Flash Gordon (album)

Infobox Album


Name = Flash Gordon
Released = December 8 1980 (UK) February, 1981 (US)
Type = Soundtrack album
Recorded = October-November 1980
Genre = Rock
Length =
Label = EMI, Parlophone (Europe) Elektra, Hollywood Records (US)
Producer = Brian May and Mack
Reviews = *Record Mirror Rating|5|5 – [http://www.queencuttings.com/dblog/articolo.asp?articolo=76 link (QueenCuttings)]
*Allmusic Rating|2|5 – [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:31o20r6al48j link]
*Entertainment Weekly (favourable) – [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,275614,00.html?print link]
Artist = Queen
Last album = "The Game" (1980)
This album = Flash Gordon (1980)
Next album = "Greatest Hits" (1981)
Misc = Singles
Name = Flash Gordon
Type = soundtrack
single 1 = Flash
single 1 date = November 24, 1980

Flash Gordon is a 1980 album by English rock band Queen. It is the soundtrack album to the science fiction movie "Flash Gordon".

All but two of the tracks on the album ("Flash's Theme" and "The Hero") are instrumentals. The album makes extensive use of synthesizers, which Queen had employed for the first time on their previous album, 'The Game'.

"Flash's Theme" was the only single to be released from the album, under the title "Flash". It reached number 10 in the UK charts and number 42 in the US. The track is notable for its pounding, repetitive bassline and the camp humour of the snippets of dialogue from the movie that it contains.The last track, "The Hero", while an individual song, reprises the main motif from "Flash's Theme".

The tracks featured here contain dialogue from the film. A "music only" version, free of the dialogue snippets, has been rumored for years.

Track listing

ide 1

# "Flash's Theme" (May) – 3:22
# "In the Space Capsule (The Love Theme)" (Taylor) – 2:21
# "Ming's Theme (In the Court of Ming the Merciless)" (Mercury) – 2:53
# "The Ring (Hypnotic Seduction of Dale)" (Mercury) – 1:15
# "Football Fight" (Mercury) – 1:29
# "In the Death Cell (Love Theme Reprise)" (Taylor) – 2:26
# "Execution of Flash" (Deacon) – 0:43
# "The Kiss (Aura Resurrects Flash)" (Mercury) – 2:11

ide 2

# "Arboria (Planet of the Tree Men) [The label on the 1982 U.S.A. LP (5E-518-B) erroneously lists the last word as "Man" instead of "Men" in "Arboria (Planet of the Tree Men)".] " (Deacon) – 1:41
# "Escape from the Swamp" (Taylor) – 1:37
# "Flash to the Rescue" (May) – 2:47
# "Vultan's Theme (Attack of the Hawk Men)" (Mercury) – 1:15
# "Battle Theme" (May) – 2:20
# "The Wedding March" (Wagner arr.May) – 0:56
# "Marriage of Dale and Ming (And Flash Approaching)" (May/Taylor) – 2:04
# "Crash Dive on Mingo City" (May) – 0:46
# "Flash's Theme Reprise (Victory Celebrations)" (May) – 1:39
# "The Hero" (May) – 3:31

Bonus track (1991 Hollywood Records CD reissue)

#"Flash's Theme (1991 Remix by Mista Lawnge, 9.5)" (May) – 6:43

Flash

There are two versions of the song. The album version ("Flash's Theme") is in fact the start to the movie, with all the dialog from the first scene. The single version ("Flash") however features parts of the dialog taken from various parts of the movie. This version was also included on the "Greatest Hits" compilation from 1981.

The single reached number one in Austria.

Credits

* John Deacon: bass guitar, guitar, synthesizer
* Brian May: lead guitar, vocals, synthesizer, piano (on "Flash's Theme" & "The Hero"), organ (on "The Wedding March") [cite web
last = May
first = Brian
authorlink = Brian May
title = Jena, Lady Mercy, Playing piano on early albums, Mr Pavarotti
date = 2003-04-22
work=Letters
url=http://www.brianmay.com/brian/letters/lettersapr03.html
quote = Flash and The Hero (Flash Gordon) (plus organ on the WEDDING)
format = HTML
accessdate = 2007-07-26 ]
* Freddie Mercury: lead vocals, synthesizer
* Roger Taylor: drums, timpani, vocals, synthesizer
* Additional orchestral arrangements by Howard Blake

Charts

Notes