Queen gifted the world with “Not For Sale (Polar Bear)”, a previously unreleased Christmas song that until now had been kept in the British group's archives. Brian May Planet Rock radio , presented by the guitarist.
Recorded in 1974 during the sessions for the classic album Queen II, the song features original vocals, including that of the late Freddie Mercury . The song was ultimately cut from the final album and remained unreleased for over five decades. According to May, this recording dates back to the band's origins and bootleg versions may be circulating among collectors, but this is the first time the official recording has been made public.
The guitarist explained that the song originally came from his former band Smile , the predecessor to Queen, and was repurposed with contributions from all members. The official interpretation, with vocal exchanges between May and Mercury, brought nostalgia and emotion, fitting the spirit of the end of the year.
The song will be included in the 2026 reissue of the album Queen II . “As far as I know, nobody has ever heard this version. It’s still in development and will be present on the new version of the Queen II , scheduled for release next year. But I’m releasing this because I’m curious to know what people think. It’s a very, very old song called Polar Bear,” said Brian May during the song’s radio presentation.
In addition to performing the new song, Brian played a selection of two favorite Christmas songs and added, "I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year.".
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