I don't know if these tracks will ever see the light of day but in my opinion Queen Productions missed an opportunity. I think they should of released some kind of EP/Mini Album of the new Queen (+) 46664 tracks, created a video for a single off it as well and given all profit to the 46664 campaign. I know that Invincible Hope and Amandla are available through link but a physical release would surely of proven to be more successful and would also prove that Queen are still making music and arn't just rehashing their back catalogue. I know I would of preferred this over the Keep Yourself Alive download only single or the WWRY/WATC promo single.
If it was up to me the track list would of been:
1. Invincible Hope
2. 46664 The Call
3. Say Its Not True
4. Amandla
5. Say It's Not True (Live at 46664 The Event)
6. We Will Rock You (From Q+PR Live at 46664)
7. We Are The Champions (from Q+PR Live at 46664}
With Invincible Hope been released as a single as in my opinion is the strongest of the 46664 tracks, with We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions from 46664 The Event featuring Anastasia on vocals as a B-side.
Commercial flop. This is why it won't be released. Freddie's name in the sleeve always helps to get more of the sales, absence of that name in the days when sales of CDs are falling (on about 15% worldwide comparing with 2006) is the guaranteed flop.
A flop? Hardly. #1? Not likely either. Would have done moderate business but I agree with the original poster, a proper release of these tracks is overdue and having the songs gather dust doesn't benefit any person or charity.
Zak Royen wrote: question is: how many copies would they need to sell in order to make the release worthwile?
does anyone have an idea?
Independendent record labels have been known to make profit with pressings of a 1,000 cds, so the actual sales they need to cover their expenses are minimal. It's even less than that considering the recording costs have already been marked as financial losses years ago.
But to make it WORTHWILE for a couple of ex-legends to release these tracks, they would have to sell millions of copies just to prove they are still just as popular and relevant as they ever were with Freddie... And that's just not going to happen.
Adding we will rock you with paul rodgers would be a massive mistake! He forgot the words half way through and made a variety of strange noises instead.Allways makes me laugh though!
Since I've tried to prove my point by some 'facts' that it would be flop, now it's your turn to explain why not.
Well my whole quote also said it wouldn't exactly burn up the charts either.
As for your "facts," well, they were hardly convincing. Since when exactly has the public been able to look *inside* a sleeve to see someone's name before they decided on buying a copy? The absence of Freddie's name from "Return of the Champions" didn't kill that release. Was it #1? No but it still charted at a respectable position.
Perhaps it'd be helpful if you defined what a "commercial flop" is? Certainly if a product makes a profit it's not entirely a flop is it? If it doesn't make the top 10 is it a flop? If that's the case then Queen released quite a few of them *with* Freddie's name in the sleeve and picture on the cover.
The decline of CD sales is without question but that obviously affects every artist in some fashion. Should everyone just stop producing compact discs if there isn't some guarantee of a #1 hit?
In America there are now several ways Billboard uses to determine chart placement...not just sales of physical media but downloads, radio play, etc.
Well, we're getting away from things here.
It's not the Freddie name that sells (need I remind you it wasn't Freddie Mercury + Queen presents "A Night at the Opera") it's "Queen" itself. *That* is what attracts most folks to purchase.
Come on Serry, a charity release from Queen featuring previously unreleased music? You truly think it would be such a failure that it would be a "commercial flop?"
"Come on Serry, a charity release from Queen featuring previously unreleased music? You truly think it would be such a failure that it would be a "commercial flop?""
Yes I do. You have good points in your reply, but I'm still sure it would be flop. Flop in the Queen standards. Otherwise - they would have already released it, by the way. None of any recent Queen releases (Queen Rocks, GH3, ROTC, Milton) have been as successful as they were when Freddie was alive except Made In Heaven. Can you really imagine masses of customers in the markets shouting "Jesus Christ, here's previously unreleased charity tracks by Roger Taylor and Brian May!"? Queen standards are too much high and that release would be much lower them.
Serry... wrote: "Come on Serry, a charity release from Queen featuring previously unreleased music? You truly think it would be such a failure that it would be a "commercial flop?""
Yes I do. You have good points in your reply, but I'm still sure it would be flop. Flop in the Queen standards. Otherwise - they would have already released it, by the way. None of any recent Queen releases (Queen Rocks, GH3, ROTC, Milton) have been as successful as they were when Freddie was alive except Made In Heaven. Can you really imagine masses of customers in the markets shouting "Jesus Christ, here's previously unreleased charity tracks by Roger Taylor and Brian May!"? Queen standards are too much high and that release would be much lower them.
Queen still have standards? Joking aside, the albums you refer to were lame compilations or live albums and those such releases, especially the latter, are never big sellers.
However as I recall, Brian said that they gave those songs to Mandela's 46664 campaign for them to do with as they wish which I assumed meant Queen no longer own the rights to those studio recordings. So perhaps this is all moot.