Live At The Rainbow (Limited Edition 2LP)

Sunday 31st March 1974 is a landmark date in the history of rock music. It is now celebrated in the multi format release of a rare recording made at legendary London venue The Rainbow, of a concert by a then up-and-coming band called Queen. Few who turned up for that iconic performance could have predicted they would go on to become arguably the world's best and most successful rock group, although many more may have suspected it after this stunning show.

That concert, being heard live for the first time in Queen: Live at the Rainbow '74, marked the culmination of the band's countrywide tour, their first as headliners - hot on the heels of a tour supporting Mott the Hoople, on which they were widely regarded as having blown the hit band off the stage. Queen got rave reviews, almost unheard of for a support band, and it was obvious that in future they would be top of the bill.

Later in 1974 Queen had their first chart-topping single, Killer Queen, which encapsulated their brand of driving rock and clever lyrics. It appeared on Sheer Heart Attack, which was released in the autumn, was a massive hit and remains to this day many fans' favourite Queen album. To celebrate this success and crown a remarkable year, Queen returned to The Rainbow in November 1974 for two sell-out gigs that were even more spectacular than the one in March.

Now, a remarkable 40 years later, Queen: Live at the Rainbow '74 has finally surfaced from the archives, providing an invaluable record of emerging superstars demonstrating their talent.

These recordings capture Queen at that time in all their glory: the dramatic stage presence, the highly original self-penned repertoire of songs, high-energy performances coupled with stunning melodic and harmonic content, and the uncompromising perfectionist approach to every aspect of their performance which is still maintained to this day.

•2LP - Limited edition gate-fold double vinyl package, with one LP featuring an audio reproduction of the original March show live album and the other LP featuring highlights from the November show.