Live Solos and Improvisations
This page features details of (mostly) instrumental tracks and solos that were only ever performed live by Queen and solo artists.
Freddie Vocal Singalongs
Brian May Guitar Solos
Roger Taylor Drum Solos
Improvisations
Cozy Powell Drum Solo
Spike Edney Keyboard Solo
The Cross Piano Introduction
Freddie Vocal Singalongs
These 'you sing what I sing' improvisations were performed at virtually every show. This list includes only general singalongs, so singalongs as part of other songs, such as 'Now I'm Here', are included elsewhere.
Part of the singalong from Wembley 12 July 1986 is also included as part of 'Death On Two Legs' on the 'Art Of Queen: The Eye' CD-Rom. 1. Queen On Fire - Live At The Bowl (0:14) (recorded in Milton Keynes, England, on 5 June 1982, at the end of 'Play The Game')
2. Tokyo 1982 (0:50) (recorded in Tokyo, Japan, on 3 November 1982, available on the 'Hot Space' 2011 double disc reissue, after 'Action This Day')
3. Live In Rio (0:18) (recorded in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, on 12 or 19 January 1985, before 'Now I'm Here')
4. Final Concert Live In Japan (1:19) (recorded in Tokyo, Japan, on 11 May 1985, before 'Now I'm Here')
5. Live Aid (0:38) (recorded at Wembley Stadium, London, on 13 July 1985, available on the 'Live Aid' DVD, and on the double DVD 'Queen Rock Montreal And Live Aid')
6. Live Aid Edit (0:28) (available on 'Rare Live'; this is an edit of the above version, editing out some of the middle section)
7. Montreux Golden Rose Pop Festival (0:47) (recorded in Montreux, Switzerland, on 11 May 1986; available on the 'Greatest Video Hits II' DVD)
8. Mannheim 1986 (0:58) (recorded at Maimarktgelande, Mannheim, Germany, on 21 June 1986; available on the 'On Air' 6CD set)
9. Live At Wembley, First Night (1:29) (recorded at Wembley Stadium, London, on 11 July 1986; available on the 2003 and 2011 DVD's)
10. Live At Wembley, Second Night (1:49) (recorded at Wembley Stadium, London, on 12 July 1986; starts at approximately 6:46 into the 'A Kind Of Magic' CD track)
11. Live At Wembley, Second Night Excerpt (1:17) (shown at the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony and available on the 'London 2012 Olympic Games' DVD and Blu-ray; this contains the sections from 6:43 to 7:30 and 8:03 to 8:34 of the 'A Kind Of Magic' CD track)
12. Live At Wembley, Second Night Excerpt 2 (0:21) (an edited version of the London Olympics excerpt, available on the 'A Symphony Of British Music' album; this is the very end of the track, from around 8:13 to 8:34 of the 'A Kind Of Magic' CD track)
13. Hungarian Rhapsody (0:27) (recorded in Budapest, Hungary, on 27 July 1986, after 'Tie Your Mother Down', on the CD only)
14. Hungarian Rhapsody / Live In Budapest (1:09) (recorded in Budapest, Hungary, on 27 July 1986, after 'A Kind Of Magic', on the CD only)
15. Hungarian Rhapsody / Live In Budapest Edit (1:02) (available on the video releases only; the first part includes Freddie rehearsing in the empty stadium, it then cuts to the concert performance)
16. Live Magic (0:51) (recorded at Knebworth Park, England, on 9 August 1986, after 'Another One Bites The Dust')
17. Knebworth Mix (0:23) (included at the start of the 'Knebworth Mix' of 'Under Pressure')
18. Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Insert (1:11) (a compilation of the Live Aid 1985, Budapest 1986, and Wembley 1986 singalongs)
Brian May Guitar Solos
Brian's guitar solo has featured various elements over the years, mainly along the 'Brighton Rock' theme, but also adding bits from other tracks such as 'Get Down, Make Love' and 'Chinese Torture'. Some solos also feature a minor drumming contribution from Roger, usually towards the finale. Elements of the track also appear in 'We Will Rock You' recorded live with Tangerine Dream in 2011, and 'Last Horizon', recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 2013. 1. Golder's Green 1973 (1:26) (recorded at Golder's Green Hippodrome, London, England, on 13 September 1973; available on the 'On Air' 6CD set; this is performed between 'Son And Daughter' and it's reprise)
2. Live At The Rainbow, March 1974 (2:25) (recorded at the Rainbow Theatre, London, on 31 March 1974; available on the 'Live At The Rainbow '74' double disc download and CD, the 2 and 4 LP sets, the DVD and Blu-ray; this is performed between 'Son And Daughter' and it's reprise)
3. Live At The Rainbow, November 1974 (4:41) (recorded at the Rainbow Theatre, London, on 19 or 20 November 1974; available on all of the 'Live At The Rainbow '74' releases, apart from the 2 LP set, and also on the 'Box Of Tricks' video; this is performed between 'Son And Daughter' and it's reprise)
4. A Night At The Odeon (6:37) (recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, on 24 December 1975; this is performed between 'Brighton Rock' and 'Son And Daughter')
5. We Will Rock You / Queen Rock Montreal (5:10) (recorded in Montreal, Canada, on 24/25 November 1981, after 'Keep Yourself Alive')
6. Queen On Fire - Live At The Bowl (5:42) (recorded at Milton Keynes, England, on 5 June 1982, this version is notable because there is a problem with Brian's guitar during the solo. The CD version has a 3 second break in the middle, whilst the DVD release is approximately 17 seconds longer).
7. Live In Japan (5:04) (recorded in Tokyo, Japan, on 3 November 1982, after 'Save Me')
8. Live In Rio (1:56) (recorded in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, on 12 January 1985, after 'Love Of My Life', as part of 'Brighton Rock'; this is an edited version, fading in at the start)
9. Live At Wembley, First Night (7:08) (recorded at Wembley Stadium, London, on 11 July 1986; available on the 2011 DVD only; titled 'Brighton Rock Solo')
10. Live At Wembley, Second Night (9:01) (recorded at Wembley Stadium, London, on 12 July 1986; titled 'Brighton Rock Solo')
11. Live At Wembley, Second Night Excerpt (0:25) (on the 'Live At Wembley Stadium' 2003 DVD song selection screen; an edit of the above version from 1:20 to 1:45)
12. Hungarian Rhapsody / Live In Budapest (7:19) (recorded in Budapest, Hungary, on 27 July 1986, available on the CD only)
13. Hungarian Rhapsody / Live In Budapest Edit (5:53) (available on the video releases only; as above, this features an insert in the middle of the track so the audio goes much quieter, and loses an unknown section; the loud parts of the track are the first 4:23 and then 6:28 onwards)
14. Live At The Brixton Academy (6:06) (recorded at the Brixton Academy, London, on 15 June 1993; titled 'Guitar Extravagance')
15. Official Download, Firenze 2005 (6:39) (recorded in Firenze, Italy, on 7 April 2005)
16. Official Download, Vienna 2005 (7:20) (recorded in Vienna, Austria, on 13 April 2005)
17. Return Of The Champions (6:55) (recorded in Sheffield, England, on 9 May 2005)
18. Super Live In Japan (10:10) (recorded in Tokyo, Japan, on 27 October 2005; not released on the Highlights CD/DVD)
19. Live In Ukraine (3:58) (recorded in Kharkov, Ukraine, on 12 September 2008)
20. Official Download, Paris 2008 (4:35) (recorded in Paris, France, on 24 September 2008)
21. London 2012 Olympics Full (2:19) (recorded at the Olympic Stadium, London, England, on 12 August 2012; available on the 'London 2012 Olympic Games' DVD/Blu-ray)
22. London 2012 Olympics Edit (1:23) (available on the 'A Symphony Of British Music' album; this makes a number of edits throughout the track)
23. Starmus 2014 (11:04) (recorded with Rick Wakeman at the Starmus Festival, Tenerife, Spain, on 26 September 2014; this includes 'Last Horizon')
Roger Taylor Drum Solos
Roger's drum solos were often used as the introduction to other tracks, and generally feature only minor contributions (if any) from other members of the group.
On the 2008 tour, this included a bass solo, in which he played an upright bass guitar with drumsticks, with Danny Miranda on the frets. It included the basslines from 'Under Pressure' and 'Another One Bites The Dust'.
In addition to the solos listed here, see 'Let There Be Drums', a drum-oriented track which he performed on the 2005 tour, and also 'Drum Extravaganza', which he performed at the 2007 Live Earth concert with Taylor Hawkins and Chad Smith. 1. Live At The Rainbow, March 1974 (0:28) (recorded at the Rainbow Theatre, London, on 31 March 1974; available on the 'Live At The Rainbow '74' double disc download and CD, and the 2 and 4 LP sets; performed during 'Keep Yourself Alive')
2. Live At The Rainbow, November 1974 (0:51) (recorded at the Rainbow Theatre, London, on 19 or 20 November 1974; available on all of the 'Live At The Rainbow '74' releases, apart from the 2 LP set; this is performed during 'Keep Yourself Alive')
3. Live At The Rainbow, November 1974 (1:09) (available on the 'Box Of Tricks' video only; this is the same as the above version, but the first nine seconds are replaced by a different 27 second long section, which could be from the previous night's concert)
4. A Night At The Odeon (0:52) (recorded at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, on 24 December 1975; performed during 'Keep Yourself Alive')
5. We Will Rock You / Queen Rock Montreal (3:00) (recorded in Montreal, Canada, on 24/25 November 1981, this is both a drum and Timpani solo, performed after 'Keep Yourself Alive')
6. Queen On Fire - Live At The Bowl (0:28) (recorded in Milton Keynes, England, on 5 June 1982, included on the CD/DVD as part of 'Guitar Solo', acting as an intro to 'Under Pressure')
7. Live In Ukraine (5:00) (recorded in Kharkov, Ukraine, on 12 September 2008; features a 1:38 bass solo and 3:21 drum solo)
8. Official Download, Paris 2008 (6:16) (recorded in Paris, France, on 24 September 2008; features a 21 second intro, 2:05 bass solo and 3:27 drum solo)
9. Official Download, Murcia 2008 (7:55) (recorded in Murcia, Spain, on 24 October 2008; features a 37 second intro, 2:30 bass solo and 4:29 drum solo)
Improvisations
The tracks listed in this section feature all members of Queen performing, but do not resemble any album track.
The tracks from 1985 and 1986 are fairly similar, while the improvisations from 1981 are completely different. 1. We Will Rock You / Queen Rock Montreal (0:58) (recorded in Montreal, Canada, on 24/25 November 1981, before 'Keep Yourself Alive')
2. Rock In Rio Blues Version 1 (4:32) (recorded in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, on 19 January 1985, available on the 'Made In Heaven' 2011 double-disc reissue, 'A Winter's Tale' in the UK, and in the 'Queen Singles Collection 4' boxed set; this has an 'instant' start of audience noise, and a slow fade out)
3. Rock In Rio Blues Version 2 (4:29) (recorded in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, on 19 January 1985, available on 'Too Much Love Will Kill You' in the USA; this is identical but has a fade in at the start)
4. Final Concert Live In Japan (4:25) (recorded in Tokyo, Japan, on 11 May 1985, between 'Liar' and 'It's A Hard Life'; this has no decipherable lyrics)
5. Live At Wembley, First Night (3:23) (recorded at Wembley Stadium, London, on 11 July 1986; available on the 2011 DVD only, titled 'Impromptu'; this has no decipherable lyrics)
6. Live At Wembley, Second Night (2:54) (recorded at Wembley Stadium, London, on 12 July 1986; titled 'Impromptu'; this has no decipherable lyrics)
7. Live At Wembley, Second Night Excerpt (0:25) (on the 'Live At Wembley Stadium' 2003 DVD song selection screen; this is an edit of the above version, from 0:19 to 0:44)
8. Hungarian Rhapsody (3:36) (recorded in Budapest, Hungary, on 27 July 1986; available on the CD only, titled 'Looks Like It's Gonna Be A Good Night') Ooh yeah
Oh yeah
Let's play the Rock In Rio blues baby
We've come to do Rock In Rio with you, baby
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Wow
Rock In Rio night baby
It's Rock In Rio night
Everybody
Everybody's happy
Yeah, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah
Oooh, wow
Get in tune with the Rock In Rio business, baby
Rock it, ha
Yeah
Ha
Baby I like it
Yeah
That song was especially for you, for all the Rock In Rio people. Thank you very much.
Cozy Powell Drum Solo
This drum solo was performed by Cozy on Brian's 1993 'Back To The Light' tour. It is based on Cozy's 8:35 solo track 'Over The Top', from the 1979 album of the same name, which itself is based on the 1812 Overture by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Brian's solo track 'One Night In Hell' also features the 1812 Overture, but it is an orchestral version, with additional guitars. 1. Live At The Brixton Academy Edit (3:08) (recorded at the Brixton Academy, London, on 15 June 1993; available on the album only, as part of 'Resurrection'; it appears at approximately 2:59 on the CD track)
2. Live At The Brixton Academy Full (3:20) (available on the video only, this features an additional section which starts at 3:43 on the CD track)
Spike Edney Keyboard Solo
This track is only available on Brian's 'Live At The Brixton Academy' video, having been edited out for the album release. 1. Live At The Brixton Academy (3:08) (recorded at the Brixton Academy, London, on 15 June 1993; available on the video only, after 'Too Much Love Will Kill You')
The Cross Piano Introduction
This is a slow piano solo, used as the build up before the concert. It is also features some drum, bass and guitar towards the end of the track, which seems to be the band just warming up. It is very similar to 'Watermark' by Enya, although I am ensure of the true origins. 1. Bootleg (2:19) (recorded at the Astoria Theatre, London, on 7 December 1990)