"New" Freddie Mercury track to be released

There are plenty of demos that are just Freddie and a piano.


But saying that I'm convinced this is actually the final take used in the original song, with a couple of bits that were originally muted and the last verse skipped.

[QUOTE] [b]emrabt wrote:[/b]


But saying that I'm convinced this is actual the final take used in the original song, with a couple of bits that were originally muted and the last verse skipped.
[/QUOTE]

That's what I think too. I know there are plenty of demos with piano, but this one doesn't sound like a demo. Once the final version of the song was recorded he always waited for the backing track to be completely finished.
I was rather surprised by the information that Freddie recorded lead vocals with piano and all other instruments were added later. That wasn't his style so that's why I'm wondering.

I think at an initial run through of the song Freddie would have sat with Mike Moran and run through it with just piano and vocals. However once he'd worked out roughly what he was going to do with the song they would have then recorded the actual vocals takes, and the most likely scenario is that at least the majority of at least a skeletal backing track (drums (or at least a basic drum machine part like we hear in the Mr Bad Guy demos), bass, piano and guitars) would have been in place at that point for Freddie to sing along to.

There is no way however (in my opinion) that the vocal on this new version is from an original rough run through that Freddie performed with just a piano accompaniment as Dave Clark has stated - it's from a later full take (or likely an edit of several). I haven't compared it with the original version released back in 1985,but on first listen a lot of it sounds like the EXACT same take as that original issue.

Cmsdrums

There are slight differences, but you really have to listen to both version simultaneously to recognise them.
My opinion is, the version is made of different takes but still recorded under same conditions. No way it was a separate recording session with Freddie and Mike Moran only.
Actually, I would love to hear the real piano version as I'm sure Freddie would sing it differently, more intimately, with other feeling. That would be amazing.

@Cmsdrums and mika 251

My thoughts exactly. There are to my ears A LOT of differences. Even the first "Time, waits, for nobody" originally buried by the multitracked backing vocals is a different take. Listen closely to "nobody" and how Freddie ends this phrase vs the 86' version.
The same applies to "You don't need me to tell you what's gone wrong..."

There is I believe a lot of confusion of what this version is exactly. For sure it's not a rough take but it seems like something Queen did on the NOTW Box, a Frankenstein version of different takes, even the original one. It would be lovely to hear the first take ever that Freddie had on that song and Mike accompanying him, a version with ad-libs, unfinished lyrics and so on. I am no PR specialist when it comes to audio/visual releases but why the hell didn't DC release a Box or a CD celebrating FM&DC collaboration on Time?

Blu ray with the original Videoclip, then the 2019 one, feed from the camera of the musical's premiere. CD with live tracks with Freddie singing on them.... I don't know what Dave Clark is preparing more but even bearing in mind laziness of Queen Productions we have to admit Brian got that one thing right - we didn't get many things that we could've if this project would have been thought through well.

It might be that the song was already fairly complete when Freddie agreed to sing on the soundtrack, so a very early version with adlibs might not have happened.

[QUOTE] [b]emrabt wrote:[/b]

It might be that the song was already fairly complete when Freddie agreed to sing on the soundtrack, so a very early version with adlibs might not have happened.[/QUOTE]

Yes, Dave Clark had already composed the song when he proposed it to Freddie to sing. I think it's useful to remember that this was not Freddie's or Queen's song and the way it was composed, rehearsed and recorded might not be exactly the same as where Freddie or the band were the author.

lol heard the track, Freddie's voice is flawed, it sounds thin and weird in certain places.
way below Queen production standards as a hole...

I think, and it sounds that way, that the piano is actually trying always to make room for Freddie's voice, and the overall vocal track / takes has been given a new treatment. More clear and you can actually hear the breath (listen to the last "for no one"), it's not as muddled as it was below all the backing track, choirs and so on. Volumes are top notch here. You have to remember, this is totally different sound engineers team working on Freddie's vocal. Queen Production standards ? Anyone remembers auto-tuning on Fairy Feller's Master Stroke live 74'? If that is the standard of Queen Productions then thank God DC's team didn't step down to that level.

Agreed, it is the rawness of his voice that touches you, it isn't perfect but it feels so real and full

This is definitely the version that appears on the original 1986 single/Freddie Mercury album, but it has some different vocals in the middle section, and no last verse. There's a bit of autotune in there for good measure, just a touch though, to keep up with 2019 production standards even though I don't agree with it.

I love hearing the vocal with just this new piano accompaniment, and the rawness of it is really nice in my opinion. That it has been hyped as a new track or unreleased vocal is slightly misleading though.

It's perfectly possible that Freddie did sing it like this during the first take, and gave a performance vocal in the first few takes because of time constraints. Queen were preparing to tour at this time, and promoting A Kind of Magic, so Freddie probably had to get everything done as efficiently as possible.

The interview is funny. Freddie is clearly absolutely hammered in it which is hilarious.

An interesting article.


‘Time Waits For No One’: Freddie Mercury Was “Magical” Says Dave Clark
Published on June 27, 2019

[url]https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/time-waits-for-no-one-freddie-mercury/?fbclid=IwAR3LqrC4qalOw6l1Kzr4vRXGqlXysn6XsN1mDsB0-uBhqOhqAAjrQgPVorw[/url]

Cool article, thanks.
I found this part especially interesting:

“We used to chat a lot about the music we loved, and the best compliment Freddie paid me was when he said, ‘You know that Queen got the idea for “We Will Rock You” from your 1964 song “Bits And Pieces”.’ I asked him how, because that song was only recorded on four track and there was only one track of stamping. But Freddie said, ‘We definitely got the idea from that,’ which was lovely.

[QUOTE] [b]Cyborg wrote:[/b]

Cool article, thanks.
I found this part especially interesting:

“We used to chat a lot about the music we loved, and the best compliment Freddie paid me was when he said, ‘You know that Queen got the idea for “We Will Rock You” from your 1964 song “Bits And Pieces”.’ I asked him how, because that song was only recorded on four track and there was only one track of stamping. But Freddie said, ‘We definitely got the idea from that,’ which was lovely.[/QUOTE]


I've no reason to doubt Dave Clark when he says Freddie told him this, but if it's what Freddie thought of when they were recording the track it's not the same recollection from Brian when he has told his story of the origins of the song.

Maybe we can file that quote along with Noddy Holder recalling how 'Brian came round to my house with a copy of Bohemian Rhapsody and we listened to it and had a kipper tie'

Or something like that.