freddie Mercury's Crowning Studio Vocal

marc.s wrote:

Djdownsy wrote:

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned 'In My Defense'.

I mean, one take? How many people pull that vocal out in ONE TAKE???

awesome for one take i didn't realise that. Don't they also say that about TSMGO?

I think that's just referring to the "on with the show" line. I'm sure it took quite some time to get the perfect vocal for that one, considering Mercury's health.

cmsdrums wrote:

somewhat shows the effects of having started smoking on 'The Works' and AKOM, and then regains it for 'Barcelona' onwards!

I'd say the huskiness was more a conscious choice.

On A Kind Of Magic (the song) he still sounds pretty pure, soaring without the grit that he added to songs like Tear It Up and Gimme The Prize.

I love the speaking/deep tenor vocal on man made paradise. Just began to explore Freddie's solo work. What a magical man.

I've gotta say guys thanks for the great replies to this post. I really love reading everybody's views whether they align with mine or not. This forum is currently way better than queen online for interaction ;););)

Stellabella wrote:

I love the speaking/deep tenor vocal on man made paradise. Just began to explore Freddie's solo work. What a magical man.

I'd love to hear the Queen version of this they began in The Works period

Raffy wrote:

musicland munich wrote:

"Too much love will kill you" ...but yes, ask me another day and I will change opinion.

My favourite Queen tune along with Was It All Worth It... never understood why Freddie didn't like the song as his performance is spot on (speaking about professionalism: the man didn't like the tune but anyway gave a stellar rendition). Maybe the song's theme made him think about his personal condition and the fact that actually "too much love" in the end was going to kill him. Sometimes people can see/find deep meanings in other's people compositions and often giving a better interpretation than the one of the original composer. Brian wrote it describing his personal situation but maybe Freddie, while sang it, relived the phantoms of his past...
Any thoughts?

hi Raffy where did you read that Freddie didn't like TMLWKY?

marc.s wrote:

hi Raffy where did you read that Freddie didn't like TMLWKY?

Is one of those things you recall in your memory but can't really remember where you've read it/listen to it. Anyway I must correct myself 'cause my previous statement seems like a speculation since we haven't the 100% proof that what I said was true: simply put it in that way... TMLWKY wasn't appropriate for "The Miracle" album or maybe Brian initially preferred his solo demo version and wanted it to be published on his future solo work so didn't was released up until Made In Heaven.

Raffy wrote:

marc.s wrote:

hi Raffy where did you read that Freddie didn't like TMLWKY?

Is one of those things you recall in your memory but can't really remember where you've read it/listen to it. Anyway I must correct myself 'cause my previous statement seems like a speculation since we haven't the 100% proof that what I said was true: simply put it in that way... TMLWKY wasn't appropriate for "The Miracle" album or maybe Brian initially preferred his solo demo version and wanted it to be published on his future solo work so didn't was released up until Made In Heaven.

I actually prefer Freddie's vocal on TMLWKY to Brian's although I know that's not so for a lot of people. And yeah I don't think it was right for The Miracle and it fits much better on MIH

1 The show must go on
2 Scandal
3 In my Defence
4 Who wants to live forever
5 One year of love

Stelios wrote:

1 The show must go on
2 Scandal
3 In my Defence
4 Who wants to live forever
5 One year of love

hi Stelios Scandal must be one of Freddie's most underrated vocals . One of the best songs on The Miracle.

cmsdrums wrote:

marc.s wrote:

cmsdrums wrote:

Most of A Day At The Races too; it was the album where he nailed everything, and reached the perfect point of power (Tie Your Morher Down, White Man), finesse (Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy) and control (You Take My Breath Away) without having any of the 'warble' which is still present at points on A Night At The Opera, the thinness from the debut album, or straining present in other places. The whole of ADATR is perfect vocally for me.

hi cms when you're taking about warble on ANATO , which songs are you referring to and which bit?

Only very slight, but things like the 'Now I Know' and 'Ooh-ah, ooh-ah' repeat vocals in 'The Prohet's Song' show slight strains in his delivery. ADATR is the FIRST album where (to me) he is essentially perfect on everything.

As others have said, he then repeats that on almost everything up to and including Hot Space, somewhat shows the effects of having started smoking on 'The Works' and AKOM, and then regains it for 'Barcelona' onwards!

Seeing as how ANATO and ADATR were more or less recorded back to back I class the vocals as pretty much the same standard. I've tried to hear the vocal parts you mention but its hard to say what was by design and what was the product of straining as they all sound great to me.

Raffy wrote:

TMLWKY wasn't appropriate for "The Miracle" album or maybe Brian initially preferred his solo demo version and wanted it to be published on his future solo work so didn't was released up until Made In Heaven.

Wasn't there some kind of publishing issue, since there were outside songwriters to be credited.. ?

cmsdrums wrote:

marc.s wrote:

cmsdrums wrote:

Most of A Day At The Races too; it was the album where he nailed everything, and reached the perfect point of power (Tie Your Morher Down, White Man), finesse (Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy) and control (You Take My Breath Away) without having any of the 'warble' which is still present at points on A Night At The Opera, the thinness from the debut album, or straining present in other places. The whole of ADATR is perfect vocally for me.

hi cms when you're taking about warble on ANATO , which songs are you referring to and which bit?

Only very slight, but things like the 'Now I Know' and 'Ooh-ah, ooh-ah' repeat vocals in 'The Prohet's Song' show slight strains in his delivery. ADATR is the FIRST album where (to me) he is essentially perfect on everything.

As others have said, he then repeats that on almost everything up to and including Hot Space, somewhat shows the effects of having started smoking on 'The Works' and AKOM, and then regains it for 'Barcelona' onwards!

hi cms you said you thought Freddie was perfection on ADATR and then said he regained his voice for Barcelona, which of those two styles do you prefer because he's certainly more powerful on Barcelona overall than ADATR IMO. But both are master classes of singing.

The Real Wizard wrote:

Raffy wrote:

TMLWKY wasn't appropriate for "The Miracle" album or maybe Brian initially preferred his solo demo version and wanted it to be published on his future solo work so didn't was released up until Made In Heaven.

Wasn't there some kind of publishing issue, since there were outside songwriters to be credited.. ?

Good point, maybe this is the real motivation.

I think ANATO was when Freddie's voice fully developed....He found his Voice, This is when he was most creative as a writer and vocalist..Songs like Love Of My Life and Bo Rhap are examples. His voice did get stronger in later years, but this is when he was most original as a singer. I Don't think any one song is above the rest but has many performances that are on the same level...Love Of my life, Bo Rhap, Nevermore, Show must go on, Somebody to love, Innuendo, Night comes down and many more.