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Freddie Interviews
INTRO/ TIE YOUR MOTHER DOWN
Kenny Everett: God you’re noisy, Fred!
Freddie Mercury: That’s one of the
softer tracks. [Laughs]
Kenny Everett: That track’s called “Tie
Your Mother Down” from the new LP called “A Day At The Races”, which is
actually ‘teffifico’ and it’s just out in time for Christmas.
Freddie Mercury: Yes, that’s right.
Kenny Everett: Why tie your mother
down?
Freddie Mercury: Well this one in fact is
a track written by Brian actually, I dunno why. Maybe he was in one of his
vicious moods. I think he’s trying to out do me after “Death On Two Legs”
actually.
Kenny Everett: I see.
Freddie Mercury: So if he’s listening,
folks…
Kenny Everett: Let’s try a nice gentle
lilting one now.
Freddie Mercury: Oh this is the ‘real
heavy’ one, yes.
Kenny Everett: That’s right. This is
one where you sing by yourself, times 35 or something, isn’t it?
Freddie Mercury: Yes, I’ve multi
tracked myself on this one.
Kenny Everett: How many of you are
there on this one?
Freddie Mercury: Well… what the next
one? “You Take My Breath Away”. This one I did myself, I multi tracked myself.
So the others weren’t used on this for the voices. I played piano and
basically, I don’t know how we managed to stay this simple you know, with all
our over dubs and things. People seem to think that we’re over complexed, and
it’s not true. It depends on the individual track really, if it needs it – we
do it. So this is pretty sparse actually by Queen and our standards.
Kenny Everett: It still sounds like the
choirs of Heaven. So here comes Freddie…plus Freddie, plus Freddie…
YOU TAKE: MY BREATH AWAY
Kenny Everett: Hmmm, another classic
there that’ll live forever from the lips of Freddie, “You Take My Breath Away”
off the new LP. Which there’s space for in you’re Christmas stocking. Freddie.
Freddie Mercury: Yes dear.
Kenny Everett: We’re going to take a
break now. We’re going to play a few of our bits ok, is that alright?
Freddie Mercury: Yes.
Kenny Everett: Smashing, back with
another track in a sec.
LONG AWAY
Kenny Everett: [Laughter] Hey guys, the
mikes on! That’s “Long Away” by Brian May. He does four tracks on your new LP
doesn’t he?
Freddie Mercury: Yes he does…
Kenny Everett: I see, can you proliferate?
Freddie Mercury: Which tracks you mean?
That’s one of his and “Tie Your Mother Down” was Brian’s. He’s written a lovely
Japanese song, which is at the end of the second side. It’s got Japanese
verses…
Kenny Everett: What, actual?
Freddie Mercury: Actual Japanese verses
which we had to do, we did a lot of research actually and we had our Japanese
interpreter. We flew her over from
Kenny Everett: Actually you should know
Japanese off by heart by now, because you’re always there, aren’t you?
Freddie Mercury: Do you want me to say
some of them then? [Recites a verse from “Teo Torriatte”].
Kenny Everett: Oh flan flastic!
[Applauds] Flerry good, and now we will split for a commercial break. [Laughs]
Kenny Everett: Right, back to the
spiffingest LP ever released. Oh what do you think of the new E.L.O.?
Freddie Mercury: Oh it’s great, I’ve
got a copy of that. And I know you keep, I keep hearing more of those tracks on
your show than anything else.
Kenny Everett: Well…
Freddie Mercury: So I don’t need to
play my album, really [Laughs]
Kenny Everett: And also The Eagles,
they’re the three for your Christmas stocking, folks. This is me talking to
Freddie Mercury of Queen, who must be a millionaire by now, what Freddie?
Freddie Mercury: Oh…in what way?
Kenny Everett: Financially and
commercially, I mean you keep buying these paintings and things.
Freddie Mercury: Yes because I like
them. Actually it’s what I’ve been interested in a long while, and now that
I’ve got a little bit of money to throw around I thought I might as well go and
buy it. So I went to Sotheby’s the other day, and got a few paintings. The
dealer’s weren’t pleased at all! [Laughs].
Kenny Everett: Actually, you’ve brought
champagne with you, which is very good of you.
Freddie Mercury: But of course dear, it
travels with me everywhere.
Kenny Everett: You make Gerald Harper
look quite cheap. Thank you for that [Laughs]. Usually when I come in here, the
place is full of old dead bottles, you know. And green fly…but we’ve made him
look peculiar today. Right, “The Millionaire Waltz” which is the next track on
the LP, what’s this?
Freddie Mercury: Well it’s all about
John Reid actually.
Kenny Everett: You’re manager, well
he’ll love all that.
Freddie Mercury: I might as well…
Kenny Everett: It’s a bit gay and weird
and strange, but it grows on you.
Freddie Mercury: It’s very out of the
Queen format, really and we thought we’d like to do that on every album. I
think I went a bid mad on this one. But it’s turned out alright I think, it
makes people laugh sometimes.
Kenny Everett: It’s very jolly, let’s
have a listen to it.
THE MILLIONAIRE WALTZ
Freddie Mercury: Ooh, lovely! Actually
I’d like to say that Brian did do a very good job on the actual guitars. He’s
really taken his guitar orchestration to its limits, I don’t know how he’s ever
going to out do that one actually. And John played very good bass on that. I
think it’s good and we’re patting ourselves on the back again. I really think
it’s worked out well especially from the orchestration point of view. Because
he’s really used his guitar in a different sort of way, I know he’s done lots
of orchestrations before.
Kenny Everett: He’s probably the
world’s greatest guitar technician really, isn’t he?
Freddie Mercury: Oh I’d say that dear,
absolutely…[mock aristocratic accent]
Kenny Everett: Yes, pass more
champagne…[same accent] [Laughs]
Freddie Mercury:
YOU AND I
Freddie Mercury: That’s the end of side
one of “A Day At The Races”. That was a track by John Deacon, he’s contribution
to this album. His songs are good and are getting better every time actually.
I’m getting a bit worried actually.
Kenny Everett: He’s the quiet one.
Freddie Mercury: He’s sort of quiet,
lots of people think that. Don’t underestimate him, he’s got a fiery streak
underneath all that. I talk so much anyway, he like to let me do all the
talking. But once people crack that thin ice, then he’s alright. (You can never
stop him talking then).
Kenny Everett: You’re all a very shy
bunch really, aren’t you?
Freddie Mercury: We are really,
actually. I am actually, people don’t seem to realize that. Just because I go
around tearing on stage, they think I should go tearing around life, but I’m
not really.
Kenny Everett: Good, well done. I’ve
said to you once, you must have had a classical up bringing, and you went ‘Ha’!
So I dropped that one. [Laughs] But I think you really must have.
Freddie Mercury: I did have in my youth…
that’s a couple of years ago. No, when I was about seven years old, I did piano
lessons and I did up to grade 4 classical, practical and theory. Then I gave it
up, as I basically play by ear really and I can’t sight read at all. So I gave
that up and all my playing is done by ear. I can’t read music that well, it
takes me a long time.
Kenny Everett: Well how do you work out
these amazing harmonies you do?
Freddie Mercury: Well that’s quite
easy, yeah. [Laughs] The same as you do! [More laughs] I don’t know, I just
have to work at it and after a while you fall into a pattern through
experience. I think I’m getting better every year, don’t you?
Kenny Everett: Oh yes.
Freddie Mercury: I learnt a lot from
our past albums and things. Seeing how they’re constructed and things, then you
use things what you’ve done in the past and work out different things.
Kenny Everett: Oh you’re polishing
beautifully, it’s a polished product now. That “You Take My Breath Away”, the
harmonies on that are supreme.
Freddie Mercury: They’re nice, I’m very
pleased with them.
Kenny Everett: You see – modest. Right,
from the polished to…side two. A bit hairy this number, so if you’re a little
old lady then please stand back!
WHITE MAN
Kenny Everett: Cor! How did you manage
to get such a loud noise on one record?
Freddie Mercury: I don’t know, it’s
down to Mike Stone our engineer. We’re very bad in the studio for that
actually, the poor engineer has to really suffer because we really want as much
level as possible. We keep pushing the phasers up and he keeps looking at the
meters and going ‘Oh it’ll never cut’. Then we give him the added task of going
over to
Kenny Everett: Yeah, I should explain
for the folks, that if a noise is too loud on a record – the little wobbly
groove grundges into the groove next door.
Freddie Mercury: That’s right.
Kenny Everett: Then the record skips…
Freddie Mercury: Yes, it can skip and
do all kind of things.
Kenny Everett: So the more noise you
put on, the less likelihood you have of…
Freddie Mercury: So if Mary Potts has
got a little dance set, then it’ll just go flying off! [Laughs]
Kenny Everett: I must admit, you do get
a lot of sound on one little LP.
Freddie Mercury: Yes it’s very
difficult to… it’s a very fine dividing line really, because if you want to put
in more music – but at the same time you’ve got to make sure you don’t put too
much in otherwise it suffers.
Kenny Everett: And you’ve got a genius
technician that looks after all of that.
Freddie Mercury: Well Mike Stone is
pretty good, yes. That little bugger…
Kenny Everett: Yes… right. [gives out
weather report with Freddie laughing and teasing throughout]
Freddie Mercury: What a nice little
chap he is. [Laughs]
Kenny Everett: Right here we are in
Capitol tower with cuddly Ken and Freddie Mercury, nattering about the new LP.
Which also has this track on it.
SOMEBODY TO LOVE
Kenny Everett: So, if you’re planning
to but this LP – you get that thrown in as an added goodie. The new number one
single in
Freddie Mercury: They’ve probably all
got their copies by now anyway, so we might as well play something else.
Kenny Everett: Yeah, but the thing is
we all had “Sailing” by Rod Stewart and everyone bought it. Then they
re-released it and everyone bought it again. Very strange.
Freddie Mercury: Yes, go out and but it
again, I’m not complaining. [Laughs]
Kenny Everett: Let’s play a little track
off “Sheer Heart Attack” now, because I thought this was one of your tunes,
because it’s so wilting.
Freddie Mercury: I thought you’d made a
slight mistake earlier on, but this is a track called “Dear Friends”. Taken
from our “Sheer Heart Attack” album, it’s written by Brian. I’ve done the
vocals on it, but Brian wrote this lovely tune.
Kenny Everett: Well let’s hear this
one.
DEAR FRIENDS
Kenny Everett: Very pretty. I didn’t
know Brian May wrote that, I thought he was the hairy department.
Freddie Mercury: Yes he does those,
he’s very versatile.
Kenny Everett: Ok, this next one is one
of yours isn’t it?
Freddie Mercury: Yes, it’s called “Good
Old-Fashioned Lover Boy”, and it’s in my ‘ragtime’mood that I get a chance to,
[Laughs] to do on every album and this time, this is something I’ve come up
with this time around.
Kenny Everett: Right, a little frilly
number from the pen of Fred.
GOOD OLD-FASHIONED LOVER BOY
Kenny Everett: Right, that was one of
Freddie’s tunes. I hear you’re not too pleased with the musical press, Freddie
[Laughs] Let’s be outrageous!
Freddie Mercury: It depends, I don’t
take much notice to be honest. They can say what they like.
Kenny Everett: I find that they slag
everything available, they just don’t say anything nice about anybody.
Freddie Mercury: Not constructive at
all. The American press do their homework and the kind of questions they ask
you makes much better copy anyway.
Kenny Everett: They pick the good
points, and then blazon them all over the place.
Freddie Mercury: It’s more sort of
things that are more relevant, I feel anyway. You can tell that they’ve done
their homework because they ask you very penetrating questions – which I don’t
mind. Because then you know they have some substance because when they write
about it, it has much more bearing. But over here, it’s all ‘Why have you
stopped wearing black finger nails or whatever…
Kenny Everett: Have you stopped?
[Laughs]
Freddie Mercury: Then that’s the review
of the album, they haven’t a clue anyway – so [blows a raspberry] to them.
Kenny Everett: Yes [blows a louder
raspberry] to them!
Kenny Everett: You keep writing things
that are things of beauty that will last forever.
Freddie Mercury: Well I hope so.
Kenny Everett: One day you’re going to
come up with an LP that’s going to kill everybody.
Freddie Mercury: I thought we had –
this is it!
Kenny Everett: Oh, what have I said!
What have I said? [Laughs] I mean just you, I think you’ll come out with the
Mercury symphony in E flat or something.
Freddie Mercury: E flat minor actually…
well I hope so. There’s time for that I think, I have a lot of ideas bursting
to get out.
Kenny Everett: And you’ve got a film…a
film?
Freddie Mercury: Yes, we’ve erm
[Laughs] He’s no fool this one. He’s a tart, but he’s no fool!
Kenny Everett: I tell you what, let’s
go to this one… I’m not a tart – I’m a DJ! [More laughs and teasing from
Freddie] Let’s discuss the film after the news and this little track off the
new LP “A Day At The Races”, which is dying to dive into you’re Christmas stocking!!
DROWSE
Kenny Everett: That’s a Roger Taylor
track, and Roger’s just had a requiem set for his hair – so we’re all in
mourning. We’ll be back with some more really great stuff, including their climactic
climax to this LP right after the news. So I’ll see you then, right Fred?
Freddie Mercury: Yes dear, see you
then.
Kenny Everett: Ok, bye bye ladies and
gentlemen.
Kenny Everett: And now here’s Freddie
with the weather!
Freddie Mercury: Oh God! He’s just put
it in my lap, I can’t believe it! Weather for the Capitol area; It’s dry with
long sunny periods, clean spells this evening, cold…
Kenny Everett: CLEAR spells.
Freddie Mercury: Oh, [Laughs] It’s
you’re writing! Clear spells – yes that’s right. Clear spells this evening,
cold high feel four centigrade…
Kenny Everett: Oh forget it!
Freddie Mercury: Winds light, force two
or three… well this is the way you’ve written it. It’s in code, my god!
[Laughs] Two or three mostly west to northwest, becoming south to south west
later. [More laughs in studio].
Kenny Everett: Are you done?
Freddie Mercury: I’m sure everybody got
that.
Kenny Everett: Yeah, I’m sure…
Freddie Mercury: That does it, you wait
‘till you come to the studio next time!
Kenny Everett: Get your calculators out
and work out the weather. Right, here it is folks – the climax of this LP “A
Day At The Races”, waiting for a place in your Christmas stocking.
TEO TORRIATTE (LET US CLING TOGETHER)
Kenny Everett: That’s the last track
off “A Day At The Races”, the new LP by Queen, and if you had your Grundig out,
then you should be ashamed of yourself – you’ve just robbed this millionaire of
another 18 & 6. [Laughs].
ROCKET MAN – ELTON JOHN
Kenny Everett: Well what was a
civilized little gathering, is now turned into chaos with bubbling heaps all
over the studio. It’s
Freddie Mercury: Yes that’s right. In
fact I’d like to dedicate that one to a few friends I know; Sharon, Beryl,
Phyllis, Serita, Deirdre all the lovely people who’ve all been nice to us this
year.
Kenny Everett: All lady friends then?
Freddie Mercury: Yes, they’re all going
into my white book. My black books quite full up actually. [Laughs]
Kenny Everett: He says with champagne
bubbles coming out of both ears.
BENJAMIN BRITTON TRIBUTE
Kenny Everett: Well I suppose you could
call that a golden oldie, as it was written in 1961. Lovely, I like classical
stuff don’t you?
Freddie Mercury: I like a bit of
Chopin.
Kenny Everett: I’m a Mozart man.
Freddie Mercury: Well there you are
then, we differ.
IT’S OVER – ROY ORBISON
Freddie Mercury: ‘It’s Over’! [Freddie
& co sing the last line].
Kenny Everett: The masked mouths of the
Mercury entourage, and “It’s Over”. Which was written in 1964 and is one of my
faves Roy Orbison, who always did a good tune when called upon.
Freddie Mercury: Yes, very good
actually. “Pretty Woman” was very good as well.
Kenny Everett: He did a lot of good
stuff, I think he’s fab. I tell you what,
YOU DON’T HAVE TO SAY YOU LOVE ME –
DUSTY
Kenny Everett: Round of applause for
Dusty Springfield. She’s great, the only thing that’s wrong with Dusty is that
she’s not in
Freddie Mercury: I wish she’d come back
actually. She’s very good, a very good singer.
Kenny Everett: I think she’s a ‘nana
really, as she’s sat over there and not producing some fab stuff.
Freddie Mercury: I don’t know her, but
I think she’s a bit scared to go on. She’s scared of what people might think,
especially in this country. I think if she did come back, she’d be liked.
Kenny Everett: She’s be adored, there’s
millions of people here waiting for her to come back. I’m not sure what’s wrong
with her.
Freddie Mercury: I think she’s got
stage fright, she needs a bit more encouragement and a bit more confidence.
Kenny Everett: Now we have another one
of your oldies.
Freddie Mercury: Oh? Which one is this?
Kenny Everett: “Love Of My Life”,
coming up in just a sec.
Freddie Mercury: This tracks called
“Love Of My Life” which…
Kenny Everett: Pull yourself together
dear! [Laughs]
Freddie Mercury: I’m perfectly in
control, and is dedicated to you dear for being so nice to us today and letting
us infiltrating your ‘Be Bop Bonanza’ programme.
Kenny Everett: Shucks, ok.
Freddie Mercury: It’s from our “Sheer
Heart Attack” Album – oh no, it’s “A Night At The Opera”. God, we’ve made so
many I keep forgetting.
Kenny Everett: It’s the previous and
it’s a lovely tune, have a listen to this.
LOVE OF MY LIFE
Kenny Everett: [
Freddie Mercury: I can’t hear the damn
thing.
Kenny Everett: It’s over now. You should
wear headphones.
Freddie Mercury: Oh I hate those
things!
Kenny Everett: I know it kinks your
hairdo, but they’re handy and you can hear what you’re saying through them. I
feel naked without headphones…[More laughing] Right, it’s thirteen minutes to four
and we’re going to sing along at the end of this show ladies & gentlemen,
we’ve decided to join Bill Grundy in his cell, for doing naughty things on the
wireless. We’re going to sing live, the end of “Bohemian Rhapsody”.
Freddie Mercury: So get your vocal
chords ready.
Kenny Everett: Yes, because we want you
to all join in with us, because it’s nearly Christmas and you can let yourself
go. The end of “Bohemian Rhapsody”, if you forget how it goes, it goes like
this…
Freddie Mercury: Oh God, you’ve put me
in it!
Kenny Everett: I don’t remember that
bit. [Laughter]
Freddie Mercury: ‘Nothing really
matters to me’ [Sings the line].
Kenny Everett: Great, an old number by
Freddie called “Flick Of The Do Dar” or something…
Freddie Mercury: “
Kenny Everett: Really? I thought that
was one of yours. Right, here we go then “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Never been done
before in it’s life – live in a studio. So we hope you’re going to join in.
It’s easy, it’s like Vera Lynn isn’t it. All you’ve got to do is catch onto
Freddie, because he’s going to sing the first few lines…
Freddie Mercury: I thought we were all…
Kenny Everett: No, no it’s all yours.
Ready? [Laughter] Oh dear, he’s just fainted. You’ve got one minute to lead us
into “Bohemian Rhapsody” Go!
Freddie Mercury: I don’t know it…
‘Nothing really matters to me’ [Sings]. I thought you were going to play the
track.
Kenny Everett: No, I haven’t got it, I
was thinking you being a pro…
Freddie Mercury: I can’t do it live, I
mean I need the guitar and multi track, with Brian…
Kenny Everett: Now we know the truth
folks, Freddie is a lemon. [Laughter] ‘I see a little silhouetteo of a do dar ,
scaramouche, scaramouche will you do the fandango’ [Sung in a high pitched
voice]
Freddie Mercury: Are you expecting me
to sing the full track?
Kenny Everett: Oh I can’t be bothered
with these live stars…
Freddie Mercury: I don’t think Capitol
have the resources of multi tracking anyway.
HOTEL CALIFORNIA – THE EAGLES.
Blame it on Rio
What has the world’s largest McDonalds,
drives thousands of people mad every evening and is hated by the Pope? Sorry
time’s up. It’s Rock In Rio, the world’s largest outdoor festival , starring
Queen in
While you’ve been shivering in sub zero
temperatures, 300,000 people a night have been listening to 90 hours of music
over 10 days at a custom built arena nestling in the mountains at Barra Da
Tijuca.
The place is 250,000 square metres in
size and about the length of a small airport. It’s not your usual site with
tacky old hamburger stands either. There’s a shopping centre with more than 30
shops, a fast food centre including the world’s largest McDonalds, a fully
equipped hospital and flush toilets and showers.
You could land a jumbo jet on the
stage, which is 21,000 sq feet in size with revolving sections to move
equipment around. Twenty tons of lighting equipment with 160,000lbs of sound
equipment belting out 500,000 watts of power have been flown in. The arena has
its own electric substation.
Rock in Rio should play to 3,000,00
people beating the Guinness Book of Records champion, Watkins Glenn festival in
1973, which could only manage 600,000.
It all beats confession and a few Hail
Marys in church on Sunday , so the local clergy have issued a statement condemning
the event, saying it will corrupt the nation’s youth. The Government is backing
the Church and the official censor nearly succeeded in banning anyone under 18
going to the concert.
Nobody takes any notice though. Queen’s
hotel and others along the seafront are under siege by fans. Even minor
personalities have only to step out on the balcony for the crowds to go berserk
while passing cars blast their horns and screech to a halt. Iron Maiden and
Whitesnake were trapped inside the airport by fans, and took a couple of hours
to break through.
Queen have been keeping themselves to
themselves, Roger Taylor briefly surface to have a drink on the terrace with
his minder, but the others are nowhere to be found.
Rod Stewart is sometimes seen lounging
by the pool. En route to Rio he has been accompanied by a young German nymph.
Gary Kemp has just jetted in from New York and says he’s looking forward to
meeting Ronnie Biggs. A couple of Duranies should also be putting in an
appearance.
Yoko Ono should also have been around,
but since hearing that the Rio authorities want to name a square after her
beloved John she’s been threatening legal action. God only knows why.
Rock In Rio is costing around 11
million dollars to stage. It’s the brainchild of Brazilian advertising man
Roberto Medina and he wants to make it an annual event. Mick Jagger visited the
site a couple of months ago and the Stones might be headlining next year. Gary
Kemp also wants Spandau to play there. Not only do bands perform to a captive
audience of 300,000 but the Globo television company broadcasts the show to 100
million people across Latin America. Brazil is a healthy market for selling
records, 70 per cent of the population is under 30 and they love European and
American music.
Whitesnake and Iron Maiden are in
rattling good from, although Maiden’s vocalist Bruce Dickinson manages to brain
himself on a piece of equipment and finishes the show with blood streaming from
his forehead.
Queen and Rio were made for each other.
Queen’s trademarks of operatic grandeur and style, perfected when Malcy McLaren
was still with the Sex Pistols, drive the lusty Latins wild.
It’s virtually the same show as the
last tour over here, complete with ‘Metropolis’ effects. Everything goes very
well, especially on ‘Love of My Life’ which was number one in the Brazilian
charts and ‘We Are The Champions’ or ‘We Arr De Champons’ as they say in this
neck of the woods
There’s a spot of trouble when Freddie
decides to dress up in his best Bet Lynch gear for ‘I Want To Break Free’. Some
outraged Brazilians decide this just isn’t on and get very nasty. Instead of
throwing beer cans at the stage in time-honoured tradition, they decide that
pebbles and concrete are far more effective.
Fred does a quick sprint to safety and
it’s all forgotten quickly. You should have seen 300,00 hands clapping in
unison for ‘Radio Ga Ga’.
The following night there’s a party at
Freddie’s hotel, where he’s occupying the Presidential Suite. Somebody was
going to arrange a trip up Sugarloaf Mountain but discovered it was closed for
the evening.
Girls with skin the colour of rich
bronze parade around and everybody who is somebody in Brazilian society is
there. With close looks it’s strange that Brazil has yet to produce a star in
the calibre of Sade.
Waiters in white jackets dispense
gallons of wine and topless samba dancers have been hired. But some of them are
sent home because they were too drunk to perform.
Rod Stewart puts in a fleeting
appearance before retiring to a nearby bar. "I’d like to meet Freddie but
I don’t think I’d make it upstairs," he says.
Rod claims the girl he’s with is in
fact auditioning to be a violin player with his band. What a sense of humour he
has. Naturally Rod is surrounded by heavyweight security men who threaten to do
unspeakable things to photographers and journalists who get too close.
Somebody also capable of perhaps doing
unspeakable things is the charming young woman who flicks the hair at the back
of my neck and says, "come to my room later, darlink". Quite so,
Madam, quite so, but what would Chaka say?
How does it feel to be playing Rio,
Fred? Have you been having a good time?
"It’s wonderful. The sunshine
makes such a difference. People are allowed to flower here. They’re a wonderful
audience and I love their displays of emotion. They get over excited sometimes
but I can bring the whip down and show them who’s in control.
I don’t know why they got so excited
about me dressing as a woman. There are lots of transvestites here. It seems
second nature to a lot of people, Just go and look on any street corner and
you’ll find them.
Rio is an interesting place, but I
haven’t done much yet. It takes a couple of days to settle in to a new area but
I have a small circle of friends.
It’s a tremendous market. If you crack
it here the amount of money you make is tremendous. We’ve opened South America
to the rest of the world. We came to South America originally because we were
invited down. They wanted four wholesome lads to play some nice music. Now I’d
like to buy up the entire continent and install myself as President."
Queen aren’t likely to be back in
Britain until ’86 at least. But there’s always Fred’s solo album to look
forward to.
"It’s very beat orientated. It’s
just some things I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I think it’s a very natural
album and I hope people will like my voice.
I won’t be touring on my own though or
splitting up with Queen. Without the others |I would be nothing. The press
always makes out that I’m the wild one and they’re all quiet, but it’s not
true. I’ve got some wild stories about Brian May you wouldn’t believe."
And as if to prove, the lanky guitarist
suddenly decides to hurl himself into the swimming pool, accompanied by a
wholesome girl in a white see-through dress.
Freddie contents himself by posing with
some more beauties, drawn to him like moths around a candle.
I love everybody you know I love all
these beautiful brown bodies whoever they are. I think I’m a mother figure to
many people. I love to share problems with people.
I love what’s happening with the charts
in England. Frankie Goes Top Hollywood are a tremendous act and so are Spandau
and George. We’ve still got some of the best music in the world, there’s so
much quality in it.
I love George Michael because he moves
so well and has a sense of dignity and fun. I don’t like the Thompson Twins
though. I don’t know the real reason why. It’s one of those things they don’t
move me.
I would have loved to have been on the
Band Aid record but I only heard about it when I was in Germany. I don’t know
if they would have had me on the record anyway, because I’m a bit old.
I’m just an old slag who gets up every
morning, scratches his head and wonders what he wants to fuck.
Ambitions? Oh I don’t know. I don’t
want to be a great actor. I don’t think I’d be very good at it. I’m alright
when I’ve got a costume on and I can hide behind my role but I would be
hopeless doing something straighter.
Doing this job is like being a
housewife. Everyday I get up and I’ve got lots of chores to do. Really, you
know, it’s not very spectacular."
Freddie I’ll come and help you with the
washing up if it means another trip to Brazil.
Rock on Freddie
As thousands
of adoring fans flock to buy his first solo album this week, Freddie Mercury tells
of the one thing that all his success and all his millions can’t ever buy……
Freddie Mercury. the outrageous
front-man of superband Queen. Is addicted to his phenomenal success but his
fame and fortune have also been the source of his misery. Freddie loves
creating bizarre stage images and thrives on the roar of his audiences and the
beat of his music. But when the lights down at the end of a show. he is .left
feeling lost and lonely.
"You can have everything in the
world and still be the loneliest man. and that is the most bitter type of
loneliness." says Freddie. "Success has brought me world idolisation
and millions of pounds. but it's prevented me from having the one thing we all
need-a loving. Ongoing relationship.
"It's like the old Hollywood stories
where all those 'wonderful actresses just couldn't carry on a relationship
because their careers came first.
"That’s the way it is with me. I
can’t stop the wheel for a while and devote myself to a love affair because all
sorts of business problems would pile up. The wheel has to keep turning and
that makes it very hard for anyone to live with me and be happy.
"I'm driven by my work and will go
on for as long as my system will allows me - until I go insane. There's a voice
inside me saying. 'Slow down Freddie. you're going to burn yourself out'. but I
just can't stop.
"You can't' revel in the success
and then. 13 years down the line. wake up one morning and say. 'No. I don't
want to be a superstar today. I want to go out in the streets on my own. or
pour my heart into a relationship'. -It's impossible. Because this is it."
"It" is being the extrovert
lead singer with probably the most successful rock band ever. In their 13-year
reign. Queen have rocked the world in a way that no other group has before or since
.not even the Beatles.
Today. Freddie and. the boys-Brian May.
Roger Taylor 'and John Deacon each earn over £1 million a year and need never
make another record or undertake another tour. But they have no intention of
stopping. ~st year. Queen toured Europe and had yet another hit with Thank God
It's Christmas, and Freddie released his first solo single. Love Kills-which
made the top 10 and began work on his new single and first solo album. Earlier
this year. he and the band were the star attraction for the 250.000 fans at the
rock festival in Rio. Brazil.
"It was awe-inspiring and
mind-boggling to be up there. with all those people in the palm of your
hand." says Freddie. "But the other side of the coin is that. though
was surrounded by masses of people who love me. I must have been the loneliest
person there. Can you imagine how terrible it is when you've got everything and
you're still desperately lonely? That is awful beyond words.
"I don't want people to think,
poor old Freddie. because I can deal with it. But I'm so powerful on stage that
I seem to have created a monster. When I'm performing. I'm an extrovert, yet
inside I'm a completely different man.
"Of course, the stagey streak in
me, where I love to jump around
and be volatile, is real, but people
don't realise there's more. They expect me to be the same in my personal life
as well. They say. 'Come on, Freddie, perform, give us some excitement'."
The hunky, dark-haired singer, who
takes pride, in his rippling muscles and ever-changing appearance, once joked
that he'd had more lovers than any Hollywood star.
"But they never last," says
38-year-old Freddie. "I seem to eat people up and destroy them. There must
be a destructive element in me because I do try very hard to build up
relationships, but somehow I drive people away.
"They always blame the end of
the love affair on me because I'm the
successful one. Whoever I'm with seems to get into a battle of trying to match
up to me, so all the time I'm feeling guilty and over-compensating... Then they
end up treading all over me.
"I can’t win. Love is Russian
roulette for me. No one loves the real me inside. they're all in love with my
fame, my stardom.
"I fall in love far too quickly
and end up getting hurt all the time. I've got scars all over. But I can't help
myself because basically I'm a softie I have this hard, macho shell ~which I
project on stage but there's a much softer side. too, which melts like butter.
"I try to hold back when I'm
attracted to someone but I just can't control love. It runs not All my
one-night-stands are just me playing my part. What I really like is a lot of
loving. And I spoil my lovers terribly. I like to make them happy and I get so
much pleasure out of giving them really wonderful, expensive presents."
Freddie has admitted that he is
bisexual, but says: "I couldn't fall in love with a man the way I could
with a girl". The one love of his life and the only person he really
trusts is 31-year-old Mary Austin, a quiet, fair-haired woman. Freddie and Mary
had a seven-year romance.
"Our love affair ended in tears
but a deep bond grew out of it, and that's something nobody can take away from
us. It's unreachable," he says. "All my lovers ask me why they can't
replace her, but it's simply impossible.
"I don't feel jealous of her
lovers because. of course, she has a life to lead, and so do I. Basically, I
try to make sure she's happy with whoever she's with and she tries to do the
same for me.
"We look after each other and
that's a wonderful form of love. I might have all the problems in the world,
but I have Mary and that gets me through."
The seal of Freddie's commitment to
Mary is his decision to leave her his millions.
"What better person to leave my
fortune to when I go?" he smiles. "Of course my parents are in my
will and so are my cats. but the vast bulk of it will go to Mary.
"If I dropped down dead tomorrow.
Mary's the one person I know who could cope with my vast wealth. She works in
my organisation and looks after my money side and all my possessions. She's in charge
of the chauffeurs. maids. gardeners. accountants and lawyers. All I have to do
is throw my carcass around on stage."
Freddie is one of the world's richest
rock stars but he never has a penny in his pocket and has no idea of how many
millions he owns.
"I love having so much
money." he admits. "but I don't believe in counting it And because I
have far more than I need, I give a lot of it away to people I like.
"I try to enjoy life and if there
was no money I wouldn't let it stop me having a good time. In the early days.
when I hardly had anything I'd save for two weeks and then blow it all in a day
so that I could have a blast of fun."
Certainly. money hasn't always been so
free for Freddie. Born Freddie Bulsara on September 5. 1946. his father was a
government accountant, which meant Freddie spent some of his childhood in
Zanzibar and India. After school. he did a graphics course at Ealing College of
Art in London (he designed the band's logo. using the four members' birth signs
as inspiration). It was in late 1971 that he joined May. Taylor and Deacon and
the Queen phenomenon began. The biggest visible mark of Freddie's success (and
millions) must be his magnificent 28-room mansion in London's Kensington, for
which he paid over £1/2 million
in cash!
When Freddie bought the house four
years ago, he had three of the eight bedrooms knocked into one, for himself,
and filled the
mansion with handmade furniture from
Harrods and priceless Japanese carvings and paintings from Tokyo. Outside. an
army of gardeners carved out a country retreat in the grounds.
But the king of the castle still hasn't
moved in: For the first time Freddie explains why: "Every person who makes
a lot of money has a dream he wants to carry out and I achieved that dream with
this wonderful house. - Whenever I watched Hollywood movies set in plush homes
with lavish decor. I wanted that for my-self and now I've got it But to me it
was much more important to get the damn thing than to actually go and live in
it Maybe the challenge has worn off now. I'm very much like that-once I get
something I'm not that keen on it any more. I still love the house but the real
enjoyment is that I've achieved it
"Sometimes, when I'm alone at
night. I imagine that when I'm 50 I’ll creep into that house as my refuge and
then I'll start making it a home. Anyway. as it is. I can only spend 60 days a
year in England for tax reasons."
Freddie has spent the last few months
in Munich putting the finishing touches to his first solo album. Mr Bad Guy,
which he has dedicated to his dead cat. Jerry.
The album. which is out this week. is
packed with new material taking different direction.
'I’ve put my heart and soul into this
album. he says. 'it’s much more beat orientated than Queen’s music and it also
has some very moving ballads.
In between hard work he also found time
to begin a new friendship with a German actress 42-year-old Barbara Valentin.
Barbara and I have formed a bond that
is stronger than anything I've had with a lover for the last six years."
he says. "I can really talk to her and be myself in a way that's very
rare."
Among his existing close friends.
Freddie counts Rod Stewart, Elton John and Michael Jackson.
"Rod. Elton and I were going to
form a band called Hair. Nose and Teeth after the three of us." he laughs.
"But it hasn't happened because none of our egos can agree on the order of
the words! Naturally I want it to be called Teeth, Nose and Hair.
"I'm very fond of Rod and Elton.
They both came to my last birthday party and sang happy birthday when the cake
was wheeled in. I shouted out. 'This is probably the first time the two of you
have sung without being paid for it!' and they laughed like mad.
"Michael Jackson and I have grown
apart a bit since his massive success with Thriller. He's simply retreated into
a world of his own.
"Two years ago we used to have
great fun going to clubs together but now he won't come out of his fortress.
It's very sad. He's so worried that someone will do him in that he's paranoid
about absolutely everything.
"I get worried about that myself
but I'll never let it take over my life like that"
Freddie has said that if he wasn't
a rock star with Queen. he'd have liked
to have been a ballet dancer. He once appeared with the Royal Ballet dancing to
a selection of Queen hits, and it was at a glittering Royal Ballet party that
Freddie met Prince Andrew.
"I was wearing a white scarf and
holding a glass of wine when I was introduced to Prince Andrew. But I was so
nervous I didn't realise my scarf was dangling in the drink." Freddie
recalls.
"There I was trying to be really
cool and suddenly the Prince said, 'Freddie, I don't think you really want this
getting wet'. He squeezed out the scarf and that broke the ice between us.
"I said, 'Thank goodness you've
put me at ease. Now I can use the odd bit of dirty language'. Then we both
burst out laughing.
"He really got into the spirit of
things and even had a dance. He's really quite hip in those sort of situations.
"I have a lot of respect for
royalty. I'm a tremendous patriot"
Yet another unexpected side to the king
of Queen. But then there's much more to Freddie Mercury than most of us ever
see. Underneath the bizarre clothes and images that have become his trademark,
there is the other Freddie. He sums it up simply . . . "Sometimes, I just
long to be perfectly ordinary as well."
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