Queen - We Are The Champions -multitrack- ((link)) -
In the vaults of Mountain Studios, Montreux, 1977, lay a reel of magnetic tape that technicians simply called "The Sovereign." It was the original 24-track master for We Are The Champions.
| Track # | Instrument | Microphone/Signal Path | Pan in Final Mix | |---------|------------|----------------------|------------------| | 1 | Piano (Low) | Coles 4038 -> Neve 1073 | Center | | 2 | Piano (High) | Coles 4038 -> Neve 1073 | Slight Right | | 3 | Kick Drum | AKG D12 -> UREI 1176 | Center | | 4 | Snare Top | Shure SM57 -> API 550 | Center | | 5 | Snare Bottom | Shure SM57 | Hard Left | | 6 | Hi-hat | AKG C451E | Hard Right | | 7 | Toms (x2) | Sennheiser MD421 | Center-Left | | 8 | Timpani | Neumann KM84 | Wide | | 9 | Vocal Lead (Chest) | Neumann U87 -> LA-2A | Center | | 10 | Vocal Lead (Mixed) | U87 -> Pultec EQP-1A | Center | | 11 | Vocal Low Octave | Shure SM7B | Center | | 12-13 | BGVs (Chorus) | U87 -> Plate Reverb | Wide | | 14 | Falsetto layer | AKG C12 | Center, Wet | | 15-16 | (Empty/Noise) | - | - | | 17 | Guitar Clean | Red Special -> Vox AC30 -> 1176 | Left | | 18 | Guitar Overdriven | Red Special -> Treble Booster -> AC30 | Right | | 19 | Guitar Solo | As above + delay | Center | | 20 | Room Mic (mono) | AKG C414 -> Limiter | Center, Low level | Queen - We Are The Champions -Multitrack-
Why the Multitrack Matters Today
Listening to the isolated stems of "We Are The Champions" is a humbling experience for modern producers. In an era of grid-snapping, vocal tuning, and sample replacement, Queen’s multitrack reveals a band playing together in a room. The drums drift slightly. The piano bleeds into the vocal mic. The bass player misses a grace note on the second chorus. In the vaults of Mountain Studios, Montreux, 1977,
Instrumental Elements: Unfamiliar guitar parts and a foundational piano track by Mercury are present. Track 3 (Kick drum): A 24” Ludwig
Vibrato Control: His signature uneven vibrato adds a natural, human element that polished digital recordings often lack.
The multitrack masters of this song (specifically the original 24-track analog tapes) are a Rosetta Stone for understanding how four men—Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon—created a song that feels simultaneously intimate and colossal. Thanks to the rise of multitrack isolation (stemming from the Rock Band and Guitar Hero game exports, as well as leaked session tapes), we can now step inside the studio and listen to the ghostly, raw DNA of a classic.
- Track 3 (Kick drum): A 24” Ludwig. No beater attack; instead, a felt beater with a pillow inside. The track is heavily compressed (likely a UREI 1176), creating that “thud” that feels like a heartbeat.
- Track 4 (Snare top): A Rogers Dyna-Sonic. Taylor hits rimshots only on the 2 and 4 of the chorus. In the verse, he plays cross-stick.
- Track 5 (Snare bottom): Isolated snare wire rattle. Mixed in only during the bridge for tension.
- Track 6 (Hi-hat): Closed, sharp, panned hard right.
- Track 7 (Toms – low, high): Only two tom hits in the entire song—both before the final chorus. This restraint is unusual for rock.
- Track 8 (Timpani / orchestral bass drum): An overdubbed timpani roll on the final chord (B-flat major). This is the “stadium” sound—not a drum kit, but a symphonic percussion element.
