So seriously, is it possible that the original mix of this song (which doensn't have the cut at the beginning adding "I've" on "Been" before) will be ever released? Also including the original drum solo on Great King Rat at the end, segueing to Mad The Swine, I've read something about the safety master and the original mix master from Mad The Swime but couldn't understand it very well, could someone please explain....
Not sure I believe the story about the intro to Mad The Swine. Each song would presumably have been recorded and mixed as seperate entities - so unless an album master had been produced with Mad The Swine on it, there's no reason why there would be any kind of seague. And the actual album master would have been created from taping tgoether all the indivual stereo mixes of each song, so for the seague to still be present would suggest they either used a safety copy or couldn't be bothered to seperate the tracks. And there's no reason why they couldn't have just used the actual master for that one track, surely? And I thought the track was actually remixed from the multitracks for the Headlong release anyway? You can't significantly alter a drum track on an already mixed track without severely affecting every other aspect of the track.
I recall hearing that as Queen's new record label Hollywood Records was sent the "wrong" tapes, and that the tapes unexpectedly contained "Mad the Swine", and of course Hollywood Records wanted to release it as part of their re-release of Queen's back catalog.
I recall the source of this info was Jackie and the fan club magazine, but I can not verify this.
No, I've read that before and I don't believe it 100%. I find it hard to believe the only existing copy of a track that was ommited from the album because they weren't happy with, is from a safety copy of a fully sequenced version of that album. So that would mean they are missing the multitracks, stereo mix downs and safety copies of the stand alone track - unlikely. And if the band and producer disagreed over the drum sound, why would they have got so far into mastering the album with it on it and that they were fucking around with seagues?
Just listened to the track again and there is absolutely nothing on the track that points to anything being cut (talk of knowing what to listen out for is bollocks). In fact, if you amplify and mess around with the intro, the acoustic guitar comes in a few miliseconds prior to "Been here before" - with I've at the front, it would have been sung pretty much as one word and would have gone over the guitar track. The fact that this track is sonically superior to any CD release of the first album would also suggest that as per the sleeve notes, the track was indeed remixed from the multitracks. If someone has a mix of the track with "I've" at the beginning (has anyone ACTUALLY heard this?), then it would have to be a different mix and the version that was released on Headlong for some reason had that part of the vocal track muted.
Are you saying that some information on the internet is untrue? My whole world has turned upside down ...
:)
Don't know much about this debate but what I think's more interesting is that originally there were to be 2 songs about Jesus/God on Queen I, both written by Fred. And then someone decided that might not be a good idea. I wonder who that was? It's also interesting that in the early BBC sessions there's no record of Mad the Swine, whereas they played everyting else from Queen 1.
Anyway ... rambling.
Carry on.
I'm just not sure why someone who is a respected collector spreads misinformation and wonder whether it's deliberate or not. It is completely illogical for a track that is apparently only sourced from a tape several generations from the master, that is sounds so much better than any digital versions of that album. The mix is clearly modern, I'd swear there's even a digital delay on Freddies vocal at 1:14!
When I met Brian May at Fat Tuesday's club in NYC in 1991 (when he played with Les Paul) he told me they had just unearthed a '16 track master' for 'Mad The Swine.' (which sounded like 'Madness Wine' to me!)
I believe MTS was discovered (dunno if it was REALLY discovered by Hollywood Records, or the band themselves) when they were in the process of retrieving their mastertapes from storage (which would have been within the same building the fan club was located in!) for preparation with the then-upcoming Hollywood Records remasters
So what's the deal with the version on the 2011 reissue? Is that a fix job or 'complete'? MTS was modern mix for the original B-side release. This much I remember. However, as with most Hollywood CDs it is possible it's a mastering gliche?