Extended versions - like them or hate them ?

Inspired by mike hunt's thread, I'd like to know which extended versions do you like (if any) ?

If I remember correctly, these are the officially released extended versions (correct me if I'm wrong)

Staying Power
Back Chat
Radio Ga Ga
I Want To Break Free
It's A Hard Life
Keep Passing The Open Windows
Man On The Prowl
One Vision
A Kind Of Magic
A Dozen Red Roses For My Darling
Pain Is So Close To Pleasure
One Year Of Love
The Invisible Man
Breakthru
Scandal
Innuendo (explosive version)

I personally like only Back Chat, Hard Life and Innuendo, and I specially hate Invisible Man

The 12" mix of 'Breakthru' is one of my favourite Extended Mixes ever.

Calling the Innuendo mix extended is a bit misuse of the word IMO. Adding an explosion to the end of the song doesn't make it an extended mix. I think there are some really good mixes, such as the Breakthru, Hard Life, Staying Power and Scandal ones. Ofcourse there are also some boring ones, such as Break Free, Magic & Friends. Still, I would love to have a 2-CD set with all these mixes remastered and restored.

BTW, you're missing

- Friends Will Be Friends
- Hammer To Fall
- Another One Bites The Dust (Colombia only)

In my arrogant opinion, most ofthe remixes are fairly pointless, although some are very good, while the extended Scandal is a huge improvement.

I like Radio Gaga's extended mix.

And Breakthru too.

Yea and Man On The Prowl.

Staying Power!!

I can't believe I hadn't heard it until I got the USA 12" single last year. I like that song a lot and the extended version is even better.

Is the Columbia AOBTD considered official?

Pim Derks wrote:

BTW, you're missing

- Friends Will Be Friends
- Hammer To Fall
- Another One Bites The Dust (Colombia only)

Oh yes. And the Columbia-only version of Bicycle Race ... Are these 2 songs considered official ?

Panchgani wrote: In my arrogant opinion, most ofthe remixes are fairly pointless, although some are very good, while the extended Scandal is a huge improvement.

After listening to it again, I have to agree

i dont mind them cus it makes the song more interesting when u have listened to it loads so it makes it so that u dont get bored of it, so yeah u could say i quite like them :)

The extended Hammer to Fall (especially Lord Fickle's remix of it) is five and a half minutes of pure headbanging bliss.

Staying Power - Like it very much
Back Chat - Rather pointless IMHO, just repeating more of the same
Radio Ga Ga - Is OK to me
I Want To Break Free - More of the same, the 'Jazz-album'-like end is a nice idea, but doesn't work well IMHO
It's A Hard Life - Rather pointless, just repeats an extra bridge & chorus
Hammer to fall - Like it very much
Man On The Prowl - Although it mostly is repeating parts I still do like it
Keep Passing The Open Windows - Quite dull, added strange effects at the end
One Vision - Like it. I once edited an 'extended extended version' by adding the 'blurred vision' mix in it and liked it even more
A Kind Of Magic - Like some parts in the middle and like the extended guitar ending very much, the rest is OK to me
A Dozen Red Roses For My Darling - Rather pointless adding just a few beats at the beginning
Friends will be friends - Dull dull dull, what's the point of extending a song that is dull in the short version already
Pain Is So Close To Pleasure - Like it especially the beginning, but I must say that I like the single remix better than the album version too
One Year Of Love - Like it very much, it's a shame that it's so hard to get on CD
Breakthru - One of my favoute extended versions
The Invisible Man - Like it very much
Scandal - Like it very much
You don't fool me (late mix) - Althought a bit long I think it's OK, especially compared to most other horrible remixes of the song

I would like to add 'You don't fool me (late mix)', as I consider this the most basic 'extended remix' of the song
Also I would like to add the extended versions of solo songs:

Freddie Mercury:
Love kills - Like it
Foolin' around - Like it
I was born to love you - Maybe a bit long, but it's OK
Stop all the fighting - Maybe a bit long, but I still like it
Made in heaven - Beautiful atmosphere, shame that it omits a verse, because I like it
She blows hot and cold - More of the same, but can't get enough of the song
Living on my own (uk version) - Like it very much
Living on my own (us version) - Sticks even more to the original version, like it very much too
My love is dangerous - Like it very much
Love me like there's no tomorrow - beautiful intro, like it very much
Let's turn it on - Like it very much, funny effects
Time - Like it, added extra saxophone works very good
The great pretender - Quite dull, and a absolutely horrible modulation in the middle
Barcelona - Don't like it, it's just more of the same

Roger Taylor:
Man on fire - Like it
Strange frontier - Like it
I cry for you - Like it very much

The Cross:
Shove it - It's OK, adding some new lyrics, but not much special
Manipulator - Very nice, but I must say that I consider the extended version as 'the original' actually, and the 7" version as an edit of that one
Power to love - It's OK, some repeats and stuff
Liar - Like it very much
In charge of my heart - My favourite The Cross extended version

Mixed Bunch. Hate Invisible Man 12" but Scandal and Breakthru sound good. Hammer to Fall 12" is the definitive version of that song, orgasmic guitar solo!  Heard a extended mix of AOBTD in a club once brillaint but not sure if its available commercially or was just a dj's mix.

Pittrek,

I always considered those two as unofficial releases.  I am wondering if Gary or Greg can confirm or deny their authenticity?