FREDDIE MERCURY SOLO COLLECTION "LOVER OF LIFE,
SINGER OF SONGS" MARKS SINGER'S 60TH BIRTHDAY AND WORLD AIDS DAY;
"SPONSOR A STAR" CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED TO FIGHT AIDS
As the world collectively marks the 60th birthday of Freddie Mercury, Hollywood Records has a crazy little thing in store for his fans: "Lover of Life, Singer of Songs: The Very Best of Freddie Mercury Solo," a double-CD set boasting the most comprehensive collection of Mercury's solo material ever released. Including hits, new remixes, alternate takes, rare recordings and previously unavailable material, "Lover of Life, Singer of Songs: The Very Best of Freddie Mercury Solo" is a must for any fan of Freddie Mercury and Queen. Released in time to honor World AIDS Day on December 1, the CD set arrives in stores November 21.
Freddie's 60th birthday this year also takes on greater significance with the launch of "Sponsor a Star," a new online initiative to raise funds for the Mercury Phoenix Trust (a global AIDS charity set up in Freddie's memory by surviving Queens Brian May and Roger Taylor, Jim Beach and the Mercury estate). Partnering with PayPal, the "Sponsor a Star" campaign is
on the Web at link. Fans can go to the site, choose a "star" in the digital heavens and write a personal message to Freddie. They may also make a financial donation via PayPal to help fight the global scourge of AIDS. Many superstars from the entertainment world have participated as well, among them Annie Lennox, Diana Ross, Robert de Niro, Paul Rogers, Eric Idle, Taylor Hawkins of Foo Fighters, Montserrat Caballee.
Between 1985 and 1989, Freddie Mercury led a double life, as Queen frontman and as a daringly experimental solo artist. "Lover of Life, Singer of Songs" spans his artistic output, and includes new 2006 remixes taken from "Freddie Mercury -- The Solo Collection" compiled by Justin Shirley-Smith and Greg Brooks, previously unavailable early takes from the
"Mr Bad Guy" sessions, plus vintage collaborations such as Freddie's work with rock legend Dave Clark from the hit British musical "Time," film work with Giorgio Moroder and Freddie's collaboration with opera legend Montserrat Caballee on the Barcelona Olympics theme.
Tracks on "Lover of Life, Singer of Songs: The Very Best of Freddie Mercury Solo" are:
CD 1
1 In My Defense (2000 remix)
2 The Great Pretender (original 1987 single version)
3 Living On My Own (1993 radio mix)
4 Made In Heaven
5 Love Kills (original 1984 single version)
6 There Must Be More To Life Than This
7 Guide Me Home [performed by Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballee]
8 How Can I Go On [performed by Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballee]
9 Foolin' Around (Steve Brown remix)
10 Time
11 Barcelona [performed by Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballee]
12 Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow
13 I Was Born To Love You
14 The Golden Boy [performed by Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballee]
15 Mr Bad Guy
16 The Great Pretender (Malouf Remix)
17 Love Kills (Star Rider Remix)
18 I Can Hear Music (Larry Lurex, 1973 single)
19 Goin' Back (Larry Lurex, 1973 b-side) Bonus Track
20 Guide Me Home (Piano Version)
CD 2
1 Love Kills (sunshine people radio mix)
2 Made In Heaven (extended version)
3 Living On My Own (the egg remix)
4 Mr Bad Guy (bad circulation version)
5 I Was Born To Love You (george demure almost vocal mix)
6 My Love Is Dangerous (extended version)
7 Love Making Love (demo)
8 Love Kills (pixel82 remix)
9 I Was Born To Love You (extended version)
10 Foolin' Around (early version)
11 Living On My Own (no more brothers extended mix)
12 Love Kills (more oder rework by the glimmers)
13 Your Kind Of Lover (vocal & piano version)
14 Let's Turn It On (a cappella)
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So Hollywood Records has opted out of r
Is there anything on the DVD that is not on The Freddie Mercury Video Collection DVD that has been out for quite some time?
...or maybe something different?
It's a 2 DVD set. Of the top of my head, I can tell you this much.
One is "The Untold Story." I *think* there's some extra stuff on that one.
The other DVD has some extras.
The "jukebox interview," the unveiling of the Freddie statue at Montreux, a blurb of a Brian video about the occasion.
A different version of "Living on My Own" is on this collection that isn't on the earlier collection.
I know there's more stuff than that.
I got the CD and DVDs from Amazon.
Yeah there's quite a few differences actually. 'The Untold Story' is totally reworked, with a new narrator, lots of new footage inserted here and there.. nothing profound and the run time isn't much longer, so it's like an alternate version.
There's also 4 audio tracks:
- stereo with NEW narration (PCM)
- stereo without narration (Dolby Digital)
- 5.1 DTS
- directors commentary
And a making-of which lasts 18 mins. And the commentary is quite good btw. Rudi and Hans talk constantly and it never gets boring, though a few things are repeated from the making-of, but that's always the case.
And all that is just disc 1..
Disc 2 includes the remix of Living on My Own (upmixed 5.1) and the original 1992 version of In My Defence (no voice-overs) and it loses the 2000 version of In My Defence as well as the video interviews with the directors are now turned into commentary during the videos instead.
And the 5.1 mixes are in DTS now instead of Dolby. As well as the stereo versions being PCM instead of Dolby as well, so both are improved..
- 12 minute featurette on the dedication of the Freddie statue
- 35 minutes of interviews, old and new, with Freddie's music producers.. David Richards, Mack, Mike Moran, etc.
- 7 minute 'jukebox' interview
- Freddie photo exhibit (DVD-ROM) is moved to this disc.
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I enjoyed the new stuff a great deal but I'm hanging on to the original discs as well for the alternate versions/things that are missing.
I am disappointed in Hollywood Records if they indeed choose not to release the DVD set here. The "Video Collection" DVD has been listed as out of print here for awhile, so I would hope they'd make this available.. Freddie deserves a DVD of his own work on the U.S. market don't you think?
Michael,
I don't know if Hwood has dropped the ball or not. I just don't know what the market would be.
We have not purchased the import CDs or DVD. Don't plan on it. Nor will we purchase these if Hwood puts them on the shelves. There's nothing new in our eyes. We each had orders for the Solo Collection before it hit the market. Not for this.
We'd have bought 'a' CD of his greatest hits, just out of 'loyalty' and to add to our collection. This overpriced item with one disc of remixes provides zero interest. There's been no 'buzz' about it, which is a pity, but understandable.
Freddie, and old and new fans, deserved better.
Hmm, what would be a good price for a single disc best of? $14.99? $13.29?
For those prices you get the remix disc free.
A steal if you ask me. link link