22 June 1979 – Queen released their first Live album in the UK, “Live Killers” and this was also their first double vinyl.
It was recorded over the span of three months during their European leg of the ‘Jazz’ tour (January to March 1979). The album was self-produced by the band and was their first to be mixed at their own studios, Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland.
“Live albums are inescapable, really – everyone tells you you have to do them, and when you do, you find that they’re very often not of mass appeal, and in the absence of a fluke condition you sell your live album to the converted, the people who already know your stuff and come to the concerts. So if you add up the number of people who’ve seen you over the last few years, that’s very roughly the number who’ll buy your live album unless you have a hit single on it, which we didn’t.
I think ‘Live Killers’ was a kind of evidence of what we were doing live late in the Seventies. In some way, I’m unsatisfied. We had to work hard in every concert and there were serious sound problems. There were concerts that we had sounded great but then when we listened to the tapes they sounded awful. We recorded ten or fifteen shows, but we could only use three or four of them to work on. Anyway, live albums never sound good because there are noises and shouts that affect it. As it shows, ‘Live Killers’ isn’t my favourite album.” – Brian May
The album sold swiftly as Queen’s live shows were now legendary and millions of fans wanted to re-create that awesome sound in their homes. The band’s already famous reputation as one of the world’s greatest rock attractions was finally on record for all to hear!
Greg Prato of AllMusic found the initial reaction inexplicable, calling the album “an excellent document of Queen at the height of their ’70s arena rock powers”.
‘Live Killers’ soared to #3 in their native UK, achieved gold and spent 27 weeks on the charts
Peter Hince took Freddie’s picture during the mixing of the ‘Live Killers’ album in 1979 at Mountain Studios.
