Back in 1988, the world was more than usually in turmoil. The Soviet Union was in its death throes, with political instability the order of the day. Economies all over the world weren't doing great, and a lot of people were very uncertain about the future. Amid all that, the 1992 Barcelona Olympics organizing committee decreed that songs wanting to be considered for the anthem of the Games had to be published and submitted no later than 1988, so as to give adequate time for them to be compared and considered.Freddie Mercury of the rock band Queen (already dying of AIDS) and Montserrat Caballé (whom he regarded as the best soprano of the time) launched a bombshell hit into all that. Their duet "Barcelona" was an instant hit, and would undoubtedly have been the primary anthem of the 1992 Olympics if Freddie had lived that long and been able to perform it live at the opening ceremony. Sadly, his illness was too far advanced. Nevertheless, it's remained a perennial favorite among his fans, and one of mine as well.Here's an extended live version of "Barcelona".I'm very sorry we lost Freddie Mercury when we did. He might have brought us several decades more of his unique style in music. However, this was a heck of a swan song for him.Peter