
From Loudersound.
Queen have unearthed a tape of one of their earliest gigs – and they may consider releasing it.
Speaking exclusively in the brand new issue of Classic Rock, guitarist Brian May says he recently rediscovered a tape of one of the fledgling band’s gigs at London’s Imperial College.
“We’re always looking at finding stuff that is historically important,” says May. “And this one tape that cropped up very recently which I am excited about, which is one of the first gigs we played in a lecture theatre at Imperial College. I didn’t even know I had the cassette.”
While May doesn’t specify the date of the Imperial College gig, the band played several shows there during their very early days, including their first ever London gig, on July 18, 1970, with original bassist Mike Grose.
“We were very unformed [on the tape],” May continues. “Hearing Freddie at that point in his development is fascinating. He had all the will and charisma and passion, but he didn’t have the opportunity to harness that voice yet. Which makes me hesitate a little bit, because I’m not sure Freddie would be that happy hearing himself at this stage. But strangely, if he were alive and sitting here at this moment, he’d probably be the same as me: ‘Oh darling, we were kids.’
“We’re debating what to do with it. A few years ago we’d have felt very protective and thought, ‘Nobody should hear this, because we’re very rough.’ But now, in the position that we are in our lives, we feel forgiving. We’re not ashamed of where we were at that time. It was us against the world.”
The brand new issue of Classic Rock features an exclusive interview with May and Taylor as the pair look back over Queen’s career – and forward to what the future holds.
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- Queen - Bicycle Race - UK - 7" vinyl - £10.00, $12.30, €11.30 (New Item) (arrived 01-Feb-2023 14:36)on February 2, 2023 at 5:41 pm
QUEEN Bicycle Race (1978 UK 7" vinyl single with intact four prong centre, also including Fat Bottomed Girls, plain company die-cut paper sleeve. The vinyl displays some light hairlines and cosmetic surface scuffs but remains excellent EMI2870)
- Queen - A Kind Of Magic - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £20.00, $24.60, €22.60 (New Item) (arrived 24-Jan-2023 12:11)on February 2, 2023 at 5:41 pm
QUEEN A Kind of Magic (1986 UK 9-track vinyl LP, the twelfth studio album featuring the singles Who Wants To Live Forever, A Kind Of Magic, Princes Of The Universe & One Vision. The glossy gatefold picture sleeve has light wear but comes withthe illustrated lyric inner and the vinyl remains in excellent condition EU3509)
- Queen - Queen II - Transitional - 1st Vinyl & 2nd Labels - UK - vinyl LP - £195.00, $239.85, €220.35 (New Item) (arrived 19-Jan-2023 13:09)on February 2, 2023 at 5:41 pm
QUEEN Queen II (1974 UK 11-track LP on the cream & red EMI labels printed with 'Side White' and 'Side Black' above the tracklistings & 4U stampers the matrix numbers crossed out in the run-outs with corrected numbers stamped below, as per first batch press, housed in the fully laminated picture sleeve with lyric inner with diagonal edge cuts at the top and one bottom corner. The sleeve shows a little creasing to edges and back, with a small residual sticker mark to reverse, the innerhas light creasing to the corner, whilst the vinyl is Near Mint EMA67)
- Queen - Innuendo - Factory Sample - UK - vinyl LP - £195.00, $239.85, €220.35 (New Item) (arrived 19-Jan-2023 13:10)on February 2, 2023 at 5:41 pm
QUEEN Innuendo (Rare 1991 UK 12-track vinyl LP, the groups fourteenth studio album including I'm Going Slightly Mad, Don't Try So Hard, The Hitman and Bijou which were especially edited for the vinyl edition; picture sleeve with 'ManufacturersProperty' sticker on the reverse and lyric inner. The sleeve, inner and vinyl are all in wonderful near mint condition. One of the best examples we have ever seen PCSD115)
- Queen - It's A Hard Life - 4 Prong - UK - 7" vinyl - £12.00, $14.76, €13.56 (New Item) (arrived 20-Jan-2023 09:23)on February 2, 2023 at 5:41 pm
QUEEN It's A Hard Life (1984 UK 7" vinyl single with intact four prong centre, also including Is This The World We Created?, housed in a glossy card picture sleeve. The sleeve shows light ring wear and some creasing on the opening, whilst thevinyl displays few signs of play QUEEN3)
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