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 3:30 now on the Freddie and Ken show. Any comments on
that, because your manager is the same as his isn’t it?
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.