Cameos on the Barcelona album

I love the Barcelona album.

The Barcelona sleeve notes say Deacon on How Can I Go On & that's it, isn't that enough information for people. Mr Bad Guy states in "Freddie's" notes thanking the Queen members for notes interfering

*NOT interfering

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[QUOTE] [b]maxpower wrote:[/b]

The Barcelona sleeve notes say Deacon on How Can I Go On & that's it, isn't that enough information for people. Mr Bad Guy states in "Freddie's" notes thanking the Queen members for notes interfering[/QUOTE]

It depends on several "contractual" factors. Freddie wasn´t credit on "the Cross" singing "Heaven for everyone" but the fans knew it was him. When Queen decided to release their version of the song on the MIH album they asked for permission and the guys from Virgin(?) were somehow surprised because they weren´t aware to own a song with Freddie´s voice on it.

Now, back on topic:

-I agree that the Bass from TGB can be John. There are some subtle things that really are his style.

-As for Roger, this is what i think:
The drums from both TGB and HCIGO sounds like a mixture between programed drums and real drums. I believe that Roger only recorded sounds and little bits so that they could then loop, or use it in small segments.

Example (this is taken from youtube videos, where the sound may not be the best, but i was too lazy to go find my CD´s :-)

On the Golden Boy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2qmYqczxXI

i couldn´t hear any Bass Drum (kick drum), and if there is one it shure doesn´t sound like a natural one. Maybe they were revisiting some techniques from the "Jealousy" sessions - pun intended :-)

But on 3.53 when Freddie sings "she forgot..." the She is acentuated with a Roger signature move when he hits and then grabs the cymbal(?). I´m more inclined to think that Roger recorded this sounds for them to use because the performance doesn´t really sound natural.

On "How can i go on":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPx26zj16t0

The more natural sound of the "drums" in this case is the Bass Drum (kick drum). The only real drums to me start at 0:42 on the chorus of the song mixed with programed drums.
So in this case i believe that Roger recorded some Bass Drum rythm that they looped for the verses, and some drumming for the choruses. But even in the chorus the playing doesn´t seem too natural, so i´m assuming that Roger recorded some Drum sounds for them tu use, because the acoustic is there, just the feeling isn´t.

Just my two cents.

It's great to read replies like that. Even one of those makes the whole thing worth it IMO.

[QUOTE] [b]Sebastian wrote:[/b]

Brian: BV's on TGB.[/QUOTE]


You´ve got some good ears man! Since the first time i read your post i didn´t understand what you meant by BV´s (sometimes the brain stops). Only now that i ended my research searching for Brian and concluding that he made some backing vocals on the Golden Boy i understand that BV stands for backing vocals.

Since i´ve made this research let me share it with Queenzone. By the way, this is a great topic and the researching is good to train the ears. I wish more Queenzoners were more interested in this kind of research -maybe they would´ve gain more respect for the the man who did the score for the Barcelona 2012 edition album- by listening to it!

Here it goes:

The first time i spoted what i think is clearly Brian was on the song "Overture piccante" at 4:44 to 4:49 :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RGCoDJdiRA

This segment of the song is from The Golden Boy, and it can be found on 3:22 of this instrumental version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJEqnv4StfU

It has Brian May written all over it, and there are ways to confirm this by comparision- i will do it in a minute. But another thing that caught my attention was the fact that one of the voices of the Backing Vocals on the Golden Boy is the same from Brian May Band from "Back to the light". Her name is Miriam Stockley and she also did backing vocals for "Let me Live" from Made in Heaven. This might be the reason why some sounds on the Golden Boy sounds so "familiar".
Since the song was recorded on December 1, 1987 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcelona_(album)#Special_Edition_.282012.29) is it possible that Brian met Miriam at the Barcelona sessions and invited her for his solo project later? I don´t know this, but if true then it means that the sessions they met were the recording of the backing vocals.

But here it goes the comparison:

Compare the Golden Boy instrumental at 3:22 with:

1- Queen "Let me live" from 0:00 to 0:19, Brian is on the left channel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP0R-8hJbdM

2- Brian May "Driven by you" from 4:08 till the end.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LamTe70i4oM

Brian used an harmonizer here, but with this you can check out the characteristics of his voice.

3- Brian May"Too much love will kill you" from 0:12 to 0:20:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_q3IBZGH_o

I think that if you check out this segments head to head with the segment of the Golden Boy it becomes "obvious" that Brian is in that choir, at least on the oohh´s that suite his range. And it will be good for your ears to try to follow Brian in the midle of a choir. Maybe you bacome a Producer some day. Cheers!

Another option, just to consider all possibilities, is that Brian worked with her first (early BTTL sessions were happening at the same time as late Barcelona ones) and/or that someone else (e.g. Mike) suggested her to both.

[QUOTE] [b]Sebastian wrote:[/b]

Another option, just to consider all possibilities, is that Brian worked with her first (early BTTL sessions were happening at the same time as late Barcelona ones) and/or that someone else (e.g. Mike) suggested her to both.[/QUOTE]

You´re absolutely right!

As we all know Brian is a proud man of his work. It was clear throughout the years on his soapbox that he likes to be credit, and in some ways likes to give credit when due (e.g. "See what a fool i´ve been"). He was clearly pissed for not being on the "Mr Bad Guy" album, and for not being co-credit on "It´s a hard life".

But everytime he talked about Barcelona -that i can remember- he never mentioned his involvement at all. I mean, i´m pretty shure that he´s on that clip that i mentioned on my earlier post (but i can be totally wrong!), but if he was indeed on a musical session recording all the backing vocals with those singers i´m pretty shure that by this time he would already stated that. There wouldn´t be a major reason for this to be kept a secret, after so many years. Unless his contribute was something that wasn´t worthy of mentioning it.

So, if indeed is him on that chorus, then maybe he recorded his parts separately. The copy&paste in the studio makes this research even more dificult because Freddie keeping control by not hiring an orchestra also meant that he could throw in some ideas after the thing was donne, and then --copy & paste.

This is what i think happened with some sections of that choir section. There are clearly passages that Freddie recorded later- after the chorus session- to fill in the gaps.

Example on "The Golden Boy-instrumental version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJEqnv4StfU

From 4:22 - 4:28, this is simply Freddie´s voice harmonizing itself like he did on "Love of my life" and the beginning of "Bo Rhap". And then on 4:31, 4:32 before the choire goes "I dare, i dare not name", you can hear Freddie´s ONLY harmonies blending into the choire, making it seem like it´s from the same source when clearly Freddie did this afterwards.
So maybe Brian contribution was to fill in the gaps so to speak, and not in the main choir. And maybe Freddie in a very conscious way wanted them all to be in his last studio album without being Queen.

That´s why i think you´re right, and maybe Brian didn´t work directly with her on the Barcelona session.

Moving on to John:
After hearing that instrumental version i´ve heard something that has escaped me the other times. At 2:40 John hits his first note, and this is a signature move from John. It reminds me a note he hits on the "millionary waltz". I know we´re talking about notes here but for anybody who loves John´s playing will know what i mean. I´m pretty shure it´s him.

In the end i might be wrong about everything i´ve said but it shure gave me lots of pleasure to rediscover this gems again.

It would be nice to have other sets of ears giving some kind of opinion too.

It took him almost forty years to credit himself for bits of SSOR, so maybe around 2028 he'll say he sang on TGB.

[QUOTE] [b]Mr.QueenFan wrote:[/b]

-As for Roger, this is what i think:
The drums from both TGB and HCIGO sounds like a mixture between programed drums and real drums. I believe that Roger only recorded sounds and little bits so that they could then loop, or use it in small segments.

.[/QUOTE]

After reading the article that featured David Richards (sound on sound magazine 1989) talking about producing Queen´s "The Miracle" record, i have no doubt that Roger´s drums were used in the "Barcelona" record.

The article was shared here:
http://www.queenzone.com/forums/1259193/david-richards-interview-sound-on-sound-magazine-1989.aspx?page=1

David says about the drums on the Miracle:
"... where there´s a synth bass, you´re usually listening to sampled drums. All the drum sounds come from Roger´s kit, though; "

My only doubt was if Roger really recorded samples of himself playing to be used in the studio recordings. Now I have confirmation that he did, and those samples exist, so i´m 99,99% sure that Roger´s samples were used in the Barcelona record too.

I asked Miriam Stockley about this
he dates are fuzzy, but I can confirm that I, Mark Williamson, Maggie Ryder, Madeleine Bell, Lance Ellington and not quite sure of the last chap's name, worked on the Golden Boy .
The Back To The Light album was me, Maggie Ryder and Suzie O'List. Chris Thompson may have also done backing vocals on the album, but I'm afraid that I can't recall much more than that.
Sorry I can't be more specific with the timelines. I do however remember the actual recording sessions well.

I asked whether Brian was involved in the Golden Boy and she said. Not as far as I am aware. The album was arranged by Mike Moran. When we did the backing vocal sessions, we hardly ever saw the musicians who played on the tracks. If Freddie asked Brian to do a guest appearance on the album, I never knew about it.

That's interesting, the plot thickens indeed.

[QUOTE] [b]scallyuk wrote:[/b]

I asked Miriam Stockley about this
he dates are fuzzy, but I can confirm that I, Mark Williamson, Maggie Ryder, Madeleine Bell, Lance Ellington and not quite sure of the last chap's name, worked on the Golden Boy .
The Back To The Light album was me, Maggie Ryder and Suzie O'List. Chris Thompson may have also done backing vocals on the album, but I'm afraid that I can't recall much more than that.
Sorry I can't be more specific with the timelines. I do however remember the actual recording sessions well.

I asked whether Brian was involved in the Golden Boy and she said. Not as far as I am aware. The album was arranged by Mike Moran. When we did the backing vocal sessions, we hardly ever saw the musicians who played on the tracks. If Freddie asked Brian to do a guest appearance on the album, I never knew about it.
[/QUOTE]

Was Peter Straker the chap that she forgot the name of?

@scallyuk,

thank you for your input. It´s always nice to read the input of those who were involved.