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Roger's interview from last night on BBC Radio 2 - dare I say one of the best interviews with Roger we've had since this podcast with Brian and Roger. I've edited this to Roger's interview only! Here are some my personal favourites with timestamps:

03:54 - The Night Comes Down was going to be the album's third single but it never came to be, hence its reborn now!

09:30 - "We sort of shared our lives, and... shared our girlfriends, etc." I don't even wanna know which and with whom...

18:07 - A subtle shoutout to Rockfield Studios where Freddie first played "mama, just killed man" to Roger.

18:23 - and Roger particularly liking Bring Back That Leroy Brown, saying it was a silly thing but so cleverly crafted! (I played with the song's multitracks and it's criminally underrated!!)

25:44 - We knew Brian flew his parents to MSG on the Concorde but did you know they were with Roger's parents as well! Adds a whole new layer to this picture from a couple of years ago...

29:33 Roger mentioning his first proper job being that (sheep-wrangling) farm job in Cornwall!

30:05 - On sharing outfits with Freddie, specifically that Douglas Puddifoot photoshoot, specifically "one particular jacket" - "This is my turn, this is my day! It was a really nice jacket."

34:49 - Roger confirming that Brian was jealous of his Freddie statue and got himself his own from the latest WWRY - as he should! Explains the sentiment of this post, too.

36:44 - Roger still keeps the award cup he won from the band competition with The Reaction in Truro!

This was a great one spend some time for it if you can!! 😍

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I often think about the fact that baby John said "my favourite colour is brown" and he didn't want to wear fancy clothes the first time he went on stage with Queen a, but soon thereafter he embraced the glam look and later he started to wear colorful shirts, the same kind Freddie loved, and then he went into his new age era and his clothes became more and more outlandish and at the end it was like pls, babygirl, you can't wear neon clothes all the time and he was the hell I can't

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Reprint of John Harris' article from Music Life special edition August 1977. 📸 scans-ish by me. Translation by deathtoming. No repost pls.

For @justlike-awoman ❤

An exclusive first-hand account from Queen’s exclusive engineer

Current exclusive engineer and former chief road manager John Harris has been friends since before the group was formed. The true nature of the four members, as only he would know.

They haven’t changed since the old days… - John Harris, Queen’s exclusive engineer

I was classmates with Brian In the middle of the audience’s cheers shouting for an encore, and their thunderous applause, I found myself absentmindedly thinking back to when I first met the four members of Queen, Freddie, Roger, Brian, and John. Their debut in Japan last year, among feelings of hope and uncertainty. And they set foot in Japan again this year, not having changed one bit since I first met them. Well, aside from the fact that they became “stars”...

Five or six years ago, I was a student studying at Imperial College. I wasn’t a very serious student, but still I studied as one would, and socialized as one would, and greatly enjoyed my student lifestyle. Through that university lifestyle, I met a certain guy, formed a friendship with him that continues to this day, and was able to make the conditions for me to do this job that I have now.

That guy was, unlike me, a very serious student. He was bright on top of being serious, so naturally he had better grades than guys like me, and was always outstanding, and while we were unlike each other, we got along a fair bit, and spent time together outside of school, too. During this time, I learned that this guy that I thought was strictly serious was actually crazy about rock music. Now that I’ve written this much, this “guy,” who is tall and a friend with the top grades, has surely been recognized as Brian May by fans.

I’ve known the members of Queen since they first formed, so from the very beginning, in other words. Although I’m working exclusively for them as an engineer, it’s not that I always wanted to be an engineer. I met Freddie, Brian, and Roger, and when they first formed Queen, it all started when I helped them transport amps, instruments, and other gear.

Queen was a collection of poor students back then. Still, Freddie graduated from art school, and Roger got a degree in science. Brian also earned a degree, and apparently was going to keep going towards a PhD, but after putting a lot of thought into whether he should continue with Queen or keep studying, he made the decision to be a musician.

It’s not like there were jobs lined up everywhere they looked after they graduated. Life had to be difficult for this group of unsuccessful musicians. The story of Freddie and Roger working at a boutique in Kensington Market is now well-known.

The four of them have not changed at all It wasn’t easy to continue working little by little on their music careers while working part-time. No matter where they went, they had to carry their instruments, amps, and gear on their own. I was with them, and at that time I had a plain, small, light van. I started to become responsible for loading amps and guitars into this van and taking them to wherever they were playing. When I look back at it now, this was the first step in eventually working as an engineer for Queen.

Needing a bass player, John joined Queen about two years after the group was formed. The circumstances surrounding that have been covered already by numerous magazines and newspapers, so I won’t go into details.

I got to know Brian first, then Freddie and Roger, and then finally John, and I still remember well how I met each of them for the first time. I often get asked by lots of people whether the members have changed over the years. Most of the people who ask me that are guessing that their simplicity from before is no longer there. However, as far as I can tell, Freddie, Roger, Brian, and John have not changed at all. Queen have become so successful, and they’ve become stars, but their personalities are the same as when I first met them.

I wonder if they never thought of themselves as stars? They haven’t changed in the 5-6 years I’ve known them, to the point where sometimes I almost forget that they’re members of the famous Queen. That’s why when I see them being followed around by young girls at train stations, hotels, and around town on this Japanese tour, I get a little surprised. These kinds of scenes seem more common than when they first came to Japan. All of the members apparently wanted to talk to the fans, but it’s impossible with this many people.

An unforgettable memory I reprised my role as engineer on this Japanese tour. However, I only work as an engineer mostly on tour. I’m also with them in the studio when they’re recording an album, but they hire other people as studio engineers. When the four of them enter the studio, they become very serious. And they complete their work after much painstaking work, and fans end up with an album.

I like Queen as friends, of course, but I also like them as musicians. I often listen to their albums when I’m at home. My favourites are Queen II and A Night at the Opera. Right, there’s I’m in Love with My Car. Roger wrote this song for me, and both Roger and I are very much into cars. The two of us have gone to see car races, and sometimes we even race cars ourselves. However, maybe Roger’s many fans wouldn’t approve of such dangerous activities.

On top of being an engineer for their live shows, sometimes they ask me for my opinion about various things. For example, what song was the most well-received that day, or the set up of the stage. During a concert, the lights are so bright that they can’t see behind the stage. Me, I always set up the equipment behind the stage, and have a seat. That’s why it’s immediately clear which songs are well-received and what kinds of reactions the audience has. When a concert goes well on a particular day, the four of them listen attentively to my advice. But if they’re ever in a bad mood, there can be trouble. It’s better not to say anything when that happens. The four of them become extremely high-strung before and after concerts.

What that means is, that’s how serious they are when it comes to their music. They’re always thinking about the progress and growth of the Queen sound. Their day-to-day lifestyles can also be seen as different from those of the typical guys in rock groups. There aren’t too many occasions of them getting drunk and wild. Roger probably drinks the most out of the four of them. But still, it’s not that Roger is a heavy drinker. On top of that, the four of them never drink before a show. That’s how much they focus on their act.

That’s how much nervous energy they use on stage, and when they go on tour, they spend a long time travelling from one place to another, and the daily round trips from hotels to airports continue. I grew tired of this lifestyle several times. There’s no doubt that the members felt this way as well. However, there’s a sense of happiness you get from living in this harsh world that you couldn’t get elsewhere. I still remember it well. The day I first heard a Queen record on the radio…. That was Seven Seas of Rhye, Queen’s first hit single in the UK. We were all slapping each other’s shoulders and jumping around, raising a ruckus.

Also, the day Queen first appeared on the popular TV show Top of the Pops was also memorable. The day Queen first played in Japan last year, too…. On the first day at the Budokan, there were over 10 000 audience members. Up until then, they had only performed to audiences of at most 4,000 people in the UK, and now they were performing in Tokyo to 10,000 people. The excitement and emotions felt were unforgettable.

Four distinct personalities I don’t know how long I’ll be working with Queen. I might get tired of touring as I get older, and I might become a studio engineer at that point. However, as long as Queen exists, I’ll likely be by their side. That’s how much of a good friend they are to me, and how appealing they are as musicians.

Lastly, I’d like to write about each of their personalities from the point of view of their friend. First of all, John, the youngest member, as you’re aware. He’s extremely wise, and he also understands well the essence of business. He doesn’t talk very much in interviews, but if he has a little bit to drink, he becomes a cheerful jokester, that John.

Next is Roger, a truly easy-going guy. He doesn’t fret and think too deeply about things, and doesn’t get seriously concerned about life. His philosophy seems to be that life is there to be enjoyed, and every day he thinks about how to go about enjoying life. Roger is also the type to go drinking and merrymaking on occasion.

Brian is the opposite of Roger. His personality is the kind that seriously frets and worries about everything. However, when it’s about the world in general, he doesn’t care very much. What he’s interested in is the theory behind the music.

Freddie is slightly impatient, and can be generous. He’s the kind of person who would buy a gift for anyone right away, and spends a lot of money on that. He’s up-and-down with his mood, and when he’s in a good mood, Freddie is truly kind, but if something he doesn’t like happens on stage, or if there’s a problem with the music, he gets angry like a roaring fire. He’s a perfectionist that is hard on himself, just as he is hard on others.

I like my current job, and I really like the four members of Queen as people. It’s true that they have become “stars.” Still, the fact that they will be life-long friends hasn’t changed.

[From the (Music Life) special issue of August 1977]

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How do I sleep knowing this? ^^^^^

For God's sake :)

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Green Roger

(x)

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Masterlist for my Queen fic (Kaakson @AO3)

Poly

Japan: Cultural lessons by One English Rock Band  (Japan shenanigans, humour)

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring (bakery AU, magical realism, fluff, light angst)

I’ll Cruella DeVille you  (heist AU, Met Gala, humour)

hold me (I killed a man for you) (dystopian AU, resistance, angst and feels, dysfunctional relationships)

Waves (dystopian AU, character study, angst and feels)

so sad it ends (as it began) (Dystopian AU, imprisonment, angst and feels, dysfunctional relationships, Maylor heavy)

hang me (I saved the world for you) (Dystopian AU, resistance, angst and feels)

Gen

Oh Lady Moon, shine down a little people magic if you will (Hogwarts AU, coming of age, humour)

Ride the Wild Wind (Hogwarts AU, hurt/comfort, platonic Joger)

Your smile speaks books to me (Breakthru filming, HP AU, hurt/comfort, platonic Maycury)

Do cars dream of electric guitars (pining, crack, cars)

Maycury

Wings of Future (1920s AU, aviation, slow burn, PTSD, pining)

starving, hysterical, naked (Sandman AU, angst, dark comedy elements, light smut)

Froger

The Fifth Element (The Fifth Element AU, sci fi, adventure, fake marriage, humour)

Maylor

hold me (I killed a man for you) (dystopian AU, resistance, angst and feels, dysfunctional relationships, v polyamory)

Waves (dystopian AU, character study, angst and feels, polyamory negotiations)

so sad it ends (as it began) (Dystopian AU, imprisonment, angst and feels, dysfunctional relationships)

hang me (I saved the world for you) (Dystopian AU, resistance, angst and feels, polyamory)

 Joger

hold me (I killed a man for you) (dystopian AU, resistance, angst and feels, dysfunctional relationships, v polyamory)

Waves (dystopian AU, character study, angst and feels, polyamory negotiations)

so sad it ends (as it began) (Dystopian AU, imprisonment, angst and feels, dysfunctional relationships, poly)

hang me (I saved the world for you) (Dystopian AU, resistance, angst and feels, polyamory)

Johnica

Ladies Night (girls’ night in, sex talk, humour)

Brissie

We’re in a pretty pickle, my dear (making out, gardening, secret passages, humour) 

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I met him around 1974 because our magazine dedicated to them one of the "fotonovelas" ( a comic-like story with photos instead of drawings) we used to do. I think it was the first time they came to Spain. I clicked on with Mercury immediately, we liked each other very much. We had interests in common, he liked that I combed his hair, painted his fingernails and exchanged bracelets and jewelry. He was a fantastic man with great sensibility and an immense talent for music, able to compose extraordinary tracks such as Bohemian Rhapsody. We became friends since then and when we saw each other he was very nice and kind to me, as if we were lifelong friends and had just seen each other the day before. We met six or seven times; the last one was two years before he died, when he celebrated his birthday in Tony Pikes Hotel in Ibiza and he invited me. His illness hadn't developed much yet and he was beaming and very happy to be among friends.

Today - December 13th, 1974 - Queen Story!

Barcelona, Spain, Palacio de los Deportes de Barcelona

'Sheer Heart Attack Tour'

- Last show of the European Tour

🔸December 13th, 1974, Barcelona, Spain - Queen chatting with ‘Rock'n'Roll Popular 1’ Spanish magazine redactor Bertha M. Yebra, who also is combing Freddie’s hair in the first picture, for a photoshot session with Martín Frías (known as Martin J. Louis)

Bertha M. Yebra (editora de la revista musical 'Popular1', amiga)

“El vaig conèixer cap a l’any 1974 perquè a la revista vam dedicar a Queen una de les fotonovel·les que fèiem. Crec que va ser el primer cop que visitaven Espanya. Amb Mercury va sorgir de seguida una connexió especial, ens vam caure molt bé. Teníem aficions comunes, li agradava que el pentinés, que li pintés les ungles i que intercanviéssim braçalets i joies. Era un home fantàstic, amb una gran sensibilitat, i un talent descomunal per a la música, capaç de compondre temes tan extraordinaris com 'Bohemian rhapsody'. Des de llavors vam ser sempre amics i quan ens retrobàvem era molt afectuós i atent amb mi, com si fóssim amics de tota la vida i ens acabéssim de veure el dia abans. Vam coincidir sis o set vegades més, l’última dos anys abans de morir, quan va celebrar el seu aniversari a l’hotel Tony Pikes d’Eivissa i em va convidar. La malaltia encara no se li havia desenvolupat gaire i estava radiant, contentíssim de trobar-se amb els amics”.

(➡️ source: https://www.ara.cat/…/Freddie-Mercury-perfil_0_1604839652.h…)

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Before and after being told they're good bois

Boys boys boys

IG credits: desy_angeles

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45 years ago today- Oct. 13 1978 - the physics and scientific community was shocked when budding astrophysicist Brian May and his colleagues discovered what actually makes the world go-round. Their work, entitled "Fat-Bottom Girls", was released on this date back in 1978.

Unfortunately, May, pictured below with friend and collaborator Eddie Van Halen, would not be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, despite his groundbreaking (pun intended) research into females with well-endowed posteriors. May would later earn his Ph.D in Astrophsyics from Imperial College London and would later serve as Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University from 2008 to 2013.

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Innuendo Exclusive from Q Magazine March 1991.

Via Queen Rare Archive on Facebook.

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💐 ridge farm & japan aesthetic 💐

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John Deacon: bassist extraordinaire, wizard in electronics and winner of the Hunger Games

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I have no idea how to describe that … (x)

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Brian: I think It would be nice for Queen to do a nice disco record.

WTF, Brian?

(x)

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Queen's Toxic Traits

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The urge not to objectify the snake living in Freddie’s leather trousers

IG credits: mrmxrcxry