After being buried in the music vault for more than three decades, a previously unreleased Freddie Mercury ballad called Time Waits for No One has surfaced.
The track was released on Thursday and accompanied by a music video, which features a compelling, emotional performance by the late Queen singer.
Mercury recorded the song back in 1986, when it was known only as Time, and it was recently released as part of the soundtrack for the Dave Clark-directed musical of the same name.
Initially, Time was heavily produced and featured multiple vocal tracks, drum, bass and a prominent saxophone solo, however Clark — who was a close friend of Mercury’s — rediscovered the master tracks in 2017 and reworked them to create Time Waits for No One and bring out the best in the singer.
The result? A completely stripped-down version, which effectively highlights the power of the 1986 tune, thanks to some isolated vocals and a beautiful Mike Moran piano track.
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Clark, the former drummer and leader of the Dave Clark Five, recently told Rolling Stone about his experience collaborating with Mercury.
“Everyone said to me that Freddie would be a nightmare to work with because he was so meticulous,” he said.
“I’m the same way,” he continued. “I wanted things to be right. If I didn’t like something, I’d say it and vice versa with Freddie.”
He revealed that their recording session lasted a full 12 hours — “from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m.” — adding that Mercury even brought a personal chef who cooked for everybody, including the tape operators.
According to Clark, Mercury originally wanted to record Time with Queen, however he convinced him otherwise, promising: “If it doesn’t work, I’ll pay for the time, and we’ll bring your boys in.”
Subsequently, the duo recorded In My Defence, which was released in 1992 as Mercury’s first posthumous single.
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Time Waits for No One is now available on all major streaming platforms.
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Queen announced its return to the stage last year with the Rhapsody tour. Guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and singer Adam Lambert will reunite once again this summer to deliver their “most ambitious” show yet.
The group have two stops in Canada this July in Vancouver and Toronto. Select tickets are still available.
The Rhapsody Tour North America 2019
** Canadian shows are bolded **
July 10 — Vancouver, B.C. @ Rogers Arena
July 12 — Tacoma, Wash. @Tacoma Dome
July 14 — San Jose, Calif. @ SAP Center
July 16 — Phoenix, Ariz. @ Talking Stick Resort Arena
July 19 — Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Forum
July 23 — Dallas, Texas @ American Airlines Center
July 24 — Houston, Texas @ Toyota Center
July 27 — Detroit, Mich. @ Little Caesars Arena
July 28 — Toronto, Ont. @ Scotiabank Arena
July 30 — Washington, D.C. @ Capital One Arena
July 31 — Pittsburgh, Pa. @ PPG Paints Arena
Aug. 3 — Philadelphia, Pa. @ Wells Fargo Center
Aug. 4 — Boston, Mass. @ Xfinity Center
Aug. 6 — New York City, N.Y. @ Madison Square Garden
Aug. 9 — Chicago, Ill. @ United Center
Aug. 10 — St. Paul, Minn. @ Xcel Energy Center
Aug. 13 — Columbus, Ohio @ Nationwide Arena
Aug. 15 — Nashville, Tenn. @ Bridgestone Arena
Aug. 17 — Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. @ BB&T Center
Aug. 18 — Tampa, Fla. @ Amalie Arena
Aug. 20 — New Orleans, La. @ Smoothie King Center
Aug. 22 — Atlanta, Ga. @ State Farm Arena
Aug. 23 — Charlotte, N.C. @ Spectrum Center
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