Topics › All Forums › General › The Corner Pub › Brian May Preps Expanded ‘Star Fleet’ Box With Eddie Van Halen
| November 18, 2022 at 2:23 pm Quote #65943 | |
 VOODOO (2375) | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/brian-may-star-fleet-box-set-eddie-van-halen/ Brian May says he’s working on an extended version of his 1983 collaboration with Eddie Van Halen. The Star Fleet Project box set would include “every take of every song” along with conversations, outtakes and musical experimentation recorded during the sessions. The Queen guitarist has said it was a “moment of great joy” to gather in the studio with Van Halen, REO Speedwagon drummer Alan Gratzer and the late Rod Stewart bassist Phil Chen, saying they all “smiled and smiled” as they worked. The expanded Star Fleet box set will be “No. 3 in the Brian May Gold Series, and probably to be released halfway into next year,” May tells Variety in a new interview, “and I’m very excited about it as I’ve opened up these tapes where I’m jamming with Eddie Van Halen and Phil Chen. It is highly emotional, again, as Ed’s not around. Neither is Phil.” May confirms he was “never fond” of the mix on the “Star Fleet” single, so he took the opportunity to have it cleaned up. “Now, EVH’s sound is larger than life,” he enthused. “You’ll hear the development of Eddie’s solo, which I always thought was one of the greatest things he did – a real immortal classic of Ed Van Halen pieces. And we are going to give you everything, every take of every song – the things gone wrong, the laughing, the finding new things to do.” He says he marveled at Van Halen’s artistry while reviewing the old sessions, and also admits that he regrets they didn’t do more together. “I’ve been talking to Alex [Van Halen] and started thinking about how I wish I had stayed closer to Ed,” May says. “I have a huge regret about that. He was a wonderful soul – a Peter Pan who never grew up, never wanted to grow up and never should have grown up. He should still be with us. “Listening to him and me, I felt completely outclassed by him in the studio,” May added, “but in a very pleasant way. What joy for me to be around a guy who could do all that. Such a privilege.” VOODOOQuote |
| November 18, 2022 at 7:20 pm Quote #65945 | |
 mrmojohalen (6467) | Looking forward to this release. I still have my vinyl EP from 1983. When you turn on your stereo, does it return the favor? mrmojohalenQuote |
| November 19, 2022 at 11:57 am Quote #65947 | |
 King Edward (1950) | |
| June 1, 2023 at 11:54 am Quote #66555 | |
 ron (11778) | https://brianmay.com/brian-news/2023/06/announcing-release-star-fleet-sessions/ Brian May and Eddie Van Halen’s Star Fleet Project to be reissued as massively expanded box set The long-awaited reissue of Brain May + Friends’ Star Fleet Project will arrive next month – listen to new mix of Star Fleet single now A long-awaited reissue for Brian May + Friends’ Star Fleet Project mini-album has been confirmed. Originally released as a three song collection in 1983, the 40th anniversary edition will arrive on July 14, and will include every track recorded during the original sessions. “We are going to give you everything,” says Brian May. “Every take of every song. The things that went wrong, the laughing, the finding new things to do. But it won’t be just a remaster – we’ve rescued everything from the original multitracks, every detail magnificently remixed, and more! You’ll hear every take from the historic 1983 sessions plus fragments of conversations, out-takes and musical experimentation.” The original project saw May joined by guitar legend Eddie Van Halen alongside Alan Gratzer (drums), Phil Chen (bass) and Fred Mandel (keyboards), and came about after May became enamoured by the music that played over the end credits of Star Fleet, a Japanese TV series shown in The UK in 1980-81. The theme was written by Moody Blues and Hollies back-up musician Paul Bliss, who would go on to write songs for Olivia-Newton John, Janet Jackson, Celine Dione and Graham Nash. “If Paul hadn’t written a very catchy song as the theme tune for that kid’s TV science fiction drama series, things would have been different,” says May. “The signature tune began to stick in my head, and I could hear my own arrangement of the tune developing in my mind. But how to record it?” “So, one morning, I woke up in Los Angeles, on a break from activities with Queen, and made some phone calls. I’ve told the story of what happened next in the material you will find in this box. The outcome was something I will forever treasure.” “We did a little preparation, on the phone and at home with tiny Rockman amps and earphones. Then we went in. The tapes rolled. My LA neighbour Alan Gratzer beat the Hell out of his kit with the fattest, heaviest drum sticks I had ever seen. Phil Chen, a friend I had met when he played with Rod Stewart, brought his unusual style of funk-orientated rock playing to the party, along with his sunny Caribbean energy and humour. And Fred Mandel, one of the classiest keyboard players I have ever met, tickled both the ivories and some very technical synth patches to bring the spacey riffs to life. “Ed (I can still never call him ‘Eddie Van Halen’ because he more than once told me he found it annoying!) played the guitar as if it were a piano… tapping and snapping, and sliding and skipping around the fingerboard like an electric sprite – always with a cheeky smile. If anything he did was difficult for him, he never showed it. A total original. Pure joy. What an everlasting privilege to play with him.” “Ed was a wonderful soul,” adds May. “Listening to him and me, I feel completely outclassed by him in the studio. But in a very pleasant way – what a joy for me to be around a guy who could do all that. Such a privilege. The expanded Star Fleet Project set will be available as a box set featuring the original EP on red vinyl, two CDs – the first features an expanded version of the album that includes various Project-related interviews and live tracks, while the second (exclusive to the box) includes 23 previously unreleased session tracks – and a 7″ Star Fleet single backed by Son Of Star Fleet. Full tracklist below. The expanded CD is available separately, as is a black vinyl version of the EP and a second 7″ single that matches Star Fleet with a new mix of Let Me Out. Star Fleet Project is available to pre-order now. CD1: Star Fleet Project + Beyond CD2: Star Fleet The Complete Sessions LP: Star Fleet Project (180g Red Vinyl) 7” Single Star Fleet ronQuote |
| June 1, 2023 at 12:26 pm Quote #66558 | |
| ron (11778) | |
| June 1, 2023 at 12:54 pm Quote #66559 | |
| King Edward (1950) | I am really looking forward to this!!! I have loved the original since its release back in the 80′s! King EdwardQuote |
| June 2, 2023 at 10:44 pm Quote #66565 | |
| mrmojohalen (6467) | I wish they offered a 2 cd stand alone version instead of only being part of the box set. When you turn on your stereo, does it return the favor? mrmojohalenQuote |
| June 15, 2023 at 3:09 pm Quote #66605 | |
| ron (11778) | |
| June 15, 2023 at 3:09 pm Quote #66606 | |
| ron (11778) | |
| June 22, 2023 at 12:12 pm Quote #66636 | |
| ron (11778) | |
| July 6, 2023 at 11:59 am Quote #66699 | |
| ron (11778) | |
| July 6, 2023 at 11:59 am Quote #66700 | |
| ron (11778) | |
| July 17, 2023 at 9:31 pm Quote #66746 | |
| VOODOO (2375) | |
| July 18, 2023 at 11:41 am Quote #66748 | |
| King Edward (1950) | I got mine as well…..I agree – worth the wait!! Nice layout and photos of all that is included Voodoo! King EdwardQuote |
| July 18, 2023 at 12:54 pm Quote #66751 | |
 vhrob (1742) | |
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