Time for the next part in this little series about the B-sides of Queen singles – like last time two songs, but from the same release:

On 17 March 1986, the single “A Kind of Magic” from the album of the same name, the unofficial soundtrack album for the movie Highlander, was released. Europe got “A Dozen Red Roses For My Darling” as B-side, an instrumental version of “Don’t Lose Your Head”:

This disco experimental track was a joke to not lose your head in battle, in co ordinance with the Highlander movie.

In the USA, however, “Gimme The Prize” (Kurgan’s Theme) was included, one of Queen’s heaviest works, of course written by Brian May; neither director Russell Mulcahy nor Freddie Mercury and John Deacon are said to have liked this song much.

» “A Kind of Magic” – official video, album/single version
» “A Kind of Magic” – Highlander version (during the credits)1
» “A Dozen Red Roses For My Darling” – fan video
» “Don’t Lose Your Head” – fan video
» “Gimme The Prize” – fan video

And thanks a lot to David R. Fuller for all these fan videos and rarities!

1. which I actually prefer, it isn’t that “pop-ishly styled” throughout yet ↺