"Winged Mercury": interview with Freddie from 'Melody Maker', 6 April 1976
Sept 20, 2023 7:01:33 GMT
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Post by fabiogminero on Sept 20, 2023 7:01:33 GMT
Hi everyone.
Below is an article entitled Winged Mercury, which appeared in the English music magazine Melody Maker on April 6th, 1976. This is an interview held at John Reid's office in Beverly Hills in which Freddie talks about the just finished U.S. tour. in support of 'A Night At The Opera' (in particular, the concerts in Santa Monica, New York City and Detroit, where the band played three encores in one of the two nights) and the song 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.
Below is the scan and transcription for quicker and clearer reading. Enjoy the reading!
Below is an article entitled Winged Mercury, which appeared in the English music magazine Melody Maker on April 6th, 1976. This is an interview held at John Reid's office in Beverly Hills in which Freddie talks about the just finished U.S. tour. in support of 'A Night At The Opera' (in particular, the concerts in Santa Monica, New York City and Detroit, where the band played three encores in one of the two nights) and the song 'Bohemian Rhapsody'.
Below is the scan and transcription for quicker and clearer reading. Enjoy the reading!
Winged Mercury
LOS ANGELES: Sitting in John Reid's attractive Beverly Hills office, Freddie Mercury in white satin suit is askin to a earged panther separated bhy a second story window from the Shampoo crowd below.
Queen had slaughtered L.A. with three packed houses at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Over wine Freddie reflected on the recently completed U.S. tour.
"Overall the reaction this tour has been much stronger than the last time around", he says, "It's a progression and we're much more confident on this visit. New York went over better than we imagined. In fact, New York saw some of the best shows. Four sell outs at the Beacon Theatre".
"And in Detroit we did two encores and the audience was just amazing. We decided to take a third encore. There seems to be a more few more males in the audience this tour. We're attracting a very different type of age group these days. An amazing cross section. There's no stopping them!"
In front of an audience, Fred and the boys have caused alarming media attention. Almost all press on this tour has been favourable and Freddie has emerged as the band's focal point in reviews. "Well," he pauses..."the band seems to be hooked at more as a unit this year. However, there are certain things I have to do as a lead singer. Lots of time the emphasis is placed on me. If I wasn't doing it, I'd be failing in my role."
"Bohemian Rhapsody" clocking in at just under six minutes is threatning to break into the 30 million listener RKO playlist, which assures gold status. "A Night At The Opera" is gaining heavy FM saturation and "Bohemian Rhapsody" in unedited form might be the longest tune to get into full rotation since Dylan's "Like A Rolling Stone".
And Radio stations across America are having lyrical dissections, rivalling mid-period Dylan.
"A lyrical dissection? One thing I will not do is give you my interpretation of the song's meaning" says Mr. M. "Because it's one of those songs tha's so stylised and into the fantasy that I feel when people listen to it they should make up their own minds.
"I wanted people to lose themselves in the song. I wanted to write a song with three different elements and sections in it. Then it grew. There were certain bits where I could've chopped out a lot of things and made it shorter. I wanted to make it as perfect as possible. Song structure and lyrical content were both heavily considered.
"We want to do interesting songs constantly. The day we try and do something that isn't interesting for us is the day we'll be a dead group. We'd be doing something thatt he media expects as to do. That would be a downward step. At the moment we're doing what we feel is right. We've never catered to the media. We want the public to accept what we're doing. We've been arrogant."
