So I guess this is the official tracklisting for Freddie's 'best of'?

from http://www.queenworld.com/artman/publish/article_426.shtml

[quote]The press release about the fabulous Freddie releases coming soon...

The Very Best of Freddie Mercury Solo.
2 CD Set - 60th Anniversary Special Edition
For Release September 4, 2006




While Freddie Mercury dedicated the major part of his creative energies to the all-consuming project that was Queen, such was his appetite for music that not all of it could be fulfilled within the parameters of Queen. At these times Freddie ventured off into the uncharted new world of solo projects.

This special edition, released September 4, 2006 to celebrate his 60th anniversary, The Very Best of Freddie Mercury Solo, which includes a bonus CD of rare or unheard tracks, highlights those periods when Freddie channelled his inexhaustible love of music into new musical encounters, some intensely personal projects, others providing the excitement of collaborations with writers and performers who fired his imagination.

While most people would think Freddie’s solo career began in 1984 with his Mr. Bad Guy album, it in fact began much earlier - back in 1973, with his cover versions of the Beach Boys’ I Can Hear Music and Goffin-King’s Goin’ Back, released as the A and B sides of his first solo single, released under the name of Larry Lurex. Since the single disappeared without trace, it is not surprising few are aware of this inauspicious start to his solo career. Both are included here.

A number of tracks here come from the official first solo album, Mr. Bad Guy, recorded in 1983/84 in Munich during a period when Freddie was heavily into the club scene in the city. Freddie’s love of the dance music he was surrounded by at the time shows through in tracks such as Love Kills, I Was Born To Love You and Living On My Own (which, remixed in 1994, gave Freddie a posthumous No.1 hit, an Ivor Novello award, and the only No.1 of his solo career).

Freddie’s love of theatre, and great admiration for his first pop idol, Cliff Richard, accounts for the track Time, the title song of Dave Clark’s successful West End musical in which Cliff starred (the show, coincidentally, played at the Dominion Theatre, now the home to Queen’s own smash hit musical, We Will Rock You).

One of the most musically fulfilling periods of Freddie’s life was his musical love affair with Spanish opera diva, Montserrat Caballe. From this unlikely, but magical union, came the tracks Barcelona, which Freddie wrote for Montserrat’s home city and which became the theme for the Olympics, and the high drama of Guide Me Home, and How Can I Go On.

Although Freddie only ever released one true solo album - the Barcelona album excepted - there are reports that he had plans, and, indeed, had started work on a ‘covers’ album. This is widely considered to be the origin of one of his most popular singles, his version of The Platters’ classic The Great Pretender, released first by Freddie in 1987 (when it reached No.4) and subsequently reissued in 1993.

While CD1, with a few exceptions, features mostly versions as originally recorded, the second CD of the set is a feast of rarities and new and unheard remixes. Over half of the tracks featured are 2006 mixes.

In recognition of Freddie’s own passion for new musical adventures and his love of the club music scene, for this release a number of Freddie’s own best loved tracks were handed over to some of today’s most highly regarded up and coming international remixers: Pixel82, The Glimmers, George Demure, Sunshine People, Rank 1, Star Rider, No More Brothers and The Egg, all given an open brief to take Freddie’s original and rework it in their own unique and unpredictable sound and style.

On a more retrospective level, a vocal and piano version of Your Kind of Lover and Freddie’s a cappella delivery of Let’s Turn It On, were selected to give an informal insight into Freddie at work and underline the fact that as well as a unique writer, Freddie

Shame they couldn't have gotton rid of Thierry Lang's Guide Me Home, and replaced it with a remastered copy of the CBS extended promo of Living On My Own that was talked about on here a week or so back.
Wouldn't do to let people have a copy of something they don't have, would it?

And as for those modern remixes.... Not interested.

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]freddie lives wrote: [/QUOTENAME]And as for those modern remixes.... Not interested.
[/QUOTE]

But just think of what a great way to celebrate the best of Freddie's music. Who needs the orginal versions when we can have shitty remixes.

Well done QP, another great and wonderful release!!! ( get the irony...)

I don't object to the odd remix here and there, but a whole disc seems disproportionate, even allowing for the fact that a couple of them are original.

How much of this music is actually as Freddie ever heard it?

And Thierry Lang? Don't fucking get me started...

AHH! WHAT is with the SIX versions of Love Kills!!

I would have to:
a. get drunk
b. high on drugs
c. go severly mad

... to buy this album

Ah, yes... a bonus disc with "RARITIES"!

Fuck that

...and I see that, despite Brian's denial, it's going to get that CRAP sleeve afterall...!?

Some of the best rarities, for which we fans bought the FM box years ago, are now planned on this release? What a rip off!

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]jeroen wrote: [/QUOTENAME]...and I see that, despite Brian's denial, it's going to get that CRAP sleeve afterall...!?[/QUOTE]

Again, Brian was not denying that sleeve, but one from a Russian bootleg of the same name that some online stores were displaying instead.

http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Venue/4285/albums/merverbest.gif

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]Wilki Amieva wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Again, Brian was not denying that sleeve, but one from a Russian bootleg of the same name that some online stores were displaying instead.

http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Venue/4285/albums/merverbest.gif [/QUOTE]

Correct title of that release is "Freddie Mercury. The Very Best". It contains 18 tracks (2 Queen's). But - first of all - it's not Russian, but Bulgarian release (it was released in the first half of 90s) and cover was copied from "Remixes" album. Therefore Brian should complain about Parlophone, not about pirates, IMHO...

Well, regardless of what cover Brian may or may not have been in denial about, today he has issued a statement claiming he and Roger have "NOTHING whatever to do" with Freddie's solo releases, due to something with his estate.
http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbjul06.html#22

Hmm. So he's received enough negative feedback to disown it? I really think he's passing the buck there. Remember him stating how "WE" are planning things to honor Freddie's birthday? How he bragged about hearing the songs being remastered with Justin Shirley Smith? This doesn't sound like zero involvement to me.

Freddie's estate may have final approval (as it should be) but I'm certain Queen Productions are who handles the planning and production of these things.

Hi Mikahl

I had the same thought as you that Brian seems to be distancing himself after seeing some of the negative feedback. Reading his comments again however it seems that Brian actually says that it is the promotion and "handling" of the solo stuff which he and Roger have no say over. It seems that he has at least some kind of involvement in the mixing as he was present during Justin's recent mixing sessions, but probably isn't allowed to dictate as to what is released and in what form. As Jim Beach is a trustee of Freddie's estate, it's a shame that he doesn't (or can't) privately ask Brian what he thinks would be worthy of release, and then present it to Mary Austin etc.. as his own idea.

Now that Brian has raised it, I'd kill to know what clauses are in the estate papers - eg are none of Queen allowed to have anything to do with Freddie's solo material, and if so was this Freddie's decision, or one made by the trustees afterwards???

[QUOTE][QUOTENAME]cmsdrums wrote: [/QUOTENAME]Hi Mikahl

I had the same thought as you that Brian seems to be distancing himself after seeing some of the negative feedback. Reading his comments again however it seems that Brian actually says that it is the promotion and "handling" of the solo stuff which he and Roger have no say over. It seems that he has at least some kind of involvement in the mixing as he was present during Justin's recent mixing sessions, but probably isn't allowed to dictate as to what is released and in what form. As Jim Beach is a trustee of Freddie's estate, it's a shame that he doesn't (or can't) privately ask Brian what he thinks would be worthy of release, and then present it to Mary Austin etc.. as his own idea.

Now that Brian has raised it, I'd kill to know what clauses are in the estate papers - eg are none of Queen allowed to have anything to do with Freddie's solo material, and if so was this Freddie's decision, or one made by the trustees afterwards???[/QUOTE]
It must be made back then.
Remember, for instance, that Freddie had a different business for all his solo-stuff as well as a different recordcompany.