Barcelona (Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé song)

Barcelona is a song by the rock singer Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé. It appeared in 1987 as a single and in 1988 with a longer intro on the eponymous album Barcelona. The composition and the related Caballé birthplace Barcelona text submitted by Mercury and Mike Moran. Occasion of the Olympic Games in 1992 the title was re-released as a single.

Genesis

→ see Barcelona ( Album)

Mercury took in 1987 composed a duet Barcelona together with the Spanish ( Catalan ) opera singer Montserrat Caballé, whose voice and charisma fascinated him. Were produced recordings by Mercury and Queen co-producer David Richards and Mike Moran. It worked with numerous guest musicians, including percussionist Frank Ricotti.

Publications

On October 26, 1987 Barcelona appeared as a single ( Length: 4:25 ). On the B - side of Mercury 's composition and Moran Exercises in Free Love is heard, sung by Montserrat Caballé. The 12 " maxi-single contains an " Extended Version " ( 7:04 ) from Barcelona. The video for the single shot David Mallet, who had earlier directed the film in numerous video clips of Queen and Mercury. A year after the release of the single followed on 10 October 1988, named after their album Barcelona. since the album version of the title track ( 5:37 ) the intro contains " Extended Version ", it is significantly longer than the single version. occasion of the Olympic Games, the song was. in July 1992 re- released as a single Numerous television stations sent as part of the Olympic sports broadcasts regularly excerpts of the piece - which is why the new version of the single also includes an abridged by the BBC called "TV Edit" ( 1:17 ) of Barcelona was in the charts. the title at his second publication successful than the first edition: In some countries, including the United Kingdom, the single reached number two with almost the top position in the U.S., the song has appeared neither in the eighties even in the nineties as a single..

Barcelona is furthermore among other things, on Mercury's posthumous compilation albums The Freddie Mercury Album ( 1992) and Lover of Life, Singer of Songs - The Very Best of Freddie Mercury Solo ( 2006) included. The single version was released in 1999 on Queens album Greatest Hits III. Mercury published in 2000 extensive Boxset The Solo Collection includes a variety of 1987 created the original recordings of the title, including many demo versions.

Two versions of Barcelona in 5.1 surround sound appeared inter alia on the 2000 video collection brought out Freddie Mercury - The Video Collection ( which is also included in The Solo Collection ).

Performances

Five months before the appearance of the single led Mercury and Caballé the title for the first time on 29 May 1987 as a playback lecture in the " Ku " in the club " Ibiza 92 " festival on which the Spanish television station TVE ( Televisión Española ) was co.

As part of the " La Nit " festival on October 8, 1988 in Barcelona on the occasion of the arrival of the Olympic Flag from Seoul both presented - two days before the release of the album - again her title Barcelona in playback mode. The performance was broadcast live on television; the three pieces presented are published in newly finished form including in Mercury's 2000 compilation The Video Collection included.

At a performance in the 1992 Summer Olympics did not happen because after Mercury's death, another duet partner for Caballé did not come as a result of his AIDS disease in November 1991, according to the BBC in question. Before the Champions League final between Manchester United and FC Bayern Munich in the Nou Camp Stadium on 26 May 1999 Caballé Barcelona led to live, accompanied by Mercury in the form of an image projected on the stadium screens video recording.

Cover versions

The English tenor Russell Watson took with guest vocalist Shaun Ryder ( the former singer of the band Happy Mondays ), a cover version, which was released in 2000 on Watson's debut album The Voice. His published 2006 compilation The Ultimate Collection contains the title also.