Golden Salmon
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Post by Golden Salmon on Jun 3, 2020 21:11:54 GMT
Just being curious: I did read that there might be some live recording of him not having his microphone off and you can actually hear John doing backing vocals, inadvertently.
Any examples out there?
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baronlutenvank
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Post by baronlutenvank on Jun 4, 2020 11:26:02 GMT
Just being curious: I did read that there might be some live recording of him not having his microphone off and you can actually hear John doing backing vocals, inadvertently. Any examples out there? Well here's John singing Radio Gaga at Milan 9/14/84 And this part of In The Lap Of The Gods Revisited in Earls Court
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Golden Salmon
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Post by Golden Salmon on Jun 4, 2020 12:42:49 GMT
Hahaha, I was pretty sure I had listened something before. Thank you!
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jlf
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Post by jlf on Jun 4, 2020 13:29:58 GMT
I mean it's not the greatest voice ever sure, but to say he 'can't sing' is stretching it. For someone who can't sing he's actually got range. The tone sucks a bit because he doesn't practice but the 'instrument' is there. He'd never have been Freddie, but listening to Freddie singing "Green" in 1968, you'd never think it could be the same singer on even Bohemian Rhapsody or One Vision, and certainly you'd never put the Freddie of "Green" next to Montserrat Caballe.
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Golden Salmon
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Post by Golden Salmon on Jun 4, 2020 13:50:30 GMT
I guess he was never encouraged to try enough, plus whatever other personal issues he may have had over the years. No surprise the shy member would just stick to what he was excellent at.
Not that I wouldn't be discouraged to try and sing only to sound like an utter abomination compared to Freddie Mercury, mind you.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2020 14:12:38 GMT
In a lesser band he'd been alright for occasional backing vocals, I reckon. But when you're next to Brian, Roger and Frederick...
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jlf
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Post by jlf on Jun 4, 2020 22:16:15 GMT
That's the thing - the other three were so good and so gelled together with the harmonies, that John didn't really need to sing. Of course John is every bit the musician that the other three are/were, and his contribution to the band is as important for their sound as anything the others did. Even if John only played the bass and didn't write or arrange, the way he plays is so distinctive.
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Golden Salmon
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Post by Golden Salmon on Jun 4, 2020 23:34:55 GMT
They were right when they said that John is Queen's secret weapon. Just hidden in plain sight. Bohemian Rhapsody is arguably their most legendary / culturally relevant song and their first big hit, but it was John who wrote Queen's greatest hit: "Another One Bites The Dust". He created, then forgot, "Under Pressure" 's bass line (thank Roger for remembering it). And then he also penned "I Want To Break Free" which I believe the public thinks it is Freddie's, but we know the story. In a lesser band he'd been alright for occasional backing vocals, I reckon. But when you're next to Brian, Roger and Frederick... The hell dude? Not Frederick, that's what he used. They used to call him Fred!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2020 0:09:46 GMT
John himself admitted the bass-line was penned by David Bowie. What John may have created, and then forgotten, was the bass riff.
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Golden Salmon
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Post by Golden Salmon on Jun 5, 2020 0:15:47 GMT
^My mistake on the correct technical term.
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Rick
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Post by Rick on Jun 11, 2020 8:22:26 GMT
So, is it John's voice on the 'alternative' Cool Cat or is just Freddie not sounding like Freddie at all?
The 'I used to know that' spoken line.
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Post by martinpacker on Jun 12, 2020 8:06:42 GMT
"but we know the story." <abbr>Actually we don't. All we know is John wrote it. We don't know why.</abbr>
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Rick
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Post by Rick on Jun 17, 2020 14:03:25 GMT
The 'slapping' bass at the end of Hijack My Heart: it is John or is it a preset on a keyboard/synth played by Roger for example?
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Post by eddiespaghetti on Jun 19, 2020 21:00:41 GMT
Don't forget John also played the nose flute and mouth harp....he was excellent at it
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Post by queen1970s on Jun 19, 2020 22:18:05 GMT
Don't forget John also played the nose flute and mouth harp....he was excellent at it really? it's interesting I didn't knew that. great info thanks. you've got any pic of him with them?
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Post by rogermeddowstaylor on Aug 21, 2020 13:16:48 GMT
... and to mock around a bit he was also a master of handling his one-eyed trouser flute (judging by his post-millennium night club escapades)
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cmsdrums
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Post by cmsdrums on Aug 21, 2020 14:00:28 GMT
Doesn’t John play acoustic guitar on the deluxe edition early acoustic version of ‘Dreamer’s Ball’? If so this might intimate (though not prove) that he plays it on the final version too?
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georg
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Post by georg on Aug 21, 2020 14:48:09 GMT
Only Brian, Roger, and Freddie are credited as performing on the early acoustic Dreamers Ball.
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cmsdrums
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Post by cmsdrums on Aug 21, 2020 15:16:18 GMT
Only Brian, Roger, and Freddie are credited as performing on the early acoustic Dreamers Ball. Ah, great - thanks. I was working from memory and may well be getting that confused with the ‘Who Needs You’ acoustic take?!?
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Post by queen1970s on Aug 21, 2020 16:11:08 GMT
Only Brian, Roger, and Freddie are credited as performing on the early acoustic Dreamers Ball. à Ah, great - thanks. I was working from memory and may well be getting that confused with the ‘Who Needs You’ acoustic take?!? Yeah he played acoustic guitar on "Who Needs You"
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cmsdrums
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Post by cmsdrums on Aug 22, 2020 12:40:58 GMT
Just being curious: I did read that there might be some live recording of him not having his microphone off and you can actually hear John doing backing vocals, inadvertently. Any examples out there? South America 81 gig has Freddie’s mic gives out on ‘Save Me’ and he goes to John’s mic to sing - it’s definitely already got the level up but just needs pushing up to lead level (which Trip Khalaf sorts quickly).
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 22, 2020 14:03:21 GMT
It also had to be on in the 70's for the triangle. Although, of course, it could've been off before and after that.
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Dimitris
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Post by Dimitris on Aug 24, 2020 11:42:45 GMT
Regarding Love Kills, didn't Brian make the claim that the record released in 1984 was mostly Queen with some additional overdubbing, and that Georgio Moroder had little to nothing to do with the writing or recording? I've heard that before I think I might've read somewhere Moroder got credited because Queen using Metropolis in Radio Ga Ga. I think it was one of the conditions he said. If I remember correctly Freddie wanted to have a real solo release at that time, but due that Love kills was recorded at the same period and same studio with some songs from the The Works, the other members get involved, John did rhythm guitar parts. Also when EMI created the first promo posters for Love Kills single, it was, written something like the solo single from Queen singer. Freddie didn't like that idea and the posters were rejected. Freddie didn't like that much the other get involved in his solo... despite using them in various occasions. Anyway here is a link from Giorgio interview about Freddie Mercury and love kills, which implies that there was some creative friction between them, so maybe Giorgio has reliable credit on the song. m.youtube.com/watch?v=-4_8IS33TLU
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