Queen "Bohemian Rhapsody" The Original Soundtrack

That one has always puzzled me. Coming back from their most successful album worldwide, especially the US, then a massive selling Greatest Hits album and a very credible and successful Bowie collaboration, they give us Body Language! I love the song but I have no idea what they were thinking.

I think they should have gone with Calling All Girls. A really good fresh sounding production and a big anthemic chorus on that. It would have sounded good on the radio and is still a Queen sound, but different. I know they released it as a single later in the US, but the damage was done.

 

From @QueenVault

1. 20th Century Fox Theme: This is a fun curiosity and the perfect way to start the soundtrack (and presumably the movie). Sounds really good with headphones. You’re not going to have this on heavy rotation, but again, it’s fun.
2. Somebody To Love: Album Version – 2011 remaster
3. Doing All Right… revisisted: This was the track I was most looking forward to. First verses sung by Roger. Middle verses are a mix of new Tim Staffell vocals followed by classic Tim Staffell vocals. Final verses sung by Brian, sounds double tracked. Instrumentally, it sounds like a mix of new performance with the classic Smile and Queen versions? I have to listen to this more closely to really get my head around it. Regardless of how it’s composited, I really think this one works. A highlight for me; I assume it will be for others on this forum as well?
4. Keep Yourself Alive (Live At The Rainbow 74): From the March ’74 concert. Judging by the time of 3:56, I assumed this was simply one of the edits that appeared on the 2014 US Hollywood Records promo CD. Of course, this isn’t the case. Another song version for you collectors out there! Details below:
- Album (Fairy Feller ending): “I’ll tell you what, it’s time you all joined in, everybody. And I know you know the words to this one. All you’ve got to do is clap along, sing along the choruses. It’s called….
- Album (KYA intro): Keep Yourself Alive!
- US Promo Single Version: “And I know you know the words to this one. All you’ve got to do is clap along, sing along the choruses. It’s called Keep Yourself Alive!”
- Soundtrack Version: “I’ll tell you what, it’s time you all joined in, everybody. It’s called Keep Yourself Alive!”
5. Killer Queen: Album Version – 2011 Remaster
6. Fat Bottomed Girls (Live In Paris 79): This is from one of the three nights Queen played Paris in 1979 (definitely not night two, FBG wasn’t played that night). These three concerts ended the European Tour; the third of which was the longest Queen show ever. This is a fantastic performance, recording and mix. This will make everyone want a live Paris release. An unexpected highlight!
7. Bohemian Rhapsody: Album Version – 2011 Remaster
8. Now I’m Here (Live at the Hammersmith Odeon 1975): This version does not include Bob Harris’ intro. It goes from crowd noise straight into Brian’s guitar intro. This version ends after the big drum/guitar ending with some quick crowd noise. This is similar to the version used on the 2011 remaster Bonus EP, but not exactly the same.
9. Crazy Little Thing Called Love: Album Version – 2011 Remaster
10. Love Of My Life (Live at Rock In Rio): A version of this has been released before, on the US George Michael + Queen Somebody To Love cassette single. The cassette version and this soundtrack version are both from the same night. The cassette has a long monologue from Brian with the audience, along with Brian complimenting the audience throughout. For the soundtrack, all of Brian’s interactions with the audience have been removed. The outro on the cassette version goes on a bit longer well, with more banter from Freddie.
11. We Will Rock You (Movie Mix): From 0:00 to 0:51 it’s the album version. 0:52 to 2:09 is live, I believe from Earl’s Court. This is kind of weird, splitting the song like this. From the movie previews, I can see this working well for the purposes of the film, but it’s kind of weird on its own.
12. Another One Bites The Dust: Album Version – 2011 Remaster
13. I Want To Break Free: This is somewhat interesting, at 3:43 in length, this is a different version from both the album and the single mix. Album version is 3:19, single mix is 4:21 and GH2 edit of the single mix is 4:17. So, what’s going on here? From 0:00 to 2:32 this matches the single mix and GH2 mix edit exactly. Then from 2:32 to 3:07 on the single mix (and GH2 edit) there is a synth instrumental, followed by Freddie singing the lyric “but life still goes on…”. This synth part is removed on the soundtrack version. The ending fades out like the GH2 edit. So basically, this is the GH2 single mix edit minus the section from 2:32 to 3:07.
14. Under Pressure: Album Version – 2011 Remaster
15. Who Wants To Live Forever: Album Version – 2011 Remaster
16-20. Live Aid performance: Nice to have this on CD, if only partially. It sounds like a new mix and isn’t as brickwalled as the DVD. It sounds great and we all know the performance is great. Hopefully we get the whole performance sometime. A Record Store Day release would be nice.
21. Don’t Stop Me Now… revisited: A new mix with new guitar parts from Brian, more in line with how the song is performed by Queen now. Someone hypothesized that the drums are made from Roger’s samples on the Spitfire program. Not sure if that is true or not. Regardless, I like the mix. It’s better than the Guitar Version from 2011 but not as good as the original. A good, aggressive alternative.
22. The Show Must Go On: Album Version – 2011 Remaster

QueenOnline Message Board • View topic - Bohemian Rhapsody OST Track List

 

Jesus, Doing All Right and Fat Bottomed Girls have some really bad autotune (especially the latter song's intro, also, once again the drums sound really souped-up)

 

Jesus?

 

I’d swap staying power for Dancer and your there ,!

 

Yeah, i phrased that awkwardly. I meant Jesus as in "Jeez".

 

Hopefully the elongated "CinemaScope" version and,if possible,an original Alfred Newman version. Some folks are hoping after Disney gobbles down Fox,the fanfare will return to the Star Wars films.

 

Mixed bag - not for the die hards but not necessarily for the casuals either....

Intro is nice enough - always great to hear BM go orchestral!
Smile track is...pretty good. Weird to mix old - new. Staffel sounds good

Live aid tracks sound better than the dvd - Montreal bonus section, so that’s a nice surprise. I hope someone who worked on it can talk more in depth about what they did...

 

Quick question for you Queen fans:

Am I right in thinking that there is no large box-set planned for release before Christmas this year? My wife is a huge fan, so the last few years have been pretty good around Xmas time with the various super deluxe boxes. Of course, this soundtrack (and a Blu-Ray of the movie if it is released in time) will definitely be on the shopping list for this year!

 

Seems that way unfortunately. Looks like they'll just be skipping over any releases of 76/77 live shows...A real shame imo.

 

But that was the Orbit mix on Queen Forever. Who knows how the actual May/Taylor mix of that was.

 

You are almost certainly right. Any other Xmas release would surely have been announced by now, and I suppose this season they want all their products tontue in closely with the film.

All fair enough, I suppose. In fact, with all the other re releases that I want to get my hands on this season, my wallet is sort of glad that there isn't a big Queen archive release for this xmas!

If there is a good live boxset next year, I will be delighted.

 

Think that doesn't need confirmation. The original '69 vocals of Tim Staffell and the Queen album version's guitars are clearly there.

 

Thanks for the speedy replies!

Makes sense that they would not want something to clash with the movie. Oh well, at least she got her live fix a few times in Vegas!

 

For those that have the CD, how is the booklet? More movie pictures or have some texts?

 

Concerning the post where I was quoted... the live portion of WWRY is not from Earl's Court. My mistake on that one!

 

Maybe Paris '79?

 

I hope there's more late 1970s Queen live stuff coming in near future. A Live Killers Xtreme set or something.

 

I thought you were referring to the Queen song "Jesus!"

 

"All going down to see the Lord JEEZ."^^

 

Queen at Live Aid would make for a great standalone vinyl release. I'd buy that.

 

Live Assassins? Live murderers? Live serial killers?

 

This soundtrack along with Greta Van Fleet's new album was waiting on my front porch when I just got home. I know what I will be listening to for the next few weeks. Hopefully this soundtrack will whet the appetite for the movie in a couple weeks and it is a worthy biopic/soundtrack that lives up to the Queen name.

 

Coming in February. Probably ties in with the dvd/Blu Ray release of the film

 

.....didn’t read tube post properly; the soundtrack, including the incomplete live aid set, is due February