From Queenpedia.com
Queen's next single would become their biggest success yet in America and France, as well as continuing their run of phenomenal sellers in England and Holland in particular. Freddie's anthemic We Are The Champions, ably backed by Brian's stomping We Will Rock You (which in some countries was promoted to double a-side status) was destined to become one of the all time classic singles of the decade, and it was almost immediately adopted by sports fans the world over.
Bruce Gowers was unavailable to record the promotional video to accompany the track, so Queen turned instead to Derek Burnbridge. The band felt that the video needed a live feel to it yet again, but unlike previous attempts at capturing Queen's stage show in a three minute clip, this time they wanted an audience. Hiring extras would be far too expensive, so for the first time the band turned their attention to the official fan club.
Shot in The New London Theatre on Drury Lane in October 1977, there was some discussion as to whether the track would be performed live or to playback. The end result was two or three mimed performances, followed by an unfilmed "thank you" to the fans - an impromptu fifty-minute concert to a rapturous response.
The filming of the video was documented by Bob Harris, presenter of The Old Grey Whistle Test, who was at the time working on a documentary about the band - and just happened to be roped in as compere for the day! However, the footage he recorded that day remains unreleased, but is currently in the possession of Queen Productions and may appear in the future.
There are three versions of this video. The most common is available on the Greatest Flix home video and the Greatest Video Hits 1 DVD. The second is currently unavailable, and is near identical bar the inclusion of what appears to be an additional guitar part. This version was erroneously featured on early editions of 'Greatest Flix', but reissues reverted to the more well known variation. The third, which starts in black and white before blasting into colour as the drums and guitars kick in (Wizard of Oz style), premiered on the BBC television programme Top Of The Pops 2 in 2004, and comprises of alternate footage shot on the same day.
Credits
| Version | Name | Artist | Recorded | Format | Length | Director | Filming Location |
| Standard Version | We Are The Champions | Queen | 7th October 1977 | Film | 3.02 | Derek Burnbridge | New Royal Theater, Drury Lane, London |
| Extra Guitar Version | We Are The Champions | Queen | 7th October 1977 | Film | 3.02 | Derek Burnbridge | New Royal Theater, Drury Lane, London |
| Monochrome Version | We Are The Champions | Queen | 7th October 1977 | Film | 3.02 | Derek Burnbridge | New Royal Theater, Drury Lane, London |
Availability
- Standard Version - Greatest Flix VHS; Queen Collection - 15 Of The Best VHS; Box Of Flix VHS; Classic Queen VHS; Greatest Hits VHS; Greatest Video Hits 1 DVD
- Extra Guitar Version - Greatest Flix VHS, CED (early copies only)
- Monochrome Version - unreleased
The Videos
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