my_rainbow_radio Posted March 22, 2007 Author Share Posted March 22, 2007 I have this book of the 1001 Greatest Songs in History by Toby Cresswell and Bohemian Rhapsody's in it! Here's the article that they wrote about the song in case you guys want to read it: Bohemian Rhapsody Queen were the little hard-rock band that could. They had seen some success with their first three albums but not much more was expected and the group seemed to lack direction. Then, when recording their fourth album, A Night at the Opera, singer Freddie Mercury turned up with a six-minute song in four parts that included a light operetta section. The whole thing was set in medieval Italy. Bohemian Rhapsody was one of the dumbest ideas in the colourful tradition of pop. So much so that it is a masterpiece in a class all its own. It has been reliably voted Britain's favourite ever single and has become one of the bets known pop songs in the 20th century. It was a majoy hit when first released and enjoyed a whole new lease of life courtesy of the film Wayne's World. Producer Roy Thomas Baker recored the song in six studios over three weeks. The various parts, once committed to tape separately, were stuck together with sticky tape. The most difficult section was the opera portion, with as many as 120 vocal parts bounced down to twenty-four tracks over the course of a week's continuous rerecordings by the quartet. Equally well known is Brian May's grandiose guitar solo, so beloved of air guitarists. "Freddie came in pretty well armed for that song," said Brian May. "He had these little pieces of company paper from his dad with the notes of the chords. As I remember, I don't think he had a guitar solo such as planned. I guess I steamed in and said, 'This is the point where you need your solo. And these are the chords I'd like to use.' Because it's like a piece of the verse, but with a slight foray into some different chords at the end to make a transition into the next piece that he had. I'd heard the so many times that, when it came time to play the solo, I knew what I wanted to play, in my head. And I wanted the melody of the solo to be something extra, not just an echo of the vocal melody. I wanted it to be an extra colour. So I just had this little tune in my head to play. It didn't take very long to do. The heavy part was really part of Freddie's plan. I didn't chnage what he had very much. Those riff things that everybody bangs their heads to are really more Freddie than me. "If I were to do it now, hoever, I would adjust the tuning. It's not quite right. Things like that botehr me a lot these days. Because, if you get overexcited, the guitars really go sharp. And that's what happened there. I'm giving away precious secrets. YOu can tell, because the piano sounds a little falt in the end. And that's because I was a little over the top in vibrating there. These days I would have probably harmonised to make it in tune. And that probably would have ruined it." Bohemian Rhapsody is a triumph of kitsch. Cliches are strung together in a rocco structure and piled on top of each other. If the Beatles' A Day in the Life were a meal, Bohemian Rhapsody would be an all-you-can-eat-buffet in a food court. Just as Mercury had piled odd tunings and keys together ovet the basic pop structure, the lyrics of the song are full of exotica - characters from Italian opera and theatre, Islamic phrases and names, and some archais English words combine an obtuse narrative. "We didn't speak to each other about lyrics," said May. "We were just to embarrassed to talk about the words. When we were recording Bohemian Rhapsody, it was a nerve-racking time. We were all very competitive and we knew there was a lot at stake." "A lot of my songs are fantasy," said Mercury in 1974, prior to the Opera sessions. "I can dream up all kinds of things. That's the kind of world I live in. It's very sort of flamboyant, and that's the kind of way I write." Clearly it paid off. British radio DJ Kenny Everett was so enamoured of the track that he played an advance of the disc fourteen times in one weekend. The song went to number one on release and transformed Queen from contenders to champions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 Oh...what can I say about Freddie?... My favourite singer EVER!! I listen to him since I was a child! I can't add anything to what all of you have written...He was a genius! Unfortunately I never had the chance to see Freddie on stage, but in 2005 I saw Brian and Roger, with Paul Rodgers. I must say it was the most emotional concert I've ever attended!! One of the best nights of my life! Before the concert, I was like a child going to a big party for the first time! One of the most emotional moments was when Bri dedicated Love Of My Life to Freddie, and every single person in that stadium shouted Freddie's name... Beautiful! And of course, when Freddie appeared on video, singing Bohemian Rhapsody... Here's a video I made, of Love Of My Life (not very good, but you can see how it was... ) --> (I uploaded also one of '39 and two of We Are The Champions) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my_rainbow_radio Posted March 22, 2007 Author Share Posted March 22, 2007 Thanks for posting that, Marylou! Very inspiring! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leighhodgson Posted March 22, 2007 Share Posted March 22, 2007 Oh...what can I say about Freddie?... My favourite singer EVER!! I listen to him since I was a child! I can't add anything to what all of you have written...He was a genius! Unfortunately I never had the chance to see Freddie on stage, but in 2005 I saw Brian and Roger, with Paul Rodgers. I must say it was the most emotional concert I've ever attended!! One of the best nights of my life! Before the concert, I was like a child going to a big party for the first time! One of the most emotional moments was when Bri dedicated Love Of My Life to Freddie, and every single person in that stadium shouted Freddie's name... Beautiful! And of course, when Freddie appeared on video, singing Bohemian Rhapsody... Here's a video I made, of Love Of My Life (not very good, but you can see how it was... ) --> (I uploaded also one of '39 and two of We Are The Champions) Mary, thanks for that! X:flowers2: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
claire Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 My HERO!!!!! I dont honestly know where to start first! Same here wot a man:punk: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FREDDIESDOUBLE Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Same here wot a man:punk: Ohh I didnt know you were a queen fan sunshine! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandilambi Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 Mary, my experience was much like yours! I went to see Queen+Paul and it was one of the most exciting experiences I have ever had. We were singing Queen songs on the way there and when we finally heard Brian's Red Special we were like kids on Christmas! Strangely enough, the performance of Love of My Life was the best part for me too. I have *never* cried during a concert, but when Brian sang it and we sang the lyrics back to him, I was sobbing with tears! I had never ever imagined I would be seeing Queen live, so that moment was just unreal for me. It was wonderful. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandilambi Posted March 23, 2007 Share Posted March 23, 2007 You've had your time, you've had your powerYou've yet to have, your finest hour, rrrrraaaadddddiiiiiooooooooooo Does nobody else love this as much as I do????? Live Aid, did you not see the crowds clap along???? Did that not move you to tears?????/ - That just goes to show everyone that Queen totally OWNED Live Aid. I don't care what any U2 fans say, that day was Queen's! <3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandilambi Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 People get so hung up on men especially being gay! , when I first started this job (all men , very "rough") they were like ohh hes gay!!!, I said I was , went we went for the first time socially I brought my very pretty girlfiend along and started snogging her , that wiped the smile off their faces ... So freddie .... has anyone got the freddie mercury box set ?? , it amazing I have the Freddie Box set. It truly is one of my most prized possessions. I'm *still* waiting for a complete Queen box set to be released one day. *fngers crossed* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairyFeller Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 Well, what can I say about Freddie Mercury...I think the phrase 'The greatest male vocalist in the history of popular music' pretty much sums it up. (no offense to Mika, who's well on his way to challenging Freddie's title ) Not only was he an amazing singer, but he wrote some of the best songs I've ever heard, from those that are simply breathtaking, like Love of My Life, or those that are filled to the brim with stunning emotion, like Somebody To Love. Then you have songs that are complete artistic masterpieces, such as Bohemian Rhapsody, The March of The Black Queen, and my namesake, The Fairy-Feller's Master Stroke. All of these things, combined with an out-of-this-world personality make Freddie truly great. /Freddie Mercury Praising : Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandilambi Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 *agrees with FairyFeller* :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairyFeller Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 ^^^^I love your sig!....the Millionaire Waltz is one of my favorite Queen songs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandilambi Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 Thanks! I love the Millionaire Waltz (love all of A Day At the Races, really!) Your sig is awesome too....love Brian's vocals on '39 and what a great live track, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FREDDIESDOUBLE Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 - That just goes to show everyone that Queen totally OWNED Live Aid. I don't care what any U2 fans say, that day was Queen's! <3 Im a massive U2 fan but no way did they steal live aid , Bono jumping into the crowd made headlines but their music didnt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FREDDIESDOUBLE Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 I have the Freddie Box set. It truly is one of my most prized possessions. I'm *still* waiting for a complete Queen box set to be released one day. *fngers crossed* I heard rumours on the queen box set it has to happen one day , I hold onto the freddie one tightly ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
violetsky Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 A Thread about Freddie ?? :wub2: Freddie is my hero and I will always love him. I never had the chance to see him live because I'm too young :'( But I was at the memorial day in Montreux last year with a lot of very nice people I'm a huge fan and his voice makes me happy. Thank you for your music Freddie you'll always be in my heart ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandilambi Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 Freddie, can you imagine having a box set of Queen when you consider how fantastic the Freddie box set is? Think of all the material! I just hope that they actually release one some day. That would be a dream come true! And about Live Aid - I know of U2 fans/Queen fans that argue about who did a better job on that day. It is quite clear (to me anyway) that Queen totally stole the show. Radio Ga Ga is great proof! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairyFeller Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 Queen easily was the best act from Live Aid...heck, that performance has been cited as the greatest live rock performance EVER, and it easily was...those guys knew how to get the crowd going, and the stage was where they were born to be......and as for a Queen box set, if that ever comes about, I'm hoping for some rarities like early demos and stuff...I'm itching to hear the version of the song Sheer Heart Attack that Roger Taylor did lead vocals on rather than Freddie... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mandilambi Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 I am hoping for early stuff too, FairlyFeller. I have always loved early Queen the best, so hearing rareties/demos from then would be so awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esperia75 Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 ...It's difficoult to choose my favourite songs... ...by Freddie, I love above all: - Time - Living on my own - Barcelona by Queen it's more difficoult! -Innuendo -These are the days of our lives -Bohemian Rapsody -Is this the world we created -Who wants to live forever -All dead, all dead -Melancholy blues -A kind of Magic -Radio Ga-Ga -Breakthru -The invisible man -Bicycle Race -I want it all ... All beautiful, I'm fear. <<Her ways are always with me I wander all the while But please you must forgive me I am old but still a child All dead all dead But I should not grieve In time it comes to everyone All dead all dead But in hope I breathe Of course I dont believe Youre dead And gone>> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
italianfan Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 song by freddie -in my defence:mf_lustslow: -time -guide me home song by queen - i can answer : all songs ? :mf_lustslow: :mf_lustslow: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairyFeller Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 hmmmm its difficult to say what my favorite Freddie song is, but I think I'll have to go with Made In Heaven, which I think was on one of his solo albums before it got put onto Queen's last album. as for Queen songs....thats a hard one. I'd have to go with: '39 (at the moment, its my favorite out of all of them) Bohemian Rhapsody The Show Must Go On Hammer To Fall The March of the Black Queen The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke Sheer Heart Attack The Millionaire Waltz In The Lap of the Gods In The Lap of the Gods...Revisited Stone Cold Crazy Seven Seas of Rhye Liar My Fairy King Who Wants to Live Forever ...those look about right...but of course there's many more that I love too, but if I listed all of them, this would be a massive post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
esperia75 Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 ...Mtv is now broadcasting a special about Queen...And now I'm watching.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
italianfan Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 ...Mtv is now broadcasting a special about Queen...And now I'm watching.... i love this song but i hate this video (and all those of the miracle ) they are very sad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FairyFeller Posted March 24, 2007 Share Posted March 24, 2007 i love this song but i hate this video (and all those of the miracle ) they are very sad yes, I Want It All is one of Queen's best hard rock songs of their later years. And I agree, all of their later videos are sad...I have their greatest hits II videos, and watching Freddie change is very painful....when I saw the video for These Are The Days of Our Lives, I just couldn't believe it...I've only seen it once, and I don't think I'll be able to watch it again...But it only makes me admire Freddie even more...he was in such pain, yet he let his dedication to his craft take priority. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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