Musicians Collaboration Studio

How To => Production Tips and Tricks! => Topic started by: digitaldrummer on February 01, 2008, 11:25:28 PM

Title: Killer Queen
Post by: digitaldrummer on February 01, 2008, 11:25:28 PM
this is just too cool not to pass on.  If you follow this link, you may find the links to download the separate tracks for Queen's "Killer Queen".  You want to keep looking as there is a link for the "missing files" too.

http://raf.queenzone.com/queenzone/forumnew/forum_topic_view.aspx?Q_FORUM_ID=10&Q_FORUM_NAME=Queen+General+Discussion&TOPIC_SUBJECT=24-track+Killer+Queen+masters%3F%3F%3F&Q=1075630&page=2

Freddie just sounds incredible.  It is also interesting to hear such an amazing sounding song with so much bleed and noise!  I'm not advocating that anyone do anything illegal with these tracks - just listen and use them as a learning tool (I'm not sure how they got out, but they are already out in the wild now).  And at the end you can hear what sounds like "that wasn't bad"...  "it wasn't great"...  yeah, whatever guys!  ;D
Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: groverk on February 02, 2008, 02:09:23 AM
Thanks for sharing Mike,

Great stuff
Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: Sternen on February 02, 2008, 09:41:03 AM
Are these anywhere but megaupload?  I hate having to download a "downloader". 
Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: NickT on February 02, 2008, 09:43:30 AM
Thanks Mike,

Got it last night. WOW. It's very cool to push some faders with this.

Nice find!

Nick
Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: Cary on February 02, 2008, 10:50:20 AM
Wow Mike, that was a great find.  Thank you!
Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: digitaldrummer on February 02, 2008, 11:58:59 AM
you don't have to download any "downloader".  just wait for the free download (you have to be patient grasshoppers...).

I actually ran across some multitracks from the Beatles Sgt. Pepper too.  it's not all the individual tracks, because they were working on 4-tracks and had to keep bouncing, but there was 4 separate tracks.  Again it was really interesting to hear the compressors at work and the huge amount of reverb on some of the voices, etc.

rumor is that there are some Police tracks out there too.  would love to hear those.  I think these are showing up as many of the 24-track masters are being transferred to disk (after they bake the tapes) hoping to preserve them.  All those 2" tapes are sitting in vaults and just rotting.

Peter Gabriel and NIN (Nine Inch Nails) had also posted some multitracks of their songs to allow you to remix them.  I find it highly educational to just load them up and see what the heck was going on before mixing and mastering.
Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: Gerk on February 02, 2008, 12:37:11 PM
There was a torrent kicking around of that one a while back, it's awesome!  It's fun to remix.  Man some of that guitar stuff hehe.  Freddie sounds .. ummm ... killer!
Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: digitaldrummer on February 04, 2008, 09:32:06 PM
but wait, there's more! 

http://www.queenzone.com/queenzone/forumnew/forum_topic_view.aspx?Q_FORUM_ID=10&Q_FORUM_NAME=Queen+-++General+Discussion&TOPIC_SUBJECT=24-Track+Bohemian+Rhapsody&Q=1078399&page=2

Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: Gerk on February 04, 2008, 09:42:13 PM
Sweeeet
Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: Blades on February 05, 2008, 06:35:59 AM
I downloaded but have not yet extracted Killer Queen.  I will definitely get the BoRhap as well if the pieces are available. 

Queen is my absolute favorite band, so this is super cool.  I've already done one cover (Seven Seas of Rhye with guitar, bass, piano as collab) and this would give me a great launching pad for doing something interesting with another Queen tune - awesome for learning what goes into these arrangements - how much of the stuff you don't hear (or do) depending on how the voicings are mixed, the layers of vocals or guitars - the knowing "ah, so that's what his drumkit sounded like, *blech* - geez if THAT sounds good on an album and "all that background noise" is ok, I have nothing but my lack of talent (not equipment) to blame for my tunes! :)

Appreciate the links to these - I'll have plenty of fun with them, I'm sure.
Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: Gerk on February 05, 2008, 04:14:46 PM
Those BR seps are wild. Freddie was the man.  There's one neat pair of tracks, I think they had 2 of his lead vocal tracks out of phase and sightly overdriven, which allows for some neat effects and combinations.

BR must have been one of those mixes where they had 10 people all gathered around the board when it came mix time.  I'm very very thankful for the tools we have at hand now!!
Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: Rattlehed on February 05, 2008, 04:18:22 PM
there a few tracks missing from the first download link, i think the rest are on page three of that thread
Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: Sharpola on February 05, 2008, 06:09:08 PM
I've downloaded both tune..
Is BoRap really 72 tracks? I loaded 48 tracks so far and my computer still going  8)


Ray
Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: digitaldrummer on February 05, 2008, 07:50:33 PM
no, when you extract part 1 of the RAR it should continue to use pt2, pt3 automatically.  there are only 24 tracks.

I can't believe how bad the tom mics sound on both sets, but especially on killer queen--totally distorted.  but listen in the mix and its fine.  I don't think its all tape saturation either--sounds like the mic is toally overloaded.

Also did anyone notice the gong at the end of BR?  don't think that never made it to the final mix..

lots of cool stuff.   ;)
Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: groverk on February 05, 2008, 09:28:00 PM
Yep the gong is in the final mix, sounds like some kind of highpass on it in the final mix plus I think they gave it a semi quick fade.

I agree about the drum mic's.

Ken
Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: Cary on February 05, 2008, 10:05:29 PM
I can't believe how bad the tom mics sound on both sets, but especially on killer queen--totally distorted.  but listen in the mix and its fine.  I don't think its all tape saturation either--sounds like the mic is toally overloaded.
...

I'm sure this is an eye opener for most.  Reading about these tracks on another site, someone who has a few grammy's under their belt said something like, "it''s more about knowing what to leave in, not trying to edit out all the bad'.

And yes, those distorted drum sounds.  His toms always sounded great on the records.
Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: CurtisDowney66 on February 07, 2008, 09:16:47 PM
I downloaded the tracks also, some very interesting stuff.  I did a quick mix of Killer Queen, just for chucks.  I haven't listened to the original mix in years, and purposely didn't before I did this mix, so as not to sway my thoughts on the mix.  (I hope it's ok to post it)...
Curtis
Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: Blades on February 08, 2008, 12:24:45 PM
Hey Curtis - overall, this sounds pretty good, more verb than the original, but mostly good.  You appear to be missing two of the backup vocal traks - there should be two parts that are lower in pitch than what made it to your mix.  For what it's worth ;)
Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: Sternen on February 16, 2008, 03:13:09 PM
I have been out of the loop between work kids and illness....  and addicted to trying to mix these things.   ;)  What a learning experience!!!!

Here is the mix of BR I did....

http://peteclimie.com/cc/br1.mp3
Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: meekofnature on August 20, 2008, 07:46:44 AM
Yeah, those tracks are great.  I've got 3 Queen songs and 3 Marvin Gaye ones as well.  A buddy of mine had a Doobie Brothers tracks that sounded AMAZING, but wouldn't give it up. 

Some of those tracks are distorted as hell.  A lot of it seems move excessive than the distortion of the final product.  It's tough, these tracks probably slipped out because some intern ran into the vault, slapped the tape on the reel in the middle of the night, did a quick transfer to a DAW, packed it up and got the hell out.  Anyone caught doing this transfer would get in a shit ton of trouble, so they were probably in a big hurry.  The tape machine was likely not properly calibrated, or was calibrated for a different reference level of tape...   Who knows!

In any case these tracks are a trip!  It's really neat to see some of the raw sounds and clues you off to how they miced drums, guitars..and such.  Things happen so differently now...  Oh if I could travel in time...

-Marc
Title: Re: Killer Queen
Post by: detune on August 20, 2008, 09:31:20 AM
You can get the Doobie Brothers one via torrent:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22multitrack+masters%22

The isolated string section is the best part of the Marvin Gaye stuff.  It's so good it can stand alone.

Mark