QUEEN: THE CROWN JEWELS
Even years after the death of Freddie Mercury, Queen's
position as one of rock's greatest-ever acts remains secure. The
recent "Queen Rocks" compilation saw the band back at No. 1 in the charts,
although plans to release their first post-Mercury track, "No One But you
(Only The Good Die Young)", were apparently scotched due to the song's
poor reception from hardcore fans.
New Freddie-free offerings may be destined to suffer
the same critical fate as the reformed beatles singles, 'Free As A Bird"
and "Real love", but Queen's classic old stuff still sparkles with enough
magic to ensure that the band's music will live on well into the 21st century.
Once you've been lured into the labyrinthine world of
Queen collecting, the finest details of packaging become fascinating.
Succumb to the charms of an alternative "Bohemian Rhapsody" picture sleeve
and, before you know it, there goes your Christmas bonus! The demand
for such items can be measured by the sums of money they fetch. There
are over two dozen Queen overseas picture sleeves which regularly sell
for anything from £100 to £800 - not even the Beatles can match
that!
DEMAND
That said, demand for late 80s and early 90s mass-produced
'special editions' is steadily diminishing, and Queen's multi-formatted
releases rarely command more than a few times their original asking price.
The big money is reserved for bona fide limited releases like the 1978
blue vinyl "Bohemian Rhapsody" - a rarity as classic as the song itself
- as well as promos, and obscure overseas issues. As a general rule,
there are three main points to consider when buying the overseas stuff:
the age of the item (usually, the older the better), its visual appeal
(particularly in the case of alternative picture sleeves, coloured vinyl
and picture discs), and its condition (a tatty cover will still sell if
it's genuinely rare, but for the real vinyl junkie, it has to be Mint).
This list has been compiled from records issued
in every corner of the globe, from the U.K. to Uruguay, from Turkey to
Thailand. Some records issued in, say, Hungary or Czechoslovakia,
may be of dubious legality, but their vintage and obscurity assures them
a place in our hallowed hundred. Broadly speaking, each entry in
the Top 100 can be slotted into one or another of the following categories.
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY
More than any other song, 'Bo Rhap" epitomizes the very
essence of Queen. All the ingredients are there: the exotic title,
the pop sensibility, the operatic mid-section, the hard-rocking coda, sales
in the millions. The single is one of the most reissued in the band's
history, with eight U.K. formats alone. The most famous of these is the
blue-vinyl queen's Award For Industry issue, which was pressed in a limited
edition of just 200 to celebrate EMI winning the coveted badge of honour
(for more info, see RC 143). These days, a cool £2,000 is the
starting place for a copy in its picture sleeve. Add an extra £500
if its outer card carrying envelope is intact, and a further grand if it
comes with all the trimmings, as presented to the lucky few at a reception
at Selfridges in London on 26th July 1978.
The complete 'Bo Rhap" Queen's Award inventory should
include the numbered record in its picture sleeve, the outer envelope,
an invitation, a blue silk scarf and a set of two EMI goblets housed in
card box, itself lined in blue silk. Sets occasionally appear with
a commemorative biro, but its absence isn't likely to effect the price
much.
Despite official denials, it now appears as if unnumbered
copies of the blue vinyl single do exist after all. These seem likely
to be test or after-hours pressings, and while they come with finished
labels, they aren't numbered and don't have picture sleeves. Dealers report
that these copies can sell for around the £500-£600 mark, but
are hard to shift.
Other, less pricey, top "Bo Rhap' collectables include
the famous 'little girl" picture sleeve from France (printed on thin paper
and very hard to find in Mint condition!) and a four-track various-artists
EP from Thailand which, although of dubious provenance, does at least come
with a Queen-related cover (unlike many Far Eastern issues). There's
also a recently discovered Turkish issue (backed with "Sweet Lady" from
"A Night At The Opera') on the Max label - the band's only confirmed picture
sleeve from this country. Making up the numbers is a French promo
edit from 1979's "Live Killers" campaign, which omits the song's operatic
mid-section, and the Official Queen Fan Club's 10th anniversary reissue
from 1995, which sells for £175 or more. Beware of £50-rated,
unnumbered 'back door" copies of this latter single, incidentally, which
although pressed at EMI, were done so unofficially, and don't form part
of the initial run of 2,000. And it's worth noting here that 1995
copies on blue, black or marbled purple vinyl are clever counterfeits,
despite their £25 price tags.
FOREIGN SLEEVES
Overseas sleeves are the mainstay of collecting Queen,
with examples from Portugal being a firm favorite - they are hard to find
and easy to sell. Queen broke through internationally in 1974 with
'Killer Queen", which was a hit all around the world. Nevertheless,
overseas picture sleeves for the single were scarce even then, and in some
countries it seems as if fewer than 1,000 copies were printed (but at least
they made the effort: Queen's first U.K sleeve wasn't until 1975's "Bohemian
Rhapsody"). Picture sleeves for their debut, "Seven Seas Of Rhye",
are even harder to come by - there are only five examples, from Portugal,
Holland, Japan, France and Yugoslavia - while 'Keep Yourself Alive' was
only issued in a picture sleeve in the first three of these countries.
Elsewhere, exotic A-sides, like "Mustapha' from Bolivia, and 'Long Away"
from Thailand, command hefty sums simply because they are so unusual.
Alternative LP sleeves are less common, as most countries
opted, or were obliged, to merely reproduce EMI's U.K. originals.
Notable exceptions include the Turkish edition of "Flash", which added
a "Live Killers'-style photo to the familiar yellow sleeve, and a copy
of "Jazz' from the same country which re-titled the LP after its lead single,
"Bicycle Race". Even more appealing is the Portuguese record club
issue of 'Sheer Heart Attack", which looks like the design for a packet
of wine gums, and a couple of oddities from far-flung Venezuela: a "A Night
At The Opera", which swapped Freddie's colourful regal crest for a gloomy
live shot reminiscent of "Queen 1"; and a version of 'Queen II", for which
the colour scheme was white instead of black, and which depicted the band
members
looking suitably ghoulish with purple faces and mad-dog yellow eyes.
JAPANESE SINGLES
Japanese singles will forever hold sway over western collectors
thanks to the exotic nature of their packaging. Beautifully put together
with fold-over colour inserts, unique photographs and space-age graphics,
Japanese singles look as though they come from another world, let alone
another country. The home market has always been relatively small
compared to the U.K. or the U.S., and pressing runs were kept appropriately
economical. Add to this the extremely limited nature of, say, a promotional-only
7", and even more exclusive promo CDs, and you've got a virtual license
to print money. This is particularly so with the top Japanese Queen
collectable a red vinyl promo-only "Sheer Heart Attack" LP. While
anti-static, "Everclear" red vinyl discs were once reasonably common in
Japan by artists like the Beatles, no commercial albums by Queen were issued
in this form. Few collectors have even seen this record, although we are
assured that it exists, and at the vinyl is a deep "blood-red" colour,
In fact, the one known copy reportedly came from no less a source than
Roger Taylor. (A French red vinyl copy of the same album, incidentally,
is a counterfeit.)
Until recently, the Japanese 'I Want It All' promo-only
single was valued at £900 or more. Then it was cleverly counterfeited,
which effectively knocked £200 off the asking price of the original
- many collectors, it seems, were happy enough with the $30 fake.
Should you be in the market for the genuine article, check the run-off
groove. The matrix number should be intact, if it has been scratched
out, you're being offered a dud.
COLOURED VINYL & PICTURE DISCS
Coloured vinyl is traditional collectors' fare. There have always been records pressed in plastic other than black, but the trend really took hold in the 1970s. Unusually, though, leaving aside the special issue 'Bohemian Rhapsody', Queen were somewhat overlooked in this respect at the time, as labels like A&M whipped up a whole palette's worth of hues for the likes of Squeeze and the Police. It was left to EMI's overseas affiliates to ensure that Queen were included in on the act. France knocked out colour coordinated copies of 'A Night At The Opera" and "News Of The World' and later "A Kind Of Magic', while this last album was given an extra lease of life in New Zealand, where it appeared on orangey-pink vinyl, and as a one-off burgundy-coloured 'factory custom pressing.
The 1995 multicoloured-vinyl Czechoslovakian reissues
of "Queen" were apparently test-pressings for record-company executives
pitching, for a licence to reissue the band's first album in that country.
The licence was granted, and the Czechs went on to press copies of 'Queen'
on pink vinyl (value: £80) and green (£30). But the sought-after
issue is the multicoloured vinyl one, not least because just 30 copies
were pressed!
Most obscure of all, though, is a series of coloured
vinyls from Colombia. Significant among these are the 12" singles,
"Crazy Little Thing Called Love", "Another One Bites The Dust" and "Under
Pressure", all of which appeared in a variety of colours in generic "EMI
Disco" sleeves. "Crazy Little Thing" is backed by an unusual mix
of 'Bicycle Race", in which the track stops two-thirds of the way through
only to return to the intro to play the song once more in its entirety.
Most Colombian pressings were cheaply produced, with sound quality far
from a primary concern (even if the 12"s were probably only issued to club
DJs). They also appear to have been put into some particularly demanding
service and more often than not turn up in dreadful condition.
Colombia also issued a "A Kind Of Magic" album on blue
(rumours of 'Greatest Hits" in a similar colour are unfounded) and a two
tone 'Live Killers' - one disc black, the other blue. This latter
issue sells for a whopping £700, ten times more than the red-and-green
Japanese issue! Elsewhere in South America, EMI's Venezuelan contingent
issued the highly prized (and highly priced) "Hot Space" on delightful
slate-grey vinyl.
Only two picture discs make it into our Top 100, both
of which have acquired near legendary status among collectors. "Jazz"
appeared in France with either a black or white perimeter border printed
with a series of white or black bicycle motifs (completists need both,
of course). Look out for poor quality fakes, on which the picture-disc
image is fuzzy. Sold as a 'reproduction", this will fetch £25
while, amazingly, there's even demand for the white-vinyl test-pressing
of this forgery, which can command as much as £100.
'Greatest Hits' was manufactured in East Germany for
sale in, of all places, Bulgaria. This used a picture of the band
live in Montreux instead of the more formal Snowdon photograph which adorned
the standard LP sleeve elsewhere. Valued at more than £600,
it's easy to why this disc, too, has been counterfeited. But it's
easy to tell the difference between the fake and the original. Even
if you're unsure about just how fuzzy (the fake) or sharp (the original)
the Montreux image should be, check out the top amplifier in the picture.
If you can see the word "Marshall", you're on safe ground, if not, your
disc is decidedly dodgy.
PROMOS
Most of the CDs listed in our sought-after centenary are
promos. Understandably, "The Greatest 3" triple-disc Japanese set
is hugely in demand, as it contains a separate CD by Queen, the Rolling
Stones, and the Beatles not a bad triumvirate when it comes to collecting.
Some sets come with a special 'dealer pack', which includes Japanese language
newspaper, outlining a brief history of each group. Put together
to celebrate both Queen and the Stones joining the EMI stable (Queen had
previously been on Elektra in Japan), "The Greatest 3" was such a big deal
when it was released in 1991 that it was itself promoted via a sampler
CD containing six of the best from each act. This disc alone sells
for £400.
Other in-demand Japanese promo-only compilations include
the 15-track "Made In Heaven"-era "Ultimate Collection", which also includes
solo Freddie material, and 'Their Greatest History", numbered copies of
which are worth more than their unnumbered counterparts. Both of
these are streets ahead of similar U.S. compilations - such as the lavishly
packaged 'Their Best", and the 4-CD set, "Rocks Box" - in terms of value
and scarcity. 'Rocks Box" is a unique 20th anniversary compilation
(four volumes of 'Queen Rocks"), in which each disc is housed in a tray
which slides into a mini card chest of drawers.
"Their Best" includes two CDs: 'Greatest Hits", which
is a U.S.-only compilation featuring a different sleeve and tracks to the
regular album with the same title, and a three track disc featuring "We
Are The Champions", and the regular and remixed versions of "We Will Rock
You". Both of these fit into foam recesses inside a hard plastic
carrying case, measuring 13" x 10". This also contains a silver-embossed
folder, inside which is a 1974 Mick Rock photograph (as per the Japanese
'Seven Seas Of Rhye" picture sleeve), a two page biography dated August
1992, and a numbered Hollywood Records paper slip.
One of the most sought-after U.K. Queen promos bears
the unwieldy title of "Promotional Sampler From The U.K. Pop Group Conference
'73". This white-label disc is actually the group's debut LP, and
comes housed in a generic die-cut sleeve, which is printed with mug shots
of EMI's top executives of the day, among whom are Colin Miles, now head
of the See For Miles reissue label, and Paul Watts, who was interviewed
in RC 143 about the blue vinyl "Bo Rhap", and pictured in RC 162 in our
report on the Thames TV record library sell-off. Super-rare copies
of this "Conference" LP come with another purple envelope embossed in gold
with Queen's crest, which also contains a press release (printed on purple
paper) and a set of 10" x 8" glossy photographs.
UNRELEASED AND WITHDRAWN ITEMS
If you want to spice up your collecting life with something
few other buggers have got, then you need a record that's unreleased or
has been withdrawn. Copies of the 1984 single, "Hammer To Fall",
with a long-distance live shot of Queen on the picture sleeve, are stalwarts
of the collecting scene, and both the U.K. 7" and 12" editions have been
known to fetch £180 apiece. The single was shipped to branches
of Woolworth's before, as the story goes, Brian May decided he didn't like
the image as it gave the false impression that the single was a live recording.
The sleeve [was] quickly pulled in favour of a last-minute replacement
featuring little more than the record's title. Less familiar is the
U.S. 7" version, which features the same photograph as its U.K. counterpart,
but appeared in far fewer numbers, hence its £500 price tag.
"Radio Ga Ga" was originally planned with a sleeve featuring
a still from the famous Metropolis-style video shoot, but was eventually
abandoned in favour of a group portrait. The dummy sleeve only survives
as a printer's proof (i.e. the front and back appear on the same card sheet),
and also carries a value of some P-500. Mystery surrounds the cancelled
double A-side single, "The Show Must Go On"/"Bohemian Rhapsody", but it
looks as if this was intended to be released in late 1991. "The Show"
did indeed become the final single from 'Innuendo", but not with this flipside.
Freddie's death scotched the idea as, inevitably, EMI quickly prepared
a reissue of 'Bohemian Rhapsody" in its own right.
MISCELLANEOUS
'Queen Mania" was a 15-CD collection housed in a metal
flight case and limited to 1,000 copies. Only available in Germany
in 1986, the set also came with a T-shirt, a badge and a booklet.
Also issued in Germany was a collection of 1988's 3" CD singles reissues,
which were housed in a unique gold-stamped leather wallet and limited to
just 555 copies.
In a similar vein, but much more lavish in its presentation,
is "The Ultimate Collection". Released worldwide in 1995, with a
price tag of around £300-£350 (depending on the dealer), this
is a wall-mounted wooden cabinet featuring picture CDs of the band's 20
albums to date - the only opportunity to own them in this format.
The set was completed by a Freddie hologram on the front of the display
case, and an embossed 12-page booklet.
"The Ultimate Collection" was a more spectacular update
of the "The Complete Works', issued 10 years earlier, in which the band's
14 albums up to that point were housed together in a box set featuring
two booklets, a map, and a compilation of non-LP tracks called "Complete
Vision". Standard copies of this set are worth around £100,
while the first 600 sold via HMV stores - came with a copy of the bonus
disc autographed by all four members of the band. Current going rate:
£500.
The last item on our list is the "Message From Queen"
red vinyl flexi, which came free with the Japanese magazine, Music Life.
The disc features spoken words from all four members of the band, including
Brian May, who according to the accompanying article, was in a "seriouse"
mood at the time of the recording.
QUEEN: TOP 100 WORLDWIDE RARITIES:
1) BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY/I'M IN LOVE WITH MY CAR (EMI EMI
2376,7", blue vinyl, p/s, In outer 'EMI lnternational' card sleeve, with
pen, Invites,
commemorative scarf & EMI goblets In card box, 200
numbered, promo copies only, 1978)
2) BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY/I'M IN LOVE WITH MY CAR (EMI EMI
2375,7", blue vinyl, p/s, with or without outer 'EMI International' card
sleeve, 200 numbered, promo copies only, 1978)
3) SHEER HEART ATTACK (Elektra P 101 37E Japanese LP,
white label, red vinyl, promo only, 1977)
4) THE GREATEST 3 (EMI Toshiba SPCD 1524/5/6, Japanese
box set, Including 3 separate CDs, In slipcase, some
with A News Scrap newspaper & dealer pack,
promo only; other discs by the Beatles & the Rolling Stones, 1995)
5) A KIND OF MAGIC (EMI I 1 1051, Columbian LP, blue
vinyl, single sleeve, 1986)
6) KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE/FLICK OF THE WRIST (EMI SE 006
94681, Portugese 7", p/s, 1973)
7) HOT SPACE (EMI 11907, Columbian LP, grey vinyl, 1982)
8) KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE/FLICK OF THE WRIST (EMI 5C 006
94681, Dutch 7", p/s, 1973)
9) LIVE KILLERS (EMI E 2510, Columbian 2-LP, one disc
black vinyl, the other blue vinyl, gatefold sleeve, 1979)
10) I WANT IT ALL/HANG ON IN THERE (EMI Toshiba PRP 1397,
Japanese promo-only 7", 1989)
11) THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION (EMI Toshiba TOCP 8700, Japanese
CD, promo only, 1995)
12) KILLER QUEEN/FLICK OF THE WRIST (EMI SE 006 96060,
Portugese 7", p/s, 1974)
13) RADIO GA GA (Short Edit)/RADIO GA GA (Single Version)
(EMI Toshiba PRP 1125, Japanese 7", promo only,
photocopied p/s, 1984)
14) GREATEST HITS (Balkanton PDBTA 11253/54, Bulgarian
LP, picture disc, 1981)
15) QUEEN MANIA (EMI/Electrola no cat no., German 15-CD
set In metal flight case,
with booklet, t-shirt & badge, 1,000
only, numbered, 1986)
16) NOW I'M HERE/LILY OF THE VALLEY (EMI SE 006 96255,
Portugese 7", p/s, 1975)
17) HAMMER TO FALLI-TEAR IT UP (Elektra B 5424, U.S.
7", pls, withdrawn, 1984)
18) CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE/BICYCLE RACE (Long
Version)
(EMI 446 1032, Columbian 12", pink vinyl, no p/s,
1979)
19) SEVEN SEAS OF RHYE/SEE WHAT A FOOL I'VE BEEN (EMI
SE 006 95241, Portugese 7", p/s, 1974)
20) GREATEST HITS (EMI/Oasis OLE 7012, Korean LP, different
sleeve, 1981)
21) THE COMPLETE WORKS (EMI OB1, 14-LP box set, with
"Complete Vision" compilation LP,
2 booklets & map, 600 copies signed by band,
numbered, 1985)
22) BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY/SWEET LADY (Max 049, Turkish 7",
p/s, 1975)
23) ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST/DRAGON ATTACK (EMI 446
1061, Columbian blue vinyl 12", no p/s, 1981)
24) CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE/BICYCLE RACE (Long
Version)
(EMI 446 1032, Columbian 12", blue vinyl, no p/s, 1979)
25) CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE/BICYCLE RACE (Long
Version)
(EMI 446 1032, Columbian 12", green vinyl, no
p/s, 1979)
26) UNDER PRESURE/SOUL BROTHER (EMI 446 1097, Columbian
12", green vinyl, no p/s, 1981)
27) RADIO GA GA/I GO CRAZY (unreleased proof 'video shoot'
p/s for 7", EMI QUEEN 1, 1984)
28) ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST/DRAGON ATTACK (EMI 446
1061, Columbian 12", green vinyl, no p/s, 1980)
29) ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST/DRAGON ATTACK (EMI 446
1061, Columbian 12", orange vinyl, no p/s, 1980)
30) CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVEIBICYCLE RACE (Long
Version)
(EMI 446 1032, Columbian 12", yellow vinyl, no
p/s, 1979)
31) MUSTAPHA/DEAD ON TIME (EMI Odeon BO 1253, Bolivian
7", p/s, 1978)
32) THE HIGHLANDER SELECTION (Parlophone EMCDV 2, CDV,
promo only, 50 only, 1986)
33) THE GREATEST HISTORY (EMI Toshiba PCD 0670, Japanese
CD, numbered/unnumbered copies, 100 copies, 1995)
34) QUEEN (EMI no cat. no., white label LP, EMI Conference
custom Issue, die-cut sleeve, with or without outer envelope, 1973)
35) THE GREATEST 3 SAMPLER (EMI Toshiba, Japanese CD,
promo only, 1995)
36) THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION (EMI, 20 x CD, picture discs,
in wooden cabinet, numbered, 3,000 only, 1995)
37) UNDER PRESSURE/SOUL BROTHER (EMI 446 1097, Columbian
12", yellow vinyl, no p/s, 1981)
38) ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST/DRAGON ATTACK (EMI 446
1061, Columbian 12", yellow vinyl, no p/s, 1980)
39) THE SHOW MUST GO ON/BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY(EMI QUEEN 19/20,
unreleased double A side 7", no p/s, 1991)
40) SEVEN SEAS OF RHYE/SEE WHAT A FOOL I'VE BEEN (EMI/Pathd
2C 008 95241, French 7", p/s, 1974)
41) KILLER QUEEN/KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE (Harvest 1542, Venezuelan
12" p/s, 'tour edition', 1981)
42) CRAZY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE/WE WILL ROCK YOU (Harvest
12 HAR 715, Venezuelan 12", p/s, 1981)
43) A KIND OF MAGIC (EMI EMC 3509, New Zealand LP, burgundy
vinyl custom pressing,gatefold sleeve, 1986)
44) NEWS OF THE WORLD (EMI, box set, LP with factory
sample sticker, 5 photos, biography, badge & demo copy of "We Are The
Champions"/"We Will Rock You", promo only, 50 only, 1977)
45) BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (3:30)/I'M IN LOVE WITH MY CAR
(EMI/Path6
SP 621, French 7" radio edit, promo only, no p/s, 1978)
46) HAMMER TO FALL (The Headbangers Mix)/TEAR IT UP
(EMI
052 200 3456, Spanish 12", white title sleeve [no: 12OUEEN 4], 1984)
47) NEWS OF THE WORLD (Elektra 66-112, U.S. box set,
with News Of The World newspaper,
2 biographies, stickers & 7 photos, promo
only, 1977)
48) BICYCLE RACE (Pacific LP 106, Turkish LP, retitled
version of "Jazz", different sleeve, 1978)
49) A KIND OF MAGIC (EMI/Pathe DC 102, French LP, red
vinyl, gatefold sleeve, 1986)
50) JAZZ (EMI/Path6 PIC 3/PM 900, French LP, picture
disc, 1978 black border or 1979 white)
51) INNUENDO (EMI, box set containing EPK In p/s, with
Inserts, promo only, 25 only, 1991)
52) HEADLONG/HIT MAN/LOST OPPORTUNITY (EMI/Path6 PM 212
2042866, French 12" 'clown' p/s, promo only, 1989)
53) QUEEN (Globus International GE 0221, Czechoslovakian
LP, multicoloured vinyl, 30 only, 1995)
54) SEVEN SEAS OF RHYEISEE WHAT A FOOL I'VE BEEN (EMI
SC 006 95241, Dutch 7", p/s, 1974)
55) NOW I'M HERE/LILY OF THE VALLEY (EMI/Path6 2C 004
96255, French 7", p/s, 1975)
56) TIE YOUR MOTHER DOWN/YOU AND I (EMI/Path6 2C 006
98819, French 7", p/s, 1977)
57) UNDER PRESSURE/("Arthur's Theme' by Christopher Cross)
(EMI Toshiba PS 1014/1015, Japanese double-pack 7',
promo only, second disc: "Young Turks" by
Rod Stewart/ "Turn Your Love Around" by George Benson, 1981)
58) PAIN IS SO CLOSE TO PLEASURE/DON'T LOSE YOUR HEAD
(EMI Electrola 006 20 1610/7,
German 7", p/s, In outer card wallet, with
biography and photographs, promo only, 1982)
59) SHEER HEART ATTACK (Orlador 2127, Portugese record
club LP, different sleeve, 1974)
60) WE WILL ROCK YOU/WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS/SPREAD YOUR
WINGS
(EMI SP SLP 241 Al U, 3-track one-sided 12", promo
only, no p/s, 1977)
61) THEIR BEST (Hollywood RDC 10192-2, U.S. 2-CD set
Including "Greatest Hits" &
"We Will Rock You"/"We Are The Champions"/"We Will
Rock You [Remix])", housed In 13" x l0" plastic case with handle,
with silver-embossed folder with photos, biography,
paper slip, 100 promo copies only, 1992)
62) FLASH (Max MAXLP 8103, Turkish LP, 1980)
63) KILLER QUEEN/FLICK OF THE WRIST (EMI EMI 2229, Swedish
7" p/s, 1974)
64) MAN ON THE PROWL/KEEP PASSING THE OPEN WINDOWS
(EMI QUEEN 5, Irish only 7", generic green co.
sleeve, 1984)
65) WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS (Studio Version) (3:00)/WE ARE
THE CHAMPIONS (Live Version)
(4:09)/ WE WILL ROCK YOU (Studio Version) (2:00)IWE
WILL ROCK YOU (Live Version) (2:24)
(EMI/Path6 SP 1615, French 12", different p/s,
50 only, promo only 1977)
66) BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY/I'M IN LOVE WITH MY CAR (EMI 8E
006 97140, Portugese 7", p/s, 1975)
67) TIE YOUR MOTHER DOWN/YOU AND I (EMI I OC 006 98919,
Spanish 7", p/s, 1977)
68) YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND/SOMEBODY TO LOVE (Jackpot POT
69, Hong Kong flexidisc,
turquoise vinyl, p/s, with free poster and
stickers, 1986)
69) SINGLES SET (EMI/Electrola OUE 1-12, German 12 x
3" CD singles set in gold-stamped leather wallet, 555 only, 1988)
70) BODY LANGUAGE/LIFE IS REAL (Song For Lennon) (EMI
EMIJ 4391, South African 7", unique p/s, 1982)
71) ONE YEAR OF LOVE/GIMME THE PRIZE (Kurgan's Theme)
(EMI/Pathe SP 1297, French 12", 'negative' p/s,
promo only, 1986)
72) ROCKS BOX (Hollywood PRCD 8623/8296/8297/8298, U.S.
4-CD box set, In mini card chest of drawers, promo
only, 1993)
73) SEVEN SEAS OF RHYE/SEE WHAT A FOOL I'VE BEEN (Elektra
P-1314E, Japanese 7", p/s, 1974)
74) BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY/I'M IN LOVE WITH MY CAR (EMI QUEENDJ
95, purple vinyl,
10th anniversary fan club reissue, p/s,
2,000 only, numbered, 1995)
75) BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY (4-Track Stereo FT 301, Thai various
artists EP, with "Bo Rap" p/s;
other tracks: "Slow Ride" by Fogerty, "Blue
Guitar" by Justin Hayward & John Lodge;, 1975)
76) A KIND OF MAGIC (EMI EMC 3509, New Zealand
LP, orange/pink vinyl, gatefold sleeve, 1986)
77) LOVE OF MY LIFEINOW I'M HERE (EMI 10C 006 062877,
Spanish 7", p/s, 1979)
78) BICYCLE RACE/FAT BOTTOMED GIRLS (EMI EMI 2870, 7",
different U.K. p/s for export to Belgium, 1978)
79) A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (EMI SLPE 500585, Uraguyan LP,
promo Issue in different sleeve, shrink-wrapped, 1975)
80) DISCO HITS (EMI Toshiba PS 210, Japanese 6-track
mini-LP, promo only, 1982)
81) QUEEN 11 (Harvest SHLP 9525, Venezuelan LP,
different sleeve, 1974)
82) YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND (4-Track Stereo FJ 350, Thai
various artists EP, p/s,
other tracks: "16 Tons" by Don Harrison Band/"Let
It Shine" by Santana/"Fool For The City" by John Fogerty, 1976)
83) HAMMER TO FALL (Edit)/TEAR IT UP (EMI QUEEN 4, withdrawn
7" with 'live' p/s, only available via Woolworths, 1984)
84) HAMMER TO FALL (The Headbangers Mix) / TEAR IT UP
(EMI
12OUEEN 4, withdrawn 12" with 'Live' p/s, only available via Wootworths,
1984)
85) LONG AWAY (4 Track Stereo ST 428, Thai various
artists EP, other tracks: "Barracuda"
by Heart/ "What's On My Mind" by Kansas "Piece
Of Mind" by Boston, p/s)
86) NOW I'M HERE/LILY OF THE VALLEY (Pepita SPSK
70209, Hungarian p/s, 1977)
87) BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY/I'M IN LOVE WITH MY CAR (EMI/Poth6
2C 010 97140, French 7", "little girl" p/s, 1975)
88) A QUEEN SAMPLER (Dyna/EMI SAMP 1, Filipino LP, stickered
die-cut sleeve, 1992)
89) SEVEN SEAS OF RHYE/SEE WHAT A FOOL I'VE BEEN (EMI/Yugoton
SEMI 88753, Yugoslavian 7", p/s, 1974)
90) KEEP YOURSELF ALIVE/SON AND DAUGHTER (Elektra P-1209E,
Japanese 7", p/s, 1973)
91) YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND/39 (EMI 1J 006 97944,
Spanish 7", p/s, 1976)
92) KILLER QUEEN/FLICK OF THE WRIST (EMI/Yugoton
SEMI 88792, Yugoslavian 7", p/s, 1974)
93) BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY/I'M IN LOVE WITH MY CAR (EMI 6C
006 97140, Danish 7" In Dutch p/s [SC 006 97140],1975)
94) A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (Harvest 25049, Venezuelan LP,
different sleeve, 1974)
95) NEWS OF THE WORLD (EMI/Pathe DC 3, French LP, green
vinyl In promo display die-cut sleeve, 1977)
96) A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (EMI/Path6 DC 10, French LP,
white vinyl, promo display die-cut sleeve, 1975)
97) HEADLONG/HIT MAN (EMI/Path6 PM 212 2042866,
French 7"'clown'p/s, promo only, 1989)
98) IT'S A HARD LIFE (Extended Mix)/[T'S A HARD
LIFE/IS THIS THE WORLD WE CREATED
(EMI/Electrola ICK 062 2003426, German 12", p/s,
withdrawn, 1986)
99) A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (EMI SLPE 500585, Uruguyan LP,
different gatefold or single thin paper sleeve, 1975)
100) MESSAGE FROM QUEEN (Japan, red vinyl flexi, with
Music Life magazine, 1977)