1970s Japanese fanzine ephemera

I'm posting a few more odds and ends I've translated from Japanese Queen Times fanzines.

See post here for my translations of Queen Times vol. 4 "Queen on the Road 1975" feature.  That will also give you some context.

See post here for my translation of a different Japanese Queen fan group's 1985 fanzine concert report.

Things in (parentheses) are in the original text.
Things in {braces} are my own translation notes.

From Queen Times vol. 4, these are little write-ups on their personal impressions of the members.  They're admittedly a little fangirly, but I thought they were still interesting.

Freddie Mercury

{Note: I did some research and Freddie was apparently given some silly "Exorcist Award" in a Japanese music magazine in early 1975 based on his looks and/or persona.  The Exorcist had just been released in Japan in 1974 and was insanely popular at the time.  The magazine also gave Brian the title of "Most Likely to Pass Out" due to his health issues in 1974.  Needless to say, a lot of fans were annoyed and thought this was dumb.}

Before coming to Japan, he received a certain “Exorcist Award” from a certain magazine, but in actuality he was an intelligent and beautiful young man with an intensely mysterious appearance.
His style was dripping with grace and elegance and he fairly floated around with the attitude of a champion.
He’s the most fashionable of all the band members, and his costumes cut a fine figure even when he’s offstage.
One gets the feeling that he is casting pearls before swine, as he gives off the feeling of aristocratic nobility, but in a way that can be summed up in one word: cool!
You never get a sense of sarcasm from him. We guess it could be said that it feels like he was well-bred. Yes, offstage he is unexpectedly quiet, but onstage he is more animated {lit. violent} than you can imagine!
The people who claimed he was “the Exorcist of the Rock World” really ought to see him in person next time they come to Japan. In reality he is a very unique and attractive young man.

Roger Taylor

He’s loved by all, having a good reputation with all related parties, and almost felt like their pet.
And yes, he really is that cute.
His eyes are insanely huge, with long eyelashes coated in mascara, and they’re always going round and round taking everything in, boiling over with great curiosity.
The bodyguards assigned to him would agree with us and say, “He’s really cute, yeah he’s the cute one,” while squinting his way.
But he’s not merely cute— he’s unexpectedly pulled together, and somehow miraculously feels even more adult-like than Brian.
That is, no matter what kind of problem arose, he didn’t lose his head, and we get the feeling there’s never a time when he’ll stop smiling.
Anyhow he’s so kind and cute, this sincere young man. (Voice from the shadows: These sentences are full of an awful lot of adverbs and adjectives, huh?)

Brian May

Brian was entirely as we expected.
So kind, always paying attention to us…
His looks are better in person than in photos, and we would even call him cute.
And this guy! He’s so eye-catching.
He’s SO tall, always wearing black suits… and then his hair is always unfurling in such a gorgeous manner.
Yep, it’s said that that messy head is completely natural! Surprising, right?
He’s quiet and docile offstage, but he seems a bit hard to please.
Whenever we looked a bit bored, he’d peek at our faces and smile at us.
If we had to say one bad thing, it’d be that he’s so difficult to please.
But he was a totally nice guy who enjoys friendly conversation.

John Deacon

This guy has gone back home now and we still aren’t quite sure what kind of human he is.
We assume that it’s partially because he’s the kind of guy whose mood changes with the weather.
When he was in a good mood he wouldn’t stop grinning madly and when he was in a bad mood he would completely ignore fans no matter what they said.
Maybe it’s because he’s not quite accustomed to being out in the world, so he has no skin?
But that doesn’t mean he isn’t bright with a good sense of humor. That’s right, he seems to have a really good relationship with Brian, since when we were in Brian’s room John just sauntered right in and said “Hello!” like it was nothing, standing there and staring intently at us. Their relationship felt good as though they were brothers, and the mood in the room was all smiles.
But is he an adult? is he a child? We really couldn’t tell— he was a refreshingly unusual person.

~~~~

After that comes a general concert report from the Japanese 1975 tour:

Japanese Performance Highlights
by Itsuko Furubayashi

As soon as “Procession” began, the smoke machine filled the entire place with fog.
So many girls shrieking!
And inevitably, the Queen concert began, attacking us all with a pleasant sense of urgency.
On the 19th, it was impossible to calmly enjoy the show, but at other performances the ushers pushed people back so we were able to enjoy ourselves more.
(It really is better when the ushers push back! People who say otherwise are letting their egos get the better of them… think of the inconvenience you are causing others {by not being kept in line}!)
The second song was always “Now I’m Here”.
The light show for this song was elaborate, and at the climax of the song, a big flash of light came, illuminating Freddie in all of his glorious action.
The PA system sounded good as well.
The intro to the third song, “Ogre Battle”, was quite intense.
An impressive “battle” was born from Brian's guitar, and the lighting at that part was interesting also.
Green lights illuminated the stage in a creepy manner, and there was this feeling that a man-eating demon might pop out in the theater at any moment… it was very dramatic. It truly was quite a performance, with no sense of insincerity whatsoever.
The chorus of this song was perfectly defined, and Brian’s guitarwork was bright and clear.
Next was “Father to Son”.
The ending had a heavier, more lively {lit. cheerful} arrangement than on the record.
Maybe because the preceding song, “Ogre Battle”, was so heavy, I couldn’t help but feel impressed by how Queen-like, elegant, and moving this contrast was.
Then over the lingering sounds of “Father to Son”, the sad and dramatic story of “White Queen” began to play.
Freddie played his piano gracefully here, but Roger’s drumming shouldn’t be overlooked either.
On the other hand, I found myself wondering what was up with John, and Staff Member Risa told me she saw him yawning….
Then they switched gears with a powerful performance of “Flick of the Wrist”, with John keeping an undulating pace. I thought this song would be impossible to recreate onstage, but things unfolded much as they did on the record thanks to John’s remarkable bass-playing. The ending of “Brighton Rock” could’ve used a bit of that charm…
The seventh song was “Doing All Right”, which didn’t leave much of an impression, but that may just be because the eighth song was a medley of great songs that blurred it a bit in comparison.
Before this medley began, Freddie made a point of mentioning that “Killer Queen” was coming up, and the audience’s spirits naturally climbed.
So when “In the Lap of the Gods” started, everyone held their breath and stared at the stage, wondering when they would launch into “Killer Queen”. But it has to be said that Roger’s voice in “Lap of the Gods” is something to behold! He sounds almost exactly like he does on the record! It seems like it should be impossible. Really I think the highlight of this song was that singular voice of his.
Then, after that, they threw “Killer Queen” at us. Following the example of the band, everyone clapped their hands and stomped their feet to that “DOOT DOOT DOOT DOOT…” beat at the beginning.
And as soon as Freddie came in with “She keeps…” the climax of the show began!
I think a lot has already been said regarding Freddie’s pianowork on this one.
The tenth song was that long one, “Black Queen”, but it wasn’t part of a medley and we got to hear the whole thing through.
But I can’t say they didn’t shorten a few things here and there! “Leroy Brown”, which was the next song, is a good example….
“Leroy Brown” gave off an awesomely dark feel, similar to “Killer Queen”, and Brian had a chance to play the ukulele, which was well-received at every show.
Oh yeah, and I must add that John brought his triangle into the mix during “Killer Queen”….
I always got a kick out of that part.
Once the “Leroy Brown” medley was over, they began their 18th number, “Son and Daughter”.
This has been a part of their repertoire for years now, and Freddie’s stage presence was so self-assured, especially during the chorus. It felt daring.
Towards the middle of the performances, Brian’s elaborate guitar solo showed up, and we got to hear him weave in some Japanese folksongs.
The others came back onstage, and again they achieved the perfection of their total sound. While Brian was doing his solo, Freddie had transformed from a “White Queen” into a “Black Queen”!
Freddie had changed his clothes at this point; let me see if I can remember what everyone wore.
For this change of clothes during “Son and Daughter”, Freddie had on a white jumpsuit with a pleated cape. John wore a black suit. Roger…. was a little too elaborate for me to remember well, because it varied depending on the night. Brian wore a stunning costume that made him look like a gravure stylized bird.
When Freddie changed, he wore a black V-neck tee shirt and tight black pants.
He really got into it with “Son and Daughter”, yelling “Alright, stand up! Clap your hands!” as they rushed into “Keep Yourself Alive”. The audience had been waiting for a cue to stand, and both we the audience and Queen enjoyed our time together immensely!
Things got more and more exciting with “The Seven Seas of Rhye”, and a hard rock performance of “Stone Cold Crazy” had the girls on the verge of fainting. Then they did the ever-popular “Liar.”
Boiling over with excitement and yelling out “Liar!” during the chorus with all the other people, I was so glad I was able to come be together with Queen like this. During the last number “In the Lap of the Gods… revisited…”, the smoke machine started up again, and I began to feel the pull on my heartstrings that it was all soon going to be over, and I even cried a bit during the last show. Freddie’s beautiful piano resounded and I thought I heard him yell “Sayonara!”, and with that, in a flash the drama onstage was gone. At every show, people were shouting “ENCORE! ENCORE!” with such insanity that the four guys appeared again, and treated us to an excellent rock ’n’ roll medley.
“Big Spender”, “Modern Times Rock ’n’ Roll”, and “Jailhouse Rock”— all arranged and done with Queen flair, and Freddie brought out red carnations to throw during the climax.
The second encore was “See What A Fool I’ve Been”, and this was the end, as the four guys left the stage.
Even thought the show was over, the British national anthem began to fill the venue, sending off impressed fans.
Of course we the staff were impressed as well.

~~~

Lastly, I've translated a short interview with Brian that appears in Queen Times vol. 3.  As far as I can tell, this interview hasn’t been published anywhere else.  The fine print says "These answers were obtained from Brian May directly by means of a translator".  It’s unclear whether the Queen Times staff member conducted this interview herself or just translated it back into Japanese.  Sorry if it turns out to be redundant.

This is from Queen Times Vol. 3. At the end of Vol. 4, they state that the following issue (Vol. 5) will have not only the interview they did with Brian in his hotel room, but a “continuation” of the interview printed here as well. I believe Vol. 5 was the final issue these kids published before the official International Fan Club was set up and began publishing in Japan in Oct 1975. Please let me know if you ever come across Queen Times Vol. 5 (or 1, or 2, or Queen Express, or any other Japanese fanzines from any era) for sale.

Interesting to note, if the date is correct, I believe Brian was still convalescing from his health issues.

Brian May Interview
August 1974 Kensington, in Surrey, England

Q1: What features does your homemade guitar possess?
Brian: Developing this guitar helped me to grow my own will and comprehension thereof! This guitar can put out a wide range of sounds due to the different pickups, and because of that it has a great organic-sounding feedback. It also can put out sophisticated musical effects, and the tremolo has an insane amount of reach, plus it uses this independent roller and a special bridge for the strings. I’ve really quite an attachment to this guitar, and it would really be quite a problem to find a replacement if something were to happen to it.

Q2: How long did you study before constructing your guitar? Did you make it all by yourself?
B: I don’t have any actual formal training as a luthier or anything. But when my father and I began to work on it together, we thought it through very thoroughly and researched what brands and parts we wanted to use. I’ve always enjoyed building things.

Q3: What was something that took painstaking effort when building this guitar?
B: Hmm, well nothing specific, but I had to pay close attention when shaping the neck of the guitar.

Q4: Are there features would you like to add to it next?
B: I’d like to put in an internal booster. Although there are ways to substitute that. But, any time I start thinking I might like to do something new to this guitar, I realize it’s mainly an issue of having no time to do it…… but having said that, this guitar has remained current for about nine years or so now anyway.

Q5: What does composing a song look like for you?
B: This is a hard one. Even if I’m somewhere with friends and completely detached from music, or even if I’m alone by myself somewhere, I’m usually mindful of ideas that might pop up. But sometimes an idea will be born when I’m playing my guitar.

Q6: We love your songs. Did you base “Some Day One Day” and “Father to Son” on actual experiences in your life? Or did they come strictly from your imagination?
B: Thank you so much! That makes me so happy to hear. As far as my songs go, I think I’m always trying to seek something. “Some Day One Day” was based on something I really experienced, whereas “Father to Son” has an abstract feeling of “What is the trajectory of this person's life?”

Q7: What would you like to really come through in your songs?
B: I think… I want to make people think deeply about things.

Q8: Between “Princess of Terror” {the original Japanese title of Queen I} and “Queen II”, which song do you like best?
B: Oh it’s too hard to decide. Maybe “The Night Comes Down.”

Q9: Of Queen’s two albums, what parts are you most proud of?
B: Parts of “White Queen” and “Black Queen”, as well as “Procession.”

Q10: On which song do you like your guitarwork best?
B: The middle part of “My Fairy King”.

Q11: What kind of costumes do you wear onstage?
B: Queenly things!

Q12: What is the importance of your costumes and stage makeup?
B: They’re really important to the show, but the music is just as important.

Q13: The Who, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Hank Marvin— can you go through and say how they each influenced you?
B: The Who— their excitement. The Beatles— everything. Hendrix— Power and beauty. Hank Marvin— I initially tried to emulate his technique.

Q14: What type of music did you play with Smile?
B: It resembled what Queen plays now, but it was much simpler.

Q15: What is Queen’s purpose?
B: Impossible to say!

Q16: What kind of music have you been listening to lately?
B: Jeff Beck and Joni Mitchell.

Q17: Who are some people you respect?
B: Everybody.

Q18: Can you be more specific?
B: The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Herman Hesse, C.J. Lewis.