Queen + Adam Lambert have shared the first cut from their forthcoming live album, Live Around The World. A searing performance of ‘The Show Must Go On’ taken from their performance at London’s O2 Arena.
To celebrate the release of the track, Queen guitarist Brian May has delved into the rich history of how the song came to be. ‘The Show Must Go On’ was the last song on Innuendo, the final Queen album released in Freddie Mercury’s lifetime, completed in the thick of the late frontman battle against AIDS.
“Even though we were all aware of Freddie’s impending tragedy, we had some inspired and joyful times in the studio, making the Innuendo album,” Brian explains.
“We didn’t speak much about Freddie’s illness – he just wanted to get on with ‘business as usual’ as far as possible. But already there was only a day or two per week when Freddie was well enough to come in and work with us.
“We grabbed those precious moments and made the most of them. I’d been working on “The Show Must Go On” as an idea, but I was uncertain whether the title was too obvious. Freddie heard it and loved it and dismissed any thoughts that there was a problem with the chorus or the title. He wanted to work on it.”
“We didn’t discuss what the meaning of the song was, but it was of course evident in the background that it was an attempt to give a voice to the feelings that Freddie’s valiant fight against AIDS created in all of us, and even in Freddie,” May continued. “He was too low in energy to create it himself. But I had one unforgettable special afternoon working together with him on solidifying the lyrics of the first verse of this embryonic song about a clown whose make-up hid his pain, before he slid out to attend another treatment.
“That gave me enough lyrical material to later expand into the eventual two verses. I finished mapping out the song, sang the whole thing as a demo, including the added “Wings of Butterflies” section, which somehow appeared in my head very late one night, and I played it to him when he was next in the studio.
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“The melody called for some very demanding top notes, and I’d only been able to ‘demo’ them in falsetto. I said to Freddie … “I don’t want you strain yourself – this stuff isn’t going to be easy in full voice, even for you!” He said, “Don’t worry – I’ll f…ing nail it, Darling!”. He then downed a couple of his favourite shots of vodka, propped himself up against the mixing desk, and… delivered one of the most extraordinary performances of his life. In the final mix of TSMGO, when you get to “On with the Show” you are listening to a man who conquered everything to deliver his finest work.”
Queen are set to release their first live album and concert film, Queen + Adam Live Around the World on October 2nd. The spectacle will pull from footage throughout various tours from the past six years, and will be released on CD, DVD, Blu-ray and vinyl.
Check out Queen + Adam Lambert perform ‘The Show Must Go On’ Live at The O2:
