The Queen Album is a solo cover album of the band Queen by Elaine Paige.[1] It was released in 1988 and peaked at No. 51 in the UK in November 1988.[2] This is the only album from Paige to be released on Siren Records and distributed by Virgin Records. The album was re-issued with different artwork on CD in 1990 on Virgin VIP by Virgin Records.
| The Queen Album | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | March 1988 | |||
| Recorded | CTS Wembley, London 1988 | |||
| Genre | Pop, rock | |||
| Label | Siren Records, Virgin Vip | |||
| Producer | Mike Moran | |||
| Elaine Paige chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editThis is the only Paige album compiled of songs written and recorded by one composer or group. The album is a covers album of ten songs previously recorded by the rock group Queen, a favourite of Paige. The selected songs are a combination of hits and lesser-known album tracks, taken from Queen's entire back catalogue. The songs have been altered and re-styled for this recording, with classical arrangements making orchestral renditions of the original rock songs.
Production
editThe Queen Album is the first of a number of Paige's albums produced by Mike Moran. They would later work together on Piaf (1994) and Essential Musicals (2006), as well as a number of tracks for Centre Stage: The Very Best of Elaine Paige (2004).
The closing track, "Radio Ga Ga", which features original BBC radio fragments, taken from the BBC sound archives, was released as a single. The 3" CD single release included a bonus track, "Play the Game", which was not included on the album.[3]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bohemian Rhapsody" (from A Night at the Opera, 1975) | Freddie Mercury | 5:55 |
| 2. | "A Kind of Magic" (from A Kind of Magic, 1986) | Roger Taylor | 4:40 |
| 3. | "Love of My Life" (from A Night at the Opera, 1975) | Mercury | 3:50 |
| 4. | "My Melancholy Blues" (from News of the World, 1977) | Mercury | 4:02 |
| 5. | "Who Wants to Live Forever" (from A Kind of Magic, 1986) | Brian May | 4:14 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "You Take My Breath Away" (from A Day at the Races, 1976) | Mercury | 4:25 |
| 7. | "Las Palabras De Amor" (from Hot Space, 1982) | May | 4:22 |
| 8. | "One Year of Love" (from A Kind of Magic, 1986) | John Deacon | 4:57 |
| 9. | "Is This the World We Created...?" (from The Works, 1984) | May, Mercury | 2:25 |
| 10. | "Radio Ga Ga" (from The Works, 1984) | Taylor | 5:20 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Crazy Little Thing Called Love (The Boy from...) from The Game, 1980" | Mercury | 2:52 |
Personnel
editMusicians
edit- Elaine Paige - vocals
- The New Philharmonic Orchestra
- Richard Studt, Pat Halling - orchestra leaders
- Mike Moran - keyboards
- Trevor Barry - bass guitar
- Ray Russell - guitar
- Brett Morgan - drums
- Skaila Kanga - harp
- Miriam Stockley, Mae McKenna, Phil Nicholl, Leroy Osbourne, Mick Mullens - backing vocals
Production
edit- Producer - Mike Moran
- Recording Engineers - Richard 'Call Me Lucky' Dodd, Stuart Bruce
- Assistant Engineers - Marsten Bailey, Martin Edwards, Alex Bardock
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[4] | Gold | 100,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||