When Queen took a break in 1983, Brian May went into the studio with Edward Van Halen (guitar), Alan Gratzer (drums), Phil Chen (bass) and Fred Mandel (keyboards) and recorded his solo ‘Star Fleet’.
The sessions were recorded at The Record Plant in California and released initially as ‘Brian May + Friends: Star Fleet Project’.
The final release in 1983 was the three track EP:
Star Fleet
Let Me Out
Bluesbreaker.
However a whole lot more was recorded.
Brian said in a statement, “It’s all here. ALL of it. Every note we played on those two days is right here, on show for the first time. I will take you behind the scenes into that studio with us for two unforgettably exhilarating days.”
In the sleeve notes, Brian writes, “We are going to give you everything… every take of every song, the things that went wrong, the laughing, the finding new things to do. But it won’t be just a remaster – we’ve rescued everything from the original multitracks, every detail magnificently remixed, and more! You’ll hear every take from the historic 1983 sessions plus fragments of conversations, out-takes and musical experimentation.”
The title came from a Japanese TV show for kids. May says: “If Paul hadn’t written a very catchy song as the theme tune for that kid’s TV science fiction drama series, things would have been different. The signature tune began to stick in my head, and I could hear my own arrangement of the tune developing in my mind. But how to record it?”
“So one morning, I woke up in Los Angeles on a break from activities with Queen and made some phone calls. I’ve told the story of what happened next in the material you will find in this box. The outcome was something I will forever treasure.”
“We did a little preparation on the phone and at home with tiny Rockman amps and earphones. Then we went in. The tapes rolled. My LA neighbour Alan Gratzer beat the hell out of his kit with the fattest, heaviest drum sticks I had ever seen. Phil Chen, a friend I had met when he played with Rod Stewart, brought his unusual style of funk-orientated rock playing to the party, along with his sunny Caribbean energy and humor. Fred Mandel, one of the classiest keyboard players I have ever met, tickled both the ivories and some very technical synth patches to bring the spacey riffs to life. Ed (I can still never call him ‘Eddie Van Halen’ because he more than once told me that he found it annoying!) played the guitar as if it were a piano … tapping and snapping and sliding and skipping around the fingerboard like an electric sprite – always with a cheeky smile. If anything he did was difficult for him, he never showed it. A total original. Pure joy. What an everlasting privilege to play with him.”
Van Halen fans should particularly take note of those released. Brian says this release has eight Edward guitar solos, “never quite treading the same path twice. Ed was a wonderful soul. Listening to him and me, I feel completely outclassed by him in the studio. But in a very pleasant way – what a joy for me to be around a guy who could do all that. Such a privilege.”
“So, you’ll hear us in the studio trading licks. We’ve cleaned up the mix and now EVH’s sound is larger than life. You’ll hear the development of his solo, which I always thought was one of the greatest things he did… a real immortal classic of Ed Van Halen pieces.”
Star Fleet Sessions Box Set
Format: 2CD + LP (Red Vinyl) + 7” (Black Vinyl)
CD1: Star Fleet Project + Beyond
1. Star Fleet (Edited Single Version / 2023 Mix)
2. Let Me Out (2023 Mix)
3. Blues Breaker (2023 Mix)
4. Cynthia Fox Release Day Interview 1983
5. Bob Coburn Rockline Interview 1984
6. Let Me Out (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
7. We Will Rock You (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
8. We Will Rock You – Fast (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
9. Star Fleet (Complete Version / 2023 Mix)
CD2: Star Fleet The Complete Sessions
1. Star Fleet (Take 1)
2. Star Fleet (Take 2)
3. Star Fleet (Take 3)
4. Star Fleet (Take 4)
5. Star Fleet (Take 5)
6. Solo Jam
7. Star Fleet (Take 7)
8. Star Fleet (Take 8)
9. Star Fleet (Take 10)
10. Star Fleet (Take 11)
11. Star Fleet (Alternative Overdub EVH Solo)
12. Jam
13. Let Me Out (Rehearsal 1)
14. Let Me Out (Rehearsal 2)
15. Boogie Woogie Jam
16. Let Me Out (Take 1)
17. Jazz Police
18. Let Me Out (Take 3)
19. Let Me Out (Take 4)
20. Jam (Let’s Do The Show Right Here)
21. Let Me Out (Take 6)
22. Funky Jam
23. Let Me Out (Take 7 False Start)
LP: Star Fleet Project (180g Red Vinyl)
1. Star Fleet (2023 Mix)
2. Let Me Out (2023 Mix)
3. Blues Breaker (2023 Mix)
7” Single “Star Fleet”
A. Star Fleet (Edited Single Version / 2023 Mix)
B. Son Of Star Fleet (2023 Mix) – Exclusive to the box set 7”
Star Fleet Project + Beyond
Format: 1CD
1. Star Fleet (Edited Single Version / 2023 Mix)
2. Let Me Out (2023 Mix)
3. Blues Breaker (2023 Mix)
4. Cynthia Fox Release Day Interview 1983
5. Bob Coburn Rockline Interview 1984
6. Let Me Out (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
7. We Will Rock You (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
8. We Will Rock You – Fast (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
9. Star Fleet (Complete Version / 2023 Mix)
Star Fleet Project
Format: 1LP 180g black vinyl / 1LP picture disc / Cassette
1. Star Fleet (2023 Mix)
2. Let Me Out (2023 Mix)
3. Blues Breaker (2023 Mix)
“Star Fleet / Let Me Out” – Double A Side Single
Format: 7” Vinyl (Red Vinyl) / CD Single
A. Star Fleet (Edited Single Version / 2023 Mix)
AA. Let Me Out (Single Edit / 2023 Mix) – Only available physically on this 7” Vinyl & CD single.
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