Barcelona - The Album.
This album is a unique combination of ock and opera.. For that very reason, it appeals to a narrow audience. The opera purists hate it and the rock purists hate it. But if you one of the few who love both these forms of music then this could be the best CD in your collection. The buttons on the left will show you the lyrics for each track.
So how did this remarkable album come about?
When Freddie Mercury was interviewed on Spanish television for the Spanish Arts programme 'Informe Semanal' in 1986 he announced that he was actually in Barcelona because he wanted to meet Montserrat Caballé. The message was heard and nine months later, in March 1987 Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé met at the Ritz Hotel in Barcelona for lunch. Freddie had flown in specially with composer/arranger Mike Moran and his manager Jim Beach. He had already recorded two songs which he had specially written for Montserrat Caballé. He played these songs to her over lunch and they immediately agreed to record an album together. The rest of the afternoon was spent with Freddie Mercury and Montserrat singing at the piano with Mike Moran in the garden room of the Ritz Hotel. That following Sunday Montserrat Caballé surprised her audience (including Freddie Mercury) by performing one of the songs 'Exercises in Free Love' as the final encore at her sold out recital in Covent Garden, London. Over dinner at Freddie's house in London after that recital, Montserrat Caballé asked him to write a song about her home town Barcelona. The resulting song 'Barcelona' was recorded in April 1987 and First performed at the Ku Club in Ibiza 29th May 1987 for inclusion as the finale for the worldwide TV show Ibiza 92'. The enormously emotional reception that the song received from the Spanish crowd spurred Freddie and Montserrat to push on with their project and 'Barcelona' has now fittingly become the title track for this unique album, and was the stunning theme of the Barcelona Olympics..
FREDDIE MERCURY
Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar. On moving back to England he eventually went to Ealing College of Art where he gained a diploma in graphic art. During those college years he met Brian May and Roger Taylor, eventually joining the group they had started - which was then completed by John Deacon. Freddie designed the now-famous Queen crest, an intertwining of the group member's star signs including his own Virgo, and Queen was born. As Queen's lead singer he has captivated audiences worldwide over the last 17 years both with recorded and live performances and has performed in 27 countries around the world to live audiences in excess of ten million. He was unique. A flamboyant blend of supreme musical talent and consummate showmanship. Freddie's death from aids at his house in London in November 1991 robbed us of a world-class creative force in modern rock music.
MONTSERRAT CABALLÉ
Montserrat Caballé's supreme vocal talents were first recognised when she sang Lucrezia Borgia by Donizetti in New York's Carnegie Hall. This huge success resulted in the immediate invitation to sing at the Metropoliton Opera House, where she made her equally stunning debut as Marguerite in Gounod's Faust. Her performances have taken her to the greatest opera houses of the world like La Scala, Vienna and Paris. Montserrat Caballé has alternated her operatic performances with recitals and concerts appearing frequently in the great halls of the world. She has sung as soloist with the world's most prestigious orchestras and conductors such as Claudio Abbado, Herbert von Karajan, Seiji Ozawa, Riccardo Muti and Sir Georg Solti. Her repertoire includes well over 100 operas, and she has made over 80 recordings including complete operas, recitals and concerts for all the leading record companies, and as well she has appeared in many telecasts. Recipient of many awards and honours, she was given the highest title of the Spanish government, The Order of Dona Isabel La Cat˘lica, and France honoured her with the Cross of Commander of Arts and Letters. 1992 sees her perfoming as much as ever. A Zarzuela Gala at the New Auditorium of Sevilla EXPO 92', two concerts with Mstislav Rostropovich at the Festival d'Evian, a recital at the R O H, Covent Garden and a new production of Il Viaggio a Reims to celebrate Rossini's anniversary, the final performance Gala on July 24th 1992 in the existing theatre of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera prior to its rebuilding. After participating in the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic and paraplegic Games in Barelona 1992, she atttracted an even larger following for her enthralling performances.
Credits
Recorded at Townhouse Studios, London, England and Mountain Studios Montreux, Switzerland.
Produced by Freddie Mercury, Mike Moran and David Richards.
Songs arranged by Mike Moran and Freddie Mercury.
Mastered by Kevin Metcalfe at the Townhouse Studios.
Musical associate: Kevin Townend
Mike Moran: All Keyboards
John Deacon: Bass Guitar on 'How Can I Go On'
Homi Kanga and Laurie Lewis: Violin on 'Barcelona'
Deborah Ann Johnston: Cello on 'Barcelona'
Barry Castle: Horn on 'Barcelona'
Frank Ricoffi: Percussion on 'Barcelona'
Madeleine Bell, Debbie Bishop, Lance Ellington, Miriam Stockley, Peter Straker, Mark Williamson Carol Woods: Backing Vocals on 'The Golden Boy'
(C) 1987 Mercury Songs Ltd.
All lyrics are property and copyright of their owners and are provided for educational purposes only.