Queen At The Beeb Album: 1989

A 1973 BBC Sessions Raw Glory

Released as a vinyl LP in the UK on December 4, 1989, on Band Of Joy Records (catalogue: BOJLP001), Queen At The Beeb was the band’s first official live release — eight tracks from two BBC Radio 1 Sound Of The 70s sessions (February 5 & December 3, 1973) at Langham 1. Produced by Bernie Andrews, this raw document featured early Queen and Queen II material, including the only official release of “Ogre Battle” from the first session. Peaked at No. 67 UK. Issued in standard sleeve, with CD and cassette companions. Later expanded in On Air (2016).

Album Overview

Release Details

Label: Band Of Joy (by arrangement with BBC/EMI).

Formats: Vinyl LP, CD, cassette.

Full Track Listing

Side A – Session 1 (February 5, 1973)

1. My Fairy King (4:06)

2. Keep Yourself Alive (3:48)

3. Doing All Right (4:11)

4. Liar (6:28)

Side B – Session 2 (December 3, 1973)

1. Ogre Battle (3:57)

2. Great King Rat (5:59)

3. Modern Times Rock ’n’ Roll (2:00)

4. Son And Daughter (7:08)

Reissues & Global Variants

- LP – Band Of Joy BOJLP001 – UK – 4 Dec 1989

- CD – Band Of Joy BOJCD001 – UK – 1989

- Cassette – Band Of Joy BOJMC 001 – UK – 1989

Production and Context

Produced by Bernie Andrews for BBC Radio 1 *Sound Of The 70s*. Recorded at Langham 1, London. First official Queen live release — raw early performances before fame.

Album Chart Performance

- UK: 67 (1989)

Legacy and Collectibility

Queen At The Beeb is Queen’s raw 1973 BBC debut — the only place to hear the original “Ogre Battle” session. Original UK Band Of Joy vinyls fetch £40–£100 on eBay/Discogs. Verify catalogue BOJLP001. This album is a must-have for early Queen collectors.

Do you have Queen At The Beeb in your vinyl stack? Is 1973 your favourite Queen era? Share in the comments!

Sources

Information is drawn from my personal knowledge and supplemented by web sources, including Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia, BBC Official Charts Company, Billboard Chart History and YouTube

Whilst every effort is made to provide accurate information, mistakes do happen. Simply leave a comment and the post will be updated. Thank you.