Exclusively available at live shows and in Japan

In August 1991, Robby Valentine recorded a nearly 11-minute piece on his 8-track recorder, which he called 'Valentine's Overture.' Two months later, his debut single 'Over and Over Again' was released, quickly climbing the charts. Unfortunately, just weeks after this rapid success, his biggest hero, Freddie Mercury, passed away.

At the time, the legendary radio show Countdown Café hosted by Kees Baars and Alfred Lagarde at Veronica was a key platform. That evening, a special tribute to Freddie Mercury was scheduled, and Valentine was invited to perform a tribute. Valentine decided to play his recently recorded epic, in which the influences of Queen were clearly audible. The lyrics included the lines: "I was so young since Mercury just took my heart away. Roger and John, Brian May." After listening to the demo, Baars and Lagarde decided to play the entire track that evening. The response was overwhelming.

Hannie Roggeveen, president of the Dutch Queen fan club, recorded the song from the radio and sent it to Brian May, who praised the piece. This eventually led to Valentine being invited to open for the German leg of Brian May's 'Back to the Light' solo tour in late 1993.

In January 1993, Valentine re-recorded 'Valentine's Overture Part 1' on his new 16-track recorder. The version was mixed at Wisseloord Studio by John Sonneveld. While the sound quality of the new recording was better, he felt that the atmosphere and feeling of the demo were lost. The result was far less satisfying, and Valentine quickly developed a dislike for the second version, having no intention of ever performing the song live.

It wasn't until early 2023 that Valentine rediscovered the demo, and the song once again found a special place in his heart. He decided to record a completely new version with improved lyrics so that it could be performed live with his band for the first time. The premiere of the new version took place during the CD release show of 'Embrace the Unknown' on October 21, 2023, at the Boerderij Zoetermeer.

On December 6, 2024, Robby Valentine released a special EP dedicated to Valentine's Overture. The EP was presented in a limited edition of just 500 copies and has already become a sought-after collector's item.The special edition was originally intended to be available exclusively at live performances. However, following a surge of disappointed messages from international fans, Valentine has decided to make a limited number of copies available through Disk Union Co., Ltd. Japan.

The Overture EP consists of 7 tracks, namely:

1. The Overture (2023)
2. 8-track Demo (August 1991)
3. Basic Version
4. Orchestral Instrumental
5. Vocals Only
6. Karaoke
7. Piano & Vocal Only