo, no barcode, red stickered obi and lyrics sheet, "I-11-28" date, manufactured by JVC Japan for Elektra/Asylum Records Japan (on November 28th 1985?).

(Of course, by 1984 we would also have some THE WORKS CDs by Capitol Records USA and EMI Records UK/Europe made in Japan, and also the first EMI UK/Europe Records' GREATEST HITS made in Japan.)

By the way, I have searched the matrix numbers in Google, and I've found there are several variations of the 'target' CDs:
http://www.thetargetcdcollection.com/2011/02/queen.html
THE GAME has at least three different runs, and that could also point to an earlier release.

Whilst the info here is far more helpful to answering the question, as an aside I have a full page ad for The Works from 'Record Mirror' magazine in the UK; whilst I don't have it in front of me right this moment, I recall it saying something like 'available on LP, XDR Cassette, and coming soon on the new CD format'

I reckon Zebonka's on the right track......

^ obviously not, but his daft comment actually got me thinking.....I once owned a boxset called "Queen Unseen" which had photos from their first photoshoot, a COA, posters and a sealed copy of "Queen", which was an original press. I'm sure it had an early 80s date, but it's so long ago I can't remember exactly what that date was. Anyone know the set, or the edition of the CD that was in there?? Cheers :)

My guess for the first "new" album to be released on a CD was A Kind of Magic, since they included the "Extra Magical Ingredients" on it...?

[QUOTE] [b]ITSM wrote:[/b]

My guess for the first "new" album to be released on a CD was A Kind of Magic, since they included the "Extra Magical Ingredients" on it...?[/QUOTE]

Fantastic guess!