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Post by deathtoming on Jul 26, 2020 2:24:26 GMT
This is Tour Diary #4 (The Game / Flash Gordon Japan tour, 1981) AND Tour Diary #5 (Hot Space Japan tour, 1982). The 1981 tour was just five shows, all in Tokyo, so I combined it with the 1982 tour, which had six shows in five cities. Most of the text is a direct translation from Japanese by me from the 2019 book Queen Live Tour in Japan 1975-1985, which has notes originally published by Music Life magazine in 1981 and 1982. Some other information comes from recent interviews in another Japanese publication, Queen in Japan (2020), as well as Japanese magazines Music Life, Viva Rock, Rekoparu, and Ongaku Senka from 1981-1983, plus other Japanese sources online. I try to find relevant photos to match the tour diary, but it’s not meant to be exhaustive. Text in brackets [like this] are my own comments or taken from sources outside of the Tour Diaries. Monday, February 9, 1981Freddie, Brian, and John arrive at Narita Airport from London on flight JAL442 at 3:35 pm, and Roger arrives with girlfriend Dominique on flight JAL61 from Los Angeles at night. [John goes on a club crawl the day he arrives, and ends up going to 8 different discos on just this very first night in Japan. He tells Music Life magazine: “I have another name aside from ‘John.’ They call me ‘Disco Deacon.’”] [John arrives at the airport. Brian is also visible, as is Freddie. Looks like Paul Prenter and Peter "Phoebe" Freestone, too.] [Roger and girlfriend Dominique arrive.] [Freddie arrives with boyfriend Peter Morgan. My book said this guy was “thought to be Peter Freestone,” while another source said Peter Morgan was a bodyguard.] Tuesday, February 10, 1981Brian, John, and Roger attend a Flash Gordon movie premiere event at Theatre Tokyo. They take a group picture with singers Hiroko Yakushimaru, Hiromi Ota, and Yuki Okazaki. Freddie has some stomach problems while shopping at the Oriental Bazaar in Harajuku, and heads back to the hotel, unable to attend the event. Apparently, he was suffering from constipation. [Here’s a video showing the Flash Gordon event in headache-inducing quality.] [Photos from the Flash Gordon event.] Wednesday, February 11, 1981 Brian, who is able to read some katakana (one of the Japanese “alphabets”), is able to identify the words Flash Gordon (フラッシュ・ゴードン) , Queen (クイーン), and others in a newspaper article reporting on the previous day’s premiere event. John, Brian, and Roger attend the inaugural Toyota Cup soccer/football tournament, featuring Nottingham Forest vs. Nacional Montevideo. They cheer for the English team Nottingham, but they fall 1-0. Incidentally, their flight from London also had some Nottingham players on it. Thursday, February 12, 1981 - Nippon Budokan Gary Numan is in attendance to watch this show, and there is a commotion when he is recognized by fans sitting near him. [TV interview with Brian and Roger, in the dressing room at the Budokan after soundcheck. Date unknown.] [...continued in next post...]
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Post by deathtoming on Jul 26, 2020 2:30:08 GMT
[...continued from previous post…] Friday, February 13, 1981 - Nippon Budokan [Backstage photos from this day. Roger is seen wearing a prisoner-style shirt, which John would later wear on stage because his new look inspires the name “Birdman” (of Alcatraz).] During this show, there is a boisterous contingent of American fans. They ignore the warnings of the venue’s staff, smoking, drinking, doing whatever they please, and are noisy even when Freddie is talking to the audience. Not able to put up with it any longer, Freddie barks, “Shut up!!” at them, bringing peace to the Budokan. [In this sequence of events, Freddie acknowledges the boisterous group: “We got a rowdy crowd over there, hello!” Then it sounds like someone climbs on to the stage. Finally, the “Shut up!!” moment, all within 30 seconds!] After the show, the band heads to the disco Club 33 in Roppongi to attend a party held in their honour by Watanabe Productions. Gary Numan, Hiroshi Nakamaya and other entertainers and music industry individuals are in attendance. Members of the group JAPAN are also supposed to attend, but they get lost on the way and do not make it.
[During this party, Queen’s Japanese interpreter is nervous and starstruck by one of the guests, singer Hiroshi Kamayatsu. Noticing this, Brian says to the interpreter, “If you’re not able to talk to him, why don’t I introduce you to him?”]
[Misa Watanabe, president of Watanabe Productions, is pictured here at the party.]
Saturday, February 14, 1981
Roger had planned to take advantage of the weekend to go travelling to Atami with Dominique on this day, but she suddenly develops a fever so they have to cancel.
Brian goes sightseeing in Asakusa with bodyguard “Big Wally” (Walter Versen), his Japanese bodyguard, and an interpreter. Brian is amazed by the giant lantern at Kaminarimon, and buys a souvenir Japanese mask for his eldest son, Jimmy, from the shops near the temple.
Furthermore, he leads the group to a yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) restaurant, and all in all fully enjoys the friendly atmosphere of the down-to-earth neighbourhood.
[Freddie shopping at the Oriental Bazaar on this day. He is being guided by Misa Watanabe.]
[Roger shopping for kimono at the Oriental Bazaar, some time during this tour.]
Sunday, February 15, 1981
Brian visits Kamakura and visits sightseeing spots like Kencho-ji, Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu, and the big Buddha statue. He particularly enjoys the lake inside the gardens of Kencho-ji.
Brian also goes to a record shop in Kamakura and buys Japanese Queen singles. Being a Sunday, there are several tourists, and it causes a bit of a scene when he is recognized by fans.
Monday, February 16, 1981 - Nippon Budokan
At 6:00 pm, right before the show, Freddie has an interview with Music Life backstage of the Budokan.
[During the encore, John wears a full prisoner’s outfit.]
[During Teo Torriatte, Freddie has a large piece of paper in his hand so that he can look at the lyrics.]
[Gregsynthbootlegs asked on his YouTube what that announcement at the end of the concert means, so here’s the translation: “This marks the end of today’s Queen concert. Please watch your step, and please refrain from pushing as you exit. Tickets for the 17th and 18th are available for purchase today at the front of the Budokan as ‘dual tickets.’ Thank you very much for coming to the show today.”]
Tuesday, February 17, 1981 - Nippon Budokan
After the show, all four members attend a Warner Pioneer dinner party at Roppongi’s Bistro Lotus (a famous French restaurant where the head chef was once Ishinabe Yutaka [the first French chef in the Iron Chef TV cooking show]. This restaurant was the venue for another record company dinner party the last time they were in Japan. Roger recalls this as he sees his autograph on the wall from his last visit.
Wednesday, February 18, 1981 - Nippon Budokan
After the show, Roger goes to Roppongi for his favourite, Korean-style BBQ. However, he gets annoyed when he doesn’t know how to put on the paper aprons handed to the diners. In the end, he wears the apron like a hat because the oil from the grill would fly into his hair.
[...continued in next post...]
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Post by deathtoming on Jul 26, 2020 2:35:06 GMT
[...continued from previous post...] Thursday, February 19, 1981Roger leaves Japan for Los Angeles. Brian heads to Miami to join his wife, who is 6 months pregnant, and their 3-year-old son, and they go to Disney World for vacation. Friday, February 20, 1981Freddie stays in Japan. On this day alone, he buys twenty-five kimono, seven woodblock prints, red lacquer boxes, and other traditional crafts, spending over ten million yen (today, that’s $93,000 USD). Freddie’s knowledge of Japanese art had developed a fair bit by this point, and during interviews he’d throw around words and names like imari, kutani, Utamaro, Moronobu fluently. Freddie sets off to board his Pan American flight 800 at 6:45 pm to New York, but returns to the gate 30 minutes later. The flight was on the DC10 aircraft, which Freddie claims has a history of crashes. He decides to wait around at the airport for another flight 12 hours later on a different aircraft. Miscellaneous notes:
- The stage equipment brought over for the tour included a giant lighting rig made up of seven panels of 48 lights, operating machines, a PA system, audio equipment and more, requiring 15 trucks. The crew does practice runs of setting up the stage at the indoor practice facility of the Yakult Swallows baseball team. Each panel of lights is operated by a crew member who rides it. However, the crew finds that the Budokan doesn’t have the proper setup in the ceiling to support this system. Ultimately, the crew has to manually install seating on each of the light panels, and they only finish up right before the soundcheck of the opening day’s show. [This picture shows off the panels of lights, as well as the Ultra Arc spotlights by Phoebus Manufacturing. Freddie has a “Guest” pass clipped to his pants.] [This rehearsal pic gives a closer look at the lights, as well as the lights in the drum riser.] - Disco music-loving John goes to the disco everyday. He hits it off with the director of the record company when they get to talking about the funk/disco group Chic. When the director mentions that the guitars and bass of Another One Bites the Dust sound similar to Chic’s Good Times, John responds, “I hear that a lot.” Incidentally, John is a fan of Chic’s drummer, Tony Thompson. - Roger brings several books with him, just as he did during the previous tours, including Japanese author Shusaku Endo’s Chinmoku. [The English title is Silence, and was made into a film by Martin Scorcese recently.] - [During an interview session with Music Life, while the Music Life staff members were chatting with each other, the word akuma (“devil”) comes up. John then interjects in Japanese, “ Watashi wa akuma desu” (‘I am the devil’) as he strikes a pose. Everyone in the room is left in stunned silence.] [Music Life cover from April 1981, and an out take from that photo shoot.] - Brian buys two cameras on this trip, including a stereoscopic one. - The whole group is fond of sake, particularly when they eat Japanese food like tempura and shabu shabu. - John declares one day, “I want to go eat at a place that regular guys go to after work!” So the staff takes him to an ordinary yakitori place in Shinjuku, and John seems content with his yakitori and hot sake. He also expresses interest in instant noodles, and while he does not like kitsune udon, he enjoys regular instant ramen. - The health-oriented Brian enjoys soba noodles and traditional Japanese food. However, this proves to be an austere lifestyle for the meat-craving young Japanese staff members assigned to Brian. On the last day, though, Brian takes the staff to a hamburger restaurant. - Brian started collecting traditional Japanese hakata dolls during previous tours, but he has to order them by phone during this tour because they are a specialty of Fukuoka. - The Japanese staff and representatives of the record company perceive an aura from Freddie that makes him difficult to approach. While Freddie responds if he is spoken to, he doesn’t initiate interactions himself, and doesn’t make things easy for the people attending to him. He lets the other Queen members take care of promotions and such, and takes a self-centred approach, like a superstar. That said, Queen is successful all over the world at this point, so he truly is a superstar. - [The 1981 tour is commemorated in the special April 1981 edition of Music Life, called “Queen The Miracle” well before The Miracle album in 1989. In October 1975, Music Life has “Queen Forever” printed on the cover, before the compilation album was released in 2014. In the 1979 special edition of Music Life commemorating the Jazz / Live Killers tour, on the second page it says “You Are the Champions” more than 40 years before the single with that name would be released with Adam Lambert. By the way, Roger Taylor said in a recent interview that he still has copies of Music Life on his bookshelf. Hmm.] [...continued in next post...]
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Post by deathtoming on Jul 26, 2020 2:38:35 GMT
[...continued from previous post...] [Tour Diary #4 (1981) ends here. From this point on, it’s Tour Diary #5 (1982).] Tour Diary #5 - Hot Space[For the 1982 tour, some days did not have diary entries. Also, there was not as much detail as before; for example, we don’t have the exact flight numbers and time of arrival!] Tuesday, October 19, 1982 - Kyuden Kinen Taiikukan (Fukuoka)[Roger arrives at the venue in Fukuoka. Photographer Koh Hasebe and Music Life Editor-in-Chief Kaoruko Togo are standing by.] [Behind the scenes of an interview session at the hotel in Fukuoka. Koh Hasebe is seen on the left.] Wednesday, October 20, 1982 - Kyuden Kinen Taiikukan (Fukuoka) Brian is the only one who brings his family on this tour. On this day, Brian goes shopping with his 4-year-old son Jimmy and 6-month-old daughter Louisa. Freddie buys some paintings at a department store. Roger heads out, too, but is recognized by fans so has to return to the hotel. [Brian arriving at the airport with his wife and two kids arriving in Fukuoka the day before.] A rare occurrence: all four members sit in on a Music Life interview. [The interview was published in Music Life’s December 1982 issue. Nothing too interesting, except the following bit from Freddie: “When we were recording with David Bowie, I thought it would be nice to record with other artists, and I’m probably going to record with Michael Jackson next January. And right now, I’m writing a song for Donna Summer. I think it’s going to be really good.”] [John and Roger go to the disco Quartier Latin in Fukuoka. Roger drinks, and John dances; this pattern would persist every night except in Nagoya. In Sapporo and Tokyo, they are joined by Brian and Freddie.] Friday, October 22, 1982The band holds their first press conference at the RIHGA Royal Hotel, where they stay in Osaka. John and Roger make a last-minute appearance on MBS’s TV program FRIDAY’S. The hosts introduce ‘Mr. Roger Deacon,’ ask whether the group is breaking up, and other direct questions; John and Roger grin and bear it, and successfully promote the upcoming Nishinomiya show. [Here’s my translation of the video’s dialogue: Woman: Wowww.. it's like, I can't believe it.. they're really here! Good evening, hello. Man: He's even shaking my hand.. aahhh! [shows off hand to audience] Woman: Good for you, haha! We have Mr. Roger Deacon, uh sorry, Mr. Roger Taylor and Mr. John Deacon. Nice to meet you. We have the translator Mr. Kaz*, but actually [waving hand] I want to ask in English -- there's a show called Friday's in the US as well, so I'd like to ask if they know this Japanese show, Friday's. [proceeds to ask in English] (*Mr. Kaz = Kaz Utsunomiya, later credited as Executive Producer for Roger's Foreign Sand on the Happiness? album. He lived in England and was invited over to Freddie’s place to check out his Japanese garden a few years after this interview.) Roger: Uh, well we do now. Woman: Apparently, it'll be their first performance/appearance on TV [?]. Man: Oh, really? Woman: That's why today is... Man: So, it's their first time on Friday's. Oh, what an honour this is. Woman: Apparently that's the case. Man: [in English] I'm very glad. Woman: They won't know what you're "glad" about! Man: All he [John] did was smile back. Woman: Okay, I'd like to do a special interview. Man: Okay, go ahead! Woman: The upcoming concert is their first in Japan at an outdoor venue, so I'd like to ask about that. [proceeds to ask in English] Roger: [answers] Woman: And that's his answer, but, hehe, I'd like the translator to translate. Man: It doesn't hurt to ask. Interpreter: [translates] Man: I've heard the lighting rig's amazing. Woman: It's supposed to be super amazing. Man: I'd like you to ask them about that. Woman: The lighting rig's amazing. That's actually something we don't have with us now to show you. Man: Oh really! Woman: The lighting rig....] Saturday, October 23, 1982 Freddie goes sightseeing in Kyoto. Roger was supposed to go with him but doesn’t feel well and cancels. [...continued in next post...]
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Post by deathtoming on Jul 26, 2020 2:44:33 GMT
[...continued from previous post...] Sunday, October 24,1982 - Hankyu Nishinomiya Kyujo (Nishinomiya) Queen performs their first Japanese outdoor concert. Due in part to the promotional activities by the band members themselves, it’s mostly a full house right to the stadium seats. This day is particularly cold, and the audience members are shivering in their seats. Furthermore, strong winds make the lighting rig sway back and forth, and there are even announcements at the venue warning the audience that the show might have to be cancelled. But at about 6:30 pm, around an hour later than scheduled, the concert is able to start. The band’s hot performance heats up the audience, and they are mesmerized by computer-controlled lights that move about. In particular, the moment Freddie sings the line “Can’t we give ourselves…” from Under Pressure, just as Freddie positions himself in front of the strong white lights behind him, is so cool that one can only gasp. On the other hand, Freddie greets the audience in Nishinomiya with “Hello, Osaka!” which fans respond to enthusiastically while thinking to themselves, “Well this ain’t Osaka…” Despite the strong winds and cold weather of this Nishonimya gig, the fans’ response is terrific, and Brian even calls it the best show of the Japan tour. Incidentally, this show is also filmed, and shown later on to fan club members. [The book also goes on to say that the video Rare Live featured Crazy Little Thing Called Love from this show, but that video footage is from the Tokorozawa show from later on.] [These pictures show the scaffolding used for the stage lighting.]
Monday, October 25, 1982
The band travels from Osaka to Nagoya on the Hikari #24 bullet train.
[Freddie enjoys a bento meal and Suntory beer on the bullet train. On the box, it says “pub snack.” The woman sitting behind him is the group’s interpreter, and the man beside her is one of the bodyguards. Across the aisle, not visible in the picture, are bodyguard Itami-san and personal assistant Peter “Phoebe” Freestone.]
John and Roger appear remotely by video on Fuji TV’s Yoru No Hitto Sutajio Deluxe show to promote the upcoming show in Tokorozawa.
Tuesday, October 26, 1982 - Nagoya Kokusai Tenjijo
The big surprise for this show is Freddie singing Teo Torriatte acapella before Crazy Little Thing Called Love to close off the main set. The audience responds to this special moment by singing in unison, creating a moving atmosphere in the venue.
[Freddie on the way to the airport in Nagoya to fly to Hokkaido, date unknown.]
Friday, October 29, 1982 - Hokkaido-ritsu Sangyo Kyoushinkaijo (Sapporo)
The car-loving Roger does some racing on go-karts. [Some shots of the group, including one of Fred Mandel, in and around their hotel and at the airport, all in Sapporo, Hokkaido.] [...continued in next post...]
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Post by deathtoming on Jul 26, 2020 2:48:09 GMT
[...continued from previous post...] After the show, the band heads over to a beer garden, and have a big party with both English and Japanese staff. There are beer-chugging contests, with John vs. Brian and Freddie vs. Roger. [Apparently, the ranking was, in order from fastest to slowest, Freddie, Roger, Brian, John.] [This one’s not from this night, but fits the theme. That’s Freddie's personal bodyguard, Itami-san, that John has targetted.] Sunday, October 31, 1982Freddie shops from 10 am to 6 pm at the Seibu department store. Roger and John go to a hotel Halloween party. There they meet tennis player Vitas Gerulaitis, and he and Roger hit it off despite having just met. [John would later have a jam session in 1983 with Gerulaitis and tennis star John McEnroe; McEnroe talks about famous musicians in his autobiography, but doesn’t mention John Deacon.] [Here is John jamming with Gerulaitis and Martin Chambers of The Pretenders, date unknown, and not in Japan.] Monday, November 1, 1982 Just like in the previous year, Watanabe Productions holds a party for Queen at Club 33 in Roppongi. There are a number of notable names in attendance. Sony co-founder Akio Morita and his wife, TV host Keizo Takahashi, politicians like member of the House of Councillors Akiko Santo, musicians like Mie Nakao, Ryuichi Sakamoto, and Yukihiro Takahashi were among the 300 distinguished guests that were invited. The party starts with a “kampai!” (cheers!) from Watanabe president Misa Watanabe, and entertainment includes a band made up of other Watanabe acts performing covers like Tie Your Mother Down, which the Queen members cheer on. The party lasts more than two hours, and the Queen members go back to their hotel right away, to prepare for their next show. [While in Tokyo, the four members head to Akihabara, a district known for electronics, although now it’s more associated with manga/anime goods. Each of the four members purchase an Aiwa “cassette boy” and a pair of SC-A2 mini speakers. Roger goes by himself to the Kanda shopping district and buys a Roland effector, among other things, spending a million yen in total (about $9,400 USD / 8,000 Euro).] [Also while in Tokyo, John goes to an electronics show in the Harumi area with the sound engineer (Trip Khalaf?), spending over 4 hours. John is particularly interested in seeking out a high-definition TV set, and walks around the whole venue looking for it. At one point, he comes across the Pioneer booth, and the Laser Disc demonstration features an image of Queen on stage on the screen. A group of high school girls is watching this video, and almost as if they sense something, they turn around suddenly and see John, much to their bewilderment.] [...continued in next post...]
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Post by deathtoming on Jul 26, 2020 2:56:21 GMT
[...continued from previous post...] Wednesday, November 3, 1982 - Seibu Lions Kyujo (Tokorozawa)This day is the last day of the Japanese shows, known for the image of Freddie wearing the Seibu Lions baseball team cap. This night’s concert is filmed, and released with the title Queen Live in Japan by Appolon, a subsidiary of Watanabe Productions, and later re-released by Toshiba EMI, but now out of print. Furthermore, the 2004 reissue of the Milton Keynes DVD has a bonus disc with footage from this show. [Backstage photos from Tokorozawa.] After this show, Queen announces that they will take a year-long break, leading to rumours of a breakup. True to their word, the band does not become active again until Radio Ga Ga is released on January 27, 1984. [The audience recording captures a funny moment that the video and soundboard recording don’t:]
[Overheard, right before the laughter: “Kawaiso!” (“I feel bad for him!”)]
[This professional photo of the Tokorozawa show from Getty Images is my favourite. Notice anything?]
Thursday, November 4, 1982
Roger flies to Hong Kong.
Friday, November 5, 1982
Brian and John go to London, and Freddie heads to New York, but goes shopping in Harajuku before going to the airport to buy his bodyguard a present.
Miscellaneous notes:
- Known as the Hot Space Tour around the world, in Japan it’s marketed as “10th Anniversary PARCO QUEEN JAPAN TOUR ‘82.”
- Freddie goes shopping one day, and comes back with three taxis full of his purchases.
- The Brian May Fanclub sends Brian and his son Jimmy matching hanten (traditional Japanese winter coats). Brian contacts the record company, and arranges for a phone call so that he can thank them personally.
- While touring North America before the Japan leg of the tour, Freddie loses 10kg. He says he’ll gain weight after the Japan leg.
- [John enjoys recording the TV in his hotel room. He says he enjoys the commercials more than the shows, and ends up bringing home several tapes.]
- [John and Roger continue to enjoy yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), while Freddie has gyoza dumplings for the first time and loves it.]
- [John spends 4 hours at an audio fair. He’s particularly interested in Digital Audio Denmark (DAD) and buys audio equipment totalling over 2 million yen ($19,000 USD / 16,000 Euro).]
- [Brian 1982 TV interview about stereo photos:]
[The uploader of that video sent Brian some photos, and he sent her a hand-written letter back in appreciation.]
- [The newsletter from the official Japanese branch of the fan club published a list of bootlegs.]
- [Excerpt from Viva Rock magazine (December 1982 issue):
Interviewer asks John what he thinks about Hot Space, noting the negative reception it has received so far.
John: Personally, I don’t like Hot Space at all.
Viva Rock: So why did you release it?
John: (John is hesitant to answer, several “err.. ahh…” are uttered before he gathers up the resolve to respond.) It’s the group’s album, and the group’s work, so.. uhh.... also, because I didn’t tell the other members how I felt.
Viva Rock: Roger has also said that he doesn’t like it, so that means half of the group doesn’t like the album, doesn’t it?
John: Brian doesn’t like it, either.]
- Brian, in the February 1984 edition of Music Life, looking back at this tour: “After the Seibu stadium show in Tokorozawa, I felt like we were all really tired of being around each other. Actually, we had decided before the end of that tour that we’d take a break from each other.”
[The End.]
If you made it all the way through, thanks for reading! Tour Diaries 1, 2, and 3 are in the 1970s section of the Live Discussion forum. That leaves one last Tour Diary for the 1985 Japan tour, which I'm looking to combine with some material from 1984 and 1986.
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Post by saintjiub on Jul 26, 2020 3:44:37 GMT
Wow all these diaries are fun and had me laughing at times. I like your writing style.
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Post by Ryan Newton on Jul 26, 2020 4:07:20 GMT
While touring requires much energy and can lead to this anyway, this was likely an early sign that Freddie's fate was already sealed. Weight loss is a very common symptom for acute HIV infection. Great post once again.
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Post by deathtoming on Jul 26, 2020 4:24:31 GMT
Oh man, about an hour after I posted everything I found that none of my YouTube videos were inserted properly!
I've fixed them now, so there are seven YouTube embedded videos (some for audio only) that weren't there originally.
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cmi
Ploughman
Posts: 467
Likes: 735
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Post by cmi on Jul 26, 2020 6:17:32 GMT
Excellent stuff! Thanks for these diaries. It's interesting that Brian wrote a letter only in 1986, four years after the event.
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Post by deathtoming on Jul 26, 2020 13:17:18 GMT
Wow all these diaries are fun and had me laughing at times. I like your writing style. Thanks, but most of it's a translation, and I try to preserve the choice of words, which leads to unnatural English at times.
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Post by deathtoming on Jul 26, 2020 13:28:11 GMT
While touring requires much energy and can lead to this anyway, this was likely an early sign that Freddie's fate was already sealed. Weight loss is a very common symptom for acute HIV infection. Great post once again. Thanks! Actually, I was thinking about the 10 kg / 22 lbs. weight loss. I think that would be fairly noticeable on someone Freddie's size. Going left to right, here's Freddie in April 1982 at the beginning of the world tour in Stockholm, followed by July in New York, September in Oakland, and October in Fukuoka. I'd be surprised if he really did lose that much weight, if I were to go by these pics. I'm not sure how much he weighed on average in 1982, but in 1979, he told a Japanese magazine he weighed 54.5 kg / 120 lbs.
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Post by deathtoming on Jul 26, 2020 13:36:14 GMT
Excellent stuff! Thanks for these diaries. It's interesting that Brian wrote a letter only in 1986, four years after the event. Thanks! I should have added a bit more info to that one. The fan looked for pics right away in 1982, but couldn't find any to send. She ended up dropping some off personally to the Fan Club when she visited in December 1991, and got that thank you letter from Brian in January 1992. I guess they had a lot of Magic era paper lying around!
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cmi
Ploughman
Posts: 467
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Post by cmi on Jul 26, 2020 13:39:16 GMT
Wow! Thanks for this detailed comment.
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thefonz
Tatterdemalion
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Post by thefonz on Jul 27, 2020 0:50:04 GMT
This is a fantastic read. Thanks so much.
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Post by masterstroke on Jul 27, 2020 12:35:47 GMT
Very interesting! Thanks
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georg
Global Moderator
wrote several books
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Post by georg on Jul 27, 2020 12:51:47 GMT
Wonderful, as always. Thank you so much for your hard work!
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victorvil
Wordles & Heardles
Dragonfly Trumpeter
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Post by victorvil on Jul 27, 2020 13:39:36 GMT
Amazing as always, What a joy to read all the adevntures they had in Japan
Sunday, October 24,1982 - Hankyu Nishinomiya Kyujo (Nishinomiya) Incidentally, this show is also filmed, and shown later on to fan club members. [The book also goes on to say that the video Rare Live featured Crazy Little Thing Called Love from this show, but that video footage is from the Tokorozawa show from later on.]
Is this a myth or there's another proshot of the Japan tour?
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Post by deathtoming on Jul 27, 2020 15:35:32 GMT
Amazing as always, What a joy to read all the adevntures they had in Japan Sunday, October 24,1982 - Hankyu Nishinomiya Kyujo (Nishinomiya) Incidentally, this show is also filmed, and shown later on to fan club members. [The book also goes on to say that the video Rare Live featured Crazy Little Thing Called Love from this show, but that video footage is from the Tokorozawa show from later on.] Is this a myth or there's another proshot of the Japan tour? Thanks, and thanks to everyone else for your comments. Yeah, that note definitely caught my eye. I did a search to see if any Japanese fans talked about having seen this, but I couldn't find anything. Because it was followed up by that Rare Live error, it's possible the Fan Club actually gave a sneak preview of the Tokorozawa show instead. The Real Wizard says on queenlive.ca that Greg Brooks also incorrectly claims Nishinomiya was filmed, but I don't know the story behind this.
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Post by The Real Wizard on Jul 27, 2020 17:39:29 GMT
[John goes on a club crawl the day he arrives, and ends up going to 8 different discos on just this very first night in Japan. He tells Music Life magazine: “I have another name aside from ‘John.’ They call me ‘Disco Deacon.’”] [Backstage photos from this day. Roger is seen wearing a prisoner-style shirt, which John would later wear on stage because his new look inspires the name “Birdman” (of Alcatraz).] [During this party, Queen’s Japanese interpreter is nervous and starstruck by one of the guests, singer Hiroshi Kamayatsu. Noticing this, Brian says to the interpreter, “If you’re not able to talk to him, why don’t I introduce you to him?”]
Brian also goes to a record shop in Kamakura and buys Japanese Queen singles. Being a Sunday, there are several tourists, and it causes a bit of a scene when he is recognized by fans.
After the show, Roger goes to Roppongi for his favourite, Korean-style BBQ. However, he gets annoyed when he doesn’t know how to put on the paper aprons handed to the diners. In the end, he wears the apron like a hat because the oil from the grill would fly into his hair.
[During an interview session with Music Life, while the Music Life staff members were chatting with each other, the word akuma (“devil”) comes up. John then interjects in Japanese, “Watashi wa akuma desu” (‘I am the devil’) as he strikes a pose. Everyone in the room is left in stunned silence.]
These are all gold. As ever, thank you for your incredible diligence !
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Post by The Real Wizard on Jul 27, 2020 18:22:09 GMT
Incredible to see this ! It's almost certainly a complete list of what's available by that point. @sebastian , this is for you !
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Post by The Real Wizard on Jul 27, 2020 18:25:57 GMT
Amazing as always, What a joy to read all the adevntures they had in Japan Sunday, October 24,1982 - Hankyu Nishinomiya Kyujo (Nishinomiya) Incidentally, this show is also filmed, and shown later on to fan club members. [The book also goes on to say that the video Rare Live featured Crazy Little Thing Called Love from this show, but that video footage is from the Tokorozawa show from later on.] Is this a myth or there's another proshot of the Japan tour? Thanks, and thanks to everyone else for your comments. Yeah, that note definitely caught my eye. I did a search to see if any Japanese fans talked about having seen this, but I couldn't find anything. Because it was followed up by that Rare Live error, it's possible the Fan Club actually gave a sneak preview of the Tokorozawa show instead. The Real Wizard says on queenlive.ca that Greg Brooks also incorrectly claims Nishinomiya was filmed, but I don't know the story behind this.
I'd say the mislabelling on the Rare Live video even had Greg Brooks believing the show was filmed at one point.
And it also didn't pop up on his list of multi-tracked shows he posted about a decade ago - and that one was pretty comprehensive. They wouldn't have filmed a show without properly recording it too.
Of course we can't prove that it wasn't filmed, but we haven't seen a single frame of it in dozens of documentaries. I'm pretty sure the answer is no.
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victorvil
Wordles & Heardles
Dragonfly Trumpeter
Posts: 161
Likes: 84
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Post by victorvil on Jul 27, 2020 19:42:28 GMT
Incredible to see this ! It's almost certainly a complete list of what's available by that point. And sorted by date. Love that about Japan, they are perfectionists to the bone.
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Post by The Real Wizard on Jul 27, 2020 21:18:02 GMT
Incredible to see this ! It's almost certainly a complete list of what's available by that point. And sorted by date. Love that about Japan, they are perfectionists to the bone. Yep.
Also note #23 on the bootleg list:
"Bicycle Race Tour."
Never heard of this one before. Anyone have any info on this one ?
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Mustapha Ibrahim
Politician
(Mustapha! Mustapha! Mustapha!) I've never heard of the bloody song!
Posts: 589
Likes: 551
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Post by Mustapha Ibrahim on Jul 27, 2020 21:45:49 GMT
And sorted by date. Love that about Japan, they are perfectionists to the bone. Yep.
Also note #23 on the bootleg list:
"Bicycle Race Tour."
Never heard of this one before. Anyone have any info on this one ?
I have no idea what that is. My guess is that it's the shows from October 28, 1978 (Dallas, Texas, USA), to May 6, 1979 (Sapporo, Japan), where they played it.
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Post by The Real Wizard on Jul 27, 2020 22:15:05 GMT
Yep.
Also note #23 on the bootleg list:
"Bicycle Race Tour."
Never heard of this one before. Anyone have any info on this one ?
I have no idea what that is. My guess is that it's the shows from October 28, 1978 (Dallas, Texas, USA), to May 6, 1979 (Sapporo, Japan), where they played it. It says 1979, so it's almost certainly from the Japanese tour since most of the bootlegs at the time were produced there.
I've asked around, and nobody seems to have heard of this LP. Time to start a new thread.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2020 22:22:18 GMT
This is all fantastic! Thank you!
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Post by deathtoming on Jul 27, 2020 22:34:20 GMT
And sorted by date. Love that about Japan, they are perfectionists to the bone. Yep. Also note #23 on the bootleg list: "Bicycle Race Tour." Never heard of this one before. Anyone have any info on this one ? My guess is it's this video bootleg. The back cover is hard to make out, but it says "Queen Bicycle Race Tour in Paris 1979." According to the Japanese site I found this on, it's a 60-minute video of the Paris show from February 27, 1979. Translation of the description from the website: "It's a video recording of Live Killers, but it's an inferior product. However, you can see valuable footage of the four members lined up at the front of the stage for Dreamers Ball." I can only find information about this on that one site, though.
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Post by The Real Wizard on Jul 27, 2020 22:45:24 GMT
Yep. Also note #23 on the bootleg list: "Bicycle Race Tour." Never heard of this one before. Anyone have any info on this one ? My guess is it's this video bootleg. The back cover is hard to make out, but it says "Queen Bicycle Race Tour in Paris 1979." According to the Japanese site I found this on, it's a 60-minute video of the Paris show from February 27, 1979. Translation of the description from the website: "It's a video recording of Live Killers, but it's an inferior product. However, you can see valuable footage of the four members lined up at the front of the stage for Dreamers Ball." I can only find information about this on that one site, though. Good detective work - but I doubt it. I'd say the name is just a coincidence (also, that video is a compilation of the three nights in Paris 79, with only the final few seconds being from the Feb 27 show).
But if it were a video on the list, I'd say the Tokyo 4-25-79 show is a far more likely inclusion since it was broadcast on Japanese TV, which way more people would've had access to.
I'm pretty sure it's an obscure LP with an alternate source of one of the existing Japan 79 shows. Beyond that I have no idea.
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