Hi
I think it is pretty common knowledge that Roger originally wrote Heaven For Everyone for Joan Armatrading to sing, but she didn't like it and so didn't!
Does anyone know;
1) was it going to be a solo song for her?
2) Was she going to sing it, but it still be on a Roger solo or The Cross LP?
3) Do we know if she ever got as far as recording a demo version that may exist somewhere?
4) As she appeared on the A Kind Of Magic LP, does the song originally date from that time, or was it written later by Roger around the time of the Shove It sessions?
Any help would be great!
Cheers
Chris
"Heaven for Everyone" was a track Roger Taylor wrote and tried out with Queen in 1986, although according to some sources it was written with Joan Armatrading in mind to sing it. Whether she turned it down or Taylor withdrew his song is unclear, but it was recorded for his other band The Cross. One night Mercury came to visit The Cross at the studio and after some drinks he gave them ideas of how to sing the song and ended up recording the lead vocals for it. Mercury appeared on the UK version of their album "Shove It" as guest lead vocalist on the song, with Taylor doing backing vocals. The roles were reversed on the single and the American 'Shove It' version. Mercury's vocals were then used for the Made in Heaven release, with a couple of different lines and May singing backing vocals instead of Taylor, with producer David Richards adding several arrangement ideas.
Odd, that the Q version had Brian singing the backing vocals instead of Roger.
Who made that call?
Thanks.
As this intimates that Queen dabbled with it, there's hopefully an early original demo from 86 that may appear one day.
As you say, strange that Brian's backing vocals are so prevelant on the final Queen version; I always thought that it was odd that in the early days it was always Roger's harmonies that were higher in the mix on the studio recordings, but Brian's became more and more prominent as time went on. Annoyng really as the backing vocals are never load enough on any live releases (the Rock Montreal is the best yet for this though)
cmsdrums wrote: Hi
4) As she appeared on the A Kind Of Magic LP, does the song originally date from that time, or was it written later by Roger around the time of the Shove It sessions?
Chris
cmsdrums wrote: Hi
4) As she appeared on the A Kind Of Magic LP, does the song originally date from that time, or was it written later by Roger around the time of the Shove It sessions?
Chris
cmsdrums wrote: Hi
4) As she appeared on the A Kind Of Magic LP, does the song originally date from that time, or was it written later by Roger around the time of the Shove It sessions?
Chris
Thanks!
You mean the voice which says: "don't lose your head", after Freddie throughout the whole song?
...I have always thought it was Rogers voice (sounding a bit strange)...