BBC to broadcast Queen: Rock The World documentary tonight

Queen
Queen

The BBC have revealed that they’ll broadcast the documentary Queen: Rock The World tonight (November 3) at 9pm GMT.

The behind-the-scenes film follows Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon as they recorded their sixth album News Of The World in 1977. It’s being shown ahead of the launch of the 40th anniversary of the record which will arrive on November 17.

The documentary also shows the band on their North American tour in support of the album.

A statement on the film reads: “BBC music presenter Bob Harris was given exclusive and extensive access to the band to cover this period.

“Conducting insightful interviews with all four band members as well as filming them at work in the studio as they were planning and rehearsing their forthcoming North American tour, and then following them as they performed across the US, Bob captured a band attempting to replicate their huge domestic success on the global stage.

“Curiously, the documentary he set out to make was never completed, and the footage lay unused in the archive until now. The footage has now been carefully restored and revisited to compile this hour-long portrait of a group setting out to take the next step on their remarkable journey to becoming one of the biggest bands on the planet.”

Queen: Rock The World is bookended with footage shot in the summer of 2017 as Brian May and Roger Taylor took Queen back to the US with Adam Lambert as lead singer.

The News Of The World 40th anniversary edition is now available for pre-order. Find the contents below.

Queen News Of The World 40th Anniversary Edition

Original album – new pure analogue cut vinyl

Side One

  1. We Will Rock You
  2. We Are The Champions
  3. Sheer Heart Attack
  4. All Dead, All Dead
  5. Spread Your Wings
  6. Fight From The Inside

Side Two

  1. Get Down, Make Love
  2. Sleeping On The Sidewalk
  3. Who Needs You
  4. It’s Late
  5. My Melancholy Blues

CD 1: The Original Album – Bob Ludwig 2011 master

  1. We Will Rock You
  2. We Are The Champions
  3. Sheer Heart Attack
  4. All Dead, All Dead
  5. Spread Your Wings
  6. Fight From The Inside
  7. Get Down, Make Love
  8. Sleeping On The Sidewalk
  9. Who Needs You
  10. It’s Late
  11. My Melancholy Blues

CD 2: Raw Sessions

  1. We Will Rock You (Alternative Version)
  2. We Are The Champions (Alternative Version)
  3. Sheer Heart Attack (Original Rough Mix)
  4. All Dead, All Dead (Original Rough Mix)
  5. Spread Your Wings (Alternative Take)
  6. Fight From The Inside (Demo Vocal Version)
  7. Get Down, Make Love (Early Take)
  8. Sleeping On The Sidewalk (Live in the USA, 1977)
  9. Who Needs You (Acoustic Take)
  10. It’s Late (Alternative Version)
  11. My Melancholy Blues (Original Rough Mix)

CD3: Bonus tracks

  1. Feelings Feelings (Take 10, July 1977)
  2. We Will Rock You (BBC Session)
  3. We Will Rock You (Fast) (BBC Session)
  4. Spread Your Wings (BBC Session)
  5. It’s Late (BBC Session)
  6. My Melancholy Blues (BBC Session)
  7. We Will Rock You (Backing Track)
  8. We Are The Champions (Backing Track)
  9. Spread Your Wings (Instrumental)
  10. Fight From The Inside (Instrumental)
  11. Get Down, Make Love (Instrumental)
  12. It’s Late (USA Radio Edit 1978)
  13. Sheer Heart Attack (Live in Paris 1979)
  14. We Will Rock You (Live in Tokyo 1982)
  15. My Melancholy Blues (Live in Houston 1977)
  16. Get Down, Make Love (Live in Montreal 1981)
  17. Spread Your Wings (Live in Europe 1979)
  18. We Will Rock You (Live at the MK Bowl 1982)
  19. We Are The Champions (Live at the MK Bowl 1982)

DVD: Queen: The American Dream

News Of The World: How Queen rose from the ashes

Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more for Louder. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, The Tragically Hip, Marillion and Rush.