QueenZone discussion #400935

juls wrote: Hi! Just one question: are some of the live recordings overdubbed in the studio? On the We will rock you VHS/DVD (f.e. Killer Queen) the lip-sync doesn't match/FM sang although he was away from the mic. So it has to be overdubbed... but where, when, in which studio, who is the engineer, and did they do it with the instrumental tracks too? On Keep yourself Alive the tambourine is faded out at the beginning... Any suggestions?

Inu Yasha (a.k.a. Lum's Stormtroopers) wrote: Btw. the surround sound mix on the DVD, especially the 2001 DTS re-issue (which is Region ALL by the way, for those interested!), is excellent, and much better than the upmixed Freddie Tribute and Wembley '86 concerts! Not to mention the widescreen video is also miles better than GVH1 and GVH2!

juls wrote: ...where, when, in which studio, who is the engineer, FM sang although he was away from the mic. So it has to be overdubbedand did they do it with the instrumental tracks too? ... Any suggestions?

Inu Yasha (a.k.a. Lum's Stormtroopers) wrote: The reason the WWRY DVD is out of synch or not properly matched, video and audio wise, is because they filmed the two nights Queen played in Montreal, Canada in 1981 (which by the way apparently marked the first concerts UP was played fully!), and back then they could only use 10 minute film reels, which never had sound recorded to them directly like tapes and digital media do these days. Even then, the soundtrack from the concert is mixed from the two nights', and I guess, and I never listened to the director's commentary FULLY in a long time so I could be wrong, that they never properly labelled the film reels, because they had so many cameras to change every 10 minutes (and not to mention the cameras' film reels HAD to look at the huge-ass digital clock on the side of the stage so they could synchronize the film to the soundtrack) Queen had little control in how the film was made. All they cared about was getting a live video out for the fans (and apparently this was also shown in some IMAX theatres at the time, according to the director, before the video came out), no matter how bad the product (a la Rare Live and Rock In Rio). The only overdubs on the WWRY video recording itself was the audience cheering, because the audience was piss-poor drunk, or otherwise not being very cooperative (hence the reason Freddie actually sang ALL the lines on Love Of My Life for example - and later in Jailhouse Rock (on the DVD's and LaserDisc only) he says "Move it you fuckers, come on!" and talks to Brian while they are playing the song) If you don't believe me about the audience overdubs (not saying that anyone would really not believe me), get the DVD, play it on a surround sound system with the front speakers muted and you will hear the obvious bursts of cheering more clearly! Btw. the surround sound mix on the DVD, especially the 2001 DTS re-issue (which is Region ALL by the way, for those interested!), is excellent, and much better than the upmixed Freddie Tribute and Wembley '86 concerts! Not to mention the widescreen video is also miles better than GVH1 and GVH2!