Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé performing their “Barcelona” hit at the Ku Club venue in Ibiza, 1987.
To mark the 25th anniversary of ‘Barcelona’, Stuart Morley, musical director of the Queen musical ‘We Will Rock You’ has faithfully adapted the entire album for orchestra which lifts what was already an outstanding record into a whole new stratosphere. Rousing, triumphant, emotional and magnificent.
In addition to the orchestral score, performed by the FILMharmonic Orchestra Prague, other live instruments have been added for the first time. Naoko Kikuchi, is one of the few koto players in the western world, who flew over to add the ancient oriental instrument to ‘La Japonaise.’ Rufus Taylor, Roger’s son, has replaced the drum machines on ‘The Golden Boy’ and ‘How Can Go On’ with live percussion. The latter song also boasts a new violin solo from David Garrett and of course, John Deacon appears on bass.
‘Barcelona: Special Edition’, set to be released on September 3rd,is finally the album it should have been. The world will undoubtedly rediscover and fall in love with it all over again. The only downside is that the visionary behind this masterpiece isn’t around to hear it too.
Barcelona, 1987.
"When I first met Montserrat Caballé, I didn’t know how to approach her. You have this idea of a super diva walking in but she really made me feel at ease. She said she’d heard of me and got all my albums and started listening to all the old Queen records because she thought she was going to have to sing something like that! I said, oh no dear, I’m not going to give you all those Brian May guitar parts to sing, that’s the last thing I want to do!"
— Freddie Mercury
