Time

Dave Clark's "Time" musical featured a number of artists, including Freddie. The original double LP features Freddie on three tracks - "In My Defence", and two versions of "Time". The song "Time" was also recorded as a single, early copies of which came with an inner featuring some PR and a ticket application form for the musical itself. Now surprisingly rare, considering its success.

Alternate Versions

Time

Original Album Version
The "main" version on the "Time" album, from 1986. Starts identically to the single version, but is cut off unceremoniously part way through. This is due to the nature of the musical itself. The plot of the musical concerns a singer, who is whisked away mid-concert to stand trial for the crimes of the human race(!). After successfully defending mankind, the singer is returned to the point he was removed from. In this case, "Time" is the song interrupted, which is why it breaks off in this way, and why it has the "Reprise" later. Unfortunately, these seperate sections of "Time" sound a bit strange out of context.

Reprise
From the "Time" album, as mentioned above. Basically the last minute or so of the song - quite short, but nice anyway.

Single Version
Edited into a complete song for single release, and all the better for it. Found on 7" and 12". One of the better tracks from the musical, and Freddie's influence is obvious on the backing arrangement. Much smoother than the original album versions. Time 3:48

Instrumental Version
Not entirely instrumental (the backing vocals are left in), but a nice change. Pretty much what you'd expect from an instrumental really. On both the 7" and 12". Time 3:10

Extended Version
On the 12" only, and includes a nice extra saxophone solo. Not much longer than the single mix, but the changes are noticeable. Especially the closing vocal, a rushed rendition of "Time don't wait for nobody at all" which it could well do without. Time 4:28

1992 Remix
(Nile Rogers 1992 Mix)
Remixed by Nile Rodgers. On "The Freddie Mercury Album" and the US-only "The Great Pretender" CD album. This is simply a more polished version of the original single mix, with only a few minor changes. Mostly the sound has just been "sharpened" and the instruments are clearer, though some of them do sound ever-so-slightly different too. I think this is more a case of remixing the track to sound nice for CD than a "remix" in the usual sense. Worth having, if only because the original is unlikely to ever surface on CD now. And at least its a tasteful remix. Known as the "Nile Rogers 1992 Mix" on "The Freddie Mercury Remixes" album. Time 3:52

Radio Mix
With a running time of 3:49, and not 3:25 as it claims, this is the 1992 remix with just one word missing from the intro. While the album mix starts with "Time...Waits", this edit just has "Time". On a US promo CD only, but a bit pointless, unless you're really into collecting promos. Irrelevant to say the least. A final point of interest is that on this "Radio Mix" the last line of vocals "for nobody, nobody, for no-one" starts a fraction of a second earlier, making the last "for no-one" finish in a slightly different place. It'll drive you mad listening for it though. Time 3:49

In My Defence

Original Version
At least as good as "Time" (better in my opinion!), this superb ballad was a hidden gem until 1992, when it was remixed for inclusion on "The Freddie Mercury Album" and later released as a single. The original version is found on the "Time" album, and was later re-issued properly on CD (on Part One of the remixed "In My Defence" CD single). There is very little difference between this and the remix though. Time 3:50

1992 Remix
On "The Freddie Mercury Album" and the US-only "The Great Pretender" CD album. Also issued as a single (on 7" and CD), this is just a slightly re-vamped version of the original as opposed to a remix. Very nice, and definitely worth having on CD. The sound has been "polished up" (presumably for CD) and the result is clearer and smoother than the original mix, particularly on the strings. Only minor differences, but as with the "Time" remix this is one to seek out. Remixed by Ron Nevison.

Video Version
The 1992 video to the remix is a compilation of clips of Freddie. Some of these show Freddie talking in interviews, and a few soundbites from those interviews are actually dubbed over the music. There are comments at the beginning and end, and a couple in the middle. Its nothing that hasn't been heard before of course, but it does make this version of "In My Defence" very distinctive.