The Making Of 'One Vision'

In September 1985, whilst Queen were recording the track 'One Vision', they let video directors Rudi Dolezal and Hannes Rossacher have exclusive access to the studios for two weeks, to film the recording process. This footage was later used in the promo video to the track, and was also used in the documentary 'The Magic Years Volume I' and later as a bonus feature on the 'Greatest Video Hits II' DVD.

The feature shows Queen at various stages of the recording of the track, and includes various excerpts of guitars, drums, keyboards, bass and vocals, many of which did not make the final version, as well as interviews with the band and producers.

On 'The Magic Years', much of the footage is seen in split screen, with interviews over the top, whilst 'Greatest Video Hits II' features very similar footage but in full screen. This page includes details of both featurettes, and a guide to the excerpts included.

'The Magic Years' Version
'Greatest Video Hits II' Version
Piano Solo
Instrumental Excerpts
Vocal Excerpts
'Just For Fun' Version

'The Magic Years' Version
The feature begins at around 44 minutes into the 'Magic Years Volume I' video. Length 15:41.

Unfortunately some of the 'making of' excerpts have interviews over the top, many in split screen, and below is a brief guide to the content (with approximate times from the start of the section):

• [0:00] Excerpt from the promo video, with introductory narration
• [0:41] Brian's piano solo with shots of the studio, and interviews with Roger and Brian about recording
• [1:51] Studio dialogue and interviews with John, Freddie, Roy Thomas Baker, Mack and David Richards, with guitar excerpts throughout
• [4:36] Studio dialogue, with Freddie & Brian discussing the guitar parts, interviews with Roy Thomas Baker and Mack, then continued footage of Roger, Freddie and John discussing Brian's guitar playing
• [5:53] Interview with Roger with drum excerpts and solo, then interview with Freddie and further drum excerpts
• [7:54] Interview with Brian and guitar excerpts
• [9:08] Interview with Brian and keyboard solo
• [9:28] Interview with John and bass excerpts
• [10:09] Vocal excerpts 5-10 with footage of Freddie, Roger and Brian discussing lyrics
• [13:21] 'Just For Fun' version followed by Freddie interview
• [14:20] Excerpt from the album version with distorted live clips then the promo video

'Greatest Video Hits II' Version
This is available as a bonus feature on the second disc of the 'Greatest Video Hits II' DVD. Length 19:10.
Compared to the 'Magic Years' version, this has fewer interviews and the footage is presented in full screen, rather than split-screen. Below is a brief guide to the contents (with times from the start of the title):

• [0:00] Excerpt from the album version, with footage of the band relaxing around the studio, then Brian's piano solo (partly overlapping), with footage of the studio, then studio dialogue
• [2:05] Various guitar excerpts and interview with Freddie
• [6:30] Discussion between Freddie and Brian about the song's structure, and then interview with John
• [7:40] Keyboard excerpts and interview with Roger
• [8:33] Bass excerpts then dialogue between John and Mack
• [9:50] Drum excerpts and solo with Freddie telling Roger how to play, followed by Freddie interview and further drum excerpts
• [12:52] Vocal excerpts 1-4, then interview with John about Freddie
• [14:17] Vocal excerpts 5-8 and 10, with footage of Freddie, Roger and Brian discussing lyrics
• [17:54] 'Just For Fun' version
• [18:50] Excerpt from the promo video

Piano Solo
This track is performed by Brian, and is a straightforward piano solo, which does not resemble any other track.

It is included in both videos, and lasts 1:09. The version on 'The Magic Years' starts normally, but later has interviews with Brian and Roger over the top. On 'Greatest Video Hits II', the opening 17 seconds is heard over an excerpt of the album version of 'One Vision', but the rest is heard unobscured.

Instrumental Excerpts
The features include many instrumental excerpts, however the majority are too difficult to describe, too similar to the album version, or too short to be of much interest. The sections below mention only the most interesting excerpts:

• Guitar Excerpts
  Both videos feature a number of different out-takes of Brian's guitar. The majority are less than 15 seconds long, but the most interesting excerpts last 0:49 and 0:42 seconds, and also feature Roger.
• Drum Excerpts & Solo
  Both videos feature footage of Roger doing a drum crash to a backing tape, with Freddie telling him how he should play it. Of more interest, however, is a short drum solo from Roger. The solo is edited from two different sources, and alternates between a solo using cymbals and one using the drum rims. 'The Magic Years' version is slightly longer, lasting 0:24 compared to 0:20 on 'Greatest Video Hits II'
• Keyboard Solo
  This excerpt begins with the full music, then features the keyboard solo, with drumming from Roger.
  The keyboard solo on 'Greatest Video Hits II' is longer, lasting approximately 0:54, whereas the version on 'The Magic Years' is shorter but has more music at the start, length 0:32.
• Bass Excerpt
  This excerpt features John playing along to Roger and Brian's backing track. The version on 'The Magic Years' lasts approximately 0:41, whilst the version on 'Greatest Video Hits II' adds a slow 5 second drum intro, and is slightly longer too, extending the length to 0:54.

Vocal Excerpt 1
Featured on 'Greatest Video Hits II' only. Length 0:06.
Lyrics:
Man, one soul, one God religion
Wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-

Vocal Excerpt 2
Featured on 'Greatest Video Hits II' only. Length 0:12.
Lyrics:
Religion
One man, one soul, one God religion
Oh-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-yeah

Vocal Excerpt 3
Featured on 'Greatest Video Hits II' only. Length 0:10.
Lyrics:
Soul, one God religion
Oh-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-yeah

Vocal Excerpt 4
Featured on 'Greatest Video Hits II' only. Length 0:12.
Lyrics:
One god, one religion
One man, one soul, one god religion
One man, one soul, one god religion
Wo-wo-wo-

Vocal Excerpt 5
Featured on both 'The Magic Years' and 'Greatest Video Hits II'. Length 0:19.
Lyrics:
God works in mysterious ways
And hey people
Around the world
I look forward to those glorious days once again

Vocal Excerpt 6
Featured on both 'The Magic Years' and 'Greatest Video Hits II', although the versions are slightly different.
'Greatest Video Hits II' contains the longest version at 0:16, whilst 'The Magic Years' version is identical but loses the first line of lyrics, reducing the time to 0:11.
Lyrics: (the 'Magic Years' version loses the lyrics in red)
One man, one goal, one true religion
One voice, one goal, one last decision
Wo, wo, wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-wo-yeah

Vocal Excerpt 7
Featured on both 'The Magic Years' and 'Greatest Video Hits II'. Length 0:10.
Lyrics:
Woh, woh, yeah
Woh, woh, yeah
Give it to me, give it to me, give it to me, ahhhh, ha

Vocal Excerpt 8
Featured on both 'The Magic Years' and 'Greatest Video Hits II'. Length 0:08.
Lyrics:
One path, one road
One king, one politician

Vocal Excerpt 9
Featured on 'The Magic Years' only. Length 0:20.
Lyrics:
One heart, one soul, one vision
One flash, flash, flash, flash, of light
One god, one rrrrrrrrrrrr-religion

Vocal Excerpt 10
Featured on both 'The Magic Years' and 'Greatest Video Hits II', although the versions are slightly different.
'Greatest Video Hits II' contains the longest version at 0:21, whilst 'The Magic Years' version loses the first line of lyrics, and some subsequent lyrics, reducing the time to 0:10.
Lyrics: (the 'Magic Years' version loses the lyrics in red)
Give me hope
Give me religion
Yeah, cut it out
Ha, ha, one God, one man, one politician
One man, one goal

'Just For Fun' Version
This version features very similar music to the album version, but with completely different lyrics. It has often been referred to on bootlegs as the 'Just For Fun' version. Some other websites and books list one line of lyrics as 'one dump, one turd, two tits, John Deacon', but in my opinion it sounds more like 'one dump, one turd to fit John Deacon'. It appears on both 'The Magic Years' and 'Greatest Video Hits II', and while the two versions are similar, the 'Magic Years' version edits a couple of sections, giving it a time of 0:43 compared to the 'Greatest Video Hits II' length of 0:56.
Lyrics: (the 'Magic Years' version loses the lyrics in red)
One man, one goal, one true religion
One dump, one turd to fit John Deacon
Yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah
Chicken feed baby

One heart, one soul, one sex position
One flash, one light
One God, that one religion
One shrimp, one prawn, one clam, one chicken
Brian: Sorry, censored
Yeah, yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah, yeah
One man, one goal, one v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-vision

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