Singles Box #3 now on pre-order... I'm almost tempted - ALMOST

Well let's make 4 categories :
A - I can listen to them anytime, and sometime even enjoy them
B - they're OK, but definitely not for everyday listening
C - really bad, but I am able to listen to them "in a specific mood"
D - pure garbage

A -
Liar (John Luongo / Gary Hellman remix)
Stone Cold Crazy (Michael Wagener remix)
Stone Cold Crazy (Trent Reznor remix)
I'm In Love With My Car (Mike Shipley remix)
You're My Best Friend (Matt Wallace remix)
Somebody To Love (Randy Badazz remix)
Fat Bottomed Girls (Brian Malouf remix)
Thank God It's Christmas (extended version)
I Can't Live With You (both Brian Malouf remixes)

B
Body Language (Susan Rogers remix)
Tie Your Mother Down (Matt Wallace remix)
Hammer To Fall (both Brian Malouf remixes)
Ogre Battle

C
We Will Rock You (Rick Rubin Ruined Remix 12" version)
Another One Bites The Dust (Dave Ogilvie remix)
Another One Bites The Dust (Long Dusted B-Boy Version)

D
Tie Your Mother Down (Trent Reznor remix)
We Will Rock You (any other Rick Rubim remix)
We Are The Champions (Rick Rubin remix)
Bicycle Race (Junior Vasquez Remix)
Dragon Attack (RAK / Jack Benson remix)
Dragon's Return (is this even official ? )
Flash's Theme (Mista Lawnge remix)
Seven Seas Of Rhye (Freddy Bastone remix)

No people's lists are going to be the same, but all in all, I'm glad HR put the effort into trying new things, even if some remixes aren't great. Doing *something* (even with mixed results) is better than doing nothing (with no results)!

I always saw the HR Version of "Thank God It's Christmas" as a mastering or mixing mistake, rather than a deliberate effort to release an alternate version. I agree, the added percussion is an improvement and that's the version I'll listen to at Christmas, given the choice.

Definitely. It's great that they wanted to add some extra tracks but for most albums adding the single cuts or non-album tracks would be enough :-)

cmsdrums, re:

>>I suppose this goes to show that even back in 1986,

And you can take it even further back - 1984 when every track from The Works was released as either an A or B side, meaning that you, potentially had the album on LP, Cassette and then twice more as tracks on 7 & 12"

Genius marketing.

pittrek wrote: Definitely. It's great that they wanted to add some extra tracks but for most albums adding the single cuts or non-album tracks would be enough :-)
+++++++++++++++

Yes, there were several non-album tracks and single versions which could have been harvested. If they'd decided to use the existing material, like RykoDisc did with Bowie's catalogue (those were GREAT releases), here's what I would have liked to see:

Queen
+ Mad The Swine
+ KYA Long Lost Re-take
+ The Night Comes Down (RTB Version)
+ Polar Bear (Demo)

Queen II
+ See What A Fool I've Been (B-side)
+ Modern Times Rock And Roll (BBC Session #4)
+ White Queen (BBC Session # 4)
+ Nevermore (BBC Session #4)

Sheer Heart Attack
+ Tenement Funster (UK CD3 Single Version)*
+ Flick Of The Wrist (Dutch Single Version)*
+ Lily Of The Valley (US Single Version)*
+ Stone Cold Crazy (TR)

* These are the full stand-alone versions. Or the BBC Versions would have been nice too, that whole session (#5).

A Night At The Opera
+ I'm In Love With My Car (UK Single Version)
+ Bohemian Rhapsody (French Promo Edit)
+ God Save The Queen (US Single Version)
+ We Are The Champions (Demo...if such a demo exists)

A Day At The Races
+ Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy (TOTP Version)
+ Any period demos

News Of The World
+ Feeling Feelings
+ It's Late (US Edit)
+ 6th BBC Session 

Jazz
+Again, any demos kicking around

The Game
+ A Human Body
+It's A Beautiful Day (Demo)
+ Play the Game (Andy Gibb Version...if it exists)

Flash Gordon
+ The complete soundtrack without the music dialogue and effects

Hot Space
+ Soul Brother
+ Cool Cat (with David Bowie)

The Works
+ I Go Crazy
+ Radio Ga Ga (Instrumental)
+ Machines (Instumental)

A Kind Of Magic
+ Forever
+ A Dozen Red Roses For My Darling
+ Blurred Vision

The Miracle
+ Hang On In There
+ Chinese Torture
+ Stealin'
+ My Life Has Been Saved
+ Hijack My Heart

And if HR was feeling really awesome, put out a 2 CD set of remastered 12"/Extended Versions:

Disc 1
Back Chat
Staying Power
Radio Ga Ga
I Want To Break Free
It's A Hard Life
Hammer To Fall
Man On The Prowl
Keep Passing The Open Windows
One Vision

Disc 2
Pain Is So Close Pleasure
A Kind Of Magic
A Dozen Red Roses for My Darling
Friends Will Be Friends
The Invisible Man
Scandal
Breakthru
Innuendo

(I know a few extended versions have been issued since, but these were the only ones available in 1991)

pittrek wrote:

GT wrote: Box Set 4, like all the other boxes will only include QUEEN singles.......now that's a clue.

The reason 'It's Late' and 'Liar' (and some others) weren't in this series is because they were not hit singles!

So no Under Pressure Rah Mix ?

+++++++

So, GT, you're saying that in order to qualify for inclusion, a single had to be a hit?

Yet, all the hits are already accounted for on 3 Greatest Hits collections AND Absolute Greatest. AG didn't come out till after Singles 1 & 2 were issued, but that just compounds the problem, as the same songs and versions are getting re-issued on different releases and many rare version are not getting re-issued at all.

If we sound ungrateful, it's because we're getting lost in the logic. Expensive, limited edition releases tend to be aimed at existing, hard-core fans. Yet, what is released is not what the fans want or would be interested in. The fans already have these tracks. Casual fans won't drop $100 on a release, no matter how many hits appear on it, because they can get the same songs on a single CD for $15.

Hardcore fans would LOVE to see every rare version and non-album track appear in a box set like the Singles Collection, digitally remastered and sounding awesome. We would understand that you're only using 1 of 3 "Flick Of The Wrists," but if it meant knowing we were getting "Liar (US Edit)" and "Machines (Instrumental)," you'd hear little to no complaining (some folk you just can't ever please until the anthologies come out...ignore those people!).

Curiously, "Keep Yourself Alive" was only a hit in the US, Canada and Australia in 1975, with the re-issue single, whose tracklisting was:

Side A:
Keep Yourself Alive (US Edit)
Side B
Lily Of The Valley (US Single Version)
God Save The Queen (US Single Version)

Now THAT would have been awesome to have remastered on CD. I own this 7" single (found it at a yard sale for $1). If you say, "Yeah, but Now I'm Here had a rare version of LOTV. Should we have excluded it?" Yes, because we have "Now I'm Here" and that version of LOTV is an edit.

I'm not going to go track by track with my citique, I'm merely demonstrating that there were many alternatives and what got issued is being griped about because it seems to not be aimed at either market (hardcore fans or casual listeners).

I agree completely Rhyeking.

Bored, I decided to try to see how I would have made the Singles Collection 1. Every disc has at least one "rare" track.

Disc 1:
Liar (US Edit)
Doing All Right

Disc 2:
The Seven Seas Of Rhye
See What A Fool I've Been

Disc 3:
Killer Queen
Flick Of The Wrist (Dutch Single Version)

Disc 4:
Keep Yourself Alive (US Single Edit)
Lily Of The Valley (US Single Version)
God Save The Queen (US Single Version)

Disc 5:
Bohemian Rhapsody
I'm In Love With My Car (UK Single Version)

Disc 6:
Tie Your Mother Down (Single Version)
You And I

Disc 7:
Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy
Death On Two Legs
Tenement Funster (EP Version)
White Queen (EP Version)

Disc 8:
It's Late (US Edit)
Sheer Heart Attack

Disc 9:
Bicycle Race
Fat Bottomed Girls (Single Version)

Disc 10:
Love Of My Life (Live)
Now I'm Here (Live)

Disc 11:
We Will Rock You (Fast) (Live)
Let Me Entertain You (Live)

Disc 12:
Crazy Little Thing Called Love
Spread Your Wings (Live)

Disc 13:
Play The Game
A Human Body

I do own all 3 of the singles collections sets released so far. For anyone interested, here is what I think are the positives and negatives of the sets. For the record, I do like the sets and am glad I purchased them; the negative points I am making are slightly nit-picking. I realize that those who made the set were given guidelines to follow and may not have wanted to present it in the way it was released.

Positives
1. Remasters sound very good. Great job by Peter Mew. There will be some talk about some of the compression/loudness, but I think the set makes for a good listening experience.
2. Many tracks appearing on CD for the first time (Who Wants To Live Forever Single Edit, Pain Is So Close To Pleasure Single Remix, A Human Body, Back Chat Single Remix, etc.).
3. The sleeves and the boxes themselves visually look great. It was obvious some time and care went into their construction and presentation.

Negatives
1. The format – 2 songs per disc is a pain for casual listening. I like the fact that they tried to stay true to the original singles, but it makes for a cumbersome experience. I would have rather the sets come as 2 full CDs with a printed book with all of the sleeves.
2. Straying from the format. I think it’s better that Forever and Princes of the Universe were included on the set in lieu of an item already on the box, but it strays from the format. Why not stray from the format on the rest of the box and add more rare edits/single versions.
3. No booklet. Pretty much every Queen collection comes with a booklet that is very well done. The Greatest Hits I, II, III, Rocks, etc. all had booklets with great information. Again, if the format was done differently, the sleeves and liner notes could have been put into the box and all of the tracks could be presented on two CDs.
4. The disc design is very plain, mimicking the design on the outer box. I think a better solution would be to use the disc design from the US Free Record Store Day version of Queen’s First EP. That design used a grooved vinyl design with a label in the middle. This could be done for the singles boxes to replicate the original label and vinyl 7”.
5. Spread Your Wings is the wrong version. This should actually be a single edit with an early fade at the end.
6. Hang On In There is the wrong version. Again, the single version ends slightly differently then the album version.
7. Timing. This set would have been much better say 10 years ago. Releasing these so close to Absolute Greatest floods the market in a short time with more ‘Best of/Greatest Hits’ type material. I am sure more Best of type releases are on their way because of the switch to Universal as well.
8. So much is missing. There are no single edits/versions of Liar, It’s Late, etc. I agree that all of the different versions appearing on this set would be monotonous (we don’t 4 different versions of Flick of the Wrist). The 12” mixes being absent are a letdown too (I realize this is due to the format they went with).

Possible problems for Set 4
1. Will My Melancholy Blues (Live) be included on The Miracle single; it only appeared on the 12” vinyl. Again, I would rather it be there, but then again it does stray from the format of the set.
2. Will the single edit/version of Headlong be used, or will the album version be used?
3. Will I’m Going Slightly Mad include Lost Opportunity? The 7” has The Hitman only as the B-side; the 12” and CD single had Lost Opportunity included.
4. Will Mad The Swine be included on the Headlong single. Again, it only appeared on the 12” and CD single.
5. Will The Miracle have a hologram cover?

I would KILL for that miniature hologram cover!!!

Excellent post, Adam, these are legitimate concerns and questions, asked in the interest of promoting dialogue. Too many posts and threads are negative and simply exuses to gripe about what we don't like. I know I've been guilty of such posts and am trying to change.

It's no wonder that officials from Queen Productions are reluctant to post here when all they see is us complaining. We need more constructive posts (like Adam's). Some people see it as a compromise, as if not saying exactly what's on your mind in the plainest, bluntest (harshest!) terms is somehow giving in. It may have to do with the anonimity of the forum format, where we say here what we'd put more politely face-to-face (or not, I'm sure some people are jerks in person too!).

I've worked with Adam for a few years, occassionally contributing to his Queen Vault.com site and collaborating on a personal project, and though I don't speak for him, I'm sure he would not object when I make this offer:

He and I would be more than happy to consult on releases, to offer ideas, suggestions and feedback. We are not looking to step on any toes or impose our opinions on the workings of Queen Productions, but simply feel that we could offer an objective point of view, perhaps assuming the role of devil's advocate if needed. We are meticulous in our research and are knowledgable, though constantly refining that knowledge and keeping an open mind to the fact that there is certainly still a good deal to learn, limited as we are to what has been either officially released or unofficially leaked. In short, we have an eye for detail and want only the best for everyone involved.

Adam Unger wrote:
6. Hang On In There is the wrong version. Again, the single version ends slightly differently then the album version.

The difference here is in mastering only, which has fadeout one second earlier than on CD album extra track. I don't think it must be classified as different edit. Following that rule Greatest Hits II CD has a dozen of "different edit" versions. But no one cares about it.

I care.

Yes, it's minor, but it's not my place to argue over the significance of the alteration, but to note it's existence.

And go to www.queenvault.com where you'll see EVERY such "different edit" is duly noted. By their sheer numbers, the validity of these "differences" acquit themselves.

I agree with most of the points above. I understand these are not intended as comprehensive releases, so I do not disagree with the song selection (the rules and also the exceptions both seem logic to me). However, I would have loved a more collector-oriented chosing of the versions ('mistakes' aside). The inclusion of more obscure edits or mixes also originally released in 7"s (the instrumental mix of Machines, for instance) would have not hurt the 'casual' fan while it would have been of great value to collectors and researchers. The extended versions/mixes would be suitable for a QUEEN MAXIS COLLECTION or something alike (which -I suspect- is already under discussion).

From the point of view of the cover art and reference material, I agree with Adam that a (at least minimal) booklet should have been included. Besides, the label-plus-vinyl-surface-replica stamped in each CD seems a simple and GOOD idea. I would also like to note that a reference to Don't Lose Your Head is missing in the Pain Is So Close To Pleasure backsleeve.

For Headlong there are at least FOUR choices (discarding the longer video cut - not really a single): the album version 4:38 (from the INNUENDO CD/CT, also in the UK and Japan CD5), the vinyl edit 4:31 (from a slightly different mix, also included in the GREATEST HITS II CD and the Dutch CD5), the radio edit 3:47 (from the US promo CD5, also on various promo CTs) and the Canadian CHR edit - no guitar 3:20 (from the Canadian promo single).

...Talking about minor differences!

Finally, PLEASE do not get me wrong. I really like each of the boxes as they are. In my humble opinion, they could perhaps be just a bit better. But that is merely my personal point of view and I expect everyone to take it just as that - I certainly do. I sincerely hope my words are taken as constructive criticism and nothing else.

The Hang On In There edit was first mentioned on the Trainspotter's site over 11 years ago and I have kept it as an alternative version on my site.  It is an absolutely trivial difference without any consequence, but just for the sake of being thorough, I have mentioned it here.