Queen is bringing back their lead singer Freddie Mercury in Queen Forever, a CD collection bringing back to life new Freddie Mercury songs being released November 11.
The tracks include a long anticipated song from Queen and Michael Jackson, “There Must Be More to Life Than This,” a previously unfinished Mercury-Queen track “Let Me In Your Heart Again” originating from the band’s The Works album recording sessions, and a new stripped-down ballad version of Mercury’s first solo hit, his Giorgio Moroder collaboration, “Love Kills.”
The Queen and Michael Jackson duet, “There Must Be More to Life Than This,” began as a song written by Mercury during sessions for Queen’s 1981 album, Hot Space. The band recorded a backing track, but the song was never completed. Mercury visited Michael Jackson at his home studio in Los Angeles where he recorded Jackson singing the song for an unfinished version. Queen revived the track during sessions for 1984’s The Works, but again it was not finished.
A year later, Freddie’s own version of the song surfaced on his debut solo album, 1985’s Mr. Bad Guy. This new production of the powerful ballad fuses Queen’s original backing track and Mercury and Jackson’s distinctive vocals, and has been produced and remixed by celebrated Madonna/Robbie Williams producer William Orbit.
The rest of the package brings together Queen hits, classic tracks, and new takes on well-known songs, matched with band recordings Brian May describes as “things that we have collected together that are representative of our growth rather than the big hits” in a collection immaculately assembled by May and Roger Taylor themselves. The tracks are all linked to represent a definitive collection of Queen’s timeless love songs.
Speaking at the press conference to launch their North American concert tour with singer Adam Lambert earlier in the year, May said, “There was a little bit more in the can that we had overlooked for a long time, so we have a few songs which we’re working on right now. Freddie sounds as fresh as yesterday.”
Queen Forever is both a showcase for these exclusive new recordings, but also an enduring tribute to the extraordinary musical achievements of John Deacon, Brian May, Roger Taylor and the late, great Freddie Mercury whose singular talent we can again marvel at with the arrival of these previously unheard tracks.