Made in Heaven - vocals

Hi, I was reading various reviews of Made in Heaven today and was rather baffled by the journalists' complete lack of knowledge of when the songs were actually recorded. Almost every review I read states the vocals were recorded almost entirely in 1990 and 1991. So, I just wanted to clarify, hopefully with your help guys, when the vocals were actually laid for these songs. Please note, I'm talking about the vocals only, not the backing music. Also, I'm not sure if Freddie re-recorded any of his earlier vocals, specifically for this release (on songs like Let Me Live or My Life...)?

To start off, here's a list of my guesses (I have no factual knowledge either, I just follow various discussions, interviews, articles, etc.):

It's a Beautiful Day
Vocals recorded during The Game sessions in 1980

Made in Heaven
Vocal track from 1985 used

Let Me Live
Freddie's vocals recorded during Hot Space sessions - 1981 or 1982

Mother Love
1991

My Life Has Been Saved
The Miracle sessions - 1988

I Was Born to Love You
Vocal track from 1985 used with little snippets from other songs

Heaven for Everyone
1988

Too Much Love Will Kill You
The Miracle sessions - 1988/89

You Don't Fool Me
Hot Space era - 1981/82

A Winter's Tale
1991

So, this leaves us with only two new vocal tracks, am I right?

I've heard some people say that You Don't fool me vocals was record in 1991, but i've heard too it was recorded during the Hot Space sessions.

What is the true ?

There was once a nice thread about this topic, I try to find it.
And yes, You Don't Fool Me was from 1991 if I remember correctly

Read this : http://www.queenzone.com/forums/1274188/the-making-of-made-in-heaven.aspx?page=1

Three tracks with "new" vocals: Mother Love, Winter's Tale and You Don't Fool Me.

Freddie's voice on YDFM does sound a little bit 'thin' (although it's a great performance imo!), so I could agree it's a post-Innuendo re-take, but I don't think we have any definitive info on this?

Anyway, quite an achievement to build a coherent album around 2 - 3 new songs.

Let me live
The track was started in Los Angeles (with Rod Stewart) - The Works sessions - 1983

You Don't Fool me
Almost certainly a post Innuendo track

Too much love will kill you
Originally from The Miracle sessions (demo exists somewhere)

My Life has been Saved
Was released in 1989 as b-sibe for Scandal - almost certainly Miracle sessions

k-m wrote: Freddie's voice on YDFM does sound a little bit 'thin' (although it's a great performance imo!), so I could agree it's a post-Innuendo re-take, but I don't think we have any definitive info on this?

Anyway, quite an achievement to build a coherent album around 2 - 3 new songs.

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YDFM, as I said, is definately post Innuendo sessions, thin voice? that doesn't mean a "younger" voice, it's pretty obvious that Freddie's voice sounds "older" and going thru his disease.

It's a pretty common mistake to confuse GH III sleeve notes about YDFM being from the Hot Space sessions. Again, YDFM IS NOT FROM THAT ERA. Period.

; )

YDFM stems from the post-innuendo sessions, and consisted of just of a few vocal takes over the bass/guitar-lick, stunningly constructed and re-arranged by David Richards (Sebastian can shed some light on this, I'm sure).
The description in GHIII was capable of being misunderstood, as it sort of placed it in a context of the sparse and rhythm'n'dance kinda tracks of Hot Space. One of my favourite songs (despite the fact that I have some issues with MIH, but that's a different topic), by the way.

Yeah, YDFM is one of my favourite songs too! I never understand when people critisize it for being "repetitive". And yes, I took my guess from the GH3 sleeve notes. But Alex, how can you be so sure it was recorded after the Innuendo sessions, did you see any interviews or sth.? I also disagree that Freddie sounded "obviously older" in his recent years. Quite the opposite IMO. Overall, his voice started to bear resemblance to that of his early recordings, from the 70s, but it was also strained in some strange way. Usually, when singers get older their voice becomes more deep, lower. You can't really say it about Freddie?

I've made this point before about his voice in 1990-91. The painkillers and steroids he took (as confirmed in one of the biographies i've read) definitely would have had an impact on the way he sounded... and probably for the better.

Opiate painkillers work wonders on the throat and chest, codeine in particular used to be used commercialy to combat severe coughing in patients.

The Mother Love vocals, which rightfully were highlighted by Roger on the Days of our lives documentary, are stunning. And if brian is right... he only did "three" takes!!! Superb.

In my opinion, combined with the vodka he took before takes, would have given him the vocal strength (and dutch courage) to really belt songs out. As mentioned above, at his age you'd expect a much deeper register (like on magic tour), yet he sings songs like Show Must Go On, Innuendo, Don't Try So Hard, winter's Tale etc with a very youthful freddie sound.

You Don't Fool me though is crap imo. It's not just the "repetitiveness" of it.... it's just a bad song. Can't believe they released it here in the UK. Very weak by their high standards

You Don't Fool Me....


GREAT FARKING SONG.... just my two cents.



a great "F-you" song with a spicy, absolutely rocking guitar solo.

And yes it is simplistic for them. so were I Want It All and I Want To Break Free

[QUOTE] [b]4 x Vision wrote:[/b]
You Don't Fool me though is crap imo. It's not just the "repetitiveness" of it.... it's just a bad song. Can't believe they released it here in the UK. Very weak by their high standards[/QUOTE]

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from what i've read, YDFM was painstakingly sewn together from literally just a few scraps of vocals and fashioned into the recording we know. With that knowledge, i don't think it's fair to judge its songwriting merit. Furthermore, it's an example of QP actually doing what so many complain here that they never do - go the extra mile, forget that something rare isn't perfect, and let the fans hear it anyway.

^ what he said.

Considering what little they had to work with, Made In Heaven is a spectacular effort.

Even without putting it in perspective, it's still a damn good record. YDFM included.

Made In Heaven would have made a great E.P.   but it is far from being a good record. 

This was a cash-in record.  No "Queen album" was going to sell like this ever again, so they took advantage of it and soaked us all.  Re-hashes of outtakes are not what a serious fan wanted.  Of course, this being your choice:  Fred or No Fred, they forced us into choice #1. 

If it was such a good record, how is it that nothing is ever mentioned or played from this album.  Queen tracks are being played on the radio and TV spots now... but they (thankfully) left MIH and Innuendo out of that rotation.  Hoop Diddy Doo.