donovan
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Post by donovan on Feb 29, 2024 12:30:15 GMT
Instagram post shows pink coloured vinyl and foil silhouettes on the cover, which I think is going to look sharp.
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pg
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Post by pg on Feb 29, 2024 13:14:23 GMT
Instagram post shows pink coloured vinyl and foil silhouettes on the cover, which I think is going to look sharp. We're all used to style over content by now!
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BrƎИsꓘi
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Post by BrƎИsꓘi on Feb 29, 2024 21:57:52 GMT
Instagram post shows pink coloured vinyl and foil silhouettes on the cover, which I think is going to look sharp. time to dig out my old Queenzone comment: A turd in a ribbon still stinks of shit
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georg
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Post by georg on Mar 10, 2024 4:36:15 GMT
I'll ask this here instead of creating a new thread: I've read three reviews of Hot Space that mention Billy Squier singing backing vocals on Cool Cat after Bowie requested his vocals be removed:
Billboard, May 8, 1982: "Squier also sings backup vocals on Cool Cat, a song from Queen's Hot Space album, due domestically May 7. Backup vocals on the track were originally cut by David Bowie at the time he and the group recorded Under Pressure. But Bowie reportedly didn't like the mix of Cool Cat and Queen, not having time to remix it, substituted Squier's voice."
Rolling Stone, June 10, 1982: “...Freddie Mercury’s Mick Jagger-like falsetto on ‘Cool Cat’ takes the band as close to a street corner as it’ll ever get. Shortly before Hot Space‘s release, Bowie removed his vocals from ‘Cool Cat’ (Billy Squier was a last-minute substitute), but he remains front and center on ‘Under Pressure’, a number on which Mercury manages to ape both Hall and Oates...”
The Washington Post, July 22, 1982: "...Aside from this academic similarity and the appearance of Squier on one of Queen’s tracks..."
Now, there ARE backing vocals ("cool cat", "chit chat" in the first chorus, "cool cat" and "with a new hat" in the second chorus), but to my untrained (and deteriorating) ear they sound like Freddie double-tracked, which are present on the original mix, and Bowie's vocals on that are more prominent than harmonizing on 10 words.
In the brief bout of research I've been doing lately, I haven't seen BIlly's backing vocals mentioned anywhere else than in the album's reviews (you'd think one of the band members would say so, considering both Brian and Freddie mention Bowie wanting his vocals removed, they easily could have said something like "and so we put Billy on instead"), and he isn't thanked in the credits (you'd think he would be)
So – is Billy on Cool Cat? Was he originally on the mix before being mixed out, too? Or is this just a tall tale made up by the press? (And of all the things to make up...!)
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dysan
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Post by dysan on Mar 10, 2024 9:02:16 GMT
Very interesting info Georg. Billy Squire was recording his 'Emotions in Motion' album at the same time and at the same place (Munich) with Mack (which also features Freddie and Roger and has a similar sleeve style) so not out of the question. Listening to the track with this in mind, I can imagine those BVs you picked out being Billy. Especially on one of the earlier rough versions where they are slightly longer and higher in the mix. I'm not sure it's purely Freddie doing them.
Lack of a credit on the sleeve is notable considering the Arif Mardin credit for the hot and spacy horns, but that might just have been down to no one being arsed to sort out the paperwork for Squire's label Capitol to allow it. Just pals mucking around on each other's songs. Mike Stone's credit for GOFLB is one thing, but all the people adding foot stomps to WWRY is another. Credits on records are not an exact science.
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billy
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Post by billy on Mar 10, 2024 14:12:44 GMT
Wow. Talk about corroborating evidence! (Or is it merely hearsay? lol) Nice job catching it. I cant believe this is the first time I’ve ever seen this mentioned. I’ll try to dig out the Hot Space press kit I got from Elektra when I wrote them back in 82 (probably asking for an autograph or picture, I guess). It’s got to be mentioned there for these three reputable publications to all mention it in their reviews. If true, the lack of a credit on the liner notes might be due to them being printed before the vinyl was pressed. I can’t remember if Bowie was credited on Cool Cat or not.
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georg
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Post by georg on Mar 10, 2024 15:32:24 GMT
Lack of a credit on the sleeve is notable considering the Arif Mardin credit for the hot and spacy horns, but that might just have been down to no one being arsed to sort out the paperwork for Squire's label Capitol to allow it. Just pals mucking around on each other's songs. Mike Stone's credit for GOFLB is one thing, but all the people adding foot stomps to WWRY is another. Credits on records are not an exact science. Good points! And you’re right; Arif Mardin arranged the horns, so he would naturally get credit, and Bowie co-wrote, co-produced, and co-sang Under Pressure, so he would naturally get credit too. But Dino Solieri didn’t get credit for saxophone on Action, so its not unlikely that Billy didn’t get credit for backing vocals because, as you say, they’re just pals mucking around. It’s interesting that it seemed to be an open secret for 41 years – apart from those three mentions (that I’ve found so far at least; maybe the press release mentions it, as billy above suggested) no one else has brought it up – neither cowriter, nor Brian, nor Roger, nor Billy, nor Jacky Smith in both FC magazines and As It Began, but it seemed to be a fairly common, acknowledged fact that I guess got swept under the rug once the backlash against Hot Space started.
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Post by leighburne on Mar 10, 2024 16:31:54 GMT
First I’ve heard of Billy featuring on Hot Space, but given the number of times members of Queen cropped up on Billy’s albums, it would hardly be a surprise to learn he’s on there.
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Post by deathtoming on Mar 10, 2024 18:15:56 GMT
In the brief bout of research I've been doing lately, I haven't seen BIlly's backing vocals mentioned anywhere else than in the album's reviews (you'd think one of the band members would say so, considering both Brian and Freddie mention Bowie wanting his vocals removed, they easily could have said something like "and so we put Billy on instead"), and he isn't thanked in the credits (you'd think he would be) A user on Queenzone quoted the liner notes for Squier's Emotions in Motion / Signs of Life double album reissue (2008): "Freddie and Roger gave some "emotional support" to the title track of Billy's next album, "Emotions In Motion", singing backing vocals behind Billy's lead voice. "That combination sounds fantastic," boasts Billy. In return, Billy covered a deficit, which had been caused by the sudden cancellation by David Bowie, with a chorus to "Cool Cat" on Queen's "Hot Space" album."The liner notes are credited to Michael Heatley. So, assuming the Queenzone user didn't completely make up that quote, that's another source, although I'm assuming it's arm's length from Squier and could have come from Heatley reading those same reviews you mentioned. I checked Squier's website, and he has this to say about Emotions in Motion: "Where Freddie Mercury had done his vocals at an impromptu session in New York, Roger Taylor came to Musicland to do his bits…always a good time with these two! And the rest, as they say…is history."
There's mention of touring with them elsewhere but I couldn't find anything else.
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Post by Chopin1995 on Mar 10, 2024 21:44:07 GMT
Just listened to the song. I'm not very familiar with Billy Squier's voice, but on closer inspection I'm thinking the harmonies at 2:26 particularly ("with a new hat") seem somewhat unusual.
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billy
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Post by billy on Mar 10, 2024 21:48:45 GMT
I found the Hot Space press kit but there is no mention of Billy Squier. There was an interesting quote though: “Cool Cat” is also Mercury’s first full-falsetto soul ballad. “Yes,” Deacon laughs, “Freddie has come back reincarnated as a black person!” And a few paragraphs about the increased use of synthesizers, in particular keyboard bass.
I need to retract my statement above about this being the first time I’ve heard about Squier being on Cool Cat because I also found in my collection the entire May 8, 1982 issue of Billboard, plus a clipping of the Washington Post article that Georg quoted (and my ticket stub for Queen’s Capital Centre concert on July 25, 1982!).
It took a while to figure out why I bought that issue of Billboard, but finally found the article by Paul Grein on page 47 titled “Queen Global Tour Most Ambitious Yet”. It talks about Queen’s recent touring history and future plans, and has loads of quotes from “Paul Prenter, Queen’s personal manager”. I wonder if he mentioned to the journalist about Squier’s vocals replacing Bowie’s?
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daga
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Post by daga on Mar 11, 2024 17:11:05 GMT
I send quotes from newspapers to Billy. And:
"I forwarded your message to Billy and he said "in a word, yes.""
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georg
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Post by georg on Mar 11, 2024 21:10:07 GMT
I send quotes from newspapers to Billy. And: "I forwarded your message to Billy and he said "in a word, yes."" Well, that settles it, can’t get any more official than that!
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Post by macduff77 on Mar 21, 2024 23:03:04 GMT
I’ve now heard Cool Cat twice whilst on vacation. Once in a trendy restaurant and once in a grocery store here on Vancouver Island, Canada. It fit in nicely with the other tunes playing. Crazy days.
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Post by ActionThisDay on Apr 10, 2024 1:40:03 GMT
I've come to appreciate Hot Space more and do actually enjoy most of the album now. I don't even hate Body Language and Staying Power the way I once did.
But Cool Cat? No it's utter, utter crap.
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JackG
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Post by JackG on Apr 10, 2024 9:11:54 GMT
I've come to appreciate Hot Space more and do actually enjoy most of the album now. I don't even hate Body Language and Staying Power the way I once did. But Cool Cat? No it's utter, utter crap. A track I started enjoying more it's "Action This Day". I especially like the line : "I gotta feeling, this world is using me"
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cmi
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Post by cmi on Apr 10, 2024 12:02:00 GMT
I've come to appreciate Hot Space more and do actually enjoy most of the album now. I don't even hate Body Language and Staying Power the way I once did. But Cool Cat? No it's utter, utter crap. It's just not your cup of tea. Excellent tune.
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Post by gooddrills on Apr 10, 2024 22:25:49 GMT
I've come to appreciate Hot Space more and do actually enjoy most of the album now. I don't even hate Body Language and Staying Power the way I once did. But Cool Cat? No it's utter, utter crap. It's just not your cup of tea. Excellent tune. Exactly, each to their own. Personally I’ve always really enjoyed Cool Cat. In ‘my opinion’ it’s a great song
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Post by ActionThisDay on Apr 13, 2024 0:27:14 GMT
It's just not your cup of tea. Excellent tune. Of course, I know some people love it. The only other song on Hot Space I really dislike is Life Is Real. Freddie's songwriting hit a low point on this album, curious as he was the main driving force behind the change in direction. It's the contributions from the other 3 that saves the album for me, particularly Brian and Roger who weren't happy with the change at the time.
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BrƎИsꓘi
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Post by BrƎИsꓘi on Apr 13, 2024 10:00:11 GMT
Exactly, each to their own. Personally I’ve always really enjoyed Cool Cat. In ‘my opinion’ it’s a great song perhaps a overgenerous use of the "great" adjective there? If you're admitting Cool Cat into the "great" category, then (by default) that category must be filled to the gunwales. In a world where Cool Cat is great, I can't begin to imagine the label required to define (say) Bohemian Rhapsody, Bring It On Home To Me, Kashmir, Superstition, Stargazer, Purple Haze, God Only knows, Sympathy For The Devil, Comfortably Numb, I Heard It Through The Grapevine, Runaway, Let It Be and Like A Rolling Stone (and many thousands more besides) - which are of significantly greater quality than Cool Cat. As you say: Each to their own. Mind completely boggled.
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Post by gooddrills on Apr 13, 2024 19:48:46 GMT
Exactly, each to their own. Personally I’ve always really enjoyed Cool Cat. In ‘my opinion’ it’s a great song perhaps an overgenerous use of the "great" adjective there? If you're admitting Cool Cat into the "great" category, then (by default) that category must be filled to the gunwales. In a world where Cool Cat is great, I can't begin to imagine the label required to define (say) Bohemian Rhapsody, Bring It On Home To Me, Kashmir, Superstition, Stargazer, Purple Haze, God Only knows, Sympathy For The Devil, Comfortably Numb, I Heard It Through The Grapevine, Runaway, Let It Be and Like A Rolling Stone (and many thousands more besides) - which are of significantly greater quality than Cool Cat. As you say: Each to their own. Mind completely boggled. You’ve given my use of the word great a lot of thought there Brenski 🤣 The way I apply the term great is totally subjective, and no doubt pretty inconsistent day to day. Great is probably a bit generous. Bottom line, I enjoy Cool Cat, always have, and that’s all that matters. I’m not giving it a score out of 10 or putting it in a list of my favourite Queen songs in ranked order. If it sits better with you I’ll just call the song ‘enjoyable’ (to me). I love how certain Queen songs really bring out the Marmite effect with fans (Love it or hate it)
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BrƎИsꓘi
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They called it paradise, I don't know why...You call some place paradise, kiss it goodbye.
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Post by BrƎИsꓘi on Apr 13, 2024 20:59:48 GMT
You’ve given my use of the word great a lot of thought there Brenski 🤣 The way I apply the term great is totally subjective, and no doubt pretty inconsistent day to day. Great is probably a bit generous. Bottom line, I enjoy Cool Cat, always have, and that’s all that matters. I’m not giving it a score out of 10 or putting it in a list of my favourite Queen songs in ranked order. If it sits better with you I’ll just call the song ‘enjoyable’ (to me). it's not about "how it sits with me". the question is really about how "great" sits with you. when talking about the Queen catalogue Cool Cat is Queen's Audly Harrison with Bo Rhap being their Muhammad Ali
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Post by gooddrills on Apr 13, 2024 22:57:52 GMT
You’ve given my use of the word great a lot of thought there Brenski 🤣 The way I apply the term great is totally subjective, and no doubt pretty inconsistent day to day. Great is probably a bit generous. Bottom line, I enjoy Cool Cat, always have, and that’s all that matters. I’m not giving it a score out of 10 or putting it in a list of my favourite Queen songs in ranked order. If it sits better with you I’ll just call the song ‘enjoyable’ (to me). it's not about "how it sits with me". the question is really about how "great" sits with you. when talking about the Queen catalogue Cool Cat is Queen's Audly Harrison with Bo Rhap being their Muhammad Ali Audly Harrison was clearly no Muhammad Ali but he still took home an Olympic Gold medal. I would call that great. Anyway, today I think Cool Cat is awesome, that’s just how it sits with me anyway 👍🏻
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Post by pimderks on Apr 20, 2024 8:25:18 GMT
God forgive me for what I have done. I paid 21.99 for this ugly piece of s***.
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dysan
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Post by dysan on Apr 20, 2024 9:20:53 GMT
You’ve given my use of the word great a lot of thought there Brenski 🤣 The way I apply the term great is totally subjective, and no doubt pretty inconsistent day to day. Great is probably a bit generous. Bottom line, I enjoy Cool Cat, always have, and that’s all that matters. I’m not giving it a score out of 10 or putting it in a list of my favourite Queen songs in ranked order. If it sits better with you I’ll just call the song ‘enjoyable’ (to me). it's not about "how it sits with me". the question is really about how "great" sits with you. when talking about the Queen catalogue Cool Cat is Queen's Audly Harrison with Bo Rhap being their Muhammad Ali Not picking on you specifically, but this is a good example. You're basically arguing about subjective and objective. Gooddrills has been humble and appreciates that it's his opinion, but the need to push an agenda because his opinion is considered wrong always happens here. That isn't good for discussion. Happy memories of certain 'bad' Queen songs, the good feelings they give to a person for whatever reason, can only be damaged by someone saying it's wrong to feel that way and can drive them away. It undermines the work that is being done here to make this place welcoming and fun.
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Post by Brian's Wig on Apr 20, 2024 11:19:59 GMT
God forgive me for what I have done. I paid 21.99 for this ugly piece of s***. Not from an actual store I hope? It's only £12.99 and that's nowhere near either $22 or 22 euros (no idea where you live Pim)
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Ri
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Post by Ri on Apr 20, 2024 11:49:44 GMT
I really liked the B-side instrumental, the details in the guitars that I couldn't hear before! Say what you like about the song but this made me appreciate its grooviness a little bit more.
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Chinwonder2
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Post by Chinwonder2 on Apr 20, 2024 12:31:18 GMT
Here it is, for anyone that wants to hear it! -Chin
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ncc1701q
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Post by ncc1701q on Apr 20, 2024 13:51:09 GMT
€24,99 in my store today.... and ofcourse I bought one .
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Chinwonder2
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Post by Chinwonder2 on Apr 20, 2024 13:52:21 GMT
€24,99 in my store today.... and ofcourse I bought one . Damn that’s expensive, I only paid £14 for my copy! -Chin
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