Post your own Queen Mysteries for others to solve (Most probably Sebastian)
Was A Kind of Magic before One Vision?
So the story we were told was that, inspired by Live Aid... Freddie rang the band up in July/August 1985 and said let's record...
Roger brings the idea of One Vision to the table, they work on it and then release it a couple of months later, having recorded the video for it in September 1985.
They then watch the early version of Highlander, Roger likes the phrase 'A Kind of Magic' and writes a song based around it in or after September 1986.
However, the 2011 deluxe edition shows a hybrid A Kind of Vision...which although doesn't contain the aforementioned lyric - it does a huge skeleton of the 1986 song featured. Basically, it's a hell of a lot closer to AKOM rather than One Vision.
So does this suggest that Freddie rang the band up excitedly, and Roger brings essentially AKOM to the table...which for whatever reason, doesn't really work...so then they abandon it, essentially go back to the drawing board and then develop One Vision with an entirely different riff, structure, lyrics etc. but they keep one thing and that's the words 'One Vision'. Which is possibly why the band credited the song to themselves as a group because although Roger brought to the table One Vision...those words were meant for an entirely different song, and he couldn't claim writing credit for a song because of two words?
Then after the Highlander showing, Roger remembers the abandoned One Vision reject song and adds 'A Kind of Magic' to it, goes away on holiday and Freddie adds a few things to it and eventually makes it the song it is today over the next few months?
Sorry if this is kind of 'well....duh' info, i just never really thought about it before and felt it was interesting that AKOM was the original 'Live Aid' inspired song.
mooghead · Member since
The version of Under Pressure on Classic Queen? Who? Why? When?
It is amazing. Make those people do the same thing to Jazz!
Golden Salmon · Member since
What if it's just a coincidence? I think Roger tends to say "a kind of" and "fun" a lot, and when he heard "A kind of magic" he of course loved it :-P Then they probably had some rough musical ideas that they finally built around newly composed lyrics.
The Ghost of Lester Burnham · Member since
My mystery is, who's playing bass on the acoustic take of 'Who Needs You'? If John is on acoustic guitar, and Brian is playing maracas (as he does on the released recording), is that Roger?
antiden · Member since
I always wondered, why Freddie had changed the last line of "Brighton Rock" final segment for live performances? Instead of "If my lady should discover how I spent my holiday" he always sang "If my MOTHER should discover how I spent my holiday"...
Golden Salmon · Member since
[QUOTE] [b]antiden wrote:[/b]
I always wondered, why Freddie had changed the last line of "Brighton Rock" final segment for live performances? Instead of "If my lady should discover how I spent my holiday" he always sang "If my MOTHER should discover how I spent my holiday"...[/QUOTE]
That's easy! He didn't have a lady :-P
Cruella de Vil · Member since
The Ghost of Lester Burnham wrote: "My mystery is, who's playing bass on the acoustic take of 'Who Needs You'? If John is on acoustic guitar, and Brian is playing maracas (as he does on the released recording), is that Roger?" No, Roger is on maracasa. So, it could be either Brian on acoustic with John on bass, or, John on acoustic and he then laid down his bass guitar after the basic track was laid down.
Jimmy Dean · Member since
[QUOTE] [b]mooghead wrote:[/b]
The version of Under Pressure on Classic Queen? Who? Why? When?
It is amazing. Make those people do the same thing to Jazz![/QUOTE]
more than 25 years have passed... no one's figured it out? keep me posted!!
thomasquinn 32989 · Member since
[QUOTE] [b]Golden Salmon wrote:[/b]
[QUOTE] [b]antiden wrote:[/b]
I always wondered, why Freddie had changed the last line of "Brighton Rock" final segment for live performances? Instead of "If my lady should discover how I spent my holiday" he always sang "If my MOTHER should discover how I spent my holiday"...[/QUOTE]
That's easy! He didn't have a lady :-P[/QUOTE]
The "lady" refers to the employer of the Jenny-character, who appears to be a domestic servant.
dysan · Member since
A little Little people peephole magic.
Barry Durex · Member since
[QUOTE] [b]mooghead wrote:[/b]
The version of Under Pressure on Classic Queen? Who? Why? When?
It is amazing. Make those people do the same thing to Jazz![/QUOTE]
What's different about that version then?
Holly2003 · Member since
[QUOTE] [b]thomasquinn 32989 wrote:[/b]
The "lady" refers to the employer of the Jenny-character, who appears to be a domestic servant.[/QUOTE]
Maybe. But the song is written mainly from Jimmy's pov. I think the "lady" is Jimmy's stay-at-home girlfriend who would be shocked to read Jenny's love letters. So BR has a sting in the tail: Jimmy's a love rat!
*goodco* · Member since
[QUOTE] [b]Barry Durex wrote:[/b]
[QUOTE] [b]mooghead wrote:[/b]
The version of Under Pressure on Classic Queen? Who? Why? When?
It is amazing. Make those people do the same thing to Jazz![/QUOTE]
What's different about that version then?
[/QUOTE]
from queenvault.com
[This remix is very close to the final album version. The bass lines seem to be a bit more prominent in the mix and the overall sound is a little less muddy. Freddie singing "that's okay!" has been removed right before Bowie sings, "it's the terror of knowing..." It is unknown who did this remix. It is rumored that this is actually an old mix from around the Hot Space time period.]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoDh_gHDvkk
There is also a more pronounced 'people on streets' near the end.....and yes, it does sound better than the album version. Indeed, 'Jazz' would benefit from this type of 'fix'
Barry Durex · Member since
Ah, right. I was thinking Classic Queen VHS release.
dysan · Member since
It would be nice to know it's history. A contemporary HS remix would be very interesting - as would a new mix to freshen it up after Ice Ice Baby was a hit.
Either way I think I'm right in saying it was included, perhaps erroneously, with no fanfare. I'd say Bowie wanted it remixed if it was going to be on a new release. It's telling that his early releases to include it only include the remix.
I'm guessing the clue is in the guitar part - Brian played a new line on the 1991 innuendo tour while jamming which is not on the original, but does appear on the remix.
Maybe it was remixed ahead of GH2 with a view to releasing it as a single but not included for whatever reason - Freddie's Death made sure Bo Rhap was reissued - in the same way the Rah mix was done for GH3. This was, of course, the early days of Queen jumping on every opportunistic cash in they could think of. Ice Ice Baby was still very much fresh in the minds of their accountants when GH2 and GH3 rolled around.
