BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1986
“A Kind of Magic” is the title track of the 1986 album of the same name by the British rock band Queen. It was written by the band’s drummer, Roger Taylor, for the film Highlander. The single reached number three on the UK Singles Chart, top ten in a number of European countries, and #42 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song is the opening track on the band’s compilation albums, Greatest Hits II, and Classic Queen.
The phrase “a kind of magic” is used in Highlander by Connor MacLeod (Christopher Lambert) as a description of his immortality. Roger Taylor liked the phrase so much that he used it as inspiration for the song. There are references to the film in the lyrics: “one prize, one goal”; “no mortal man”; and “there can be only one”. The single’s cover art features an image of Clancy Brown in character as the film’s villain, The Kurgan.
Taylor wrote the melody and chords for the version that appeared in the film, which Brian May described as “quite lugubrious and heavy”. Freddie Mercury composed a new bass line, added instrumental breaks, and changed the song’s order to make it more chart-friendly. Mercury and David Richards produced this new version. The song was still credited only to Taylor. Whilst Taylor’s version is at the end of the film, Mercury’s version appears on the album. Taylor’s version of A Kind of Magic did not see an official release until it was included on the extra EP for the 2011 special edition of the album.
The b-side track is an instrumental version of Don’t Lose Your Head.
SIDE A:
A Kind Of Magic (Extended Version) 6:25
SIDE B:
A Dozen Red Roses For My Darling 5:03
VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint
U.S. CHART HISTORY:
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | A Kind Of Magic | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | #42 |
RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: EMI ?– 1C K 060-20 1119 6, EMI ?– 12 QUEEN 7
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 45 RPM, Maxi-Single
Country: Germany
Released: 1986
Genre: Rock
Style: Pop Rock
CREDITS:
Design – Richard Gray (2)
Photography By – David James (20)
Producer – David Richards, Queen
Written-By – Roger Taylor
NOTES:
From the film Highlander – There Can Be Only One
Find the 12″ at DISCOGS
VINYL RESTORATION BY:
-DjPaulT
burningtheground.net
EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Cartridge: Ortofon 2M
Stylus: Ortofon 2M Bronze
Isolation: Auralex Acoustics ISO-Tone Turntable Isolation Platform
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Stabilizer: Pro-Ject Record Puck
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7 TubeGold Pins
Soundcard: Novation Audiohub 2×4 Audio Interface
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Epson Workforce WF-7610 Professional Printer/Scanner
SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2, ocenaudio
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removal: Manual
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator
RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi
