For the first time ever, Queen‘s early demos are coming to a limited-edition 12-inch vinyl. A Record Store Day exclusive release, a new EP will feature all five of the band’s earliest tracks, including “Keep Yourself Alive,” “The Night Comes Down,” “Jesus,” “Liar,” and “Great King Rat.”
Recorded at De Lane Lea Studios, the demos came about when Queen—vocalist Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor, and bassist John Deacon—were asked to test out the studio’s new complex in Wembley in 1971. The band spent several months helping with the studio’s acoustic tests, recording a demo with engineer Louie Austin.
Although the demos were originally intended to help Queen secure a recording contract, May described them as “closer to what we dreamed of” than the final recordings, which appeared on their 1973 self-titled debut. In October 2024, that LP received a landmark reissue, featuring 43 and other rare demos from Queen’s early career—including footage from other early recording sessions at Trident Studios.
The new limited-edition EP features remastered and remixed versions of these early tracks sourced from the original multi-tracks (as the only surviving copies) of the demos were on scratched acetates. Some demos differ in structure from their official counterparts—, like that of “Jesus,” which features a slower tempo and extended solos compared to the final album version.
Find out more about Record Store Day 2025 here.
