Hollywood RecordsA new Queen compilation gathering together the six radio sessions that the legendary rockers recorded for the BBC between February 1973 and October 1977 will be released as a two-CD set, three-LP vinyl package and digital download on November 4. Queen On Air — The Complete BBC Sessions will feature 24 tracks, including a performance of the band’s debut single, “Keep Yourself Alive,” and a rare fast rendition of the classic hit “We Will Rock You.”
Queen’s first BBC session took in February 1973, five months before the release of the group’s self-titled debut album. The band subsequently recorded sessions in July 1973, December 1973, April 1974, October 1974 and October 1977. At that final BBC performance, Queen showcased songs from its then-brand-new album, News of the World, including “Spread Your Wings” and two versions of “We Will Rock You.” The aforementioned fast version of “We Will Rock You” from the session is the only known studio recording of the band’s sped-up take on the song.
Meanwhile, a six-CD Collector’s Edition of Queen On Air also will be available. In addition to the two discs containing the band’s six BBC sessions, the deluxe package includes a CD of live performances that were broadcast on U.K. radio, plus three other CDs featuring interviews with Queen’s Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon on various BBC shows from 1976 through 1992.
The live disc features select songs from three Queen concerts — a September 13, 1973 show in London; a March 20, 1981, performance in São Paulo, Brazil; and a June 21, 1986, gig in Mannheim, Germany.
You can order and check out more details about Queen On Air — The Complete BBC Sessions at QueenOnAir.com. Here is the track list for the two-CD version of the compilation:
CD1
Session 1:
“My Fairy King”
“Keep Yourself Alive”
“Doing All Right”
“Liar”
Session 2:
“See What a Fool I’ve Been”
“Keep Yourself Alive”
“Liar”
“Son and Daughter”
Session 3:
“Ogre Battle”
“Modern Times Rock’n’Roll”
“Great King Rat”
“Son and Daughter”
CD2
Session 4:
“Modern Times Rock’n’Roll”
“Nevermore”
“White Queen (As It Began)”
Session 5:
“Now I’m Here”
“Stone Cold Crazy”
“Flick of the Wrist”
“Tenement Funster”
Session 6:
“We Will Rock You”
“We Will Rock You” (Fast)
“Spread Your Wings”
“It’s Late”
“My Melancholy Blues”
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