Brian May interview with 'Jackie' magazine, 27 March 1976
May 25, 2023 7:57:16 GMT
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Post by fabiogminero on May 25, 2023 7:57:16 GMT
Hi everyone.
Below is an interview with Brian May, entitled The Astronomer Royal! and published in the English weekly magazine Jackie on March 27th, 1976; as the title suggests, the magazine interviewed all four members of the band and ran the interviews across four different weekly issues. Part one was dedicated to Brian, part two to Roger, part three to John and part four, the last one, to Freddie.
Unfortunately the image is low quality and hard to read, but I managed to find a transcript for a smoother reading.
Enjoy the reading!
Below is an interview with Brian May, entitled The Astronomer Royal! and published in the English weekly magazine Jackie on March 27th, 1976; as the title suggests, the magazine interviewed all four members of the band and ran the interviews across four different weekly issues. Part one was dedicated to Brian, part two to Roger, part three to John and part four, the last one, to Freddie.
Unfortunately the image is low quality and hard to read, but I managed to find a transcript for a smoother reading.
Enjoy the reading!
BRIAN MAY, born on July 19, 1947 is a true Cancerian – a fact that’s obvious even from the back of a concert hall. He’s absolutely typical of his sign – kind, quiet, and thoughtful, and you can tell that when you watch him onstage, standing at the side, leaving the showmanship to Freddie, and just concentrating totally on playing his guitar.
Another characteristic of Canceriands is that they tend to be delicate – and that’s certainly true of Brian. 6 feet 3 inches tall, and very thin, with a head of black curls framing hispale face, he looks somehow fragile – the kind of person lots of girls want to mother!
In fact, Brian is one of those people who seem to be constantly in the wars. On Queen’s first American tour, he was taken seriously ill with hepatitis and was told to take it easy for a whole year. Then, almost at once, the doctors discovered he had a bad stomach ulcer which had to be opeated on.
"That was probably my own fault," Brian told me. "In America, and for a long time before that, I’d continuously eaten all the wrong type of food. I used to eat cornflakes and cakes and rubbish foods. I never got fat, you see, and so that’s the sort of thing I existed on.
"Since the ulcer I’ve had to be more careful. I eat little and often, and the right things. I drink milk, and try not to drink without eating."
During Queen’s last big tour of Britain, Brian was looked after and nursed by the group’s personal masseur, Stephen. Every day, he woke up each of the group at the right time with a proper, protein-packed breakfast – and he kept trying to persuade Brian to eat health-giving wheatgerm!
"So healthwise, I was just fine," said Brian. "Except for time I fell off the wooden clogs I always wear and twisted my ankle!"
All of Queen are clever, but Brian is perhaps the most intelligent member of the group. He’s a qualified astronomer, and was recently offered a place on a space exploration trip – a privilege which was given to only very top astronomers. And that’s just what Brian is - potentially one of Britain’s best men in the field of astronomy!
But although he’s still trying to write a post-graduate thesis when he can find the time, Brian’s involvement with Queen means he just doesn’t have enough time for astronomy these days.
"I do have a telescope on my flat," he told me, "but since it’s in the basement, it isn’t really a lot of help! And the nearest I’ve got to astronomy recently was when I went to the astronomers’ Christmas party!"
So for the moment, he contents himself with going on holiday to Tenerife whenever he can. Two friends of his have set up an observatory there, and Brian spends his holidays gazing up into the night sky. In fact, he’s fascinating to be with when it’s a clear night, because he can name every star in the sky, plus the planets, and even their lakes and even craters! His specialty is dust layers on planets, which is what he and his Tenerife friends study.
And he’s passed on some of his interest to the others in the group. When they rehearse down at Ridge Farm, an old Tudor house near Dorking, in Surrey, Brian always keeps them up till all hours, showing them points of interest through the telescope there.
When he is at home, which doesn’t seem to be often at these days, Brian lives in a homely little basement flat in Kensington. The flat shows a lot about his character. Most of the things in it are old and treasured, Brian hates change. The living room is dominated by an enormous old harmonium (it looks a bit like an organ), which Brian carefully dismantled and then put together again. Of course, to someone who made his guitar out of an old fireplace, as Brian also did, a harmonium is no problem!
Leaping about all over the flat is his slightly ferocious black cat, Smokey. And everywhere, there are penguins!
"I’ve always been fascinated by penguins," laughed Brian, "and as soon as that got out to the fans, they started sending them in by the hundred! I’ve got penguin brooches, knitted penguins, felt ones, wooden ones – you name it. I’ve got it! I love them all, but my favorites are probably the brooch I wear on my jacket, and the one on my guitar case."
Outside the flat sits Brian’s one big luxury – a flashy red sports car. But apart from that, his life is quiet and definitely unflashy.
When I’m at home, I like to stay there,” he said. “I play music, read a lot and poster(?) about the flat – and that’s about it!”
If any of his musician friends are playing nearby, he’ll go along to watch them.
Although he doesn’t know many people in the music business, he does have a few close friends – including Slade, Black Sabbath, and Ian Hunter.
AND of course, Brian works, even when he’s at home. The group’s never forgotten for long.
He takes a great deal of care over his songwriting, and always makes sure he has his facts right – for instance, when he wrote “The Prophet’s Song” for “A Night At The Opera,” he stayed up all night, reading the Bible.
"I worry a lot about the details," he said. "In fact, I worry about everything! I can’t help it - it’s just the way I am. And then other people tend to worry about me, because I look so mournful, and so it goes on!"
Brian also worries about the way he looks onstage. His favorite colors are black and white, which have just the right dramatic effect. His best-known stage costume is the flowing tunic which was designed for him by the famous designer Zandra Rhodes. And on the last tour, he wore a beautiful doublet top he’d commissioned himself.
"It was an exact replica of an Elizabethan top I saw in the Victoria and Albert Museum," he said, "I liked it so much that I commissioned a designer to make me one like it. It was really beautiful. It took months to make and it cost me a fortune, but I think it was worth it!"
And that’s typical of Brian. When he cares about something, no effort is too great. He’s a perfectionist - and it shows in his music!
Next week - Roger Taylor
Another characteristic of Canceriands is that they tend to be delicate – and that’s certainly true of Brian. 6 feet 3 inches tall, and very thin, with a head of black curls framing hispale face, he looks somehow fragile – the kind of person lots of girls want to mother!
In fact, Brian is one of those people who seem to be constantly in the wars. On Queen’s first American tour, he was taken seriously ill with hepatitis and was told to take it easy for a whole year. Then, almost at once, the doctors discovered he had a bad stomach ulcer which had to be opeated on.
"That was probably my own fault," Brian told me. "In America, and for a long time before that, I’d continuously eaten all the wrong type of food. I used to eat cornflakes and cakes and rubbish foods. I never got fat, you see, and so that’s the sort of thing I existed on.
"Since the ulcer I’ve had to be more careful. I eat little and often, and the right things. I drink milk, and try not to drink without eating."
During Queen’s last big tour of Britain, Brian was looked after and nursed by the group’s personal masseur, Stephen. Every day, he woke up each of the group at the right time with a proper, protein-packed breakfast – and he kept trying to persuade Brian to eat health-giving wheatgerm!
"So healthwise, I was just fine," said Brian. "Except for time I fell off the wooden clogs I always wear and twisted my ankle!"
All of Queen are clever, but Brian is perhaps the most intelligent member of the group. He’s a qualified astronomer, and was recently offered a place on a space exploration trip – a privilege which was given to only very top astronomers. And that’s just what Brian is - potentially one of Britain’s best men in the field of astronomy!
But although he’s still trying to write a post-graduate thesis when he can find the time, Brian’s involvement with Queen means he just doesn’t have enough time for astronomy these days.
"I do have a telescope on my flat," he told me, "but since it’s in the basement, it isn’t really a lot of help! And the nearest I’ve got to astronomy recently was when I went to the astronomers’ Christmas party!"
So for the moment, he contents himself with going on holiday to Tenerife whenever he can. Two friends of his have set up an observatory there, and Brian spends his holidays gazing up into the night sky. In fact, he’s fascinating to be with when it’s a clear night, because he can name every star in the sky, plus the planets, and even their lakes and even craters! His specialty is dust layers on planets, which is what he and his Tenerife friends study.
And he’s passed on some of his interest to the others in the group. When they rehearse down at Ridge Farm, an old Tudor house near Dorking, in Surrey, Brian always keeps them up till all hours, showing them points of interest through the telescope there.
When he is at home, which doesn’t seem to be often at these days, Brian lives in a homely little basement flat in Kensington. The flat shows a lot about his character. Most of the things in it are old and treasured, Brian hates change. The living room is dominated by an enormous old harmonium (it looks a bit like an organ), which Brian carefully dismantled and then put together again. Of course, to someone who made his guitar out of an old fireplace, as Brian also did, a harmonium is no problem!
Leaping about all over the flat is his slightly ferocious black cat, Smokey. And everywhere, there are penguins!
"I’ve always been fascinated by penguins," laughed Brian, "and as soon as that got out to the fans, they started sending them in by the hundred! I’ve got penguin brooches, knitted penguins, felt ones, wooden ones – you name it. I’ve got it! I love them all, but my favorites are probably the brooch I wear on my jacket, and the one on my guitar case."
Outside the flat sits Brian’s one big luxury – a flashy red sports car. But apart from that, his life is quiet and definitely unflashy.
When I’m at home, I like to stay there,” he said. “I play music, read a lot and poster(?) about the flat – and that’s about it!”
If any of his musician friends are playing nearby, he’ll go along to watch them.
Although he doesn’t know many people in the music business, he does have a few close friends – including Slade, Black Sabbath, and Ian Hunter.
AND of course, Brian works, even when he’s at home. The group’s never forgotten for long.
He takes a great deal of care over his songwriting, and always makes sure he has his facts right – for instance, when he wrote “The Prophet’s Song” for “A Night At The Opera,” he stayed up all night, reading the Bible.
"I worry a lot about the details," he said. "In fact, I worry about everything! I can’t help it - it’s just the way I am. And then other people tend to worry about me, because I look so mournful, and so it goes on!"
Brian also worries about the way he looks onstage. His favorite colors are black and white, which have just the right dramatic effect. His best-known stage costume is the flowing tunic which was designed for him by the famous designer Zandra Rhodes. And on the last tour, he wore a beautiful doublet top he’d commissioned himself.
"It was an exact replica of an Elizabethan top I saw in the Victoria and Albert Museum," he said, "I liked it so much that I commissioned a designer to make me one like it. It was really beautiful. It took months to make and it cost me a fortune, but I think it was worth it!"
And that’s typical of Brian. When he cares about something, no effort is too great. He’s a perfectionist - and it shows in his music!
Next week - Roger Taylor
