MERCURY'S PRIZE
Record Collector,
November 2000, Issue 255
18 MONTHS OF INTENSE WORK WENT INTO THE HUGE DEFINITIVE SOLO FREDDIE BOX SET, AS THE PROJECT'S ARCHIVIST GREG BROOKS REPORTS.
When Freddie Mercury died in November 1991, he left a body of work spanning 20 years. The bulk of his archive naturally relates to the 15 studio LPs and 700 live concerts recorded with Queen, but Freddie also recorded two solo albums, several non-album singles, and guest appearances on numerous projects by friends. Add to this the material he produced, co-produced and co-wrote for other artists, and the legacy becomes far larger and more diverse than you'd expect.
Though Freddie recorded the acclaimed "Barcelona" album with opera
diva Montserrat Caballe in 1988, the "Mr Bad Guy" LP from three years
earlier remains his only true solo album. However, this relatively small output
belies a significant volume of out-takes and rarities, which until now have
remained unheard. This month sees the release of an extensive, long awaited,
"Freddie Mercury Solo" box set. Conceived as the definitive
collection, the 128-track, 12-disc collection (10 CDs, 2 DVDs) has emerged after
18 months' painstaking work. as just that.
I have spent the last 10 months working on the project. My initial brief was to catalogue the hundreds of Queen tapes in the band's archive, but when the Freddie box set was proposed, I focused exclusively on Freddie's solo material until I had heard and catalogued every tape - and I do mean every tape.
We scrutinised every reel from beginning to end - you just never know what might be lurking on the end of the spool, as not every track was listed on the boxes.
Some of the tracks in the CD collection (particularly on the three "Rarities" discs) are just brief extracts from sessions, sometimes less than a minute long. Very often I would listen through an hour's worth of tape only to end up with a 45-second snippet of amusing dialogue.
On "Rarities 2", there is a lovely extract where Freddie and Mike Moran are jamming together. One moment Freddie is ad-libbing like a man possessed, and the next, he slips into a beautiful, soulful Aretha Franklyn-esque piece. It was the perfect ending to the disc.
Recording engineer Justin Shirley-Smith comments: "It was strange hearing the 'late night jam'. I was there at the original session, and I never thought I'd ever hear it again. It was material like this that was the biggest challenge. I think Freddie would have approved it for release. We didn't want any tracks to be featured which Freddie might not have approved of. On the other hand, this being a fan-driven project, we wanted to include as much material as possible. Consequently, there has been a certain amount of studio trickery to enable us to present some material which might otherwise have been left off."
Listening through every tape was an exhaustive process. We needed to be sure that we wouldn't find something relevant to this collection, years down the line when it was too late. This is Freddie Mercury's musical legacy we're talking about here, so we gave it all the time it deserved. Justin Shirley-Smith and I were extra careful not to miss anything.
Another significant aspect is the top-quality p
ackaging.
Queen art director Richard Gray has done a superb job on the 120-page-book. The
illustrations of rare Freddie solo releases from around the world come from
Brian May's own collection, and there are some great and very rare photographs
which fans won't have seen before.
One of the DVDs features an interactive experience, which gives the user the ability to walk through a virtual picture gallery of the FM photo exhibition and click on any one of the photos hanging on the walls. All the while, a selection of newly-recorded piano versions of Freddie's songs plays in the background.
Also included are some of Freddie's original college sketches and paintings, plus a huge appraisal of Freddie by music journalist Sean O'Hagan. All these elements give a very personal feel to the package. While the project is orientated to Freddie's solo career, there are, of course, numerous references to Queen throughout - not least, of course, the moving introduction that Brian May has written for the book, detailing ground not covered before. I think Freddie would have appreciated it.
Disc 1: "MR BAD GUY"
Let's Turn It On
/ Made In Heaven / I Was Born To Love You / Foolin' Around / Your Kind Of Lover
/ Mr Bad Guy / Man Made Paradise / There Must Be More To Life Than This / Living
On My Own / My Love Is Dangerous / Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow
This
is Freddie's 1985 solo album, digitally remastered at Abbey Road. The extended
versions and non-album B-sides that the LP generated are included on disc 4.
Disc 2: "BARCELONA"
Barcelona / La
Japonaise / The Fallen Priest / Ensueno / The Golden Boy / Guide Me Home / How
Can I Go On / Overture Piccante
Again, 1988's duet album with Montserrat Caballe has been digitally remastered
at Abbey Road.
Disc 3: "THE GREAT PRETENDER"
The Great
Pretender (Brian Malouf Remix) / Foolin' Around (Steve Brown Remix) / Time (Nile
Rodgers Remix) / Exercises In Free Love / In My Defence (Ron Nevison Remix) / Mr
Bad Guy (Brian Malouf Remix) / Let's Turn It On (Jeff Lord-Alge Remix) / Living
On My Own (Julian Raymond Remix) / My Love Is Dangerous (Jeff Lord-Alge Remix) /
Love Kills (Richard Wolf Remix).
This
US-only remix album, issued in 1992 on Hollywood.
Disc 4: "THE SINGLES (1973 - 1985)"
I Can Hear Music
(by Larry Lurex, 1973) / Goin' Back (by Larry Lurex, 1973 B-side) / Love Kills
(1984 Single Version) / Love Kills (Extended Version / I Was Born to Love You
(1985 Extended Version) / Stop All The Fighting (1985 non-album B-side) / Stop
All The Fighting (Extended version) / Made In Heaven (original 1985 Extended
Version) / She Blows Hot And Cold (1985 non-album B-side) / She Blows Hot And
Cold (Extended Version) / Living On My Own/ My Love Is Dangerous / Love Me Like
There's No Tomorrow / Let's Turn It On (1985 Extended Version).
Covering
Freddie's single releases from the pseudonymous 1973 Larry Lurex single - which
makes its long-awaited official CD debut here - through to "Love
Kills" in 1984, and the "Mr Bad Guy" sessions, much of this
material makes its CD debut. The extended cuts of "Stop All The
Fighting" and "She Blows Hot And Cold" have become collector's
items over the years, and, like most of the material here, benefit enormously
from the digital transfer to CD. These cleaned-up recordings sound significantly
different to the familiar vinyl versions. Peter Mew at Abbey Road, who mastered
nearly everything on this box (and cleaned up some of the noisier recordings),
has done a stunning job - just listen to the "Bad Guy" extended mixes.
Disc 5: "THE SINGLES (1986 - 1993)"
Time (1986
Single Version) / Time (1986 Extended Version) / Time (Instrumental) / In My
Defence (1986 Album Version) / The Great Pretender (original 1987 Single
Version) / The Great Pretender (Extended Version) / Exercises In Free Love (1987
non-album B-side) / Barcelona (1987 Single Version) / Barcelona (Extended
Version) / How Can I Go On (1989 Single Version) / Living On My Own (1993 No
More Brothers Extended Mix) / Living On My Own (1993 Radio Mix) / Living On My
Own (1993 Club Mix) / Living On My Own (1993 Underground Solutions Mix / Roger S
Mix).
Opening
with Freddie's performance of "Time", from Dave Clark's 1986 musical
of the same name, this collection charts the single releases from 1987's
"Great Pretender" single, on to the "Barcelona" album, and
concludes with a selection of "Living On My Own" remixes of 1993 - we
thought it would be tedious to include all eight versions. this is a good
representation.
Disc 6: "THE INSTRUMENTALS (1985 - 1988)"
Barcelona / La
Japonaise / The Fallen Priest / Ensueno / The Golden Boy / Guide Me Home / How
Can I Go On / Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow / Made In Heaven / Mr Bad Guy /
There Must Be More To Life Than This / In My Defence / The Great
Pretender.
Providing an intriguing musical interlude, this carefully
selected set of 13 instrumentals is a fascinating insight into familiar songs
which, with the vocals removed, sound startlingly unfamiliar. Moreover,
for the first time, we can listen without distraction to the piano virtuosity of
Freddie Mercury and Mike Moran.
Disc 7: "RARETIES1: THE MR BAD GUY SESSIONS"
Let's Turn It On (A Cappella)
/ Made In Heaven (Alternative Version) / I Was Born To Love You (Vocal &
Piano Version) / Foolin' Around (Early Version) / Foolin' Around (original 1985
Unreleased 12" mix) / Foolin' Around (Instrumental) / Your Kind Of Lover
(Early Version) / Your Kind Of Lover (Vocal & Piano Version) / Mr Bad Guy
(Orchestra Out-takes) / Mr Bad Guy (Early Version) / There Must Be More to Life
Than This (Piano Out-takes) / Living On My Own (Hybrid Edit: Early/Later
Versions) / Love Is Dangerous (Early Version) / Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow
(Early Version) / Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow ( 2nd Early Version: Extract)
/ Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow (3rd Early Version: Extract) / Love Me Like
There's No Tomorrow (Live take) / She Blows Hot and Cold (Alternative Version
featuring Brian May) / Gazelle (Demo) / Money Can't Buy Happiness (Demo) / Love
Makin' Love (Demo) / God Is Heavy (Demo) / New York (Demo).
This disc comprises out-takes, alternative versions and
demo recordings from the "Mr Bad Guy" sessions. Where possible, we
tried to offer examples of every stage of a song's development. For me, these
three discs are the most interesting and significant part of the box. Although
the multiple versions may frustrate some listeners, there is logic behind
it.
When we
were playing through all the different takes of songs like
"Barcelona", "The Fallen Priest" and "Foolin'
Around", I was having a really hard time trying to whittle the shortlist
down even further. It struck me that if all versions 'stood up', and were valid
independently of the others, then each track should feature on the CD. I hated
the idea of leaving off a wonderful, rare version of something, just because we
already had two other renditions. At the back of my mind always was the thought
that any Freddie out-takes that did not make the final track listing, would
probably never see the light of day. I didn't want to waste opportunities.
Beside that, I had to justify every track shortlisted. Justin
Shirley-Smith was the much needed voice of reason behind the final track
listing, and we discussed every single track and extract on all discs, before
moving on to the next stage - Queen's manager Jim Beach. After we'd finalised
our shortlist, Peter Freestone, Freddie's personal assistant, came up with a
cassette recording of the very first night Freddie and Montserrat Caballe worked
together, at Freddie's house. The tape was amazing, so of course we wanted to
represent that too.
Each of the three "Rarities" discs contains a full
70-minute programme of rare material. Much of it will surprise people - even
Freddie's biggest fans. The recordings are totally unpredictable, particularly
the unfinished demo recordings and the "Barcelona" out-takes. Some of
the ad-libbed, scatted stuff that Freddie sings is just extraordinary. When you
first hear him performing his falsetto vocal 'impression' of Montserrat (which
he recorded as a guide vocal for her), you really believe that you're listening
to the diva herself. Freddie sings his own parts of the verses, and then slips
into Montserrat mode as if it were the most natural thing in the world. It is
extremely impressive.
One of the most enjoyable things about the box is the humour
- an example of Freddie's sense of fun is never more than a track or two away.
For me, that was an essential ingredient and I thought that some of the stuff I
tentatively shortlisted would be thrown out immediately. Luckily, people loved
it. The late-night jam featured at the close of "Rarities 2" is surely
one of the funniest recordings of a rock legend ever taped. I really think such
things are the kind of out-take that Freddie would have approved of us using. We
always had in the back of our minds the concept of Freddie leaving the explicit
instructions that whatever product was put out after he was gone, the most
important consideration as far as he was concerned, was that he should never be
portrayed as boring.
Disc 8: "RARITIES 2: THE BARCELONA SESSIONS"
The
Duet (The Fallen Priest) (Extract from Garden Lodge Tape) / Idea (Barcelona)
(Extract from Garden Lodge Tape) / Idea (Barcelona) (Extract From Garden Lodge
tape) / Barcelona (Early Version: Freddie's Demo Vocal) / Barcelona (Freddie's
Vocal Slave) / Barcelona (Later Version: Freddie's Vocal) / La Japonaise (Early
Version: Freddie's Demo Vocal) / La Japonaise (A Cappella) / Rachmaninov's
Revenge (The Fallen Priest) (Early Version) / Rachmaninov's Revenge (The Fallen
Priest) (Later Version: Freddie's Demo Vocal) / Ensueno (Montserrat's Live
Takes) / The Golden Boy (Early Version: Freddie's Demo Vocal) / The Golden Boy
(2nd Early Version) / The Golden Boy (A Cappella featuring Gospel Choir) / Guide
Me Home / How Can I Go On (Alternative Versions) / How Can I Go On (Out-take:
Extract) / How Can I Go On (Alternative Piano Version) / When This Tired Old
Body Wants To Sing (Late Night Jam).
Comprising out-takes, alternative versions and demo
recordings, this disc features some very rare and enigmatic material - including
some lovely pieces featuring Montserrat Caballe from the so-called 'Garden
Lodge' tape (Garden Lodge was Freddie's home in Kensington). Perhaps most
significantly, some of these versions contain entire verses of lyrics which
Freddie later discarded, notably "The Fallen Priest". Fans familiar
with the original album will enjoy spotting them. there are numerous examples
throughout.
Disc 9: "RARITIES 3: OTHER SESSIONS"
Rain (Ibex, live 9th
September 1969) / Green (Wreckage rehearsal October 1969) / The Man From
Manhattan (Eddie Howell, 1976) / Love Is The Hero (12" Version)
(collaboration with Billy Squier, 1986) / Hold On (duet with Jo Dare, 1986) /
Heaven For Everyone (The Cross Version: Freddie Vocal, 1988) / Love Kills (Rock
Mix) / Love Kills (Instrumental) / The Great Pretender (Demo) / Holding On
(Demo) / It's So You (Demo) / I Can't Dance (Demo) / Keep Smilin' (Demo) / Horns
Of Doom (Demo) / Yellow Breezes (Demo) / Have A Nice Day (Fan Club Message).
Covering a myriad of periods in Freddie's career, this
diverse collection of tracks contains some unexpected surprises. The Cross
version of "Heaven For Everyone" (with Freddie replacing Roger's
vocal, as featured on the "Shove It" album in 1988) is very different
to that on the final Queen album ("Made In Heaven", 1995), and the
Billy Squier material, although now a little dated, finds Freddie in stunning
form. This disc also takes in Freddie's earliest recordings with two pre-Queen
bands (Ibex and Wreckage), the 1986 Jo Dare duet (issued on the '86 German film
soundtrack, "Zabou"), and a half-dozen demo recordings from the
"Barcelona" sessions. There are some intriguing insights here.
Fans are bound to rue the absence of the Michael Jackson
material, which he and Freddie recorded in 1983 ("There Must Be More To
Life Than This", "State Of Shock" and "Victory").
Unfortunately, that was the only material we couldn't get permission to use for
this project.
Disc 10: "THE DAVID WIGG INTERVIEWS"
During 1979 and 1987, Freddie gave eight interviews to journalist David Wigg, though these did not, as is commonly believed, include his last interview. This disc represents the highlights from those conversations. Freddie discusses his public and personal life, his relationships, money, family, friends, and other subjects he rarely discussed with anyone else. He clearly trusted David Wigg, which is why he always talked so candidly. These extracts are both funny and poignant. Again we see another side of Freddie.
The DVDs
In addition to the
nine audio discs and the interview CD, the Freddie solo box breaks new ground
for an archive collection by a major artist including two DVDs. The first is a
collection of Freddie's solo videos ("The Great Pretender", "I
Was Born To Love You", "Time", "How Can I Go On",
"Made In Heaven", "Living On My Own", "The Golden
Boy", The Great Pretender", (Extended Version), "Barcelona",
"In My Defence"), which were painstakingly remixed in SurroundSound;
it also features interviews with the directors who worked on Freddie's solo
clips. The other is a fascination two-hour documentary about Freddie's life:
Freddie Mercury: The Untold Story.
For this stunning piece of work, director Rudi Dolezal went back to
Freddie's birthplace in Zanzibar to recreate Freddie's childhood years. Although
I had reservations about this concept, when I saw the finished cut, I was
staggered. The child who plays the young Freddie Mercury (or Farrokh Bulsara)
looks so much like him, it's chilling. I remember watching and wondering how
Freddie's parents must have felt, seeing this little boy, their little boy, on
screen. It must have been a shock. There is a section where Freddie's first band
(the Hectics) are playing live on stage in the school hall, which is just
incredible. Recreations like that were such ambitious things to undertake, but
they work brilliantly well. The DoRo team also recreated a group photograph of
the Hectics, and again, it looks totally convincing.