| 4 x Vision 14.09.2009 12:45 |
Hi, I'd like to have further knowledge on any mistakes left on final mixes/releases of any Queen songs and would like to if anyone else has spotted any? I recently noticed in the 5.1 mix of Save Me that Freddie's voice seems to crack around the 3.05-3.08 (ch1) (it's in another post on the Serious D page) We discussed whether it was intentionally left there, or a genuine mistake not noticed. Sebastian said that "maybe 99% of the things that stayed in 'had to' be 'perfect', but there's always that remaining 1%, and the voice-break in Save Me can be part of it". I'm not taking him literally to the 1%, but I''d like to discuss any other mistakes on any Queen songs. I had them down personally as four perfectionists and was surprised that something as simple as a voice break would be left in. i know they are only human, but all the reading I've done made me feel that they - Brian and Freddie especially - wouldn't let such mistakes see the light of day on any officially released product. Please discuss... |
| pittrek 14.09.2009 13:12 |
I think the best known thing is the "click" during Fat Bottomed Girls on Queen Rocks. Also I remember some annoying background hiss on the beginning of Bohemian Rhapsody on one of the early remasters, I just don't remember which one was it |
| Wiley 14.09.2009 13:17 |
I remember that the first Hollywood Records batch had a few of those, for instance on NOTW the first chord of It's Late was missing and maybe there was some noise right before My Melancholy Blues? Not sure, though. My Sheer Heart Attack CD from HR is missing a couple of bars of In The Lap of the Gods, in the part of the "Ahh, Oooh"s before "Leave it in the laaaap of the Goooooodsssss..." Another mastering/mixing error on the Hollywood Records edition of The Miracle. I Want it All is missing one repetition of the first chorus. These are not errors on the recording of the instruments but mostly post production fuck ups by third parties and not properly Queen Productions. |
| Jjeroen 14.09.2009 14:00 |
The first cd-releases from the 80's are full of mistakes as well. Mainly tracks cut in the wrong place, noise, and for instance some songs starting with a fade in where there should be an immediate start (You & I comes to mind)... A fail that most of those early EMI discs suffer from, btw. (The Pink Floyd, Stones and Beatle discs that were released at the same time for example.) |
| dragon-fly 14.09.2009 14:10 |
One mistake which I clearly remember and which annoys me a lot is some hiss on Bohemian Rhapsody (maybe that's what Pittrek meant). It's very audible along with the line "Goodbye everybody...." I can hear it on both CDs- A Night At The Opera and Greatest Hits. And guess what... it's as well audible on CD from Singles Collection 1! On each CD with the same line. Is it possible to buy this album without it? |
| Pim Derks 14.09.2009 14:25 |
Niek did a project on this a couple of years back I think, dunno if he still has the file. |
| 4 x Vision 14.09.2009 14:27 |
Thanks to you all for replying, for the sake of argument though, could we keep it to original versions that were given the thumbs up from the four boys or even producer... i.e the hiss in Bo rap as stated and not remastered cut ups which possibly wouldn't have been the boys' faults but those editing (which may have been them i suppose but I'd rather know about originals). |
| wilk 14.09.2009 15:24 |
Isn't there a click on Bo Rap during 'little high, little low'? I always thought it was the CD bringing out clicks from the mixing desk that hadn't been audible before. |
| mooghead 14.09.2009 15:26 |
wilk wrote: Isn't there a click on Bo Rap during 'little high, little low'? I always thought it was the CD bringing out clicks from the mixing desk that hadn't been audible before. Thats just the fader moving from left to right, its the in breath you can hear. Body Language was accidentally put on Hot Space. |
| masterstroke_84 14.09.2009 15:58 |
A couple of "jumps" in Man on the prowl... and a bad copy and paste in the last seconds of Dont lose your head. And no one seems to hear a strange voice in BoRhap. during the "I dont wanna die.."... there is a voice!!! |
| PauloPanucci 14.09.2009 16:38 |
pittrek wrote: I think the best known thing is the "click" during Fat Bottomed Girls on Queen Rocks. Also I remember some annoying background hiss on the beginning of Bohemian Rhapsody on one of the early remasters, I just don't remember which one was ityeah... this click, i remember to heard it on Queen Rocks... |
| vadenuez 14.09.2009 16:47 |
There's a very low click at the very end of Love Of My Life. One doubt I've always had on Radio Ga Ga is where Freddie sings the "Radio what's new?" part for the second time... it abruptly breaks into "someone still loves you". When played this live, they always include another "radio" in the middle as in the first part of the song. Bad editing? |
| goinback 14.09.2009 16:53 |
I still swear there was not as much of a gap between WWRY/WATC on vinyl as there now is on CD. On vinyl, WATC started up immediately after WWRY, while on CD there is more silence between the two. But no one ever believes me so it will never be fixed :) Also on the Hollywood Records CD of Live Killers, it fades out a few seconds later at the very end than it did on vinyl. On the CD, it sounds like some doors are slammed shut at the end before fading out; this was never on the record. |
| QUEENexpert 14.09.2009 17:06 |
i think that part in Radio Ga Ga might just be the way the song is written. That second part where they say "radio whats new, someone still loves you," they meant to leave that extra "radio" out. I;ve never heard it any different way. thats how it is in the video too. |
| PauloPanucci 14.09.2009 17:35 |
wow man... have a lot of mistakes , MyGod |
| A Word In Your Ear 14.09.2009 20:35 |
Mistakes on Queen Albums, You say? All the Hollywood Records "Modern Style" Remixes, were big mistakes, if you ask me. lol. |
| Yara 14.09.2009 22:50 |
Judging from the thread which prompted Van Basten9 to create this one, I think he means mistakes in performance. Am I right!? |
| Sebastian 14.09.2009 23:31 |
Mistakes on drums: Some things at the end of The Hitman. Mistakes on percussion: One of the clicks in Killer Queen is off-beat; the timpano on the second 'Bismilah' comes a bit late. Mistakes on bass: A couple of notes in Sidewalk, Prophet's Song and Brighton Rock. Mistakes on guitars: Fat Bots (dissonant G/F chord at the beginning of the break), a small part near the end of Breakthru, a couple of notes during the wah-wah part in Great King Rat, an odd note in one of the Rhapsody rhythm tracks (covered by the other instruments + vocals). Mistakes on piano: A glitch during Lap of the Gods; on that particular song there's a bit where LH-P and bass do an unison descending scale, one of them (don't remember which one) plays the wrong notes (they did it right when on stage so it wasn't an intentional dissonance). Some of the Flash vamps are a bit off in terms of rhythm (very briefly though). Mistakes on vocals: Some off-pitch notes in Sweet Lady (lead track, cleverly covered by a huge layer of harmonies) and Cool Cat. The bass-voice in Bo Rhap is also a bit off sometimes (not as much as the outtakes but still). Mistakes on synths: Using them. |
| doxonrox 15.09.2009 00:52 |
Sebastian wrote: Mistakes on drums: Some things at the end of The Hitman. Mistakes on percussion: One of the clicks in Killer Queen is off-beat; the timpano on the second 'Bismilah' comes a bit late. Mistakes on bass: A couple of notes in Sidewalk, Prophet's Song and Brighton Rock. Mistakes on guitars: Fat Bots (dissonant G/F chord at the beginning of the break), a small part near the end of Breakthru, a couple of notes during the wah-wah part in Great King Rat, an odd note in one of the Rhapsody rhythm tracks (covered by the other instruments + vocals). Mistakes on piano: A glitch during Lap of the Gods; on that particular song there's a bit where LH-P and bass do an unison descending scale, one of them (don't remember which one) plays the wrong notes (they did it right when on stage so it wasn't an intentional dissonance). Some of the Flash vamps are a bit off in terms of rhythm (very briefly though). Mistakes on vocals: Some off-pitch notes in Sweet Lady (lead track, cleverly covered by a huge layer of harmonies) and Cool Cat. The bass-voice in Bo Rhap is also a bit off sometimes (not as much as the outtakes but still). Mistakes on synths: Using them. Nice. |
| Micrówave 15.09.2009 02:07 |
Isn't it time for someone to take a shot at Hot Space yet? |
| Bo Rhap 15.09.2009 02:28 |
Yea on Killer Queen,the five finger clicks at the start should really have been three. |
| mooghead 15.09.2009 02:46 |
Now I'm Here. Freddies timing singing Think I'll Stay around around around.... is off. Sounds like 'Think I'll stay around around around aroundaround around.' The echo at the start of Tenement Funster is too prominent. (Been amazes the people next door) But thats just opinion. |
| mooghead 15.09.2009 02:46 |
Bo Rhap wrote: Yea on Killer Queen,the five finger clicks at the start should really have been three. What makes you say that? |
| woodi485485 15.09.2009 03:02 |
On the Live Killers CD's, on Biccyle Race there is a noise that isn't there on the vinyl version. It's like a crack where Freddie sings 'You say black, I say white'..... anyone else noticed this? Also, I bought the Hollywood Records version of Shear Heart Attack back in 1992, or whenever it was released with the others. It had the added remix of Stone Cold Crazy..... on my copy the remix is the original version of Stone Cold Crazy, not the remixed version. |
| brians wig 15.09.2009 04:45 |
mooghead wrote: Body Language was accidentally put on Hot Space. I wondered how long it would take someone... ;) Can I add to that, "She Make's Me (dull boring song in stilettos)". |
| Bo Rhap 15.09.2009 05:16 |
mooghead wrote:Bo Rhap wrote: Yea on Killer Queen,the five finger clicks at the start should really have been three.What makes you say that? Because the song appears to be played in 4/4 timing.So Freddie's vocals should come in on the fourth beat |
| beautifulsoup 15.09.2009 07:37 |
Bo Rhap wrote:mooghead wrote:Because the song appears to be played in 4/4 timing.So Freddie's vocals should come in on the fourth beatBo Rhap wrote: Yea on Killer Queen,the five finger clicks at the start should really have been three.What makes you say that? For that matter, perhaps there should've been seven clicks. Or eleven. Or fifteen...or... :P |
| greataddict 15.09.2009 07:53 |
Nice topic! Am I the only one to hear a "little drum noise" during the first verse of "Good Company"? during the line "Don't fool with fools who'll turn away" cheers |
| blackshuck03 15.09.2009 08:21 |
On Classic Queen, there is a big chunk of the miracle missing and it sounds like very bad editing |
| Rick 15.09.2009 08:23 |
The beep in Drowse. During Freddie's vocal improvisation as part of The Prophet's Song, an instrument can be heard repeating the same pattern as Freddie's voice. To me it sounds like a (bass) guitar. |
| sbrown 15.09.2009 09:09 |
How about the high-pitched whistle at the start of The Show Must Go On? |
| Fly away 15.09.2009 09:15 |
I always thought that there was a faint "thud" during Las Palabras: "-This room is bare/This night is [thud] cold" - or thereabouts. I even took the vinyl single back to the record shop for a replacement. |
| Hitman 15.09.2009 09:47 |
hihi my dear friends of Queenzone some of you guys hear voices in their head!!!! :P i've never noticed most of the things mentioned....anyway am i the only one hearing (brian?) saying OHHH in the background of the first TUM TUM CHA of we will rock you? but that's not a mistake in my opinion...like many of the things mentioned before: off topic!!!!! |
| dragon-fly 15.09.2009 11:31 |
It seems that most mistakes on the records are a fault of production. Don't you think so? |
| Micrówave 15.09.2009 11:51 |
beautifulsoup wrote:Bo Rhap wrote:For that matter, perhaps there should've been seven clicks. Or eleven. Or fifteen...or... :Pmooghead wrote:Because the song appears to be played in 4/4 timing.So Freddie's vocals should come in on the fourth beatBo Rhap wrote: Yea on Killer Queen,the five finger clicks at the start should really have been three.What makes you say that? Actually, shouldn't he have come in on the "and" after 3? |
| rhyeking 15.09.2009 14:06 |
At the end of "The Miracle," the cross-fade from the 'Jam' into the "That time will come, one day well see..." is a little clunky. Listen to the different drum patterns overlap briefly (they're two different recordings mixed together). Personally, I think the "mistakes," like a cracked voices or misplaced notes add a certain organic charm to the songs and I'm sure Queen were aware of at least some of them. It's possible to sound too perfect on a recording, which can make it sound cold and inhuman. Just my opinion. The "around aroundaround around.." bit in "Now I'm Here" might just be the echo coming in slightly off. Talking about mastering errors on releases (as opposed to what the band played in the studio): There's a 1975 South American release of "Opera" with the swirly bit at the end of Good Company cut out. |
| mooghead 15.09.2009 15:36 |
rhyeking wrote: At the end of "The Miracle," the cross-fade from the 'Jam' into the "That time will come, one day well see..." is a little clunky. Listen to the different drum patterns overlap briefly (they're two different recordings mixed together). Thats not a mistake though, it was intentional |
| Daniel vZ 15.09.2009 17:08 |
The piano on BoRhap sounds to me a bit false/off right before the drums come in. At 1:21. link |
| Daniel vZ 15.09.2009 17:18 |
greataddict wrote: Nice topic! Am I the only one to hear a "little drum noise" during the first verse of "Good Company"? during the line "Don't fool with fools who'll turn away" cheers You mean the sound on the "Don't"? That's just a tom from the drums, I've always assumed it's supposed to be there, no mistake I think. |
| Yara 15.09.2009 19:02 |
rhyeking wrote: At the end of "The Miracle," the cross-fade from the 'Jam' into the "That time will come, one day well see..." is a little clunky. Listen to the different drum patterns overlap briefly (they're two different recordings mixed together). Personally, I think the "mistakes," like a cracked voices or misplaced notes add a certain organic charm to the songs and I'm sure Queen were aware of at least some of them. It's possible to sound too perfect on a recording, which can make it sound cold and inhuman. Just my opinion. The "around aroundaround around.." bit in "Now I'm Here" might just be the echo coming in slightly off. Talking about mastering errors on releases (as opposed to what the band played in the studio): There's a 1975 South American release of "Opera" with the swirly bit at the end of Good Company cut out. Heya! Great post. I fully agree! I think the little mistakes do add warmth to the recordings. Ever since the coming and development of multitracks the experience of musicians performing as a group and having to manage on spot all the interactions, playing each one his own part while constantly taking into account the input brought by the others, has been fading away in studios. What we listen to on the cd is so artificial that it bears little resemblance to a genuine musical meeting or jam. The little gaps at least help reminding us that not everything goes through numerous amendments just like a product flowing down an assembly line. There are a lot of little mistakes all over their discography. News of The World is my favorite album. Freddie's playing in We Are The Champions is a tad bit clumsy, but who cares!? He goes really out of tune in some of the verses of "My Melancholy Blues", but he sings most of the song so wonderfully and approaches it in such a hard way that the merits and qualities more than offset the shortcomings. It's probably my favorite Queen song after Bo Rhap and We Are The Champions. He does an awful, cracked groan - "ohhww.." - in the "Millionaire Waltz" after the last "come back to me" and before the final line "you make me feel like a millionaire", but his singing throughout the song and, of course, Brian and John's playing are so amazing that I couldn't care less about it! Most of the times, if not always, the merits overshadow the fumbles, I guess. |
| PauloPanucci 15.09.2009 20:06 |
they didn't review the songs very well!!! |
| rhyeking 16.09.2009 00:12 |
mooghead wrote:rhyeking wrote: At the end of "The Miracle," the cross-fade from the 'Jam' into the "That time will come, one day well see..." is a little clunky. Listen to the different drum patterns overlap briefly (they're two different recordings mixed together).Thats not a mistake though, it was intentional (rolls eyes) If you say so. It's still a clunky edit, but it's only in there for a moment, so I'm not losing sleep over it. |
| mooghead 16.09.2009 16:22 |
Thank you for the rolling eyes. This thread is about mistakes. Mention things you just don't like if you want. Somewhere else. |
| rhyeking 16.09.2009 17:50 |
A deliberate mistake is a still a mistake. And it was left on a Queen release. Lighten up. And who deputized you Thread Police? |
| Sebastian 16.09.2009 17:55 |
rhyeking wrote: A deliberate mistake is a still a mistake. And it was left on a Queen release. Lighten up. And who deputized you Thread Police? |
| Yara 16.09.2009 18:10 |
Sebastian wrote:rhyeking wrote: A deliberate mistake is a still a mistake. And it was left on a Queen release. Lighten up. And who deputized you Thread Police? |
| mooghead 17.09.2009 02:45 |
rhyeking wrote: A deliberate mistake is a still a mistake. And it was left on a Queen release. Lighten up. And who deputized you Thread Police? IT ISNT A MISTAKE |
| Dane 17.09.2009 04:24 |
A kind of flaw I recall is a pitch bend in a couple of songs. This happened when a piece of music had to be started at a certain moment in a song, and when they pushed play on the tape, the first half a second it starts from a high pitch and drops down to the normal pitch. This due to a tape-deck being an analog machine and will not start at a fixed speed. Hope everyone understands. I heard this most noticeable in the vocals of the last chorus in Fat Bottomed Girls. |
| rhyeking 17.09.2009 16:50 |
mooghead wrote:rhyeking wrote: A deliberate mistake is a still a mistake. And it was left on a Queen release. Lighten up. And who deputized you Thread Police?IT ISNT A MISTAKE A "deliberately" messy crossfade then? Even by that definition, it's a mistake. A mistake occurs when a party has knowledge and acts by fault directly contrary to that knowledge (running a red light). In this case, whomever made that edit did it poorly (acting with fault contrary to the knowledge of a desired outcome) and the band left it on. It is a mistake. What mooghead insists is not a mistake stems from his lake of understanding between what is a mistake and what is an error. An error has a broader definition, whereby a party can also act out of ignorance or conflicting information and arrive at a point of inaccuracy or incorrectness. A mistake is a specific kind of error, but not every error is a mistake. |
| mechaman89 18.09.2009 02:27 |
I don't think it qualifies as a mistake,but something I have wanted to know for over 25 years now,is why in the hell are Freddies vocals on In The Lap of the Gods so ****ed up?Whose bone headed idea was that?! The first time I heard it was on vinyl and I thought my record player had somehow shifted itself to play at 16 speed. |