09-07-1990 – Daily News of LA – Back Catalog Delay

QUEEN BACK CATALOG SUFFERS A ROYAL DELAY

British art-rockers Queen have signed with Disney’s new Hollywood Records, touching off speculation about the band’s much delayed compact-disc back catalog.

In 1988, Billboard magazine published a poll of consumer’s most-requested unreleased compact discs, and Queen’s classic 1970’s catalog was high on the list. Fans apparently were anxious to hear albums like “Queen II,” “A Day at the Races,” “News of the World” and others, spruced-up through digital recording technology.

Two years have passed since Billboard’s report, and the Queen catalog remains unavailable domestically on compact disc, save for costly import copies.

Some speculate the British art-rock band may have missed a golden opportunity in delaying the release of its back catalog on compact disc. Pete Howard, publisher of the compact disc newsletter International CD Exchange (ICE), said reader’s inquiries have diminished since 1988.

“It used to get brought up quite a bit,” Howard said, “but I think a lot of the real fans have given up and bought the imports.”

Rumors circulated last year that EMI/Capitol Records had secured the rights to Queen’s CD back catalog, but none of the band’s albums appear on the label’s current CD release schedule which extends into early summer 1991.

At least one other company admitted they had bid for the Queen catalog. A spokeswoman for Massachusetts-based Rykodisc International said the company pursued the matter with Queen management, but nothing was worked out. Rykodisc has been hailed by critics and fans for its finely packaged Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie reissues.

“We were hoping to get it, but I don’t know what happened,” said Rykodisc spokeswoman Carrie Anne Svingen, referring to the Queen catalog.

The band’s missing catalog is just the latest in an ongoing Queen CD drama. Some fans have criticized the band’s import CDs for problems ranging from early song fadeouts to mislabeled tracks.

Hollywood Records president Peter Paterno could not be reached for comment.