<The Show Must Go On

 

Home Up Jo Burt The Show Must Go On The Fan Club Bohemians In The World Of Gaga Zac Vincent Gary Mullen and The Works Jeff Scott Soto The SAS Band Hiding in Public

This page is dedicated to a selection of those who have worked with Queen musically or recorded cover versions of their material. 

See also Teo Torriatte  

THE SHOW MUST GO ON 

(Single cover design)

 

Tim Staffell - 'Amigo' - 2003

From the lead singer of the pre-Queen group 'Smile' (more here), a blues-based album, with Brian on guitar and vocals for 'Earth', a wistful and melodic Smile song, and a jazzy version of 'Doing All Right', which he originally wrote with Brian as a Smile song but appeared on the first Queen album with Freddie's vocal. Interesting and relaxing! 

In the early concert days, Queen supported Mott the Hoople, whose lead singer was Ian Hunter. (He also sang at the Tribute Concert). Here are details of  a recent collaboration between him and Brian: 

Brian on Ian Hunter Album

Ian Hunter's live CD, featuring Brian May, and Joe Elliot and Mott The Hoople Star, Mick Ralphs, was released on 27 July 05. It’s called ‘The Truth, the Whole Truth Nuttin’ But the Truth’

Brian plays guitar on the Mott the Hoople hit ‘All the Way from Memphis’. Mick Ralphs left Mott the Hoople to form Bad Company with – yes – a certain Mr Paul Rodgers!!!

Brian May with Ian Hunter at London’s Astoria, 28 May 2004

Pic: Phillip Holbrook. From queenconcerts.com

The King's Singers

Here's an a cappella group who are familiar from my youth - although none of the original line-up are there today. Their 2005 DVD 'From Byrd to The Beatles' contains a version of 'Seaside Rendezvous' using kazoos (Youtube clip): 

 

 

 

 

Killer Queen Tribute Album, 2005

Review: 

Constantine, Jason Mraz, Sum 41 Bow To Queen For Tribute LP
Disc also features Flaming Lips, Gavin DeGraw, Joss Stone.

by Jon Wiederhorn

When My Chemical Romance and the Used collaborated earlier this year on a version of Queen and David Bowie's 1982 hit "Under Pressure," they had no idea they'd wind up inspiring Queen's label to kick-start a long-discussed Queen tribute album. But when the single debuted at #54 on the Billboard Hot 100, the staff at Hollywood Records started buzzing.

"It proved that a cover version of a Queen song could be a big hit," says Geoffrey Weiss, vice president of A&R at the label. "The combination of that and the fact that Queen were planning a tour made us go, 'OK, now's the time to do this.' "

Killer Queen: A Tribute to Queen comes out Tuesday and features 16 artists from a variety of genres, including R&B, pop, rock, punk, alternative and metal. Highlights include Jason Mraz doing "Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy," Shinedown tackling "Tie Your Mother Down," Joss Stone taking on "Under Pressure," Sum 41 nailing "Killer Queen," and "American Idol" contestant Constantine Maroulis and the Flaming Lips performing radically different versions of "Bohemian Rhapsody."

The Maroulis track, performed with the London cast of the Queen musical "We Will Rock You," is faithful to the original and similar to the one Maroulis performed on "American Idol. The track will be the first song on the disc to go to radio. The Flaming Lips' take on the tune, by contrast, is more haunting and textural, filled with layered keyboard effects, wobbly guitars and demented vocals.

"We really attempted it in a full-force Flaming Lips behemoth production style," singer Wayne Coyne said. "We recorded 100 tracks of our beloved pedal steel guitar and 100 guitar overdubs for the music, and for the vocals we stacked all these crazy harmonies. We wanted to add different layers that people might expect from us, but we tried hard not to change the fundamental nature of the song."

About a week after the Flaming Lips submitted their version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" Weiss got a call from Constantine's management saying he was interested in performing the track for the record, and because of his mainstream visibility, Weiss gave him the thumbs up. "I thought having the two versions is kind of poetic as well," Weiss said. "That the same Queen song can appeal to everyone from 'American Idol' to the Flaming Lips speaks a great deal about the range of the band's music."

Weiss started hunting down acts for Killer Queen in November and within weeks had generated a strong roster of musicians. Gavin DeGraw was the first to hand in a song, submitting his soulful version of "We Are the Champions" in January. Others took far longer. Joss Stone and Jon Brion turned in "Under Pressure" and "Play the Game," respectively, in June as the album was being mastered, and Antigone Rising, who did "Fat Bottomed Girls," didn't finish the legal paperwork until the last minute. Then there was Macy Gray, who finished recording but didn't complete the contract forms in time, and had to be left off the album.

"When you're going after artists who have careers and are working hard, it's not anyone's number one priority to contribute to a tribute album, and we didn't have years to do it," Weiss said. "So dealing with timetables and working around people's schedules was the biggest problem."

Fortunately, many felt such a kinship with the project that they found time for it. And, because of their immense respect for the material, most of the artists went above and beyond to live up to the challenge. Jason Mraz, for example, layered delicate piano, bobbing bass, gliding strings and mellifluous vocal harmonies for his take on "Good Old Fashioned Loverboy."

"To me, Queen represented real variety as well as world-class professionalism," he said in a statement. "They were the musicians' musicians, and because of their insight, they were often seeing their finely detailed recordings soar over the heads of their listeners, because in essence what they did was perfect."

Sum 41 worked hard to capture the drama, dynamics and heaviness of "Killer Queen," but perhaps the most impressive aspect of their performance is Deryck Whibley's spot-on sophisticated vocals, which are a major departure for the pop-punk prankster.

"The biggest impact Queen has had in our music is structure of songs," he said in a statement. "They've always had crazy structures, but still the songs have great flow. It proves that [a song] doesn't have to be typical to work."

Other songs on Killer Queen include "Stone Cold Crazy" by Eleven with Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme, "Death on Two Legs" by Rooney, "Who Wants to Live Forever" by Breaking Benjamin and "Bicycle Race" by Be Your Own Pet.

 

From Vh1.com

Here is a live version of 'Under Pressure' by Joss Stone:


JAMIE MOSES - THE UNTOLD STORY

In July 2007, I interviewed Jamie for the Queen Fan Club magazine. I took this picture at the party commemorating Jacky's 25 years of running the Fan Club. I managed to speak to Jamie after the gig about doing an interview, and, after exchanging a few e-mails (although he put one of mine in his 'trash' folder, and then acted like I was supposed to be grateful that he'd pulled it out - AHEM), he phoned me the last Saturday of July.  I was quite nervous because I'd never done anything like this before, and when the phone finally rang, my daughter stopped asking when 'this guy was going to ring' and I stopped pacing up and down! There was a pin-drop silence!  

As for an untold story, there isn't one really, because there's not much more about our conversation that I'm going to write about here, as it was all done for the mag. But Jamie talked a great deal - especially about Hendrix - and was altogether wonderful - I have a fair amount on tape that I couldn't use. (This includes some incriminating evidence about one of his musical activities in the seventies.

He was so down-to-earth and I couldn't believe how well it went. I also couldn't believe I was doing it, because, less than three years before, I hadn't even known who Jamie was! But if, in the printed interview, I managed to capture the spirit of this guy, his passion for the guitar and his joy about being where he is, I succeeded in my task! I did the interview to coincide with Brian's 60th birthday, but the idea was originally put into my head by David Holland of 'Hiding in Public'. Jamie sings and plays guitar on their tracks and you can download any of their songs at the following link:

http://www.hidinginpublic.com/songs

The interview can be viewed here:

http://web.mac.com/jamiemoses1/Jamie_Moses/QFC_Interview.html

World Premiere of 'Queen Guitar Rhapsodies'

On November 19 2008, at the end of a classical guitar recital at University College London, Carlos Bonell performed songs from 'Queen Guitar Rhapsodies' for the first time. He played 'Lily of the Valley', 'Who Wants To Live Forever', 'Nevermore' and 'Love Of My Life'. David Young, who had worked on the guitar arrangements, was in the audience. I also attended and really enjoyed witnessing the rendition of Queen songs in another, unique milieu. Here are a couple of pictures at the end of the recital!

 

For more information on 'Queen Guitar Rhapsodies', see my review

Update, September 2009: Here are a few words written by Brian about Carlos, together with a link to a youtube clip of Carlos playing 'Love of my Life':

www.brianmay.com/brian/ brianssb/brianssbsep09a.html# 07

 

Dream Theater Cover Versions of 'Tenement Funster'/'Flick of the Wrist'/'Lily of the Valley'

Brilliantly done for 2009, these versions of three consecutive songs from the 'Sheer Heart Attack' album - a revival of early Queen compositions which I well remember!

 

 

Gary Schutt's 'Bohemian Rhapsody'

Check out this cover version from a highly talented musician who's worked with Jeff Scott Soto. 

www.shutupproductions.com/BohemianRhapsody.mp3

Dec 09: Brian has participated in a single in aid of 'Children In Need': a cover of 'All You Need Is Love' by 'Bandaged Together'. I notice that Hayley Westenra is also participating. Here is the youtube footage:

 

Info on availability here: 

http://www.bandaged.org.uk/

 

 My writing and pictures: © bohemia-place.net 2007-08-09

Home Up Jo Burt The Show Must Go On The Fan Club Bohemians In The World Of Gaga Zac Vincent Gary Mullen and The Works Jeff Scott Soto The SAS Band Hiding in Public