Long before the world mourned the loss of Queen's frontman, Freddie Mercury had a dream. "When I was planning to do my second solo project," he recalled, "I really didn't want it to be just another bunch of songs. I wanted it to be something different". That "something different" began in 1986 at The Ritz hotel in Barcelona. Mercury, who idolized the Spanish soprano, had a meeting arranged with the 55-year-old Caballé. He played her a demo of a song called "Exercises In Free Love," nervously singing a falsetto part himself. Her reaction was immediate and enthusiastic: she loved it and wanted to perform it. Their working and personal relationship was instantly warm and playful. He called her "my Super Diva," while she affectionately referred to the Queen singer as "her Number One". Mercury later admitted he was surprised by how wonderfully down-to-earth she was: "She jokes and she swears and she doesn't take herself too seriously. That really thrilled and surprised me".
Reimagining a Masterpiece: Why the 2012 Special Edition of Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé’s 'Barcelona' is Better Long before the world mourned the loss of
: Rufus Taylor (son of Queen’s Roger Taylor) replaced the mechanical drum machines on tracks like "The Golden Boy" and "How Can I Go On" with live drums. That "something different" began in 1986 at The
| Format | Key Features | | :--- | :--- | | | Contains the 9 newly orchestrated tracks, including the bonus track "Overture Piccante". | | Deluxe Edition | A 3-CD + DVD set. Includes the newly orchestrated album, a bonus CD of rarities and session outtakes (like Mercury's demo vocals), an instrumental disc, and a DVD with promotional videos and live performances. | | Vinyl | The newly orchestrated album was also released on 180-gram vinyl for audiophiles. | | Digital | The special edition is widely available on streaming platforms under names like "Special Edition - Deluxe". | Her reaction was immediate and enthusiastic: she loved