Queen: Live at the Rainbow 1974
Queen are to release a 40th anniversary celebration of two gigs at London’s Rainbow Theatre later this year, across a multitude of audio and video formats.
Recorded by Roy Thomas Baker, the band’s 31 March 1974 show at the Rainbow was so good, it was touted as a live follow-up to Queen II for a while, before this idea was eventually shelved and Sheer Heart Attack became the third album. When that record was a massive success (along with single Killer Queen) Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon and Roger Taylor returned to the venue in November 1974 for two further dates.
Apart from the single CD version (which contains the November show only) the forthcoming Live at the Rainbow ’74 releases contain (to varying degrees) both shows, newly restored, edited, mixed, and digitally remastered. A two CD digi-pack edition has the March show on one CD and a November show on the other, while a DVD (or SD Blu-ray) features the November show with four ‘bonus’ tracks from March. A double gatefold vinyl will include “an audio reproduction” of the March show (I don’t know what that means either) on one record with highlights from November on the other.
There will be two box sets; a 4LP vinyl box, with two records featuring the March show and two featuring the November show, and the inevitable super deluxe edition which eschews vinyl and consists of the two CDs, the DVD AND blu-ray, a 60-page hardback book along with reproductions of many memorabilia items (tickets, show programmes, badges, stickers etc.).
In addition to the above, North America exclusively gets a Blu-ray+CD combo box, which sounds like a decent alternative to the super deluxe edition.
The March show has never been officially released, while the November gig was released in part in 1992 on VHS. In total 15 songs from both shows haven’t been issued on any Queen live album.
Full track listings below. Live at the Rainbow ’74 will be released on the same day as The Beatles in Mono vinyl box set – 8 September 2014 (or 9 September in North America).
Super Deluxe Edition box [2CD+DVD+Blu-ray+memorabilia]
- • UK Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow Deluxe
- • USA Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow (Deluxe Box Set)
- • GERMANY Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow Deluxe
- • FRANCE Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow Deluxe
4LP Vinyl box
- • UK Pre-order: Live At The Rainbow [VINYL]
- • GERMANY Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow [Vinyl LP]
- • FRANCE Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow
CD+Blu-ray (North American exclusive)
- • USA Pre-order: Live At The Rainbow ’74 (Blu-Ray/CD)
- • CANADA Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow 74 [Blu-ray+CD]
2CD Digi-pack
- • UK Pre-order: Live At The Rainbow
- • GERMANY Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow Deluxe
- • FRANCE Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow
2LP Vinyl edition
- • UK Pre-order: Live At The Rainbow [VINYL]
- • GERMANY Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow [Vinyl LP]
- • FRANCE Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow
Blu-ray
DVD
Track listings
Queen: Live at the Rainbow ’74 – track listings:
One CD Edition
SHEER HEART ATTACK TOUR
Live at the Rainbow, November ’74
- 1. Procession
- 2. Now I’m Here
- 3. Ogre Battle
- 4. Father To Son
- 5. White Queen (As It Began)
- 6. Flick Of The Wrist
- 7. In The Lap Of The Gods
- 8. Killer Queen
- 9. The March Of The Black Queen
- 10. Bring Back That Leroy Brown
- 11. Son And Daughter
- 12. Guitar Solo
- 13. Son And Daughter (Reprise)
- 14. Keep Yourself Alive
- 15. Drum Solo
- 16. Keep Yourself Alive (Reprise)
- 17. Seven Seas Of Rhye
- 18. Stone Cold Crazy
- 19. Liar
- 20. In The Lap Of The Gods… Revisited
- 21. Big Spender
- 22. Modern Times Rock ’n’ Roll
- 23. Jailhouse Rock
- 24. God Save The Queen
Two CD digi-pack & four vinyl LP boxed set:
CD 1 or LP 1 & 2
QUEEN II TOUR
Live at the Rainbow, March ’74
- 1. Procession
- 2. Father To Son
- 3. Ogre Battle
- 4. Son And Daughter
- 5. Guitar Solo
- 6. Son And Daughter (Reprise)
- 7. White Queen (As It Began)
- 8. Great King Rat
- 9. The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke
- 10. Keep Yourself Alive
- 11. Drum Solo
- 12. Keep Yourself Alive (Reprise)
- 13. Seven Seas Of Rhye
- 14. Modern Times Rock ’n’ Roll
- 15. Jailhouse Rock / Stupid Cupid / Be Bop A Lula (Medley)
- 16. Liar
- 17. See What A Fool I’ve Been
CD 2 or LP 3 & 4
SHEER HEART ATTACK TOUR
Live at the Rainbow, November ’74
- 1. Procession
- 2. Now I’m Here
- 3. Ogre Battle
- 4. Father To Son
- 5. White Queen (As It Began)
- 6. Flick Of The Wrist
- 7. In The Lap Of The Gods
- 8. Killer Queen
- 9. The March Of The Black Queen
- 10. Bring Back That Leroy Brown
- 11. Son And Daughter
- 12. Guitar Solo
- 13. Son And Daughter (Reprise)
- 14. Keep Yourself Alive
- 15. Drum Solo
- 16. Keep Yourself Alive (Reprise)
- 17. Seven Seas Of Rhye
- 18. Stone Cold Crazy
- 19. Liar
- 20. In The Lap Of The Gods… Revisited
- 21. Big Spender
- 22. Modern Times Rock ’n’ Roll
- 23. Jailhouse Rock
- 24. God Save The Queen
Standard DVD and SD Blu-Ray:
SHEER HEART ATTACK TOUR
Live at the Rainbow, November ’74
- 1. Procession
- 2. Now I’m Here
- 3. Ogre Battle
- 4. Father To Son
- 5. White Queen (As It Began)
- 6. Flick Of The Wrist
- 7. In The Lap Of The Gods
- 8. Killer Queen
- 9. The March Of The Black Queen
- 10. Bring Back That Leroy Brown
- 11. Son And Daughter
- 12. Guitar Solo
- 13. Son And Daughter (Reprise)
- 14. Keep Yourself Alive
- 15. Drum Solo
- 16. Keep Yourself Alive (Reprise)
- 17. Seven Seas Of Rhye
- 18. Stone Cold Crazy
- 19. Liar
- 20. In The Lap Of The Gods… Revisited
- 21. Big Spender
- 22. Modern Times Rock ’n’ Roll
- 23. Jailhouse Rock
Bonus tracks
QUEEN II TOUR
Live at the Rainbow, March ’74
- 1. Son And Daughter
- 2. Guitar Solo
- 3. Son And Daughter (Reprise)
- 4. Modern Times Rock ’n’ Roll
Double Vinyl LP Package:
QUEEN II TOUR
Live at the Rainbow, March ’74
LP 1
- 1. Procession
- 2. Father To Son
- 3. Ogre Battle
- 4. Son And Daughter
- 5. Guitar Solo
- 6. Son And Daughter (Reprise)
- 7. Keep Yourself Alive
- 8.Drum Solo
- 9. Keep Yourself Alive (Reprise)
- 10. Seven Seas Of Rhye
- 11. Modern Times Rock ’n’ Roll
- 12. Liar
LP 2
SHEER HEART ATTACK TOUR
Live at the Rainbow, November ’74
- 1. Procession
- 2. Now I’m Here
- 3. White Queen (As It Began)
- 4. Flick Of The Wrist
- 5. In The Lap Of The Gods
- 6. Killer Queen
- 7. The March Of The Black Queen
- 8. Bring Back That Leroy Brown
- 9. Stone Cold Crazy
- 10. In The Lap Of The Gods… Revisited
Super Deluxe Edition box [2CD+DVD+Blu-ray+memorabilia]
- • UK Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow Deluxe
- • GERMANY Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow Deluxe
- • FRANCE Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow Deluxe
4LP Vinyl box
- • UK Pre-order: Live At The Rainbow [VINYL]
- • GERMANY Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow [Vinyl LP]
- • FRANCE Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow
2CD Digi-pack
- • UK Pre-order: Live At The Rainbow
- • GERMANY Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow Deluxe
- • FRANCE Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow
2LP Vinyl edition
- • UK Pre-order: Live At The Rainbow [VINYL]
- • GERMANY Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow [Vinyl LP]
- • FRANCE Pre-order: Live at the Rainbow
By Paul Sinclair
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