Before we go any further, this is NOT the BASIC Bootlegs album, rather this is a collection of tracks from various sources that were commissioned by Hollywood Records and Hollywood BASIC in the early nineties. Several of these made the cut on the Queen reissues of that era, all of which are now out of print, while others appeared on the BASIC beats sampler and others remain unreleased. If I can find the BASIC Bootlegs album I'll definitely post it, so let's all keep our fingers crossed!
I want to make it clear that I'm not anti-Hollywood Records or even that much against Disney, especially since I was a Disney fan-boy back in the day, although that's a different story. I get the impression that Hollywood Records is and was always a label with integrity, but when your parent organization has a different perspective and goals it can be difficult to operate as one might see fit. Disney, despite having dealt with controversy throughout the years via labels like Miramax, prefers their name be associated with family friendly materials, and the current Hollywood Records roster, filled with Disney stars and youth-oriented musicians, seems to reflect Disney's goals more accurately. Nonetheless, you can't blame them for trying, even if the machine seemed to be pulling in two separate directions on a pretty consistent basis.
Queen - Hollywood Remixes
01 Flash's Theme (Mista Lawnge Remix)
That's Mista Lawnge of Black Sheep fame! This appeared on the Flash Gordon soundtrack reissue.
02 Bicycle Race (Junior Vasquez Remix)
Taken from the Jazz reissue, I was expecting a cheesy house track but Junior goes for a more hip-hop oriented sound. Dated but not bad at all.
03 Dragon Attack (Jack Benson Remix feat. R.A.K.)
Jack Benson, from what I could find, was a studio engineer/producer in the early nineties. His discogs reference seems to go cold around 1991. As for R.A.K., I can't find anything about him. Any ideas? Regardless, this appeared on the reissue of The Game. Like Junior's remix, dated but enjoyable. This was to appear on the BASIC Bootlegs compilation.
04 Stone Cold Crazy (Trent Reznor Remix)
Apart from the appearance on the BASIC Bootlegs CD-R, the only other release of this mix was on a promotional single for Stone Cold Crazy. That's where this version is taken from and it's a notable upgrade sound-wise by comparison with the tape rip I'd originally posted a while back. I prefer the tape rip because this version is kinda flat, but it still sounds excellent. Awesome remix! This does appear on the BASIC Bootlegs compilation.
05 We Will Rock You (Ruined by Rick Rubin)
06 We Are The Champions (Ruined by Rick Rubin)
Both of these remixes were officially released on a maxi-single in the early nineties. Rick's version of Rock You is awesome, though I can't really get into his take on Champions. The verses are broken up so the song will play in 4/4 time over the Funky Drummer break. Maybe it'll grow on me, but it's still Rick so I can't hate.
07 Another One Bites The Dust (Phase 5 Long Dusted B-Boy Version feat. Raw Fusion)
This is the same version as posted in the BASIC beats sampler. It seems that it was scheduled for the BASIC Bootlegs compilation but I can't quite verify that. The CD-R's label references a version by Phase and Rave, and while I'd assume Phase to be short for Phase 5, I don't remember the credits listing Dave "Rave" Ogilvie, the only person I can think of using the name Rave at that time, as a contributor to this remix.
08 Seven Seas Of Rhye (Freddy Bastone Remix)
This is a cheesy house remix included on the reissue of Queen II. I'm including it here for posterity as, unlike many of the other remixes that appeared on those early nineties Queen reissues, this is a legitimately altered version of the song. There were a number of other remixes included on those reissues by great names like Matt Wallace and Susan Rogers but they sound more like remixes for clarity's sake rather than a stylistic change.
09 Tie Your Mother Down (Trent Reznor Remix)
This is the same version that I posted a while ago and that appears on the Tainted Touch Of Trent's Caress tape. Apparently a lot of Queen fans hate this since it strips away so much of the original, but I think it's great. You can always count on Trent!
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