Anyone attending a concert during the band’s record-breaking Magic Tour in 1986 could be forgiven for thinking the grand finale of “We Will Rock You” and “We Are The Champions” was cast in stone.
The band, however, always had a few surprises up their sleeve, and the encore on this tour was no exception …. where it would take a special song to drive a wedge between those two precision-tooled, audience-igniting encores.
As Brian’s guitar solo from “We Will Rock You” reaches its crescendo, rather than wait for the melodic piano entry to “Champions”, Roger Taylor counts in an unexpected twist to the set list that delights the crowd…as Queen introduce “Friends Will Be Friends,” the band’s ode to comradeship.
Co-written by bassist John Deacon and Freddie Mercury, the song explores the human need for companionship (‘When you’re through with life and all hope is lost, hold out your hand, ’cos friends will be friends’).
Released as a UK single in 1986 – and joining the Magic Tour setlist two days later at Leiden’s Groenoordhallen in the Netherlands – this week’s footage finds the Wembley Stadium crowd blissfully blindsided in July ’86, as the anticipated piano intro of “We Are The Champions” is hijacked by Taylor’s count-in and a twist in the tail.
The audience reaction was unanimous, and the retooled encore featuring “Friends Will Be Friends” would endure right through to Queen’s final Freddie-era show at Knebworth that August.
Add some Queen for your collection here.
See also:
Queen tribute Elvis Presley on The Greatest Live
Queen revisit encores on The Greatest Live
Queen get Stone Cold Crazy on The Greatest Live
Queen create A Kind Of Magic on The Greatest Live
Search Queen at hennemusic
