| The Real Wizard 26.12.2018 05:06 |
"Baker's dozen" posts were inspired by Led Zeppelin collectors who posted their top 13 bootleg releases of the year on the Underground Uprising website. 2018 was another great year for new Queen recordings. Plenty of new and upgraded audience tapes came out, but more importantly the archives of the world flung open after the release of the Bohemian Rhapsody biopic. So while not all of this year's list is "bootleg" releases, they are all significant, and every Queen collector should seek them out. 1. Houston - December 11, 1977 (film footage, audio sync) Bits of the Bob Harris footage (in much better quality than the well known in-house feed) were first seen in the 2011 documentary "Days Of Our Lives", and much more turned up in the documentary in the News Of The World box set. The live clips from Houston were fragmentary and mostly silent, but with the proper audio synced it is magnificent, and possibly the best quality footage of Queen live from the 1970s. Essential viewing. 2. London - May 12, 1978 This previously uncirculated show is not the best sounding Queen tape by any stretch, but they are at the peak of their powers here. 3. London - May 13, 1978 (second generation) No less than five copies of this audience tape have circulated, all of which are incomplete in one way or another. The last 40 minutes of the recording were unheard until this year, and in stereo sound it is well worth a listen. 4. Kansas City - December 8, 1978 (Super 8) Two reels of 8mm film exist from this show, filmed from pretty close to the stage. It is the longest clip of It's Late available, and well worth viewing for that song alone. There is also a brief shot of the B stage descending at the end of Spread Your Wings - a moment which plenty of people who saw the band on this tour insist was nothing short of mesmerizing. 5. Brussels - January 26, 1979 (TV archive) This well-known footage has circulated on VHS in varying quality since it was originally aired nearly 40 years ago, but this year the Belgian public broadcaster posted the uncut piece onto their website. 6. Zurich - February 4, 1979 (TV archive) This footage was probably the biggest surprise of the year, as it was virtually unknown before being posted on a Swiss TV station's website. It is only two songs, but the quality is glorious. There are now nine shows from the European Jazz tour with professionally filmed footage. 7. Tokyo - April 13, 1979 (source 3) The only complete recording from this show emerged at the tail end of last year, just after the 2017 baker's dozen list was compiled. It is a great sounding audience tape, and Mercury is still in good voice (which would quickly change as this tour wore on). 8. Newcastle - December 3, 1979 (upgrade) Even terrible sounding copies of this tape revealed one of the best Queen performances ever, and a new copy now has the show being quite listenable. It is the only known tape of the band opening with Let Me Entertain You. 9. Munich - May 21, 1982 (upgrade) One of the worst sounding audience tapes ever was given a facelift this year, and this show now stands up with the rest of the great nights of the European Hot Space tour. 10. New Haven - August 10, 1982 (TV archive) A couple minutes of footage from this show along with interview footage from the period were seen on American TV in 1982, and VHS copies circulated for years. A few additional live shots (along with a couple more minutes of the interview with Freddie) were seen in a new version of the footage posted onto Entertainment Tonight's YouTube channel. 11. Tokyo - May 11, 1985 ("Yoyogi 1985" - no label) This show was broadcast on the radio and officially released in Japan on video, leading to countless bootlegs - all of which were missing (at least) the guitar solo, the coda of Brighton Rock, and plenty of bits in between songs. A 90 minute audience tape finally turned up this year on an unknown CDR bootleg label, allowing the unheard bits to be savoured for the first time. 12. Nagoya - May 13, 1985 ("Definitive Nagoya 1985" - Wardour) This second audience source from Nagoya is one of the best sounding Queen audience tapes ever. Recommended listening. 13. London - July 13, 1985 ("Live Aid" - Wardour) At long last, an audience tape of Queen's set at Live Aid is now available. Hearing it from the audience's perspective breathes new life into their legendary 20 minute set that has been referred to multiple times as rock's all time greatest live performance. A marvellous listen. Honourable mention #1 - longer Perth 1976 interview with Donnie Sutherland (TV archive) Not much pristine quality interview footage of the band exists from this period, and this TV segment filmed before their first show of the Australian leg of the A Night At The Opera tour is a gem. Honourable mention #2 - longer 1977 interview with Molly Meldrum (TV archive) This interview with Freddie Mercury (filmed for the Australian TV show "Countdown") was filmed at their manager John Reid's office in London. Clips had emerged in the past, and a 20 minute version came out this year. Mercury and Meldrum have a candid conversation about many subjects, and the more relevatory bits include the singer saying how Queen's debut album only took about four weeks to record, and that he felt he'd progressed as a songwriter, ultimately preferring Somebody To Love to Bohemian Rhapsody. Honourable mention #3 - "Bohemian Rhapsody" OST A few new tracks popped up on the film soundtrack, with the Smile reunion for Doing All Right being a highlight. Fat Bottomed Girls comes from the first night in Paris 1979 (and the live portion of We Will Rock You almost certainly does as well), which seems to suggest that a Live Killers box set may be in the works for 2019. A giant thank you to concert tapers and everyone else who is somehow involved in the process of unearthing old tapes from the attics and archives of the world. Previous years: link link link link |
| on my way up 26.12.2018 07:01 |
An impressive list it is! Thanks |
| Chinwonder2 26.12.2018 08:36 |
Great list! Always look forward to this each year! :) Wishing everyone all the best for the new year! :) -Chin |
| Star* 26.12.2018 12:55 |
Yep Newcastle 1979 was a great mega performance from Queen as i was there! The crazy Tour was a superb time for us Queen fans. |
| Chopin1995 27.12.2018 11:01 |
Another good year for a "new" material. Let's hope 2019 Baker's Dozen will equaly good or even better! |
| cmi 27.12.2018 15:33 |
Thanks for this summary! It was a nice year... |
| Rael 27.12.2018 16:45 |
Amazing list! Is there a download link for each of them? Thanks!! |
| Makka 27.12.2018 17:13 |
Fantastic list. Thanks for the info! |
| The Real Wizard 27.12.2018 19:43 |
Rael wrote: Is there a download link for each of them?Yep, in this section of the forum. It'll go back a few pages, but it should all be there. |
| Chinwonder2 27.12.2018 21:07 |
Here you go, everything listed by TheRealWizard in order of appearance, just incase you cannot find the original posts as there have been quite a few in the announce area this year! Houston Footage: link London (May 12th. 1978): link London (May 13th, 1978) - Second Gen: link Kansas City 8mm: link Brussels (Follies TV Master): link Zurich 1979 Footage: link Tokyo (April 13th, 1979): link Newcastle 1979 (Upgrade): link Munich 1982 (Upgrade): link New Haven 1982 (New Footage): link Tokyo (May 11th, 1985): link Nagoya 1985 (New Audience Source): link Live Aid 1985 (Audience Recording): link Perth TV Interview: link Molly Meldrum 1977 Interview: link Bohemian Rhapsody OST: link Enjoy!! :) -Chin |
| Sirkel 28.12.2018 01:55 |
No Glasgow 12/1/1979 upgrade on this list? Good stuff nonetheless, Thanks! |
| The Real Wizard 28.12.2018 05:36 |
Sirkel wrote: No Glasgow 12/1/1979 upgrade on this list?There were lots of omissions. A good problem to have :-) |
| pittrek 28.12.2018 09:10 |
Oh yes, this year was pretty damn good for Queen collectors. I think Queen should release a movie each year :) |
| Chinwonder2 28.12.2018 09:18 |
pittrek wrote: Oh yes, this year was pretty damn good for Queen collectors. I think Queen should release a movie each year :)Good idea! I think it would make a box office hit! :) -Chin |
| Rael 28.12.2018 14:59 |
Thanks Chin !!!!!! |