"Queen predicts crazy rock for Brazilians" by Lea Penteado - from 'O Globo', 26 February 1981
Sept 14, 2023 7:52:22 GMT
leo82br, Chopin1995, and 3 more like this
Post by fabiogminero on Sept 14, 2023 7:52:22 GMT
Hi everyone.
I would still like to share with you a very interesting article from the Brazilian press: originally titled O Queen prevê um rock de loucuras para os brasileiros (translated into English as Queen predicts crazy rock for Brazilians), it was published in the Brazilian magazine O Globo on February 26th, 1981 , two days before the start of Queen's first South American tour.
South American press correspondents showed up for an interview with Freddie, Brian, Roger and John at the Sheraton Hotel in Rio de Janeiro on February 25th, 1981; among these there was also Lea Penteado, journalist from O Globo and author of this article. Brian and Roger are the ones who have the most to say in the press conference; they don't just talk about Queen and their music, but also talk about some aspects of the band's private life, their financial investments, the influence of The Beatles and the recent death of John Lennon.
The Brazilian dates of the tour are also presented: Porto Alegre on March 13th (then cancelled) and Sao Paulo on March 21st are confirmed; the one in Rio de Janeiro on March 19th is not mentioned, but there is talk of a possible date at the Maracană for March 28th, 1981.
Below is a scan of the article and my translation from Portuguese to English. Enjoy the reading.
I would still like to share with you a very interesting article from the Brazilian press: originally titled O Queen prevê um rock de loucuras para os brasileiros (translated into English as Queen predicts crazy rock for Brazilians), it was published in the Brazilian magazine O Globo on February 26th, 1981 , two days before the start of Queen's first South American tour.
South American press correspondents showed up for an interview with Freddie, Brian, Roger and John at the Sheraton Hotel in Rio de Janeiro on February 25th, 1981; among these there was also Lea Penteado, journalist from O Globo and author of this article. Brian and Roger are the ones who have the most to say in the press conference; they don't just talk about Queen and their music, but also talk about some aspects of the band's private life, their financial investments, the influence of The Beatles and the recent death of John Lennon.
The Brazilian dates of the tour are also presented: Porto Alegre on March 13th (then cancelled) and Sao Paulo on March 21st are confirmed; the one in Rio de Janeiro on March 19th is not mentioned, but there is talk of a possible date at the Maracană for March 28th, 1981.
Below is a scan of the article and my translation from Portuguese to English. Enjoy the reading.
Queen predicts crazy rock for Brazilians
Considered the best rock group of the moment, the English group Queen, who will perform in Brazil from March 13th, and has been in Rio since Tuesday. Roger Taylor, Brian May, Freddie Mercury and John Deacon, accompanied by four bodyguards (one for each), four managers and one more total team of 20 people are in vacation mood. They came to rest before five presentations that they will make in Argentina, starting next Saturday and with tickets sold out for more than a month. As an official program, only the Red and Black ball, tonight. And lots of sun, swimming pool and peace to adapt to the South American climate beforehand to be consumed by Argentines.
Next to the pool at the Sheraton Hotel, where they are staying, Roger, Brian, Mercury and Deacon had their first contact with the press yesterday, in a conversation that they asked to be informal, despite the bodyguards and countless advisors who accompanied them. The first to arrive was Brian May. He is 32 years old and is accompanied by his wife and son who is just over a year old. Very talkative, with his skin already showing the first effects of the sun, wearing swimwear and a shirt with the English flag printed on it, his first impression of Rio is that of an exotic city.
- It is completely off the beaten track, different from the cities we are used to visiting. I feel like we're breaking a barrier, and that's what we're aiming for. We came from five degrees below zero, and this sun is wonderful for an Englishman.
With the sudden change in temperature, Mercury and Roger almost didn't come down for the interview: they were unwell throughout the morning, but managed to recover in time. John Deacon, 29 years old, the youngest of the group, also came along. Family offspring: wife and three children aged 1 to 5 years. It's not often that he travels like this, but as he had left them in the United States while they toured Japan, he decided to bring them to South America as well.
Everyone tries to separate family life from professional life. According to Brian, this is the only way they can work without problems and that is perhaps why they have stayed together for ten years.
- It's difficult for a group to stay that long - explains Brian - but as everyone knows each other well and lives separately, this becomes possible.
Roger Taylor, 31 years old, is the smallest, but also the one with the most beautiful blue eyes. Blonde, with straight, straight hair, he talks about the importance of The Beatles in Queen's career.
- They gave us a lot of experience, as they ordered their private lives and then disordered them. We are aware that there may be personal problems, we could even write a book on this topic, but we prefer to continue making music together.
Still about The Beatles and the recent death of John Lennon, everyone makes comments. For Roger, "he was the best"; for Mercury "the absolute genius", Deacon feels "with great sadness everything that happened" and Brian agrees with everyone. Regarding the number of security guards, one for each member of the group, once again John Lennon is remembered:
- If Lennon had been accompanied by one, he wouldn't have died - comments Brian.
- They are also on complete vacation - says Roger - as we only need their presence when we are on stage performing.
About the shows scheduled for Brazil on March 13th in Porto Alegre, at the Beira Rio stadium; the 21st in São Paulo, in Morumbi; and possibly on the 28th, in Rio, in a location not yet defined, probably in Maracană, where everyone is waiting for a great happening. They explain:
- I believe that all groups come here with some commercial intention. We came to show rock. We could do the same anywhere, but I feel that, in Brazil, it will be crazy: we can already see that Brazilians are throwing themselves into music. Rock is for the head and body. This will be our great opportunity to showcase rock in Brazil, and in the right way: with a great show - explains Brian May.
Although they do not know the profile of the public that buys their records in Brazil, they compare it with what they already know from other places: the presence, at their shows, of many young people and also people who have followed them since the beginning.
- It doesn't matter what they know about Queen - says Brian - but what they see. And a challenge for us is that it is in our plans.
Freddie Mercury, the oldest in the group, 34 years old, is the soloist, and even causes a stir when he claims to be more popular than The Beatles. Roger quickly explains:
- We are more popular than The Beatles in Japan, where we manage to sell fewer records than them.
The great sale of the ten albums already recorded by Queen is one of the most important in their commercial scheme. They do not have a manager, despite being accompanied by four managers: one for personal matters, Paul Prenter; another for financiers, Jim Beach; one for the tour of Latin America, Jose Rota, and the other for Brazilian issues, Carlos Alberto Scorzelli. Working as a cooperative, they manage to control the sales of their records.
- We don't make money from tours, which require a very large investment. With them we were able to balance our expenses and control our record sales around the world. We invest a lot in this work. In the first years, it seemed like we were always in debt: we fought to get out of the scheme by trying to improve the songs, making more careful contracts and fighting for the right to control sales. That's what we got now. The believe that they have matured a lot with rock. Roger says: "Rock grew up with us. It's not an old thing"
- We changed, now we make more artisanal music. Music is not just what we feel, it is the explosion itself. We learned to manipulate our work, giving it a better finish, playing our instruments better and feeling the music itself more.
The members of Queen do not travel on the same plane: the insurer requires each member to have US$10 million in insurance. "We are worth more than all the policyholders combined," says Mercury.
They don't mind the fact that Queen has another meaning in English slang, other than its vernacular meaning: effeminate.
- It was just a name - comments Mercury - we didn't think it would have a pejorative connotation later.
Late yesterday afternoon, Queen received news that made their Rio vacation even sweeter: Freddie Mercury (singer and keyboardist), Brian May (guitarist), John Deacon (bassist) and Roger Taylor ( drummer) were nominated for a British Academy Film and Television Award for their work on the soundtrack for the film "Flash Gordon", recently shown in Rio. The Academy Award is the English equivalent of the American Oscar.
Considered the best rock group of the moment, the English group Queen, who will perform in Brazil from March 13th, and has been in Rio since Tuesday. Roger Taylor, Brian May, Freddie Mercury and John Deacon, accompanied by four bodyguards (one for each), four managers and one more total team of 20 people are in vacation mood. They came to rest before five presentations that they will make in Argentina, starting next Saturday and with tickets sold out for more than a month. As an official program, only the Red and Black ball, tonight. And lots of sun, swimming pool and peace to adapt to the South American climate beforehand to be consumed by Argentines.
Next to the pool at the Sheraton Hotel, where they are staying, Roger, Brian, Mercury and Deacon had their first contact with the press yesterday, in a conversation that they asked to be informal, despite the bodyguards and countless advisors who accompanied them. The first to arrive was Brian May. He is 32 years old and is accompanied by his wife and son who is just over a year old. Very talkative, with his skin already showing the first effects of the sun, wearing swimwear and a shirt with the English flag printed on it, his first impression of Rio is that of an exotic city.
- It is completely off the beaten track, different from the cities we are used to visiting. I feel like we're breaking a barrier, and that's what we're aiming for. We came from five degrees below zero, and this sun is wonderful for an Englishman.
With the sudden change in temperature, Mercury and Roger almost didn't come down for the interview: they were unwell throughout the morning, but managed to recover in time. John Deacon, 29 years old, the youngest of the group, also came along. Family offspring: wife and three children aged 1 to 5 years. It's not often that he travels like this, but as he had left them in the United States while they toured Japan, he decided to bring them to South America as well.
Everyone tries to separate family life from professional life. According to Brian, this is the only way they can work without problems and that is perhaps why they have stayed together for ten years.
- It's difficult for a group to stay that long - explains Brian - but as everyone knows each other well and lives separately, this becomes possible.
Roger Taylor, 31 years old, is the smallest, but also the one with the most beautiful blue eyes. Blonde, with straight, straight hair, he talks about the importance of The Beatles in Queen's career.
- They gave us a lot of experience, as they ordered their private lives and then disordered them. We are aware that there may be personal problems, we could even write a book on this topic, but we prefer to continue making music together.
Still about The Beatles and the recent death of John Lennon, everyone makes comments. For Roger, "he was the best"; for Mercury "the absolute genius", Deacon feels "with great sadness everything that happened" and Brian agrees with everyone. Regarding the number of security guards, one for each member of the group, once again John Lennon is remembered:
- If Lennon had been accompanied by one, he wouldn't have died - comments Brian.
- They are also on complete vacation - says Roger - as we only need their presence when we are on stage performing.
About the shows scheduled for Brazil on March 13th in Porto Alegre, at the Beira Rio stadium; the 21st in São Paulo, in Morumbi; and possibly on the 28th, in Rio, in a location not yet defined, probably in Maracană, where everyone is waiting for a great happening. They explain:
- I believe that all groups come here with some commercial intention. We came to show rock. We could do the same anywhere, but I feel that, in Brazil, it will be crazy: we can already see that Brazilians are throwing themselves into music. Rock is for the head and body. This will be our great opportunity to showcase rock in Brazil, and in the right way: with a great show - explains Brian May.
Although they do not know the profile of the public that buys their records in Brazil, they compare it with what they already know from other places: the presence, at their shows, of many young people and also people who have followed them since the beginning.
- It doesn't matter what they know about Queen - says Brian - but what they see. And a challenge for us is that it is in our plans.
Freddie Mercury, the oldest in the group, 34 years old, is the soloist, and even causes a stir when he claims to be more popular than The Beatles. Roger quickly explains:
- We are more popular than The Beatles in Japan, where we manage to sell fewer records than them.
The great sale of the ten albums already recorded by Queen is one of the most important in their commercial scheme. They do not have a manager, despite being accompanied by four managers: one for personal matters, Paul Prenter; another for financiers, Jim Beach; one for the tour of Latin America, Jose Rota, and the other for Brazilian issues, Carlos Alberto Scorzelli. Working as a cooperative, they manage to control the sales of their records.
- We don't make money from tours, which require a very large investment. With them we were able to balance our expenses and control our record sales around the world. We invest a lot in this work. In the first years, it seemed like we were always in debt: we fought to get out of the scheme by trying to improve the songs, making more careful contracts and fighting for the right to control sales. That's what we got now. The believe that they have matured a lot with rock. Roger says: "Rock grew up with us. It's not an old thing"
- We changed, now we make more artisanal music. Music is not just what we feel, it is the explosion itself. We learned to manipulate our work, giving it a better finish, playing our instruments better and feeling the music itself more.
The members of Queen do not travel on the same plane: the insurer requires each member to have US$10 million in insurance. "We are worth more than all the policyholders combined," says Mercury.
They don't mind the fact that Queen has another meaning in English slang, other than its vernacular meaning: effeminate.
- It was just a name - comments Mercury - we didn't think it would have a pejorative connotation later.
Late yesterday afternoon, Queen received news that made their Rio vacation even sweeter: Freddie Mercury (singer and keyboardist), Brian May (guitarist), John Deacon (bassist) and Roger Taylor ( drummer) were nominated for a British Academy Film and Television Award for their work on the soundtrack for the film "Flash Gordon", recently shown in Rio. The Academy Award is the English equivalent of the American Oscar.