Queen - Jazz / 180 gram vinyl LP

2015 European vinyl LP pressing.

Queen's seventh studio album was the first to be recorded outside of the UK. Sessions for Jazz began at Mountain Studios in Switzerland, in July 1978, and later moved to Super Bear studios in Nice, France, concluding in October. Producer Roy Thomas Baker had been absent on the previous two LPs, but for this project, the team was reunited - though it would prove to be the last Queen/Baker production. Geoff Workman and John Etchells were the engineers.

Once again the finished album was very different to anything before. The change of scenery in terms of recording studios gave rise to a fresh exuberant sounding album and once again a richly diverse range of songs - 13 no less! This period saw the emergence of several tracks that would go on to become not only significant international hits, but great favourites among the fans and staples of the Queen live show for the remainder of the 1970s and well into the 80s.

The unusual front/back cover concept was suggested by Roger, who had seen a similar design painted on the Berlin Wall some months earlier. The finished cover raised more than a few eyebrows at the time, as it was a significant departure from previous Queen albums and seemed to have little relevance to the album's title. The inside gatefold illustration was that of a wide-angle photograph of the band taken at the Montreux recording studios during the sessions by one of the band's roadies, while the inner sleeve photograph was instead taken at Super Bear studios in France by Chris Hopper.