Queen Discography 70’s

This information is not really in it’s final form, I’ve decided to upload again and it will be updated frequently. Comments and contributions are very welcomed.

This discography is intended to contain information useful for collectors, mainly about Queen vinyl releases worldwide.

The text of this page is originally from Andy Young’s site on line in the 90’s; I have updated with informations about details of new discoveries during the past 20 years.

OK, on with the records…

1973 –Queen

EMI 1973 Conference copy to present the new Band. It came in a special die cut sleeve which had all the Emi managers on the back and uk pop group logo on the front.The label says in large red letters promotional sampler from the uk pop group conference 1973 and in the middle it says “Queen”.Some copies also came with a purple promo envelope with the Queen crest on it, purple biography about the group and its members and 10×8 photos.
Pink sleeve from the USA and Japan (and German “Fame” reissue apparently). First USA pressing (rumoured to be limited to 1000) had embossed gold lettering for “Queen” and gold crest on back PS ,the promo issue has got a special promo sheet(very nice) inner sleeve also came with top left writing : “Something Out Of The Ordinary” . Green vinyl from Czech Republic (1993 release). Pink vinyl and red from Czech Republic,and there are also 4 different  multicoloured issues edited during the 90’s (!!!!)  in very low quantities from this country. Chile issue with diiferent colour PS mocromatic light-purple.Taiwanese grey PS (it seems a photocopy of the US ps).

• Keep Yourself Alive / Son and Daughter

Released in most countries.Picture sleeve in Holland, Portugal and Japan. Almost certainly no others. Malta (radio station promo only) sleeve exists, but a much later release.Jukebox record from Italy with Deep Purple “What’s Going There” on b-side.Thailandese issue with no cover and other artists.

Rereleased in USA in 1975 b/w Lily of the ValleySpun Gold issue with “Another One Bites The Dust”1998 Hollywood promo cdsingle with 5 version on it.
• Liar (edit) / Doing Alright

Released in USA only. No picture sleeve.

1974 — Queen II

Early pressings had inner lyric sleeves. The original issue had a colour photo on the inside of the gatefold, but the UK “Fame” budget label reissue replaced this with a black&white version of the same photo. Venezuela issue with cover like inner sleeve. Italian non-gatefold version with lyric sleeve exists. Russian issue with normal inner sleeve picture on back.Korean blue PS
Very rare: Portuguese ‘Circulo de leitores’ (book club) 1974 release of a mixture of Queen/Queen II. No idea what the sleeve is like.There are other Korean issues with poor quality ps and look like photocopied stuff (rare).

• Seven Seas of Rhye / See What A Fool I’ve Been

Released in most countries”Loser In The End” b-side in JapanPicture sleeve in Germany, Holland, Yugosalvia, Japan, Spain(?), Portugal, France. Possibly others.

CD3 has Seven Seas of Rhye / See What A Fool I’ve Been / Funny How Love Is

1974 — Sheer Heart Attack

Red vinyl exists, but it may be a bootleg put inside a normal sleeve. French and Japanese versions are rumoured, japanese should have cat no. P – 10137E and it’s a promo version.Version “Certero Ataque al Corazon” from Spanish speaking countries. Portuguese “Literary Circle”release with entirely different sleeve. USA first pressing comes with double sided foldout inlay. French 1978 re-pressing in gatefold sleeve. Yugoslavian first pressing with reproduction letter from Queen and autographs. Italian LP without mirror crackles. Venezuela LP with gatefold sleeve.

• Killer Queen / Flick of the Wrist

Released in all countries, double a-side in mostPicture sleeve in Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Yugoslavia, Sweden, Malta (radio station promo only), Japan and maybe others.

Rereleased in Japan in 1975 with “Seven Seas of Rhye” as b-side and different picture sleeveSpun Gold issue in UK in 1980 with “You’re My Best Friend”Spun Gold issue with “Liar (edit)”CD3 has Killer Queen / Flick Of The Wrist / Brighton RockVenezuelan 1981 tour edition 12” with sleeve like “Save Me” and with “Keep Yourself Alive” as the b-side.
• Now I’m Here / Lily of the Valley

Released in most countriesPicture sleeve in Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, Spain, Hungary, Japan, Portugal and maybe others

Rereleased in Japan in 1975 with “Keep Yourself Alive” as b-side and different picture sleeve.

1975 –A Night At The Opera

White vinyl from France and Holland (Holland is rarer). MFSL master recording vinyl (70’s) and gold CD (90’s). Israeli release with inner sleeve picture superimposed on front cover (one version with portrait labels, one with normal EMI labels). Spanish subtitled version in Argentina. Venezuela sleeve (gatefold issue – the photo of the ps is like the back israeli sleeve (live shot) but coloured).In Venezuela also not G/fold issue exists (rarer). Taiwan slightly different sleeve (black and white crest with “includes the hit single Bohemian Rhapsody” subtitle). Korean pressing with different sleeve (queen photo on each corner with title and crest on the middle). Uruguay LP with it just has the group name and album title on the front, the Queen crest is missing (1st issue not G/fold,2nd yes), PVC issue also from Uruguay .The PVC is wierd. The front cover and back cover are separate pieces and there is a plastic outer sleeve connected holding them together. They are almost like paper instead of the normal cardboard sleeve. The plastic is very thin, not like the PVC One Vision from the UK. That sleeve is a harder plastic.Promo package from URUGUAY (?)  of promo lp with promo envelope, press kit and fully signed 10″ x 8″.  there was only ever 25 made.

• Bohemian Rhapsody / I’m in Love with My Car

Released in all countries”Death On Two Legs…” b-side in PolandPicture sleeve in UK, Germany, France (2 versions, one from 1975 and one from 1978), Yugoslavia, Mexico, Spain, Holland (3 versions), Denmark, Belgium, Portugal, Italy, Japan (2 issues), Malta (radio station promo only) ,Thailand EP,turkish PS edition as ANATO cover.Early Italian pressings misspell the b-side “I’m in love

whit

my car”. All Dutch pressings misspell the b-side “With my car I’m in Love”

Thailand E.P. with three other artists (don’t know who), Russian flexidisc (blue, apparently) given away with magazine

Limited edition of 200 in blue vinyl (promotion only) released in 1978. to commemorate the award of the “Queen’s Award For Export” to EMI records on 26/7/78. As for the last year’s purple vinyl there were some copies of the blue vinyl which came without PS and number.There should be few hundred copies (150-200).I know a collector with number written on B-side (genuine copy!!),maybe it’s unique. The vinyl is a translucent royal blue colour while bootlegs tend to be a duller deeper hue. A special cotton scarf (more of a hanky really!) and glass were also made to celebrate the award, but these have nothing to do with Queen. The B.V.s were given to important people at a special celebration bash at the Selfridge Hotel (some got the scarf and glass as well). Unumbered ,without purple sleeve copies exist.Maybe they were given on request to EMI workers who didn’t attend the night.Anyway very limited number.

Commemorative purple vinyl release in 1995 to celebrate the 10th International Fan Club Convention – 2000 only in original UK picture sleeve, numbered by hand on the rear and on the label. Unnumbered copies do exist despite the denials of the fan club. They are 100% definitely not bootlegs and were clearly made at the same time as the original pressing. It sounds like there has been an inside job somewhere along the line.

Spun Gold issue with “You’re My Best Friend”Rereleased in most countries with “These Are The Days Of Our Lives” after Freddie’s death (with poster and booklet in Japan, with big poster in Australia)Rereleased in USA on 7″ in 1991ish with “The Show Must Go On”Rerereleased in USA 1992 after Wayne’s World

• You’re My Best Friend / ’39

Released in most countriesPicture sleeve in Germany, Holland, Belgium, Spain, Yugoslavia, Italy, Japan and maybe others. No picture sleeve in UK.Thailand E.P. with three other artists (Santana, Foghat, Don Harrison)

1976 –A Day At The Races

It seems there is no coloured vinyl around for this album (some are rumoured, such as a grey one, but it seems unlikely these are official releases). Spanish subtitled version in usual countries. Release from Taiwan with different sleeve (green cover with photos on the corners).

• Somebody to Love / White Man

“Long Away” b-side in PolandCD3 has Somebody To Love / White Man / Tie Your Mother DownReleased in all countriesPicture sleeve in UK/Germany/Belgium/Holland/France/Italy/Mexico (all similar – details below). Different sleeves from Poland, Portugal, Malta (radio station promo only), Japan and Turkey. Postcard release in Poland.Thailand E.P. with three other artists (Foghat, Mannfred Mann’s Earth Band, Aerosmith)

Details on minor variations to standard sleeve:

• UK,Belgium and Germany do not say “Queen” on the sleeve at all
• Holland has “QUEEN” top centre in a block font
• France has “Queen” top centre in DATR style script font
• Italy has “QUEEN” to the left of John’s head in a roman font. Some copies (not sure if first or second issue) have a subtitle “sigla del ciclo tv dedicato a Billy Wilder” above the band.

Mexico sleeve is light brown with “Queen” in DATR style script font sloping 45 degrees top left and right, and the track names in English and Spanish written in white between.

• Tie Your Mother Down / You and I

Released in most countries – not the USA”Drowse” b-side in JapanPicture sleeve in Germany, Holland, Belgium, France, Spain, Japan, Malta (radio station promo only)

• Teo Torriate / Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy

Released in Japan only in picture sleeve

• Queen’s First EP: Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy / Death On Two Legs / Tenement Funster / White Queen

Released in Europe only in picture sleeve (some have blue writing, some have orange writing)

• Long Away / You And I

Released in USA only without picture sleeve.

Thailand E.P. with three other artists (Heart, Kansas, Boston)

1977 –News Of The World

Green vinyl from France (both normal sleeve and die-cut sleeve).
Promotional box (Photo Above) from USA and UK.US box includes 5 promo photos,2 stickers,LP,press infos pages,newspaper facsimile with 77 tour dates.

Spanish subtitled version in usual countries – unique inner sleeve in Argentina. MFSL master recording gold CD. Venezuelan slightly different sleeve. Korean different robot-pose sleeve (OLE Cat number)

• Singles from “News Of The World”:

• We Are The Champions / We Will Rock You

Released in all countries.Picture sleeve in most countries – Hungary, USA and Japan had different sleeves. The robot shows different amounts of arm in some countries.12″ promo in USA (without picture sleeve)

Promo CD5 released 1991 with excerpts from George Bush’s victory speech.Rereleased in USA in 1992: 7″ (no picture sleeve) with “These Are The Days Of Our Lives”, CD5 with 5 remixes, 12″ with 8 remixes and CD5 without picture sleeve, promo CD5 with 2 mixes of WATC and 2 of WWRY.Rereleased in Holland and Belgium with “Friends Will Be Friends” to commemorate the 1994 football world cup. Some copies are mispressed and have “A Kind Of Magic” as the b-side.Reissued again in Holland during the UK European Champ. in ’96

• We Will Rock You / We Are The Champions

Released in France only, as a standard device after WATC/WWRY had spent the maximum time allowed at number 1. They simply stamped the sleeve with “We Will Rock You” and carried on selling it.

• Spread Your Wings / Sheer Heart Attack

Released in Europe and South AmericaMost countries have standard picture sleeve. French sleeve has name of song on it, others don’t.

• It’s Late (edit) / Sheer Heart Attack

Released in Japan and USA only with picture sleeve in each.

1978 –Jazz

Picture disc from France – at least two different versions: white riders on black and black riders on white. Rumours of a third version with red riders, but this seems doubtful. Beware of bootlegs !! The bootleg Jazz PD is very recognisable. The main thing is the quality of the printing on the outer sleeve – on the real sleeve, the back has a smooth (gloss) feel to it, whereas the bootleg is rough (matt). Also, the background of the back of the real sleeve is pure white, whereas the bootleg is dirty grey (similar to a photocopy-of-a-photocopy… ). One other thing it’s that the front and back pictures are not aligned in the bootleg (i.e. if you hold it so the front picture is vertical, and then rotate the disc about a vertical axis, the rear picture will not be vertical. I *think* that for the real disc, the two pictures are aligned correctly .The blue coloured circle on the sleeve of the bootleg is more blue and bigger than the original issue). The text on the disc of the bootleg isn’t sharp (Thanks to Andy for this information)
Limited edition with fold out pervy poster in most countries. First US issue was without poster but card on how to order it.Israeli LP with stamped sleeve, different inside picture and different poster. 2 Turkish different PS editions :1 is  retitled “Bicycle Race”. 2 is blue tinted one.

• Fat Bottomed Girls / Bicycle Race

Released in all countries – double a-side in mostStandard picture sleeve in most countries with some variations in wording and underwear. Different sleeves in Japan (a bit), Hungary and France. The funny one on the Box of Tricks poster is a Belgian promo – one of a series of four (more details on the other three as I get them).12″ promo fro USA adn also reported from Greece.

An Italian picture sleeve in the style of the Jazz cover/German Mustapha/Argentinian Don’t Stop Me Now exists, which is either a bootleg or one of the rarest sleeves around.

• Don’t Stop Me Now / In Only Seven Days

Released in most countries”More of that Jazz” b-side in Japan and USAStandard picture sleeve in most countries.

Different sleeves in Japan

Argentina (which should  be the only 7″ picture sleeve from Argentina)

• Jealousy / Fun It

Released in USA – in Brazil (No PS).and Russia.”Don’t Stop Me Now” b-side in RussiaPicture sleeve in Russia (two versions – brown and pink (rarer)) which is a blue flexi-disc.

There is a special 1980 Olympic Games item which is a spiral bound book containing a large number of flexidiscs and associated band biographies. Jealousy is included in this.

• Mustapha / Dead On Time

Released in Germany, Spain and Yugoslavia and Bolivia only”In Only Seven Days” b-side in Yugoslavia.Each has a different picture sleeve.

1979 –Live Killers

Genuine issue from Colombia in blue vinyl as single album (EMI-E2-S10) other record is black. Red/green vinyl from Japan. Venezuelan cassette issue in the 70’s was sold in two parts. This is why in the back cover of the “Killer Queen” 12″  there’s reported a photo of a Live Killers Picture sleeve with VOL 1 printed on it ; unfortunately there’s no official report of this even if I contacted some venezuelan fan saying that they have got it.Some single-album versions of this (usually called just “Queen Live” have been released over the years: in Australia and New Zealand in 1985 to celebrate the concerts there; in South Africa in 1984 to raise money for the ‘Kutlwamong School for the Deaf and Blind’ in Bophuthatswana; in Brazil in 1985 to celebrate Rock In Rio; and in Japan in 1982 presumably to celebrate the tour there.

• Love Of My Life (Live) / Now I’m Here (Live)

Released in all countries except USAPicture sleeve in Germay, Holland, Spain, Japan,click down here to see jap-holl-spa togheter and the german one apart.

• We Will Rock You (Live) / Let Me Entertain You (Live)

Released in Argentina, Japan and USA Picture sleeve in Japan.