William Orbit is overseeing songs for probable pre-Christmas release
William Orbit has confirmed he is producing Queen’s new album based on unreleased vocals by late singer Freddie Mercury.
Orbit announced the news in a tweet which said: “Am definitely working with QUEEN. Amazing songs. That’s all I’m saying for now. Watch this space.”
Queen guitarist Brian May confirmed in May that he and drummer Roger Taylor were working on the album, which is likely to be called ‘Queen Forever’ and is believed to be released before Christmas.
“We had to start from scratch,” May told BBC Radio Wales of the new recording sessions. “Knowing how it would have happened if we'd finished the songs, I can sit there and make it happen with modern technology. It's quite emotional. It's the big, big Queen ballads and the big, big epic sound." May added that Mercury’s vocals for the album were recorded in the 1980s.
Orbit, who has produced Blur, Madonna and Britney Spears, previously announced in July 2013 that he was producing a duet between Mercury and Michael Jackson, which is likely to feature on the new Queen album.
Mercury and Jackson recorded three unreleased songs during the sessions for Jackson’s classic 1982 album ‘Thriller’. The three songs were subsequently re-recorded, but not as Jackson/Mercury duets. ‘Victory’ and ‘State Of Shock’ were sung by The Jacksons on their 1984 album ‘Victory’, with ‘State Of Shock’ featuring Mick Jagger singing what would have been Mercury’s vocals. ‘There Must Be More To Life Than This’ is on Mercury’s 1985 solo album ‘Mr Bad Guy’. Jackson and Mercury’s demo of ‘State Of Shock’ can be heard below. It isn’t known which of the three songs will feature on the new album.
The new album will be Queen’s second to feature vocals based on unreleased Mercury vocals since the singer’s death in 1991. ‘Made In Heaven’, released in 1995, featured bassist John Deacon, but he has since left the band and won’t feature on the new album.
Queen have also released an album, 2008’s ‘The Cosmos Rocks’, featuring Free’s Paul Rodgers as singer. Rodgers left in 2009, with American Idol winner Adam Lambert Queen’s vocalist since 2012. link
Russian Headlong wrote:
oh dear, expect a load of lightweight dance pop shit, hardly surprising after the ridiculous recruitment of Lambert, the C-lebrity.
Oh Jesus, why don't you relax a little bit? Orbit is not that bad. He didn't work only with Madonna, but also worked with Blur and the results were interesting, even though it was their most experimental record. I don't think Queen will allow him to mess up with the tracks too much though, so don't you worry.
I think there will be some type of album in late November, December is more likely. Comments from orbit, May, Taylor plus Adam Lambert said Queen are releasing a new album late this year of unreleased Freddie songs and reworked stuff. Lambert announced it on stage at msg. The one thing that people are wondering whether the Jackson songs are gonna be on this album? Now that we know orbit is involved with this album I would think the answer is yes. Perhaps only the one song Freddie wrote would be allowed on. The other two Jackson tunes might be blocked because of Jackson's estate.
Jazz 78 wrote:
It says Deacon won't "feature" on this album but were his bass parts recorded from those sessions with Freddie's vocals?
The article is shite. What we do know is what Brian said so far: 1) they all feature on the tracks 2) they had to start from scratch when working on the tracks. I think it's likely that John's parts will be deleted, if deemed to sound not good enough.
winterspelt wrote:
He may be the producer but it doesnt mean that the band will do everything Orbit says.
Queen are not a new band that needs to find their own sound.
within the business William Orbit is well respected because he isnt a yes man.
The band must have felt the need to get someone who could bring something fresh to the studio otherwise they would have turned to their "usual team"
I think William Orbit will just remix tracks taken FROM the album and jazz them up, remember how many countless remixes there were for you don't fool me, and you could make several album's of all of Freddie's stuff that was remixed !