The band delivered a classic performance of the hard-rock highlight from the “Queen II” album, filmed live at Queen's famous London Hammersmith Night at The Odeon concert in December 1975 and showcasing the band’s evolving sound and glam-influenced stage wear.
At this very special show on Christmas Eve 1975 – broadcast live from London’s Hammersmith Odeon for BBC TV and radio, and officially released 40 years later as A Night At The Odeon – Queen’s confidence was sky-high. Released a month earlier, the band’s fourth studio album, “A Night At The Opera”, was already hailed as an all- time classic, while its groundbreaking centrepiece “Bohemian Rhapsody” was in the middle of its record-breaking nine week run at UK No. 1 when the band took the stage in London to treat the 5,000- strong audience to one of their most ambitious early productions.
Performing beneath an elaborate lighting rig that bathed the stage in a ghoulish green glow, the band saw Freddie Mercury leading the lineup in a Wendy DeSmet-designed white satin catsuit and Brian May’s beloved Zandra Rhodes winged cape amplifying the physicality of his playing. Look closely and you’ll see Freddie had even painted the nails of his left hand black for the show, offset by Brian painting his own nails white.
As Brian explained in last week’s episode, this striking use of monochrome effects was an integral part of the show. “The black and white stuff we got into – it’s all designed to be dramatic. It’s designed to accentuate our movements and accentuate the moods of the songs."
Written by Mercury, “Ogre Battle” – and the “Sheer Heart Attack” track “Stone Cold Crazy” – both delivered elements of heavy rock riffing that would later be considered as precursors to the development of thrash metal.
Get your copy of “Ogre Battle” here.
See also:
Queen revisit stage wear on The Greatest Live series
Queen and Adam Lambert want to live forever on The Greatest Live series
Queen and Adam Lambert expand North American Rhapsody tour
Queen celebrate champions on The Greatest
Search Queen at hennemusic
