SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 4:32 Min.
Recorded by Queen as a background song for the 1986 Highlander film, this ominous rock track later made its CD debut in 1991 upon A Kind of Magic’s re-release. Notably, this song is heavy on dialogue clips taken from the movie. The song’s intro has a female journalist reporting the discovery of a decapitated man’s corpse – after which, actor Clancy Brown’s Kurgan chillingly snickers, “I know his name.” Brown’s Kurgan, amidst the movie’s sword-fighting sound effects, later adds a few extra dialogue clips.
Besides a brief cameo by actress Roxanne Hart’s Brenda Wyatt, Christopher Lambert’s Connor MacLeod gets a final say amidst the film’s climatic Quickening sound effects.
REVIEW:
Relying upon the formula Queen previously used for its 1980 Flash Gordon movie soundtrack, at a minimum, this inspired track is unique. Interspersing dialogue clips and sound effects, “Gimme the Prize” delivers a definitive Kurgan experience for Highlander fans. For what it is — defining Kurgan’s goth punk villainy, the creative combination of the rock melody, Freddie Mercury’s spot-on vocals, and, most certainly, Clancy Brown’s surly presence — this track is, at a minimum, unique.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
