Description:
Decided to upload this as a whole as some people like this performance this way, also I managed to locate higher quality audio of John Peel's dialogue.
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This audio is sourced from the deluxe edition of the 'On Air' boxset released in 2016, which was originally recorded on October 28th, 1977 and also the John Peel dialouge from the 2017 News Of The World boxset.
Queen's sixth and final BBC Radio session was recorded on October 28, 1977 at Maida Vale 4 Studio in London. The session was produced by Jeff Griffin and engineered by Mike Robinson. BBC Radio 1 broadcast the session on John Peel's Sounds Of the 70s program on November 14, 1977. This recording of We Will Rock You uses the stomp, stomp, clap backing track that appears on the album version. Freddie contributes a new vocal that consists of just the first few verses and Brian performs a new version of the guitar solo. After the guitar solo and an explosion, there is a reading from Siddartha by Herman Hesse. Queen Archivist Greg Brooks explains in Record Collector from June 2001: "Immediately after an explosion, and just prior to the opening chords, a female voice cuts in briefly with an extract of a reading from Siddartha, by Herman Hesse. How did this come about? At that time, only master tapes survived from BBC sessions, while the actual tapes used to compose them were recorded over later. When Queen assembled in the control room for a playback, they discovered remnants of a Radio 4 programme on their tape. The band incorporated a segment of this unusual material into their own work. The broadcast version began in "News Of The World" fashion, then breaks for the Siddartha interlude."
After the Siddartha interlude from the "slow" version of We Will Rock You, the BBC Radio transmission cuts immediately into the "fast" version. This completely reimagined version of We Will Rock You features full, up tempo instrumentation from the entire band. This is generally considered the highlight of all the BBC sessions and is the only time this particular arrangement of We Will Rock You was recorded in the studio. The fast version would later be performed live on subsequent tours to open the set.
Written by: Brian May
Produced by: Queen, assisted by Mike Stone
Musicians:
Freddie Mercury - lead and backing vocals, handclaps, footstomps
Brian May - guitar, backing vocals, handclaps, footstomps
John Deacon - handclaps, footstomps
Roger Taylor - backing vocals, handclaps, footstomps
Information from QueenVault.com, QueenPedia.com & Ultimatequeen.co.uk
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Lyrics/Transcription:
Buddy you're a boy make a big noise
Playing in the street gonna be a big man some day
You got mud on your face
You big disgrace
Kicking your can all over the place
Singing
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you, come on
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you
Herman Hesse: "...believed in a creator God, Brachma. The Buddha rejected Brahmism and mocked at it's rituals. As for Brachma, the Buddha didn't deny his existence, but regarded him as a deluded spirit, who imagined he had created the universe".
Oooh, oooh, yeah
Yeah, come on
Buddy you're a boy make a big noise
Playing in the street gonna be a big man some day
You got mud on your face
You big disgrace
Kicking your can all over the place
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you
Buddy you're a young man, hard man
Shouting in the street gonna take on the world some day
Blood on your face
Big disgrace
Waving your banner all over the place
Sing it
We will, we will, rock you, oh yes ah
We will, we will, rock
Oh, oh, oh, oh
We will, we will, rock you, yes
We will, we will, rock you
Buddy you're an old man, poor man
Pleading with your eyes gonna make you some peace some day
Mud on your face
Big disgrace
Somebody better put you back into your place
We will, we will, rock you, come on
We will, we will, rock you
We will, we will, rock you
Oh, rock you
Right on
John Peel: "Right on to you too chaps, those are Queen and the first from them tonight, and it's called 'We Will Rock You', profundity or just another teenage anthem?"
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