Watch Freddie Mercury’s legendary 39th birthday party unfold in Living On My Own video

Last month, on what would have been Queen icon Freddie Mercury’s 73rd birthday, it was revealed that a box set celebrating the vocalist’s solo work would be released on October 11.

Never Boring will bring together special editions of Mercury’s 1985 album Mr Bad Guy, 1988’s Barcelona and a new 12-track compilation of some of his solo performances.

And, with just a week to go until the package is released, a video for the track Living On My Own has been released – which features a new audio mix along with 4K visuals.

The promo was filmed at Mercury’s 39th birthday party in 1985 at Munich’s infamous Mrs Henderson transvestite club – a night where Freddie was joined by 300 guests, including Brian May, Mary Austin, Boy George, Steve Strange, Jim Hutton, former manager John Reid, and Freddie and Queen’s then-manager Jim Beach.

However, the Rudi Dolezal-directed video was promptly banned by record company boss Walter Yetnikov on grounds of its “perceived promiscuity.”

The video remained out of the public eye until 1993 when the song’s No More Brothers’ remix was re-released by EMI. It subsequently reached no.1 in the UK, Ireland and France, with Mercury posthumously receiving an Ivor Novello Award for International Hit Of The Year in 1994.

Check out the video below.

Never Boring will be presented on three CDs, while a Blu-ray and DVD will feature 13 promotional videos and live performances with Montserrat Caballé – eight of which have been reassembled from the original 35mm film – and an interview.

The package will also feature a 120-page hardback photo book, with many of the images previously unpublished, along with thoughts and quotes from Freddie.

Never Boring: The Freddie Mercury Solo Box Set

CD1: Never Boring
1. The Great Pretender
2. I Was Born To Love You
3. Barcelona
4. In My Defence
5. Love Kills
6. How Can I Go On (Single Version)
7. Love Me Like There’s No Tomorrow
8. Living On My Own (Radio Mix)
9. The Golden Boy (Single Edit)
10. Time Waits For No One
11. She Blows Hot And Cold
12. Made In Heaven

CD2: Mr Bad Guy - special edition
1. Let’s Turn It On
2. Made In Heaven
3. I Was Born To Love You
4. Foolin’ Around
5. Your Kind Of Lover
6. Mr. Bad Guy
7. Man Made Paradise
8. There Must Be More To Life Than This
9. Living On My Own
10. My Love Is Dangerous
11. Love Me Like There’s No Tomorrow

CD3: Barcelona - special edition
1. Barcelona
2. La Japonaise
3. The Fallen Priest
4. Ensueño
5. The Golden Boy
6. Guide Me Home
7. How Can I Go On
8. Exercises In Free Love
9. Overture Piccante

Blu-ray/DVD
1. Made In Heaven
2. The Great Pretender
3. Living On My Own
4. Barcelona
5. I Was Born To Love You
6. Time Waits For No One
7. In My Defence
8. Living On My Own (Radio Mix)
9. The Golden Boy (La Nit performance, Barcelona)
10. How Can I Go On (La Nit performance, Barcelona)
11. Barcelona (La Nit performance, Barcelona)
12. Bonus Videos
13. Freddie Mercury & Dave Clark “Time” Interview
14. The Great Pretender (Extended Version)
15. Barcelona (Ku Klub performance, Ibiza)

Artists

Scott has spent 37 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, highlights deals, and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 12 years, Scott has written more than 11,500 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from news and features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.