Barcelona (Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé album)

The song was composed and produced by Mike Moran and Freddie Mercury. The recording sessions include violins by Homi Kanga and Laurie Lewis, cello by Deborah Ann Johnston, horn by Barry Castle and percussion by Frank Ricotti. "Barcelona" was chosen to be the anthem of 1992 Olympics in Spain, but Mercury died less than seven months before the games. It was, however, featured as the city introductory video at the opening ceremony,[7][8] and it was used as the title music to the BBC's coverage of the 1992 Summer Olympics.[9] The music video was filmed at the world's largest nightclub, Ku, nowadays named Privilege in Ibiza.

Russell Watson covers it on his album The Voice with Shaun Ryder.

The song was recorded on 9 November 1987 (an early demo comes from 1 September). Mercury wrote all the lyrics including the ones in Japanese, and sang some parts in falsetto which were kept on the final version.

Originally a virtuoso piano piece by Moran with some high vocals from Mercury, it was named "Rachmaninov's Revenge" (demos come from 26 January and 19 February respectively). Then it was named "The Duet" and finally "The Fallen Priest" when Tim Rice wrote the lyrics for it. Elaine Paige was living with Rice at the time and she was working on an album of Queen covers. Also released in 1987 it was also produced by Moran who conducted the orchestra, wrote the arrangements and played piano and keyboards. The ending piano riff bears a strong resemblance to the ending of the first movement of Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2.

When Mercury first met Montserrat Caballé on March 1987, he brought in a piece he and Moran had composed called "Exercises in Free Love", to which Caballé added lyrics and became "Ensueño" later on. She asked him to sing it in his natural speaking (baritone) voice.[10] Unlike "Exercises", "Ensueño" does not include any orchestration or backing vocals: Mike Moran plays only a piano part as an accompaniment for the two singers.

This song also included lyrics from Rice and was recorded on 1 December 1987 (early demos come from 2 May and 9 November). The celebrity gospel choir featured Madeline Bell, Dennis Bishop, Lance Ellington, Miriam Stockley, Peter Straker, Mark Williamson, and Carol Woods. Straker was Mercury's friend who helped him out with some lyrics of "I'm Going Slightly Mad", and Stockley sang later on with Brian May.

Originally titled "Freddie's Overture", it was one of the last numbers to be written (early 1988). The song was originally released as a CD single in Japan with other tracks from the LP, "How Can I Go On" and "Overture Piccante" which was then released as a maxi CD single in the Netherlands in 2000.

This song comes from spring 1987. On the album its beginning is seamlessly merged with the end of the previous track. It features fellow Queen member John Deacon on bass.

The last track on the album mixes parts of other tracks into a new piece.

1. "Barcelona" – 5:43
2. "La Japonaise" – 4:52
3. "The Fallen Priest" – 5:46
4. "Ensueño" – 4:22
5. "The Golden Boy" – 6:04
6. "Guide Me Home" – 2:50
7. "How Can I Go On" – 3:49
8. "Exercises in Free Love" – 3:57
9. "Overture Piccante" – 6:47
10. "How Can I Go On" [Bonus Track featuring David Garrett] – 3:56

1. "Exercises in Free Love" [1987 B-side] – 4:26
2. "Barcelona" [Early Version: Freddie's Demo Vocal] – 4:21
3. "La Japonaise" [Early Version: Freddie's Demo Vocal] – 4:41
4. "Rachmaninov's Revenge (The Fallen Priest)" [Later Version: Freddie's Demo Vocal] – 5:51
5. "Ensueño" [Monsterrat's Live Takes] – 5:36
6. "The Golden Boy" [Early Version: Freddie's Demo Vocal] – 3:54
7. "Guide Me Home" [Alternative Version] – 2:50
8. "How Can I Go On" [Alternative Version] – 4:03
9. "How Can I Go On" [Alternative Piano Version] – 3:44

1. "Barcelona" [Instrumental] – 5:39
2. "La Japonaise" [Instrumental] – 4:51
3. "The Fallen Priest" [Instrumental] – 5:47
4. "Ensueño" [Instrumental] – 4:01
5. "The Golden Boy" [Instrumental] – 6:03
6. "Guide Me Home" [Instrumental] – 2:50
7. "How Can I Go On" [Instrumental] – 3:37
8. "Exercises in Free Love" [Instrumental] – 3:57
9. "Overture Piccante" [Instrumental] – 6:43

• On this CD, "Ensueño" consists only of Moran's (original) piano part. No backing vocals are featured on any of the tracks.

• Club Ibiza Performance

1. "Barcelona"

• La Nit Barcelona Performance

1. "Barcelona"
2. "How Can I Go On"
3. "The Golden Boy"

• Barcelona [Classic Video]
• Barcelona [The Special Edition EPK]
• Barcelona [2012 Edit by Rhys Thomas]

"Barcelona" (1987/1992)

"The Golden Boy" (1988)

"How Can I Go On" (1989)