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Live Killers

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Live Killers
Live album by
Queen
Released22 June 1979
Recorded26 January – 1 March 1979
May 1979 (overdubs)
VenueEurope
Genre
Length90:08
LabelEMI / Parlophone (Europe)
Elektra / Hollywood (US)
ProducerQueen
Queen chronology
Jazz
(1978) 		Live Killers
(1979) 		The Game
(1980)
Singles from Live Killers
  1. "Love of My Life"
    Released: 29 June 1979
  2. "We Will Rock You (Fast)"
    Released: 24 August 1979 (US) [2]
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Record Mirror[3]
Rolling Stone(unfavorable)[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]
Smash Hits3½/10[6]

Live Killers is a double live album by the British rock band Queen, released on 22 June 1979.[7] The album was recorded live during the European leg of Queen's Jazz Tour, between 26 January and 1 March 1979.

Recording

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The album was self-produced by the band and was their first to be mixed at their own studios, Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland.[7] Guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor later revealed on the US radio show In the Studio with Redbeard (which spotlighted the making of 1980's The Game) that the band had mixed Live Killers themselves and were unhappy with the final mix.

Release

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Live Killers was released as a double vinyl album[8] in the UK by EMI on 22 June 1979,[9] in Europe by Parlophone, and in the US by Elektra and Hollywood Records.

In the territories outside of the United States, Europe and Canada, Elektra Records re-released a shorter and edited version of the album in 1985 titled Queen Live.[10]

The 1994 issue released as part of the Digital Master Series by EMI Records did not improve upon the quality of the previous release. It was later remastered and restored in better quality by Peter Mew in 2001.[citation needed]

Reception

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The album reached number 3 on the UK Albums Chart and number 16 on the Billboard 200 in the United States, and is certified double platinum in the US.[11][12]

The album received negative reviews from critics on release.[1] In a retrospective appraisal, Greg Prato of AllMusic found the initial reaction inexplicable, calling the album "an excellent document of Queen at the height of their '70s arena rock powers".[1]

Track listing

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Side one / CD Disc 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."We Will Rock You (Fast)" (Lyon 17 February)Brian May3:29
2."Let Me Entertain You" (Unknown)Freddie Mercury3:04
3."Death on Two Legs" (Barcelona 20 February, Overdubs)Mercury3:32
4."Killer Queen" (Frankfurt 2 February, Overdubs)Mercury1:59
5."Bicycle Race" (Frankfurt 2 February)Mercury1:29
6."I'm in Love with My Car" (Zurich 4 February)Roger Taylor2:01
7."Get Down, Make Love" (Frankfurt 2 February, Lyon 17 February, Barcelona 20 February, Paris 28 February, Paris 1 March, Unknown)Mercury4:31
8."You're My Best Friend" (Lyon 17 February)John Deacon2:07
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
9."Now I'm Here" (Frankfurt 2 February, Lyon 17 February, Overdubs)May8:44
10."Dreamer's Ball" (Lyon 17 February)May3:42
11."Love of My Life" (Frankfurt 2 February, Paris 27 February, Overdubs)Mercury4:59
12."'39" (Frankfurt 2 February, Overdubs)May3:26
13."Keep Yourself Alive" (Unknown)May4:03
Total length:48:06
Side three / CD Disc 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Don't Stop Me Now" (Unknown, Overdubs)Mercury4:28
2."Spread Your Wings" (Unknown)Deacon5:14
3."Brighton Rock" (Frankfurt 2 February, Paris 28 February, Paris 1 March, Overdubs)May12:13
Side four
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
4."Bohemian Rhapsody (with "Mustapha" intro)" (Frankfurt 2 February, Overdubs)Mercury5:51
5."Tie Your Mother Down" (Frankfurt 2 February, Overdubs)May3:43
6."Sheer Heart Attack" (Lyon 17 February)Taylor3:36
7."We Will Rock You" (Frankfurt 2 February)May2:48
8."We Are the Champions" (Paris 27 February, Overdubs)Mercury3:27
9."God Save the Queen" (Rotterdam 30 January)Trad.; arr. May1:33
Total length:42:53

Omitted tracks

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Singles

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  • "Love of My Life (Live at Festhalle Frankfurt, 2 Feb '79 – edited version)"/"Now I'm Here (Live at Festhalle Frankfurt, 2 Feb '79)"
  • "We Will Rock You (Fast Version) (Live)"/"Let Me Entertain You (Live)" – Elektra E46532; released August 1979

Personnel

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Queen

Production

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Charts

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Chart (1979) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[13] 25
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[14] 3
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[15] 4
Finnish Albums (Suomen Virallinen)[16] 28
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[17] 9
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[18] 21
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[19] 10
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[20] 15
UK Albums (OCC)[21] 3
US Billboard 200[22] 16
Chart (1992) Peak
position
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[23] 34
Chart (2006) Peak
position
Italian Albums (FIMI)[24] 99

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
Austria (IFPI Austria)[25] Gold 25,000*
Canada (Music Canada)[26] Platinum 100,000^
Germany (BVMI)[27] Gold 250,000^
Japan (RIAJ)[28] Gold 100,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[29] Gold 50,000^
South Africa (RISA)[30] Gold 25,000*
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[31] Gold 25,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[32] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[33] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Live Killers at AllMusic
  2. ^ "Queen singles". Queen Vault.
  3. ^ "1979.06.xx – Record Mirror – UK – Killer Queen – QueenCuttings.com – Welcome on board!". QueenCuttings.com. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2012.
  4. ^ Fricke, David (6 September 1979). "Live Killers". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  5. ^ "Queen: Album Guide". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 10 June 2012.
  6. ^ Starr, Red. "Albums". Smash Hits (12–25 July 1979): 25.
  7. ^ a b Live Killers Ultimate Queen. Retrieved 11 July 2011
  8. ^ David Fricke (6 September 1979). "Album Reviews Live Killers". Rolling Stone.
  9. ^ Paul Sexton (14 July 2019). "When Queen Became Live Killers". udiscovermusic.com.
  10. ^ http://www.queenonline.com/en/the-band/discography/live-killers/ Queen Online Retrieved 13 December 2016
  11. ^ RIAA – Gold and Platinum Archived 4 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine Recording Industry Association of America Retrieved 11 July 2011
  12. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums. London: Guinness World Records Limited
  13. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 243. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  14. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Queen – Live Killers" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  15. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Queen – Live Killers" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  16. ^ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  17. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Queen – Live Killers" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  18. ^ "Charts.nz – Queen – Live Killers". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  19. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Queen – Live Killers". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  20. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Queen – Live Killers". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  21. ^ "Queen | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  22. ^ "Queen Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  23. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Queen – Live Killers". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  24. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Queen – Live Killers". Hung Medien. Retrieved 1 August 2020.
  25. ^ "Austrian album certifications – Queen – Live Killers" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  26. ^ "Queen - Freddie Mercury's commemorative Canadian in-house sales award - 'Queen Rules Canada', 1992". 18 August 2023.
  27. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Queen; 'Live Killers')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  28. ^ "Queen – Freddie Mercury's Japanese in-house presentation awards". 18 August 2023.
  29. ^ "Dutch album certifications – Queen – Live Killers" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 27 November 2019. Enter Live Killers in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1980 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  30. ^ "Queen – Freddie Mercury's in-house South African sales award for multiple albums".
  31. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Live Killers')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  32. ^ "British album certifications – Queen – Live Killers". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  33. ^ "American album certifications – Queen – Live Killers". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
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