CHAMPIONS SHOOT 

 1 CD/ 1 DVDR

Label: Wardour 036 
Country: Japan
Released: July 2006
Recorded: Live at New London Theatre Centre, London, England  October 6th. 1977.    
Sound: Audience recording. (not sure quality yet. haven't got it)
Comments:  This was the day/evening Queen shoot the film for 'We Are The Champions' video. To thanks the (fan club) fans who turned up there , the band played a short concert. Since there was a film team to shoot the 'Champions' video, they might 'shoot' the live session to. But, this has not been confirmed yet from Queen production. This is ONLY my own feeling that this might could have happen. But, NO ONE have ever told me so.
Nice and interested bootleg. As far as I know, the bonus concert are complete. A bonus DVDR is enclosed, from the HUSTON 77 December 11ht. 1977 concert. Pro-filmed, but not best quality.
Roots: From a audience recorded tape. (Which actually most of the live bootlegs are).     
Time:   


Front cover

 
  1. Bob Harris' First Speech
  2. Bob Harris' Second Speech
  3. We Are The Champions  (film shoot, used playback)
  - - - - - - - - - The 'bonus' concert - - - - - - - - - - -
  4. Tie Your Mother Down 
  5. Keep Yourself Alive
  6. Somebody To Love
  7. White Man
  8. The Prophet's Song
  9. Liar
10. Bohemian Rhapsody
11. Now I'm Here
12. Jailhouse Rock
13. See What A Fool I've Been


DVD insert


Back to bootleg page


Inside cover, sometimes as front.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --


Back cover





 
Review by Collectors music reviews
 

At least three times in Queen's history they called upon their fans through the Official International Queen Fan Club to participate in a video shoot.  The first was on October 6th, 1977 for "We Are The Champions", the second for "Radio Ga Ga" on November 23rd & 24th, 1983, and the third for "Friends Will Be Friends" on May 15th, 1986 (itself, both song and video, a sequel of sorts for "We Are The Champions").  Video shoots are notoriously long and boring because many different takes have to be shot and actions must be repeated over and over.  It is bad enough for the actors, but for the extras it can be especially difficult since they are not involved in the principle action.  To reward the fans Queen played an hour-long concert that was thankfully captured by several audience members.  The older source had circulated for many years and is poor quality.  Champions Shoot on Wardour is the brand new source that has recently surfaced.

It is much better quality than the older source being very close to the stage and capturing the warmth of the performance.  Compared to the older source it is much more complete with only the first three takes omitted.  Queen mimed to the studio track being played over the PA so there wouldn't be anything interesting.  There are small cuts after "The Prophet's Song" and "Jailhouse Rock" but no music is missing.  Whispering Bob Harris, the host of "The Old Grey Whistle Test", mumbles at the beginning to explain the dynamics of the shoot.  The audience was encouraged to act enthusiastic and wave banners.  Harris then explains the band will play a special show for them.  The third track on this release, "We Are The Champions", is video shoot number number four and is the studio track being played so the cameras can capture crowd shots and footage for a documentary.  Queen play "Tie Your Mother Down" immediately at the song's conclusion and Freddie thanks everybody for coming as the band begins "Keep Yourself Alive". 

"Somebody To Love" is introduced as  "something we did at Earl's Court, I think".  "What do you want next?  We've done 'We Are The Champions'....'Hangman'?...We'll do a song written by Brian from the A Day At The Races album, it's called 'White Man'" and is played as a medley with "The Prophet's Song", the arrangement they used on stage at that time.  There is a cut in the tape following this number.  "Bohemian Rhapsody" is only the first third of the song which segues seamlessly with "Now I'm Here" after a loud Roger Taylor gong smash.  "Jailhouse Rock" with Freddie saying bye bye "just like Shirley Bassey" closes the set and a rare version of "See What A Fool I've Been" is played for the encore after the audience chants, "bring out the chicken".  This is a fascinating, off-the-wall document revealing the band's close relationship with their fans.  This might not be an essential document to own but it certainly is interesting and the reason why bootlegs exist in the first place.     

 

Wardour and its related labels have been regularly issuing bonus cdrs and dvdrs with their titles and Champions Shoot comes with a one dvdr set Houston 1977.  This is the same video that surfaced last year of the long rumored and famous show at the Summit and released by the DQA label on Houston Rock.  This particular title by Wardour was produced and issued last December as a free bonus over a particular weekend at certain retail outlets in the Shinjuku ward of Tokyo.  There is no improvement in video or sound quality so nothing is gained.  This is an essential video to own ("Melancholy Blues" was released as a single from this show) and this is a good opportunity to own it for free.  Champions Shoot is produced with the glossy paper used by the latest Wardour releases and is limited to only three hundred copies.  (GS)