QueenZone discussion #1509570
Too Much Love Will Kill You on The Miracle album
| Nathan H 03.06.2018 11:55 |
Too Much Love Will Kill You was originally recorded for The Miracle album. The version on Made In Heaven is exactly the same as the one which was intended for The Miracle. It didn't get published because of the companies representing publishing rights for Frank Musker and Elizabeth Lamers who were co-writers of the song with Brian. (This probably happened because of the decision to credit all band members equally for every new Queen song). Early tracklistings for the album show that it was intended to be Track 5 on the album between I Want It All and The Invisible Man. I'm guessing now that it was also intended to be the fourth single from the album too. Since 1984, every Queen single released in the UK had a label containing Queen and a number representing the single in order. For example The Invisible Man was 12QUEEN 12 because it was the twelfth single released since 1984 in the UK. But the single after it, Scandal, has the name of 14QUEEN 14 instead of 13QUEEN 13. To me this suggests that Too Much Love Will Kill You was meant to be the fourth single from the album... Whether it be true or false about the possible single it's a shame the song wasn't released on The Miracle because it would probably make me rank the album much higher as it would be the highlight of the album. |
| cmi 03.06.2018 12:00 |
Yes, that's true. This song was presented on the Capitol promo cassette in January '89 and later on the final U-matic mastertape as the fifth track. Actually I never thought about 13QUEEN 13 absence in the catalogue. Probably you're right! |
| Dim 03.06.2018 12:25 |
Number 13 was skipped for bad luck. The album was already pressed before the singles. Too much love was kept for anther miracle album, since it was uncertain if Freddie could record or live after 1989. Also their contract 1981-1991was for 5 plus one studio albums and 1live. |
| Holly2003 03.06.2018 12:39 |
IMO the song's a drag and I'm glad it didn't appear on The Miracle. It's maudlin and uninteresting. |
| emrabt 03.06.2018 12:52 |
MusicFan15 wrote: The version on Made In Heaven is exactly the same as the one which was intended for The Miracle.I don't think it was, Freddies Demo from the promo cassette has a completely different vocal take and chorus placment. |
| Sebastian 03.06.2018 13:08 |
emrabt wrote:But that was, as you say, a demo.MusicFan15 wrote: The version on Made In Heaven is exactly the same as the one which was intended for The Miracle.I don't think it was, Freddies Demo from the promo cassette has a completely different vocal take and chorus placment. The one sent to DJ's in America when the album was finished contained the final version (not a demo) and that final (not demo) version was exactly the same recording (though not the same mix or master) as the one which would end up on 'Made in Heaven' in 1995. |
| emrabt 03.06.2018 13:20 |
I have to say It fits really well with the Made in Heaven album's 'synthy sound'. I wonder if this song is why the album sounds like that, with things like "My Life Has Been Saved" being reworked to match that sound. |
| Invisible Woman 03.06.2018 15:50 |
I also like Brian's version of this song. |
| dysan 03.06.2018 16:00 |
I echo the fact I prefer it on MIH (an album I never listen to). If it was on TM I'd have taken it over My Baby Does Me (and in that position on the album) but not as well all. Also it totally contradicts Scandal. It's like - dude this is why you're getting harassed because you're being a prick. Stop your boohooing. |
| Golden Salmon 04.06.2018 11:55 |
Sebastian wrote: The one sent to DJ's in America when the album was finished contained the final version (not a demo) and that final (not demo) version was exactly the same recording (though not the same mix or master) as the one which would end up on 'Made in Heaven' in 1995.I keep reading that it's either exactly the very same version or, as you say, a slightly different mix. It's one of the few things I haven't gotten and I missed it when it was shared a while ago. Is it OK to share again so that we can analyse it and end the debate? And if it's not OK, don't you dare PM me a file! *wink wink nudge nudge* |
| Sebastian 04.06.2018 13:15 |
I honestly haven't got it. Heard it once when I first found out about it circa 2011, and then heard it again when the topic was brought up a few years later. But hopefully someone else has it. I'm not a collector so I'm not in the top 10,000 people who could (and hopefully would) be able to share it. |
| Sheldon 04.06.2018 19:41 |
"Number 13 was skipped for bad luck. The album was already pressed before the singles." Isn't this a little bit ironic considering how things were going downhill at that time... |
| dysan 05.06.2018 07:31 |
Nah it's just the natural order of singles in those days with diminishing returns for each one taken off an album. That said, didn't The Miracle get higher in the chart than Scandal a full 6 months after it was on the album. |
| dysan 05.06.2018 07:33 |
Actually I loved those days - I'd really only know a single was out when I saw it listed on the carts on teletext or it was on the Chart Show. Anyway.. TMLWKY would've bulked up the rather flimsy tracklisting but brought the overall tempo down. They did well to keep it a fun upbeat album for the kidz. |
| The Fairy King 05.06.2018 09:53 |
TMLWKY instead of MBDM(which would've made a nice b-side for The Miracle). Woulda. Shoulda. Didn't. |
| dysan 05.06.2018 15:17 |
Anything in place of MBDM would do nicely. |
| The Real Wizard 05.06.2018 22:57 |
Agreed. But considering they were trying to be more democratic with the songwriting by that period, they couldn't bump off a Deacon song in favour of another Brian tune. |
| Sebastian 06.06.2018 05:22 |
Well, it's technically a Deacon/Mercury song... but, also technically, it was a Queen song, credits and royalties included. That was, allegedly, part of the reason why they were all sharing everything: they'd choose the pieces on merit, not on democracy. Unless, of course, it was a party line. Which would make sense. |
| Bad Seed 06.06.2018 20:43 |
The vocal on MIH sounds like a demo to me. Freddie sounds like he's struggling throughout. It's a very poor vocal from Freddie and I'm convinced Freddie would not have allowed this out as a final version. |
| Man from Zanzibar 06.06.2018 21:09 |
It sounds more than fine. As a fan it's better to have something than nothing. Also, props for David Richards (RIP) for making You Don't Fool Me possible, out of those small bits and pieces that Freddie had left. It's amazing, but to some it may sound like a early pre-demo quality. Wonder if Face It Alone could get the similar treatment. Loved that instrumental cover on YouTube. link |
| emrabt 08.06.2018 18:46 |
Yeah, I'm not sure about the "made from scraps" thing either, it seems to be Brian May code for "I don't really like this", he said exactly the same thing about the 2015 "There Must Be more to Life than this", and we know for a fact that's a lie. |
| Sebastian 09.06.2018 02:24 |
It's like John Lennon when he said he'd played some song backwards (or, most famously, Beethoven's Piano Sonata No 14 in C-Sharp minor), which was code for 'I based my progression on it', or 'I helped a bit in the middle-eight' as code for 'I may have thrown in a line or two'. |
| Day dop 09.06.2018 19:45 |
This would've been a better version of The Miracle imo.... Side One I Want It All Khashoggi's Ship Hang On In There The Miracle The Invisible Man Side Two Breakthru Hijack My Heart (Taylor vocal) Scandal Too Much Love Will Kill You (Brian May vocal) Was It All Worth It |
| Day dop 09.06.2018 19:58 |
I would've also named the album something else. I've always found The Miracle to be a weak song, not worthy of being the title track imo). If another song would've been a title track, I'm not sure which one I'd pick. Maybe "I Want It All" ? I dunno. Actually, "Too Much Love Will Kill You" might've been a better song to name the album after, considering the name of the next album. |
| emrabt 09.06.2018 20:05 |
"The Invisible Men" and "The Invisible Man" were kicked about as titles early on. |
| dysan 09.06.2018 20:20 |
You've left off 2 key tracks for me that are so summer '89 as to be indispensable. But hey it's all subjective. I don't associate TMLWKY with TM - it's like putting FBG on a setlist from 1974. Oh. |
| mike hunt 10.06.2018 15:39 |
Day dop wrote: This would've been a better version of The Miracle imo.... Side One I Want It All Khashoggi's Ship Hang On In There The Miracle The Invisible Man Side Two Breakthru Hijack My Heart (Taylor vocal) Scandal Too Much Love Will Kill You (Brian May vocal) Was It All Worth ItThank god you wern't Involved in the decision making.....not sure what the fasination with Hang On In There is.....It's not a great song. The Miracle is a good title for that album..good song as well. They made the right choice. I would have cut a few songs like Party and My Baby Does Me, and worked on some stronger material to fill out the album.. It was never meant to be a vintage Queen album. The Works had a better chance at being really good, but they made some poor choices in song selection...example, I Go Crazy was a solid rocker..it should have made the cut and love Kills would have fit perfectly on that album...then a few of those weak songs could have been cut. |
| cmi 10.06.2018 16:31 |
^ I Go Crazy was recorded in late 1982. Almost a year before 'Works' sessions in L.A. It sounds different to all album tracks. It doesn't fit for me. TMLWKY for me is perfect addition to The Miracle album as it was planned. |
| dysan 10.06.2018 17:48 |
It's the same arguments really - For me retro fitting Too Much.. to The Miracle doesn't tally with anyone's 1989 so it kind of doesn't fit despite being from those sessions. I Go Crazy was heard by people as a non-album track from the Works so fits that era emotionally. I'm sure it was added to a lot of people's C90 tapes with the Works on for the car. Like sticking Mad The Swine back on Q1 when, to me at least, it has 1991 written all over it - however correct it would be in the rejigged sequence. |
| sickogossip 13.07.2018 06:42 |
Sebastian wrote:I have to say It fits really well with the Made in Heaven album's 'synthy sound'.emrabt wrote:But that was, as you say, a demo geometry dash. The one sent to DJ's in America when the album was finished contained the final version (not a demo) and that final (not demo) version was exactly the same recording (though not the same mix or master) as the one which would end up on 'Made in Heaven' in 1995.MusicFan15 wrote: The version on Made In Heaven is exactly the same as the one which was intended for The Miracle.I don't think it was, Freddies Demo from the promo cassette has a completely different vocal take and chorus placment. I wonder if this song is why the album sounds like that, with things like "My Life Has Been Saved" being reworked to match that sound. |
| Dean_ 19.07.2018 02:38 |
One of the highlights off of Made In Heaven for me, probably my favorite Queen album of them all. I had no idea about the numbering of singles, that's pretty cool. |
| princesslina 28.07.2018 03:55 |
Thanks for this info! It would have been great if the song was included in The Miracle album. Anyway, with Too Much Love Will Kill You in the album or not, it will still be my favorite album of all time! |
| bitesthedust 27.12.2018 13:49 |
I picked up the 2011 re-release with the bonus ep, and it got me to thinking that an alternate tracklisting would have worked for the The Miracle. Side One: Hang On In There I Want It All Hijack My Heart The Miracle The Invisible Man Side Two: Breakthru Scandal Stealin' Chinese Torture Was It All Worth It Cutting Party, Khashoggi's Ship, Rain Must Fall and My Baby Does Me. |
| bitesthedust 27.12.2018 13:49 |
I picked up the 2011 re-release with the bonus ep, and it got me to thinking that an alternate tracklisting would have worked for the The Miracle. Side One: Hang On In There I Want It All Hijack My Heart The Miracle The Invisible Man Side Two: Breakthru Scandal Stealin' Chinese Torture Was It All Worth It Cutting Party, Khashoggi's Ship, Rain Must Fall and My Baby Does Me. |
| Holly2003 27.12.2018 14:05 |
I also don't get the attraction of Hang On In There. It's a weak track that sounds incomplete. TMLWKY is among the worst things that Queen have ever recorded. Even Fred's vocals couldn't rescue it from its cheesy sentimentality, banal lyrics and plodding pace. But Chinese Torture is, without doubt, THE WORST thing Queen have ever done. It sounds like an explosion in a bagpipe factory. |
| bitesthedust 27.12.2018 14:25 |
I think for the tracks recorded for the time period you'll get an average album for The Miracle, at best. Hang On In There is not a great track, but it is a better one than Party. Bit like Hot Space - stick Put Out The Fire as the opener, maybe include Soul Brother somewhere but it will still fall short. |
| bitesthedust 27.12.2018 14:27 |
My Life Has Been Saved is also among the worst things Queen recorded. Both the MIH version and the original b-side to Scandal. |
| Holly2003 27.12.2018 15:55 |
bitesthedust wrote: My Life Has Been Saved is also among the worst things Queen recorded. Both the MIH version and the original b-side to Scandal.It's not one of their greatest but I'm fond of it for some reason. It would have made a good Xmas song :) |
| Nathan H 27.12.2018 17:50 |
bitesthedust wrote: Cutting Party, Khashoggi's Ship, Rain Must Fall and My Baby Does Me.Interestingly those are the four songs on the standard ten track album which weren't worked on or recorded as a foursome at the same time. This supports the point that from day one that Queen should've have songs credited to all of them. This could've improved songs and leave weaker songs of albums. There would've been less rows and they would actually enjoy recording together - not quitting the group all the time and making other members use drum machines or more synths. |
| Nathan H 27.12.2018 23:04 |
After seeing everybody make their own versions of track listings for The Miracle album, I thought I would do the same. If my version was used I would actually quite like this album. Side A: Breakthru Khashoggi's Ship The Miracle I Want It All The Invisible Man Side B: Hang On In There I Guess We're Falling Out (if not finished then Hijack My Heart in it's place) Scandal Too Much Live Will Kill You Was It All Worth It |
| Lamebert whoehahaha 28.12.2018 09:30 |
Rain must fall should’ve been replaced by any other song because...damn... that’s a lame song. |