A new entry at number five on the UK album chart this week, (all the best albums go in at five these days, remember ‘hours…’?) is a 17-track compilation called ‘Queen + Greatest Hits III‘. As the more astute among you will have realized this is the third greatest hits album from Queen to date, and in fact the second to include the number one hit song ‘Under Pressure‘. ‘Greatest Hits II‘ contained a slight edit of the original version, but as I’m sure most of you already know the track has been radically re-mixed for this latest hits compilation, and for a single release in December. A video has also been made for the ‘Queen + Greatest Flix III‘ video compilation released next week.
The version of ‘Under Pressure‘ on ‘Greatest Hits III‘ is listed as the ‘Rah Mix’. Clocking in at 4:09 minutes, it includes vocals not present on the original, including the line from David: “Even a blind man could see that’s not so”.
You may have already seen the rather clever video that unites David and Freddie for the song for the very first time. Taken from two different performances, (Queen at Wembley Stadium in ’86 and Bowie from The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert) the film does a pretty realistic job of giving the impression that the two singers were actually on the same stage for this performance. But, before all of the e-mails come flooding in from the aspiring continuity persons out there, we know it isn’t 100%% convincing, and no, David’s new line isn’t a reference to the Video!
If you haven’t seen the video, or if you want to see it again, there is a free download and a short documentary about the making of the piece here:
http://www.virginradio.com/music/queen/home.htm
For the collectors among you there is a limited version of the CD (pictured above) with a printed jewel case and there is also a three-track promotional CD single, (pictured below) that has a different 3:46 minute version of the ‘Rah Mix’ and a 3:53 minute ‘Mike Spencer Mix’. This promo CD also has the Queen + Elton John performance of ‘The Show Must Go On‘.
Number one for the second time? Number one for Christmas? Make it happen!
From our European Correspondent ~ Total Blam Blam