| ern2150 31.12.2008 01:30 |
From listening to tracks on the boxset's website and discussions here and there, the answer would seem to be "not really, but it wasn't completely possible anyway". When I say "Perfect", I mean it really specifically, and I'll explain that in detail for each song. Here are the songs on the boxset that appear on their album segued: White Queen (Father to Son at beginning) Tenement Funster (Flick at end) Flick of the Wrist (Tenement at beginning, Lily at end) Lily of the Valley (Flick at beginning) Tie Your Mother Down (A Day at the Races album intro at beginning) TYMD is easy -- a Perfect unsegued single has been available from day one, on Greatest Hits compilations, etc. I honestly didn't listen to this on the website, but I'm including it here for completion's sake. Tenement Funster is a bit rare. A Perfect unsegued single appeared on the vinyl of Queen's First EP, but they botched the UK 3" CD single and just faded out the album track (meaning you can hear piano from Flick). The Japanese 3" CD single restored the correct version. On the website it sounds like you get the botched "fade out" version (which therefore isn't true to the original vinyl). Flick of the Wrist is rarer than TF and may not exist. Being the middle of a 3-song segue makes it easier to mess up, and unfortunately the most common versions are not quite Perfect. Like Tenement Funster, an album fade was used on the UK 3" CD single (Killer Queen instead of First EP this time) instead of the original vinyl (and Japanese 3" CD single). Even the original vinyl wasn't quite perfect as it starts on the second set of piano bits a few steps down. There's supposedly a Dutch Killer Queen with a Flick that starts on the correct notes but I've never heard it and I'd be fascinated if it had been shared previously. From the site it sounds like you get the not-quite-perfect (but better than the Tenement botch) UK vinyl / Japanese CD single version. Lily of the Valley is so rare it probably doesn't exist. It shares a similar problem with Flick because the most common versions are missing the first set of piano bits (this time in the same key and essentially the same rhythm). The original UK single starts with the second set of piano bits, and this is what the site sounds like. There was a US re-issue that is arguably a botched edit as it includes the last bit of guitar from Flick. So here I say "probably doesn't exist" because there might be an acetate or something out there I'm unaware of. White Queen again probably doesn't exist, but only because I'm being really, really specific. The Queen's First EP version (all editions this time) simply fades into this once the Father to Son business is over. This is what it sounds like on the site too. Again, "probably doesn't exist" is trying to cover stuff outside my knowledge. So with the 3 that were definitely commercially released, they screwed up 1, and while they were true to the UK Killer Queen vinyl it would have been really cool to release something really rare in the Dutch vinyl version (again if it actually exists I want to hear it please please please). With the 2 that weren't, they stayed true to the original vinyl, and it would have required going back to the Masters (if they exist) to generate something purely for completion's sake. I guess my feeling is that if Greg were allowed to pursue his in-depth version, we might have got all 5 perfect. With the current product, we get one kinda-rare, near-perfect unsegued single in Flick of the Wrist. For my money, that's not worth the whole set, but if they could sell the individual tracks in the US, I'd at least buy Flick. If I'm missing something please let me know. |
| Ron 02.01.2009 05:25 |
ern2150 wrote: Tenement Funster is a bit rare. A Perfect unsegued single appeared on the vinyl of Queen's First EP, but they botched the UK 3" CD single and just faded out the album track (meaning you can hear piano from Flick). The Japanese 3" CD single restored the correct version. On the website it sounds like you get the botched "fade out" version (which therefore isn't true to the original vinyl). As I mentioned in an other topic, the version on the new box set is correct. The actual 7" EP had this fade out version with FOTW in the end. It was not until the Japanese box set when a true stand alone was released. There is however also a 2 disc acetate of SHA with this true stand alone version. |
| Ron 02.01.2009 05:27 |
ern2150 wrote: Flick of the Wrist is rarer than TF and may not exist. Being the middle of a 3-song segue makes it easier to mess up, and unfortunately the most common versions are not quite Perfect. Like Tenement Funster, an album fade was used on the UK 3" CD single (Killer Queen instead of First EP this time) instead of the original vinyl (and Japanese 3" CD single). Even the original vinyl wasn't quite perfect as it starts on the second set of piano bits a few steps down. There's supposedly a Dutch Killer Queen with a Flick that starts on the correct notes but I've never heard it and I'd be fascinated if it had been shared previously. From the site it sounds like you get the not-quite-perfect (but better than the Tenement botch) UK vinyl / Japanese CD single version. I will see if I can record this "legendary" FOTW from the Dutch 7" so we can all hear the difference! I can't remember it anymore tbh, but I think this information actually once came from myself :) |
| Ron 02.01.2009 05:29 |
ern2150 wrote: Lily of the Valley is so rare it probably doesn't exist. It shares a similar problem with Flick because the most common versions are missing the first set of piano bits (this time in the same key and essentially the same rhythm). The original UK single starts with the second set of piano bits, and this is what the site sounds like. There was a US re-issue that is arguably a botched edit as it includes the last bit of guitar from Flick. So here I say "probably doesn't exist" because there might be an acetate or something out there I'm unaware of. I am only aware of one stand alone version and that is the one on the UK 7". Dont know about that US version, but it doesnt even sound like a stand alone version. Also never heard about a full stand alone version with the full piano intro. |
| Ron 02.01.2009 05:32 |
ern2150 wrote: White Queen again probably doesn't exist, but only because I'm being really, really specific. The Queen's First EP version (all editions this time) simply fades into this once the Father to Son business is over. This is what it sounds like on the site too. Again, "probably doesn't exist" is trying to cover stuff outside my knowledge. There is no true stand alone available for White Queen (unless a non commercial pressing was once made, i.e. an acetate). You can choose from 3 versions: - album version - 7" EP version (with a fade in guitar intro -> could be a near true stand alone version?) - German LP compilation version (which starts directly with vocals) |
| Jason D 02.01.2009 16:47 |
There is actually a proper standalone version of Lily, but as far as I know its only on one record. Its on the 1975 US 7" re-issue of "Keep Yourself Alive", with the KYA edit on side 1, and Lily and God Save The Queen on side 2. That version of Lily definitely doesn't start with the guitar from Flick, and seems to have the full piano intro (my copy does anyway). It's arguably the most complete standalone take, and it would be a shame if it never made it onto CD. |
| ern2150 02.01.2009 21:19 |
Thanks for your replies, Ron / Jason. I guess I misread Trainspotter's (thanks web.archive.org) / Queen Vault / etc. So for the record, there are, in fact, perfect standalones of Flick of the Wrist and Lily of the Valley, and they are NOT on the singles boxset / any officially obtainable in-print release. I'd love to hear both of these via PM, but I think the QZ public deserves to hear them too -- and I can't believe they haven't shown up on rarity sites before (granted I haven't been hunting for those for years.) Anyone squeamish about posting them? |
| GT 03.01.2009 08:16 |
All the tracks on the Queen Singles Collection 1 Box set are exactly as these tracks appeared on the original 7" singles, so there would be no reason to suddenly add the stand alone version of Tenement Funster as an example, to this series if it had not already been on the original single, so you will get that fade into Flick Of The Wrist because that is the way it was. So on this first set and the next three you will see the versions on CD that only originally appeared on 7" and will be including Flash, I want It All and Back Chat etc etc etc. To save any further confusion I don't think any other "stand alone/faded" tracks were ever used again, so after the first box set it's all pretty unconfusing. Justin, Josh and Kris made sure that all the audio is correct on these CD singles to match the original vinyl versions. |
| Negative Creep 03.01.2009 13:08 |
Yes.... why make things as interesting as possible when you can work ridigly within pointlessly narrow paremeters? They didn't stick to using UK sleeves, so why only UK edits? Where's the logic? And regards to tracks not exiting in unsegued formed. They musy all exist (or atleast did) in such form, as the tracks will have been recorded seperately and segued when the albums were sequenced and mastered. |
| ern2150 03.01.2009 19:12 |
I'm with ya, Creep :) And unsegued stuff existing in the Masters is the dream, assuming they aren't destroyed by now. In my original post I edited out a line where I said "I don't care about the justification" -- because anyone can come up with a justification for this set (they like the card sleeves, they like the box, they like the price, they like the mystery of not having a booklet -- which is of course also true to the original singles.) So I don't want to stifle discussion or anything, but uh TAEK UR STEPFURD ELSEWHUR. |
| thomasquinn 32989 04.01.2009 08:07 |
GT wrote: All the tracks on the Queen Singles Collection 1 Box set are exactly as these tracks appeared on the original 7" singles, so there would be no reason to suddenly add the stand alone version of Tenement Funster as an example, to this series if it had not already been on the original single, so you will get that fade into Flick Of The Wrist because that is the way it was. So on this first set and the next three you will see the versions on CD that only originally appeared on 7" and will be including Flash, I want It All and Back Chat etc etc etc. To save any further confusion I don't think any other "stand alone/faded" tracks were ever used again, so after the first box set it's all pretty unconfusing. Justin, Josh and Kris made sure that all the audio is correct on these CD singles to match the original vinyl versions. You believe everything they tell you, isn't it? |
| Dane 04.01.2009 17:21 |
I have uploaded the Dutch single version of Flick of the Wrist in the Announce thread. Only mp3 thow, sorry. edit: post has been deleted |
| ern2150 05.01.2009 00:24 |
Thank you Dane, sorry if you get in trouble for posting a lossy MP3 rip of an out-of-print vinyl :) |