A Kind of Magic is a 1986 album by English rock band Queen. It was the band's twelfth studio album, and is based on the soundtrack to the film Highlander, the first in a series directed by Russell Mulcahy. Though the album stalled at #46 in the United States, it rocketed to #1 in the United Kingdom, remaining in the charts for sixty-three weeks and spawning 3 hit singles. The single "A Kind of Magic" only reached #42 in the US despite being featured in Highlander. The album eventually went Gold in the US in 2002. It is Queen's first album with a title track, and every album released thereafter also contained one. Image File history File links Queen_A_Kind_Of_Magic. ... A studio album is a collection of previously unreleased, studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor, with bassist John Deacon joining the following year. ... is the 153rd day of the year (154th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... Mountain Studios is a recording studio located in Montreux, Switzerland. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... “Hard Rock” redirects here. ... This article is about the music genre. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The EMI Group (LSE: EMI) is a British music company comprising of the major record company EMI Music which operates several labels, based in Kensington in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based in New York. ... Hollywood Records is a record label owned by Disney. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor, with bassist John Deacon joining the following year. ... Reinhold Mack (aka Mack) is a German record producer. ... David Richards is a record producer. ... The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom since 1788. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music, owned by All Media Guide. ... Image File history File links 2_stars. ... This article is about the magazine. ... Image File history File links 2_stars. ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor, with bassist John Deacon joining the following year. ... The Works is a 1984 pop/rock album by English band Queen. ... Live Magic is a vinyl and compact disc live album by British rock band Queen. ... For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Queen are an English rock band formed in 1970 in London by guitarist Brian May, singer Freddie Mercury and drummer Roger Taylor, with bassist John Deacon joining the following year. ... A studio album is a collection of previously unreleased, studio-recorded tracks by a recording artist. ... Highlander is an American film which opened on March 7, 1986. ... Russell Mulcahy (born June 23, 1953 born in Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian film director. ... A Kind of Magic is a pop rock song written by Roger Taylor for the film Highlander, for which Queen wrote the music. ... “Golden record” redirects here. ... A title track is the name for a song which shares its name with the album its from. ...

Track listing

Side 1

1. "One Vision" (Queen) – 5:10
2. "A Kind of Magic" (Taylor) – 4:24
3. "One Year of Love" (Deacon) – 4:26
4. "Pain Is So Close to Pleasure" (Deacon/Mercury) – 4:21
5. "Friends Will Be Friends" (Mercury/Deacon) – 4:07

Side 2

1. "Who Wants to Live Forever" (May) – 5:15
2. "Gimme the Prize" (May) – 4:34
3. "Don't Lose Your Head" (Taylor) – 4:38
4. "Princes of the Universe" (Mercury) – 3:32

CD bonus tracks

1. "A Kind Of 'A Kind of Magic'" (Taylor)
2. "Friends Will Be Friends Will Be Friends..." (Mercury, Deacon)
3. "Forever" (May) – 3:20 - piano version of 'Who Wants to Live Forever'

In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. ...

1991 Hollywood Records CD

1. "Forever" (May) – 3:20
2. "One Vision (1991, Extended Version)" – 6:23

One Vision

Main article: One Vision

After Live Aid, Freddie Mercury was enthusiastic about the band and rang them up to go to the studio and write a song together, the finished product being "One Vision". All four band members were credited as songwriters, however Roger Taylor stated in an interview with Australian TV that originally it had been his song, with serious lyrics about men like Martin Luther King, but joked that "that rotter Freddie" had changed all his lyrics with additions like "fried chicken". May played the opening synth section using a Yamaha DX-7. The sessions were filmed. This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Ethiopia, as its borders were in 1985. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... “Martin Luther King” redirects here. ... The Yamaha DX7 Digital Synthesizer The Yamaha DX7 was a synthesizer manufactured by the Yamaha Corporation from 1983 to 1986, based on FM synthesis. ...

A Kind of Magic

Main article: A Kind of Magic (song)

"A Kind of Magic" was originally written by Taylor before Mercury took it over, added the bassline, some connectors and re-arranged the structure. Regardless, it was still credited to Taylor. The new version was featured in the album, released as single and included their auxiliary live musician, Spike Edney, playing some keyboards. A Kind of Magic is a pop rock song written by Roger Taylor for the film Highlander, for which Queen wrote the music. ... Spike Edney (born December 11, 1951) is a British musician who has appeared as part of numerous bands. ...

One Year of Love

"One Year of Love" is a song by John Deacon. The album version features Deacon playing Yamaha DX-7 synth, a string orchestra conducted by Lynton Naif and a saxophone played by Steve Gregory. The song doesn't feature May. Deacon decided to substitute the guitar components with a saxophone solo after a discussion with May. It was released as a single in France and Spain only. A string orchestra is an orchestra composed solely of stringed instruments. ...

Pain Is So Close to Pleasure

"Pain Is So Close to Pleasure" began as a riff idea by May. Then Deacon and Mercury turned that into a song, with Deacon playing rhythm guitar. It was released as a single in 1986 and reached #26 on the Dutch charts. The title also appears as a line in "One Year of Love". Rhythm guitar is a guitar that is primarily used to provide rhythmic and harmonic accompaniment for a singer or for other instruments in an ensemble. ...

Friends Will Be Friends

Main article: Friends Will Be Friends

"Friends Will Be Friends" was written by Mercury and Deacon, with lyrics written Mercury (which was confirmed by Brian May on his website). It's one of the last of Mercury's piano ballads, and it holds many musical similitudes with older Queen material, such as Play the Game and We Are the Champions. Friends Will Be Friends, a Queen song written by Freddie Mercury and John Deacon, from the album [[A Kind Of Magic]], was released in the UK on June 9, 1986. ... Play the Game is a song by Freddie Mercury and recorded and performed by his band Queen. ... We Are The Champions is a power ballad written by Freddie Mercury, recorded and performed by Queen for their 1977 album News of the World. ...

Who Wants to Live Forever

Main article: Who Wants to Live Forever

"Who Wants to Live Forever" was composed by May and sung in the album version as a duet between himself and Mercury. Many Queen fans believe this to be one of their most moving works. Synths are done on a Yamaha DX-7 by May, and the orchestra was arranged and conducted by Michael Kamen. Deacon did not participate and Taylor played some drum-machine parts and contributed to backing vocals. Percussion was taken over by the orchestra as well as bass (double-bass in this case), in spite of Deacon miming those parts in the video. Who Wants to Live Forever is a song by the English rock band Queen. ... A backing vocalist or backing singer (or, especially in the U.S., backup singer or sometimes background singer) is a singer who sings in harmony with the lead vocalist, other backing vocalists, or alone but not singing the lead. ... Side and front views of a modern double bass with a French bow. ...

Gimme the Prize

"Gimme the Prize" was written by May. The lines "I have something to say : It's better to burn out than to fade away" and "There can be only one" are from the film Highlander and are said by actors Clancy Brown (The Kurgan) and Christopher Lambert (Connor MacLeod) respectively. Both Mercury and Deacon hated this song.^{[citation needed]} Clarence J. Brown III (born January 5, 1959) is an American actor. ... The Kurgan is a fictional character from the Highlander movies, portrayed by actor Clancy Brown. ... Christopher Lambert (born March 29, 1957 as Christophe Guy Denis Lambert) is an American-born French actor. ... Connor MacLeod, also known as The Highlander, is the most important character from the fictional multiverse of Highlander movies, Highlander: The Series and Highlander: The Animated Series, portrayed by actor Christopher Lambert. ...

Don't Lose Your Head

"Don't Lose Your Head" was composed by Taylor and features Joan Armatrading in a vocal cameo. It has been suggested that The Weakness in Me be merged into this article or section. ...

Princes of the Universe

Main article: Princes of the Universe

"Princes of the Universe" is the film's theme song and the only song on the album for which Mercury received sole credit. It is quite a complex and heavy work, demonstrating Queen returning to their hard rock and heavy metal roots. Princes of the Universe is a song written by Freddie Mercury and performed by Queen. ... “Hard Rock” redirects here. ... Heavy metals, in chemistry, are chemical elements of a particular range of atomic weights. ...

Singles

• Queen recorded One Vision, released in the UK on November 4, 1985, directly after their much-lauded appearance at the Live Aid concert; the single was criticized for being no more than a means of cashing in on a charity event. It did, in fact, do well on the charts, reaching seventh in the UK and making top ten throughout Europe. The song appeared in the film Iron Eagle.
• A Kind of Magic, released in the UK on March 17, 1986, reached #3 on its home chart but was a #1 hit in thirty-five other countries. While charting well everywhere else, it peaked at #42 in the USA and has been played on radios mostly in New England (Similar to their first single Keep Yourself Alive). Russell Mulcahy, director of Highlander, directed the song's accompanying video.
• Friends Will Be Friends, released on June 9, 1986, reached 14th in the UK and made the top forty throughout Europe.
• Who Wants to Live Forever, released on September 15, 1986, reached 24th in the UK. The National Philharmonic Orchestra featured in the song's video, along with forty choirboys and two thousand candles.
• Pain Is So Close To Pleasure, released in the US and parts of Europe only.
• One Year Of Love, released in France and Spain only.
• Princes of the Universe, was never released as a single in the UK. While not a hit, it is a cult favorite due to the 1986 film Highlander in the USA. It was also used as the theme music for the Highlander television show which followed the movie in 1992-1998. The music video featured Christopher Lambert and the band on part of the film set, and is cleverly cut with scenes from the film. The song also appears on Greatest Hits III. It was released as a single in The Netherlands on February 28th 2000.

is the 308th day of the year (309th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... Ethiopia, as its borders were in 1985. ... Iron Eagle is a 1986 action film about a teenage boy named Doug Masters (Jason Gedrick) who steals an American F-16 fighter jet to rescue his father (Tim Thomerson), a prisoner of war being held in an unidentified rogue Middle Eastern country. ... is the 76th day of the year (77th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is about the region in the United States of America. ... Russell Mulcahy (born June 23, 1953 born in Melbourne, Victoria) is an Australian film director. ... June 9 is the 160th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (161st in leap years), with 205 days remaining. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar). ... The National Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra created exclusively for recording purposes. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... The theme music of a radio or television program is a piece that is written specifically for that show and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits. ... Greatest Hits III is a compilation of latter-day Queen (Queen+) songs, the band members solo hits and the bands collaborations with other artists. ...

Trivia

• Six songs from the album appeared in the 1986 film Highlander, albeit in different versions. No standalone soundtrack for the movie was ever released, but according to Brian May on his commentary for the Greatest Video Hits 2 DVD, he mentioned a desire to work on such a release in the future.
• The songs that didn't appear in Highlander were: 'One Vision', 'Pain Is So Close To Pleasure' and 'Friends Will Be Friends', although 'One Vision' was featured a year earlier in the film Iron Eagle. Conversely, a recording of "Theme from New York, New York" made specifically for a scene in Highlander does not appear on A Kind of Magic, and in fact has never been released in album form to date.
• For the first time in their career, the band allowed cameras to film them while they were in the studio. The video for 'One Vision' shows them in various stages of writing and recording the song.
• Due to Mercury's illness in the following years, this was the last album promoted with a concert tour.

Highlander is an American film which opened on March 7, 1986. ... It was released in November 2003. ... This article or section cites very few or no references or sources. ... Pain Is So Close to Pleasure is a song by the English rock band, Queen, from the album A Kind of Magic. ... Friends Will Be Friends, a Queen song written by Freddie Mercury and John Deacon, from the album [[A Kind Of Magic]], was released in the UK on June 9, 1986. ... Iron Eagle is a 1986 action film about a teenage boy named Doug Masters (Jason Gedrick) who steals an American F-16 fighter jet to rescue his father (Tim Thomerson), a prisoner of war being held in an unidentified rogue Middle Eastern country. ... Theme from New York, New York (or just New York, New York) is the theme song from the 1977 Martin Scorsese film New York, New York. ...

Credits

Queen are:

• Freddie Mercury: Lead Vocals, Piano, Backing Vocals, Synthesisers, Programming
• Brian May: Electric Guitars, Backing Vocals, Lead Vocals, Synthesisers, Programming
• Roger Taylor: Drums, Electronic Drums, Backing Vocals, Synthesisers, Programming
• John Deacon: Bass, Electric Guitars, Synthesisers, Programming

Additional musicians:

• Spike Edney: Keyboards
• Joan Armatrading: Vocals
• Steve Gregory: Alto Sax

• String Section arranged and conducted by Lynton Naiff
• National Philharmonic Orchestra arranged and conducted by Michael Kamen

Charts

References