#john deacon concepts

[eileen-crys]

Source: Queen concept art, 1975 | Photocopy of ink drawing, signed and dated 1975

This concept artwork incorporates the 'Q' logo and the crown with the four band members in the fantasy style that Queen utilised in the early to mid 1970s alongside a central female figure. Accompanying this is a photocopy of another piece of concept art by the same artist, signed 'Beveridge', titled 'The Black Queen holds Aeriel Court'. The style is reminiscent of Richard Dadd's artwork.

NOTE (updated): I've been informed that the artist is JAMES F. BEVERIDGE

I swear to god I'M LOSING MY MIND AT THESE, YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND like HELLO??? MASTERPIECES??? It's so unfair we get to see these only now omg 😭😭😭 I love how the four of them are some sort of magicians with different powers, you know I live for these things. Also Deaky has wings??!?! 💕💕

Part of me wants to redraw this, but it's already so beautiful I know I wouldn't do it justice... but I could try to color it! 🤔

[feelingsofaithless]

Concept art by Joel Mandish

[freddiemercurylegendabovelegends]

Today, on 19th January, 1978

Group Interviews - Circus Magazine

Queen Deserve Rock's Royal Crown?

by Rosy Horide

Freddie Mercury and Brian May Hawk their 'News Of The World'

Freddie Mercury is no longer the leader of Queen. Has he been fired, you ask, or is he off to pursue a solo career? No it's simply, with the advent of News Of The World LP (Asylum) the personality of the music and of Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and bassist John Deacon have come across more strongly than ever before.

Those who have seen them on the recent US tour notice more than ever before that they're a group comprised of four separate identities, not just a lead singer and background band. Freddie Mercury is delighted to hear it.

'I've never considered myself the leader anyway,' says irrepressible Freddie. 'The most important person, perhaps.' And guitarist May agrees.

'Our separate identities do come to the fore on this album, on which every cut is completely different from the one before it and there's no concept at all. Apart from each having contributed two tracks to the album, Roger and John have been much more involved in the playing. Roger plays rhythm guitar on some of his cuts ('Sheer Heart Attack' and 'Fight From The Inside') which makes sense, because he had a better idea of how he wanted it to go. John plays acoustic guitar on one of his as well ('Who Needs You'). I played maracas on it. While we may not do it that way on stage, in the studio that makes more sense.'

Brian also does a lot more singing of his own songs on News, but he's content to let Freddie do the singing on stage.

'He's a natural performer,' asserts Brian. 'He acts on stage as if he was born doing it. That's great for us. We wouldn't want it any other way.'

As May and Mercury emphasize, it's not just musically that shifts occur in the group.

'John keeps a very close eye on our business affairs,' says Freddie. 'He knows everything that's going on and shouldn't be going on. If God forsakes us now the rest of the group won't do anything unless John says it's all right.

'Roger is very important to us in a different way. He's always been an out-and-out rock & roll fan with no time to stop and think about music and that's very good for us. Instinct. He's also the one who is most aware of facets in music, and that's essential in the band. If you listen to 'Sheer Heart Attack' on the new album you'll see what we mean. It sounds like a punk, or 'new wave' song, but it was written at the same time of the Sheer Heart Attack LP. He played it to us then but it wasn't quite finished and he didn't have time to complete it before we started recording. That was three years ago and now. . .almost all these records you hear are like that period.' And Roger now? 'He was into punk for a long time, but he's tired of it.' More about the album later.

But if you still don't believe no crown of leadership rests on the mercurial head of Freddie, it's worth repeating his comment about the composition of the group.

'If anyone left Queen, anyone of the four, that would be the end of Queen. We are four equal, interwoven parts. And the others just couldn't function the same without each quarter.'

Queen have just finished a special tour of the states. Not the longest they've ever undertaken, by any means, but special nevertheless.

'It was the first tour we've ever done without the support band,' Freddie explained. 'There was so much going on on stage that I doubt there would have been room for another band anyway. We have so much material we want to play for people now that it would have been far too long a concert. It's hard enough anyway to know what to leave out: we'd like to play all the new material, but there are some things we just would not dare leave out or I think the fans would lynch us.'

It was the sort of tour most rock bands dream of doing. Brian agrees: 'We've managed to get some of the most sought after halls there are, even though the tour was short. Most of them are places we've played before. In some cities we had to settle for second, alternative choice auditoriums - the thing was set up so fast. It was also a very compressed tour - 35 dates in six weeks. We did very large halls because we wanted to do a fuller show and our rig was about twice as big as ever we used before.

'It provided a complete stage environment, with an extension stage, three trailers and enormous lighting gimmick not just for New York and Los Angeles. That's why we booked big halls, so that we could give everybody the complete show. We first used our crown centerpiece at London's Earl's Court concert over the Jubilee. At the time, we didn't envisage being able to take the crown on tour with us, but we managed to have it demounted into a portable object. And so we had it for all the gigs. It made the most ambitious backdrop we've ever attempted, but it was worth it. The fans seemed to enjoy it and they are what matter.'

That last remark of Brian's is typical of the group's attitude towards their fans, for they have one of the closest rapports with the fans of any in the business. The same cannot be said for their relationship to the music press, however, especially in Britain. In fact, many people thought the chart-popping single 'We Are The Champions,' was Queen's way of telling the press in no uncertain terms that they've made it without them. Others thought it an arrogant statement about their rock supremacy. But how do they feel? First Freddie, who wrote the song:

'Certainly it's a relationship that could be, but I was thinking about football when I wrote it. I wanted a participation song, something that the fans could latch on to. It was aimed at the masses; I thought we'd see how they took it. It worked a treat. When we performed it at a private concert in London, the fans actually broke into a football chant between numbers. Of course, I've given it more theatrical subtlety than an ordinary football chant. You know me.

'I certainly wasn't thinking about the press when I wrote it. I never think about the British music press these days. It was really meant to be offered the musicians the same as the fans.

'I suppose it could also be construed as my version of 'I Did It My Way.' We have made it, and it certainly wasn't easy. No bed of roses as the song says. And it's still not easy.'

Brian concurs, 'You know, songs aren't always about what the words say. Messages in songs can appear different. I always see that as the difference between prose and poetry. Prose can mean exactly what it says, while poetry can mean the opposite. That goes for this song. Freddie's stuff is often tongue-in-cheek anyway, as you know. This song is very theatrical. Freddie is very close to his art. You could say, he's married to his music, whether it's 'I Did It My Way' or his 'There's No Business Like Show Business.' I must say, when he first played it for us in the studio we all fell on the floor with laughter. So many people in the press hate us because we've side-stepped them and got where we have without them.

'But there's no way the song says anything against our audiences. When the song says 'we,' it means 'us and the fans.' When we did that special concert, the fans were wonderful. They understood it so well. I know it sounds corny, but it brought tears to our eyes.'

Freddie and Brian are unanimous on that: the spontaneous responses to 'We Are The Champions' really move them. But that is the kind of general response News Of The World has received because, as Brian may says, 'It's a spontaneous album. I think we've managed to cut through to the spontaneity lacking in our other albums. I have no apologies to make for any of our previous albums. We're proud of them and wouldn't have let them out if we weren't. But I now feel some may have been over-produced, so we wanted to go with a more spontaneous rock & roll based album. It was nice to do something that didn't need such intensity. For example, with 'Sleeping On The Sidewalk' we did it in one take because it just seemed right the first time. We like to think of the album as a window on an unguarded moment, not a set piece. Each cut seems to do that, from the participation songs to Freddie's mood pieces. Even his numbers on the album are different, from his heavy 'Get Down, Make Love' to 'My Melancholy Blues,' which is just what it says.'

Brian admits that his own material is different too. But he still tries to keep his private life separate and out of his songs as much as possible.

'If you don't keep something back, it can be very bad for you.'

But for the band both the album and the tour are in the past and they have to look at the future. They got back to England on Christmas Eve.

'My mother would have killed me if I wasn't home for Christmas. I haven't missed one yet,' says Freddie. And the others felt the same.

It's time for some stock-taking. We've all become businessmen,' admits Freddie, 'even though it's against our better judgment. It's something that always happens if you get successful. Being a musician is not just cutting discs, unfortunately. I wish it was. We've all got companies now, some connected to music, others not. I'm producing Peter Straker, I have my car company. . . and lots of other fingers in other pies. We must take some time off to get things in perspective, or things will start to go wrong.

'Then there's been talk of doing a big world tour - Britain, South America, Japan, and of course the States as well as lots of other places. But that won't be until later in the year.'

So, American fans will have a chance to see Queen in 1978.

'You must tell them not to be too greedy, thought,' warns Freddie. They've already seen more of us than any other country.'

And what about a message for the American fans, Freddie?

'They know we love them. Apart from that, oh, say something outrageous for me.'

[brotherwtf]

I love the structure of the priest!John idea, but there was one detail that didn’t fit. John’s father wouldn’t have been a priest, because Catholic priests take vows of celibacy and don’t have kids. There are ways around it (became a widower, then became a man of the cloth with special dispensation because his children were grown might be the easiest), but it would take a bit of explaining. It’s a really interesting concept though, for John to be the one who was raised to be more traditional, and not have him be the leader of the debauchery for once. It highlights his struggles in a way more of us introverts can relate to <3

guys is it blaringly obvious I wasn't raised Catholic now 😅 geez I feel a little dumb lmaoo

okay someone mentioned in the comments of the original post that Johns father could have been a Deacon, priestly activities without the vow of celibacy and John could still be surrounded by that religion and raised by people who believed in it vehemently

so he was trained to want to become a priest or a Deacon, maybe he's still going through the process of becoming a priest when he meets Gale, not quite all the way there but still pretty intrenched in the religion and it's teachings

I think seeing John raised in that traditional Catholic family could be interesting to explore, especially if we get to see his eventual spiral into the man he was in canon, but yes like you said it highlights the internal struggles of John figuring out his beliefs in a quieter way than usual

(btw I apologize for being a little inaccurate with my hc, as I said I am not Catholic so I have little to no idea what all of that entails 😅😅)

[riaaanna]

INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN MAY - GOLD COMPACT DISC (VOL. 1 NO. 7) 1992

When Queen’s charismatic frontman Freddie Mercury died last year, it was the end of an era in rock music in general, as well as a personal tragedy for the three surviving members of a band that had become one of the most successful in the history of British rock. It also heralded the dawn of new solo careers for Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon, who performed Queen with Mercury back in 1970.

Brian May has just released his first post-Queen solo album, Back to the Light, while the first single from it, Too Much Love Will Kill You, has already been a top 10 hit. Now May is adjusting to life outside the musical perimeters of one of the UK’s best-loved rock bands – “a challenge which is quite nerve-racking – I feel as though I’m starting out all over again.”

The amiable May is chatting in the comfortable Queen management offices, in London’s Notting Hill. A handful of ever-loyal Queen devotees are sitting patiently outside the unimposing front door, happy just to be in close proximity to one of their heroes. There are many reminders of Queen, and in particular Freddie, to be seen within the building: huge gig posters, from all over the world, plus photographs and awards. There is also a slight flamboyance about the place which brings back the memories of Freddie.

Brian May is reflecting on the death of his long-time musical colleague… the effects on the group, the recording legacy they’ve left behind, but most importantly of all, the positive aspect that came out of Freddie Mercury’s tragic demise – bringing home the message about the dangers of Aids, the killer disease that claimed his life.

“Aids is literally walking the streets, and yet there is this amazing public complacency about it. there are people writing opinion columns in national newspapers, saying ‘Don’t worry about it, it’s a gay disease’. As long as there are still people coming out with statements like that, we must continue to shout out about the dangers. I think that Freddie’s death has made a huge difference to people’s attitudes and conceptions about Aids, which can only be for the good.

“It’s amazing how many people felt so close to Freddie, even those who didn’t actually know him… all kinds of people, all ages, different cultures and sexual persuasions, everything… so many people have told me that when they heard he’d died, they cried, and yet they hadn’t realized until then just how much feeling they had for him. Freddie had this amazing ability to get his personality across to people, he was really quite unique.”

May continues, “I’m glad that we did the Concert for Aids Awareness in his memory, it was done on a big enough scale to give him the great send-off that Freddie deserved. A lot of people have suggested that we should do something like it again, but that would take away from the specialness of the occasion, and anyway, it was a massive strain on our (Queen’s) shoulders because we weren’t just performing, we were also organizing everybody else.

“It was difficult enough just choosing the acts who would appear, we argued a lot among ourselves about the bill, but the basic criteria for the acts finally selected was their relevance to Freddie – either they were artists that he had been enthusiastic about, or those who had been keen on Freddie and his music, and had something to say about him.”

The death of Freddie Mercury was a personal bereavement for May, and his two other Queen colleagues, John Deacon and Roger Taylor. “It was truly awful for us, just like losing a member of the family. I’d known Freddie for 25 years, we’d spent our adult life until now together. It has been hard accepting reddie’s death but perhaps the personal thing that has come out of it for Roger, John and myself, apart from the deep sense of loss, is that there is now no option but to move on with our individual careers.

“As a band, we had an incredibly lucky and successful span of 20 years, and being able to perform at that level of success was very rewarding. However, we fought to build up our own protective shell, and once that was there it was like a little egg that saved us from having to be individuals in the true sense, so it’s good for us to be put in a situation where we have to be individuals from now on. We have no option but to move on to the next phase… I know that I wouldn’t have attacked this solo album with the same passion, if it hadn’t been for the way things turned out with Freddie’s death.”

Back to the Light, Brian’s new album for Parlophone, is actually his second solo album offering. Back in 1983, he teamed up with several rock musician mates, including Eddie Van Halen, for a ‘jam session’ which resulted in a mini-album, Star Fleet Project. He also had a top 10 single last year with Driven by You, which featured in a television commercial campaign for Ford cars.

“I’m very excited about the new album, it’s like starting out again in a way. I want to know what people think about it, and I certainly wouldn’t have put the album out, if I didn’t think that it had something special. Back to the Light is a little different, and I hope that it gives people a jolt when they hear it.

“I don’t know what the reviews will be like, but if they’re not so good, well I’ll be philosophical about it – the things I’ve been most proud of, during my career, have usually been the one’s that got slated the most! But even if Back to the Light doesn’t sell masses of records, well I’ll just be happy if it gets to the right people, to whom it will mean something.

“The Starfleet album was just a quick one-off thing, it didn’t sell that well, but then it wasn’t commercially conceived. The great thing, however, is that all those people who did buy it seem to have treasured the album over the years. Aspiring musicians, in particular guitar players, have told me that it was quite influential to them, and that means much more than just appealing to the mass market. I’m not saying that I wouldn’t like a huge hit – that would bring a great feeling of reward – but if the album is appreciated by people who are into what I’m into, then that will be reward enough, and everything else will be a bonus.”

The rather modest May adds: “I have to make it clear though that I’m not setting myself up as a great vocalist… I know for a fact that I’m not, and that comes from having worked with Freddie. If you look at Bob Dylan or Eric Clapton, they’re proficient, but they’re not great singers… people have sung Dylan’s songs a lot better than he has, but if you listen to his interpretation of his own songs, there’s a massive amount of meaning and feeling that only he can put across. The point is, you can write a song, and someone else can record it, but even if that someone is the best singer in the world, something is usually lost in the translation. The things that you, as the writer, personally feel about the song don’t necessarily get into the final performance. With my new album, I wanted to say what I wanted to say in my own way, using the vocal and the guitar as two voices.”

He continues: “I’m not a songwriter as such, I can only function if a song means something to me regarding human relationships. I like to write about things that are personal, rather than about politics and other wider issues. Also a song should always be about the vocals, and it was certainly that way with Freddie. No matter how good the accompaniment is, and the production, if the vocal doesn’t work, then you haven’t got a song. Back to the Light isn’t a guitar virtuoso album, it is built around the voice, and it is an album of songs, some of which are designed to feature a lot of guitar. I worked on the vocals more than anything else on the album – I needed to, because I’m not that great at doing that kind of stuff!”

Despite his comments about other artists’ and musicians’ interpretations of songs they haven’t written themselves, May admits, “It’s great when other artists bring different approaches to Queen songs, I wish more people covered out stuff, they certainly shouldn’t be afraid to do so… I don’t care how they cover a song, to me it’s a great compliment that they want to do it in the first place. I’m not over-protective about our copyrights, it’s good if other artists and musicians want to bring their own selves into our songs. After all, music is a continuous process, you don’t create it in a vacuum, anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong. When we were starting out, we used to do other people’s songs, every group did in those days, and that’s how we learnt our trade, covering the Motown stuff, as well doing Hendrix and Cream songs.”

Similarly, he has a philosophical view about the Queen back-catalogue. There’s not a great deal of unreleased material because we tended to use up everything as we went along, but there are a few tracks left over from the Innuendo sessions. We never thought we’d finish that album, Freddie had been told by his doctors that he probably wouldn’t get to finish it, but he was determined to get through. There are a few songs sitting there that need finishing, I’m not sure how many, but certainly not enough for an album. I guess there has been a certain amount of reluctance between Roger, John and myself to go back into the studios and finish them… we needed to get away from the recording studios for our own sanity’s sake, rather than locking ourselves in, with the last Queen tapes, and trying to finish them.”

May adds: “Queen as a band doesn’t exist anymore, it can’t without Freddie, but the amount of time we spend on Queen matters is still enormous… there’s the catalogue to consider, and the whole recycling process of it, then there is the Queen business side which has many offshoots. There’s also the material that we didn’t quite finish, which we’ll have to do something about at some stage – we’ve guarded the quality of our record release very carefully over the years, and we don’t want standards to start slipping now.”

Back to his own solo career: “Most of all, I would like to play live again… it’s six years ago since Queen were last out on the road, and you need to strike a balance. Live work gets the juices going, and certainly makes me creative, a lot of my better stuff has been conceived on the road. I was very nervous at the Freddie Wembley tribute though… I get like that if it’s an unfamiliar situation, and I was worried about forgetting to introduce people. When you’re on tour in a band situation, you know what you’re doing, you know your partners, you know that you basically have something to offer, and it’s just a question of playing some good notes.

“I’ve got both Cozy Powell and Neil Murray playing on the new album, and we’re talking about doing some live dates, maybe at the end of the year of early next. I’d like to start in some smaller venues, just to get the feel of performing live again, but preferably in Outer Mongolia where not too many people can see or hear us! However, I don’t want to go out on tour and pretend that I’ve got a show worked out, when it’s just experimentation, it wouldn’t be fair to either the audience or me.”

Would he perform any Queen songs? “I don’t feel shy about doing them, but I wouldn’t be comfortable performing something like We Are the Champions because that’s so personal to Freddie. Even for the Wembley tribute, we racked our brains about who should do the song… there was some talk of us performing it ourselves, which we could have attempted, but it wouldn’t have meant anything. I fought tooth and nail to get Liza (Minnelli) because I knew that she was the only person who could perform the song with the same kind of feeling that Freddie use to put into it.”

He reflects: “It would be a shame though if the Queen catalogue could no longer be performed, so we mustn’t be paranoid about any of us doing the songs live. When Paul McCartney started his solo career, he wouldn’t do any of The Beatles stuff at first, but he does now, which makes sense because people want to hear those songs. I guess though that there’s always a fear that people are going to say, ‘You’re living in the past’, so we’ve got to strike a balance.

“I hope my album will get me some new fans as well as being enjoyed by existing Queen fans. A lot of people did find Queen’s gloss rather off-putting and strangely, since Freddie died, many have been able to look at the band a lot more clearly. Some of those who couldn’t quite swallow Freddie, or the band itself, can now… they can see the reality of what Freddie was doing. With Queen there was a very high level of production, and this huge sieving process went on, so that every recording became very rounded, which I think on the whole is a good thing.

“But I think that my solo stuff is much more directly me because it hasn’t gone through that process. I’ve been very painstaking with the album, and I haven’t had people interfering. I’ve said exactly what I wanted to say. I guess if people hate the results, then I can only blame myself…”

May recorded most of his album in the studio he has at his home in the country. “I’ve always resisted the idea of having a studio there because I’ve always felt that you should be able to get away from your work… but it never worked out like that anyway. The reason I did my own album at home was because of the feeling of pressure that you can get working in one of the major recording studios.

“It’s often a case of, ‘Well here I am, standing in this studio, just playing about, and it’s costing more than £1,000 a day’. It just seems so wasteful, so I thought, ‘Well why not do the album at home?’ And anyway, I wanted to get back to basics. It meant that I could do things the way that I wanted to do them, and not the way the studio wanted it doing… even just little things like miking up the drums in a particular way. Unless you’re careful, it’s so easy to get locked into other people’s way of working. It worked so well that I’m now wedded to the idea of recording more at home.”

May actually started working on his solo album a long time ago. “Bits of it go back to ancient history, particularly the songs. I started the recording work about five years ago, but most of it was done in little blocks, because Queen were so busy. I had a rough idea of what the album was going to be like, round about that time, but I didn’t get down to the serious work until about a year ago, when Driven By You happened.”

He admits that he had previously been reluctant to become involved with writing music for commercials. “The advertising agency approached me, and asked if I’d ever done anything for that medium, and I said, ‘No – I’ve never wanted to’. I had this idea at the back of my mind that it was all a dirty word, pure commercialism… selling out, really. I was persuaded to give it a try though, and discovered that it was all really very much above board!

“I worked on the song and advert in parallel, and the interesting thing is that the song meant one thing to me, and another thing to the agency people. I was really stimulated by the way that advertising people work… I mean, they’re so quick. I delivered them a version of Driven by You, and it was on the television commercial the next day!”

May’s new album has been given a major boost by the success of the single, Too Much Love Will Kill You, and he’s been gearing himself up for the inevitable round of press and radio interviews. He says he shies away from personal publicity, but is happy to talk about music, although may himself has been the victim of unwanted attention from the tabloid press, primarily when it was revealed that he and former EastEnders actress Anita Dobson were going out together, at a time when he was married with a family.

“This personal publicity the tabloids give various people… at its best, it’s intolerable, I hate the way that journalists are allowed to do that, making somebody’s life a total misery. There’s no justification, for example, for the way the newspapers seem to have set out to destroy Michael Jackson, he’s a person who has given pleasure to millions of people, so why should certain people in newspapers destroy his image and credibility in the most vile way?

“Free speech has been wrongly interpreted to mean that newspapers can destroy anyone they like, and yet it’s so difficult for the victims to have any comeback. Michael Jackson is suing The Daily Mirror, but he’s still providing all the papers with a feast… they will sell more newspapers because of the fact that he’s suing. What most of us have to do is just to ignore what is being written, because if you deny the allegations you just provide them with more ammunition.”

[a-froger-epic]

THANK YOU! I knew I hadn't made it up! Love it when we all work together. Go fandom team! 😂🙌🏻

Unless I'm completely wrong this is Queen as the three musketeers and d'Artagnan ?? 🥺❤️

I see Freddie on the right (the shortest, with a beard!), Brian kneeling, Roger in the middle and John on the left. And they all look so soft, ahhh, and

Dearie Me

[jules-has-notes]

Queen in 5 Minutes — VoicePlay music video

The late, great Freddie Mercury is often quoted as having said, "Do anything you want with my music, but never make me boring." VoicePlay certainly took that sentiment to heart for this medley of memorable Queen songs, as well as the dramatic visual tale they made to go along with it. A battle for Earl's (after)life plays out in a suitably theatrical setting. Who will win?

Details:

title: Queen in 5 Minutes

original songs / performers: all songs by Queen — "Bohemian Rhapsody"; [0:32] "Play The Game"; [0:54] "Somebody To Love"; [1:20] "We Are The Champions"; [2:20] "Another One Bites The Dust"; [2:37] "We Will Rock You"; [2:45] "Under Pressure" with David Bowie; [2:52] "I Want to Break Free"; [3:14] "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy"; [3:32] "Play the Game" reprise; [3:48] "Bohemian Rhapsody" reprise; [4:16] "Radio Ga Ga"; [4:21] "The Show Must Go On"; [4:45] "Don't Stop Me Now"

written by: "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Play The Game", "Somebody To Love", & "We Are The Champions" by Freddie Mercury; "Another One Bites The Dust" by John Deacon; "We Will Rock You" by Brian May; "Under Pressure" by Queen & David Bowie; "I Want to Break Free" by John Deacon; "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy" by Freddie Mercury; "Radio Ga Ga" by Roger Taylor; "The Show Must Go On" by Brian May; "Don't Stop Me Now" by Freddie Mercury

arranged by: Layne Stein & Eli Jacobson

release date: 23 November 2018

My favorite bits:

recreating that iconic Bohemian Rhapsody intro

J.None's fantastic control, flipping between chest and head voice as he extracts Earl's heart 🫀 ⚖️

that smooth scoop from Earl on ⇗ ♫ "take a loooOOOK" ♫ ⇗

Geoff going full Chris Cornell at the start of "We Are the Champions" before dropping back into the underworld

J.None shoving the sword into Layne's hands to get him more involved as he sings about ♫ "fighting til the end" ♫

Eli's busting out that rock grit for "We Will Rock You"

Layne beatboxing the iconic stomp-stomp-clap rhythm rather than breaking viewers' immersion in the scene

Earl repelling everyone through the power of belting

the dismissive face Geoff makes at Eli as he continues the "Under Pressure" bass line into "I Want to Break Free" (a more serious take on the "Ice Ice Baby" bit from their "Old School Rap" medley)

Earl's plaintive vulnerability during "Lover Boy" solidifying into defiance for the return to "Bohemian Rhapsody"

the backing vocals pleading with Earl to ♫ "play the game" ♫ so they can guide him onward

ramping up into full concert mode as they form a line at the front of their "stage"

high tenor air guitar! 🎸

Eli and J's subtle counterpoint line from "Radio Ga Ga"

using "The Show Must Go On" to signal Earl's decision to return to the world of the living

Trivia:

○ The man in the hospital framing scenes is Earl's husband, Nick. He has appeared on screen in a few VoicePlay videos, as well as doing production work on many more.

○ The four avatars of death come from various religious traditions:

Guardian (Layne) is an anthropomorphized version of Cerberus from Greek mythology, the multi-headed hound (hence the fur coat) who protects the gates of Hades.

Anubis (J.None) is the guardian of the dead and assessor of souls in the Egyptian pantheon, often depicted as a jackal.

Yama Nirvana (Eli) represents the Hindu god Yama, responsible for death, justice, and punishment of sinners in the afterlife.

Baron (Geoff) is an interpretation of the spirit Baron Samedi, master of the dead and resurrection in Haitian Vodou.

○ The guys' distinctive makeup and wardrobe were designed by artist Leon King. Of the four, J.None's costume changed the most from concept to execution, but each of them was tweaked a bit.

○ Leon also drew the central pendant element for the cover art.

○ The YouTube description includes the inscription, "We humbly dedicate this video to the music and memory of Freddie Mercury. The show must go on."

○ Some fans have embraced a headcanon that this video is a sequel to "Panic! in 4 Minutes". They theorize that Earl is in the hopital because he was injured by the explosion, and the avatars of death are manifesting as his bandmates within his unconscious mind. This hasn't been confirmed or denied by any members of VoicePlay, but it's a fun idea.

○ This video reached a million views on YouTube the following August.

○ The streaming audio version is split into two parts, "The Arrival" and "The Return", with the divide falling between "I Want To Break Free" and "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy".

○ The complete track was later included on VoicePlay's "Citrus" album, which compiled most of the songs they recorded from 2017-19. Because the individual songs had already been made available digitally, that album is exclusively a physical item that can only be purchased at live shows or through their website.

[diceriadelluntore]

Storia Di Musica #291 - Deacon Blue, Raintown, 1987

Lo spunto per le storie settembrine me lo ha dato un aneddoto simpatico sugli Steely Dan, protagonisti dell'ultima storia di Agosto. Una delle loro canzoni più famose, Deacon Blues, da Aja (il loro capolavoro del 1977) fece un viaggio emozionale fino in Scozia, dove un giovane ragazzo si appassionava alla musica, soprattutto a quel pop così sofisticato, pieno di stratificazioni sonore, piccoli gioielli musicali incastonati nelle melodie, e immensa classe esecutiva. Ricky Ross si chiama quel giovane ragazzo, che dopo che a Dundee viene licenziato da professore precario delle scuole secondarie, si trasferisce a Glasgow, dove decidere di mettere su un gruppo. Prima trova il batterista, Dougie Vipond, poi un bravissimo pianista, James Prime, un chitarrista, Graeme Kelling, e una corista, Carol Moore. Le prime esibizioni sono incoraggianti, ma la Moore decide di mettersi da parte. Ross si ricorda che aveva sentito ad un provino, improvvisato in Bath Street, una ragazza che lascia il suo indirizzo, ma non il suo numero di telefono. E la storia vuole che fu lo stesso Ross ad arrivare sulla Great Western Road di Glasgow per chiedere a Lorraine McIntosh di unirsi al gruppo. E c'è la ciliegina sulla torna: durante uno delle prime serata acclamati dal pubblico, Dougie Vipond leggermente brillo incontrò Ewen Vernal, bassista, nel bagno di un locale e gli chiese di unirsi al gruppo. Il nome per la band è quello che Ross ha in testa da anni: Deacon Blue, e siamo nel 1985. Glasgow in quegli anni è una città in piena trasformazione sociale, anche con profonde fratture socio economiche (per farsi un'idea, suggerisco i romanzi di Douglas Stuart) ma dal punto di vista musicale sarà la capitale scozzese della musica. Tanto che un giornalista del Glasgow Herald, John Williamson, decise di produrre una cassetta in allegato alle pagine culturali del giornale con tutte le promesse della musica cittadina di quel periodo: ci sono futuri gruppi e artisti molto famosi come i Wet Wet Wet, Kevin McDermott, Hue and Cry e i Deacon Blue, che contribuiscono con Take The Saints Away.

Dopo questa esperienza, sono pronti ad andare in studio, insieme a Jon Kelly, capo ingegnere del suono agli Air Studios di Londra. Ross ha in mente una sorta di concept album su Glasgow, che ne racconti le sfumature più varie. Raintown, pubblicato nel 1987, si presenta con una meravigliosa foto in bianco e nero di Oscar Marziaroli, italo scozzese futuro acclamato fotografo, che ferma una città avvolta nella perenne pioggerellina con sullo sfondo uno dei simboli della città, la Finnieston Crane, una gigantesca gru portuale, ormai non operativa, simbolo dell'industriosità degli abitanti, proprio all'imbocco del porto cittadino. Dal punto di vista musicale, seppur si parte dall'idea di pop sofisticato del mitico duo da cui prendono il nome, i Deacon Blue mischiano il lirismo vocale e le atmosfere uniche di Van Morrison, un canto-racconto degno del primo Springsteen e un'eleganza che ha una sua totale particolarità. Il disco ha un andamento ondeggiante tra brani calmi e riflessivi e quelli più incalzanti: l'inizio è davvero suggestivo, con Born In The Storm che come una nebbia si dirada e sfuma in Raintown, canzone che è profondamente legata all'esperienza di Ross, con versi che dicono "Waiting for the phone to ring to make me all I am.\You're in the suburbs waiting for somewhere to go\I'm down here working on some dumb show\In a raintown" che raccontano l'inizio di tutta la storia. Ross scrive del rapporto con il business musicale nella bella Ragman e nell'altrettanto suggestiva Loaded, scritta di getto come un flusso di coscienza su una base improvvisata dagli altri componenti della band su una cassetta super 8, ed è capace di dipingere affreschi musicali persino drammatici in abiti delicati e affascinanti. He Looks Like Spencer Tracy Now è ispirata ad un pensiero, a che vita avesse fatto l'uomo che sganciò la bomba atomica su Hiroshima: tra incontri particolari ("he may have been with Oppenheimer, shaken Einstein's hand\Did we have to drop the bomb? You bet, to save this land\He was only taking pictures around the critical mass\While the troops on Tinian island sang 'Follow the bouncing ball') e cosa potrebbe essere oggi (He may have been a nationalist, a physicist or a pacifist (...) Well, I have seen that movie of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde\And I know he looks like Spencer Tracy Now). When Will You (Make My Telephone Ring) ha ai cori il famoso gruppo R&B londinese dei Londonbeat. Alto livello è anche Chocolate Girl, che racconta di un tipo anaffettivo, un certo Alan, ricco e spendaccione, "He calls her the chocolate girl\Cause he thinks she melts when he touches her\She knows she's the chocolate girl\Cause she's broken up and swallowed\And wrapped in bits of silver". Ma il capoavoro è Dignity: ritratto di quello spirito scozzese della dignità del lavoro, racconta la storia di un impiegato comunale, probabilmente uno che lavora sulle strade, e che non perde il sorriso nemmeno quando è preso in giro dal ragazzini e che ha un sogno, comprare un gommone, un dinghy, che vuole chiamare Dignity, con cui "I'll sail her up the west coast\Through villages and towns\I'll be on my holidays\They'll be doing their rounds\They'll ask me how I got her I'll say, "I saved my money"\They'll say, "Isn't she pretty? That ship called Dignity". In Love's Great Fears, liricissima e tutta giocata sul duetto Ross - McIntosh, che diventeranno marito e moglie poco tempo dopo, c'è Chris Rea alla chitarra.

Il disco, per le qualità musicali, per la scelta azzeccata dei singoli e per la sua atmosfera sofisticata, che quasi inventerà un genere, ha un successo clamoroso: arriva fino al numero 14 nella classifica dei dischi più venduti, rimane in classifica un anno e mezzo e vende oltre un milione di copie. La band continuerà a scrivere belle cose, e il successivo When The World Knows Your Name del 1989 arriva persino al numero 1 in UK e contiene la loro canzone più famosa, Real Gone Kid, facendo divenire sogno il successo che un ragazzo scozzese aveva immaginato sentendo una canzone, Deacon Blues, che parla di nerds and losers, secondo le famose parole di commento di Donald Fagen. Dedicherò il mese di settembre a gruppi scozzese degli anni '80, che è un periodo storico e una zona geografica che ha regalato cosine niente affatto male alla storia della musica.

[astrophysicist-guitar-god]

After the cut, the Rolling Stone article that elicited a response from Roger, written on an airline motion-sickness bag.

Queen Holds Court in South America: On the road with rock's royal spectacle (x)

James Henke, June 11, 1981. Buenos Aires, Argentina

We are the champions – my friends And we’ll keep on fighting – till the end – We are the champions – We are the champions, No time for losers cause we are the champions – of the world – —Freddie Mercury, “We Are the Champions”*

It was to be the Big Event. Queen, coming off its most successful year ever, was setting out to conquer South America and wanted to make sure the whole world knew about it.

That, certainly, was no surprise. After all, this was the band that had made a career out of creating spectacles. A couple of years ago, for example, when they were launching a U.S. tour in support of their Jazz album, Queen threw a bash in New Orleans that featured snake charmers, strippers, transvestites and a naked fat lady who smoked cigarettes in her crotch.

The real surprise was that Queen – a group with a history of hostility toward the press – had agreed to do interviews and had invited journalists from the U.S., England, Spain, France and other countries to come along for the first shows.

So here I am at Ezeiza airport, outside Buenos Aires. The place looks like a military installation. Young, peach-fuzz-faced boys who can’t be more than sixteen or seventeen are stationed along the concourse that leads through customs into the baggage-claim area. They’re all in uniform: big black leather shit-kicking boots that reach halfway up the calves of their legs, and regulation tan pants, shirts and helmets. And they’re all armed with submachine guns.

In Argentina, the military – and terror – reigns supreme. According to Amnesty International, about 15,000 people have “disappeared” since 1976, when Juan Perón’s second wife and successor, Isabel, was thrown from power in a coup d’état. Since then, a guerrilla war has been waging between the dictatorship and opposition groups, mainly Perónists, and citizens have routinely been plucked off the streets or out of their homes, taken to secret detention camps and systematically brutalized. But as VS. Naipaul writes in his book The Return of Eva Perón, “Style is important in Argentina; and in the long-running guerrilla war – in spite of the real blood, the real torture – there has always been an element of machismo and public theatre.”

Editor’s picks

Amid the hubbub at customs, I notice a middle-aged man in gray – gray suit, gray tie, gray hair – making his way through the crowd, shouting something in Spanish. The only word I understand is Queen, and sure enough, he’s looking for us. He takes our passports, whisks us past the inspectors without so much as one bag being opened, and leads us upstairs to the bar for an early morning cerveza. He speaks little English, but there are two words he knows quite well. No matter what anyone asks for, his response is the same: “No problem.”

Maybe this won’t be so bad after all.

By the afternoon of day two, none of the writers has yet been introduced to any of the band members. We while away the time in the hotel bar, but in this country, where the annual inflation rate is around 100 percent, a bottle of beer costs the equivalent of twelve dollars, keeping us sober against our wills. Finally, Jim Beach, Queen’s business adviser, allows a few of us to attend the sound check at Velez Sarfield.

The Argentines have a rather nifty concept of crowd control, as I find out when I reach the stadium: a moat, about six feet wide and three feet deep, runs around the perimeter of the field and is filled with foul-smelling water and patrolled by dragonflies. Queen has brought its own artificial turf so that the promoters will allow people onto the field.

Up onstage, Queen – lead singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, bassist John Deacon and drummer Roger Taylor – is rehearsing “Rock It (Prime Jive),” a track off The Game. And it sounds simply awful. The acoustics are horrendous in the 3500-seat stadium: there’s a thirty-second delay as the music drifts across the length of the field and reverberates off the scoreboard. Nor does the band’s musicianship seem inspired. The rhythm section is sloppy and sluggish; May’s guitar playing is limited to heavy-metal/hard-rock clichés and patented, though by now boring, harmonic lead breaks; Mercury’s singing is lackadaisical and without conviction.

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“They’re not even up to the par of some third-rate New Jersey bar band,” another writer comments to me, and indeed, I’m somewhat mystified about what it is that makes this group so popular.

When I return to Velez Sarfield that evening for the show, the stadium is swarming with kids – and cops. These are crusty, corpulent tough guys – not the boot-camp boys I saw at the airport. And it doesn’t take long to find out that they mean business. When one American writer snaps a photo of the twenty-odd billy-club-wielding policemen who are cordoning off the backstage area, he’s pinned against a government-owned Falcon and threatened at knife point with the loss of a finger until he yields his film. “No problem.” Sure.

“Un supergrupo numero uno,” the emcee anounces as the lights dim, and with a burst of smoke, Queen appears onstage and begins hammering out its anthem, “We Will Rock You.” Mercury – dressed in a white, sleeveless Superman T-shirt, red vinyl pants and a black vinyl jacket – frequently stops singing and dares the audience to carry the weight. And carry the weight they do: the fans seem to know all the lyrics throughout the 110-minute show – which, if for no. other reason, is impressive for the number of hits the group is able to offer up, such as “Keep Yourself Alive,” “Killer Queen,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Fat Bottomed Girls” and “Bicycle Race.”

Though the band-audience interaction is remarkable, the crowd responds with such unquestioning devotion I get the feeling that if Freddie Mercury told them to shave their heads, they’d do it.

The musicianship still seems pedestrian, but what the group lacks in ability, it makes up for – at least to the fans’ satisfaction – in gimmickry. Smoke shrouds the stage at regular intervals; flash pots illuminate the audience at key moments and end the set. Compared to Kiss‘ fire-breathing antics, Queen’s use of special effects is in relative good taste, and after all, a Queen show is supposed to be a spectacle.

For the encore, the band reprises “We Will Rock You,” then bounds into “We Are the Champions.” Mercury, by this time wearing only a pair of black leather short shorts and a matching leather policeman’s hat, struts around the stage like some hybrid of Robert Plant and Peter Allen, climactically kicking over a speaker cabinet and bashing it with his microphone stand. Pretty ridiculous in this day and age, but the kids love it.

Indeed, Queen may be the first truly fascist rock band. The whole thing makes me wonder why anyone would indulge these creeps and their polluting ideas. —Dave Marsh in Rolling Stone

What do I think about critics? I think they’re a bunch of shits. —Freddie Mercury

Queen’s relationship with the music press has been about as cordial as the secret police’s relationship with the Argentine public. Even so, the band hasn’t exactly suffered from the continual pans of its records and shows: eight of its ten LPs have been certified gold (the exceptions are the Flash Gordon soundtrack and Queen II), and its last three studio efforts – News of the World, Jazz and The Game – have gone well over the million mark in sales.

“I have some very strong views of some of the things the press do, such as The Rolling Stone Record Guide,” Roger Taylor says, looking out his hotel-room window. It’s day four, and the long-promised interviews have finally been arranged. “Now, I’ve never read the book, but I saw an ad, and I thought, ‘What the fuck is someone doing bringing out a book like this? Who the hell are they to say what albums are good and what albums are bad?’ I think it’s entirely a personal choice.” (For the record, Queen didn’t fare too well in the book; four of the seven albums reviewed were awarded two stars, a designation that means “records that are artistically insubstantial, though not truly wretched.”)

The shots at Queen have not been fired by just the press, however. When the punks came to fame in England in the late Seventies, Queen was one of the groups most often singled out for attack. Taylor and John Deacon, the two band members who seem most attentive to musical trends, apparently feel some of the criticism was justified. “It gave us a kick up the ass,” Taylor says. “It was so angry, so different, so outrageous. We were recording News of the World in the same studio the Sex Pistols were recording their first album in. I mean, the first time I ever saw John Rotten, I was really shocked, cause I had never actually seen the whole thing in person. He sort of crystallized the whole punk attitude, and there’s no doubt about it, the guy had amazing charisma.”

If the band’s pomp-and-circumstance delivery has recently fallen into disfavor among the rough-and-ready New Wavers, it wasn’t really in vogue either when Queen inaugurated its grandiose stage presentation in the early Seventies. “That was the time of the supergroups, like Cream and Traffic,” Brian May explains, “and it was more the thing to get into your music and not worry about the audience. Then, for a period, it became very cool to do a show. Now, the wheel has turned again. But we just think that kind of show is part of being professional. People are giving you two hours of their time, so you have to give them everything for those two hours. We want every person to go away feeling he got his money’s worth, and we use every possible device to achieve that.”

From the beginning, Queen wanted to put on a show that would be different. “We had a joke that we wanted to be the biggest,” Taylor says. “It was a joke, but underneath, it really was true. Number one is much better than number two. And we’re still working at it.”

To accomplish this goal, Queen opted for an unusual route. Rather than work their butts off playing the club circuit – something Taylor and May had done without much success in a band called Smile – they chose to spend two years rehearsing while they were still in school. May nearly completed a Ph.D. in astronomy; Taylor has a degree in biology; Deacon, one in electronics; and Mercury, a diploma in illustration and design.

Mercury and Taylor supported the band by selling artwork at a stall in Kensington Market, and it wasn’t until 1973 that Queen released its first album and had enough money – thanks to record-company support – to take the kind of show they wanted to do on the road. The LP, titled Queen, gave the band its first hit single, “Keep Yourself Alive,” and set the stage for what was to come. As Roger Taylor says, “It’s been quite a fairy tale.”

I just hate this,” Freddie Mercury says, “especially when that thing’s on.” He points to my tape recorder, sits down across from me and lights up a Salem. “There came a point where I was misquoted all the time,” he continues, “and they had the piece written before they even started. I’m not afraid of criticism – I don’t want to come across as Goody Two Shoes all the time – but it’s been purely vindictive.” A deal’s a deal, however, and Mercury, obviously under some pressure from the other band members and their record company, had agreed to an interview. “So here I am with Rolling Stone,” he moans. “It’s like being forced to talk.”

Up close, Mercury is more petite than he looks onstage: he stands only a fraction of an inch under five feet ten and is relatively slender. His short-cropped hair and mustache are jet black, and his eyes are a piercing dark brown. In addition to being the group’s lead singer and one of its main songwriters, Mercury is also most responsible for Queen’s image. He’s known for his flamboyance and debauchery both onstage and off: at a birthday party a couple of years ago, for example, he swung naked from a chandelier, and on one of the band’s Japanese tours, bored with the tedium of playing night after night, he appeared onstage with a bunch of bananas atop his head.

“The Carmen Miranda of rock & roll,” he says, chuckling. “But what can I say? I’m a flamboyant personality. I like going out and having a good time. I’m just being me. The media pick up on certain things, and a lot of things get overexaggerated. I’m quite easy to get on with, really. I can be a real bitch at times, but that’s okay. I’m not that vicious. I use my influence. Why not? I’m not afraid to flaunt it.”

Thirty-four years old, Mercury was born Frederick Bulsara in what was then Zanzibar. His father was a British civil servant, and Freddie left home when he was seven to attend boarding school, first in India, then in England. “You learn to fend for yourself at an early age. I was quite rebellious, and my parents hated it. I grew out of living at home at an early age. But I just wanted the best. I wanted to be my own boss.”

Shifting around in his seat, Mercury tugs at his upper lip and reaches for his pack of Salems. “For a nonsmoker,” he jokes, “I smoke far too much.” He tells me he’s just purchased a house in London’s Kensington Park, complete with eight bedrooms and a massive studio with pillars and a gallery. “I can have minstrels play there,” he says with a laugh. “Very la-di-da, don’t you think?”

He’s having the mansion remodeled, which gave him cause recently to go on one of his celebrated shopping sprees. Just before their South American jaunt, Queen played five shows at the Budokan in Tokyo, and the promoter’s wife, a good friend of Freddie’s, arranged an excursion for the singer and his entourage through the largest department store. “I felt like Grace Kelly,” he recalls. “I got this huge Japanese bed, a lot of lacquer things and really nice hundred-year-old stuff. I think I spent a fortune, but I don’t know. The credit card pays for it.

“I like buying things on crazy impulses,” he continues. “I hate buying for investment. But I do like a lot of Oriental stuff; it’s intricate and delicate. I also like the cultural part of it, the way they do their gardens; they put a lot of thought into it. But I’m not into all the meditation crap, or those boring tea ceremonies. The raw fish, as well.”

Early on in his career, Mercury seemed bent on incorporating his interest in different cultures and art forms into Queen’s stage shows and music. “Mustapha,” off the Jazz album, was a miserable attempt at Arabic music, and at one point, Mercury told the British press he was “bringing ballet to the masses.”

“I went through this period where I thought I was making an impact on the fashion world,” he says, “then I thought, ‘Oh, grow up.’ And now, you see, I don’t take all this too seriously – I mean, I couldn’t be serious with the things I wear onstage. I have far more fun, and I enjoy it. It’s a great release. That’s what entertainment should be.”

He feels likewise about the band’s music. “It’s just pure escapism. It’s like going to see a film. People should just escape for a while, then they can go back to their problems. That’s the way all songs should be: you listen to them, then discard them like a used tampon. I don’t have any messages I’m trying to get across or anything.”

The forty-five minutes of interview time I’ve been allocated are rapidly drawing to a close, and publicist Howard Bloom knocks on the hotel-room door and tells us to wind things up. Mercury lights one last Salem. “You see,” he says, “you can tell I’m not very good at this. To be honest, I really don’t think I have much to say.”

A couple of years ago, Roger Taylor was doing about 145 miles an hour in his Ferrari on an alpine road in Germany when suddenly one of the chains went, the cooling system died and the car caught on fire. He managed to extinguish the flames just in time – there were about fifteen gallons of gas onboard. “Burned all my clothes to a cinder,” he recalls. “Another minute and it would have hit the tank and that would have been it. I would have been vaporized completely.”

Since then, Taylor hasn’t been quite as enamored of fast cars, but he still relishes the kind of lifestyle rock & roll has afforded him. In that sense, he’s probably closer in personality to Freddie Mercury than the other two band members. “Ah, yes,” he says when I bring up Queen’s rather decadent image. “I like that sort of thing. I like strip clubs and strippers and wild parties with naked women. Sounds wonderful. I’d love to own a whorehouse. Really, seriously. What a wonderful way to make a living.”

“Roger is very much in the tradition of the successful rock & roll musician,” John Deacon explains. “He wants the things that go with it, and it is what he really wanted to be. I’m sort of the opposite of that. It was never my burning ambition to be in a successful band. It has helped my confidence a bit, but it’s different things for different people. And we are four very different people.”

Offstage, while Taylor and Mercury are out carousing, Deacon frequently spends time with his wife and three kids. Though he may seem out of place in the flashy world of Queen, Deacon is actually the band’s stabilizing presence. He oversees much of the group’s business matters – Queen does not have an official manager; instead, it employs a coterie of advisers who leave final decisions to the band.

The disco hit “Another One Bites the Dust” is Deacon’s creation. “I’m the only one in the group, really, who likes American black music,” he tells me. “And with The Game, it was Freddie’s idea that instead of arguing over which songs to put on the album, we’d split it up: Freddie and Brian would have three tracks apiece, and Roger and myself would have two. But we had arguments over whether “Bites the Dust” should be a single. In the end, it began attracting a lot of attention on black stations and in discos, so the record company wanted us to put it out. But it would never have been chosen as a single by the group as a whole.”

Given his low-key personality, I wonder how Deacon feels about the image conveyed by Mercury. His answer is blunt: “Some of us hate it,” he says. “But that’s him and you can’t stop it. Like he did an interview in one of the English national papers, and it was all like, ‘We’re dripping with money, darlin‘,’ or, ‘What’s a mortgage?‘ Brian, for one, just hated it.”

Like Deacon, Brian May is quiet and tends to keep to himself. He, too, has brought his wife and child along. When not touring, he’s an avid gardener – “I’ve been known to be out there looking for slugs at one o’clock in the morning,” he says – and he tries to keep up with astronomy by reading journals and talking with his former university colleagues.

“I think it’s essential that you have things that you get into apart from music,” he says. “You have to maintain your balance.”

May seems to care the most about the group’s audience, and he supervises the fan club. “I think people can listen to some of our stuff and actually get something out of it spiritually, if I may be so bold,” he says. “I enjoy the fact that a lot of people have written to us and said that a particular song helped them when they were in a difficult situation. That’s a great feeling.”

All in all, the Big Event was a success. The attendance was staggering: in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the group played in front of 131,000 people one night and 120,000 the next. The press had also been good: one American writer even mentioned Queen’s shows at Velez Sarfield in the same breath as the Beatles’ at Shea Stadium.

Though this tour seemed rather tame compared with previous Queen endeavors, that probably says more about South American governments than it does about the band. When the group’s advance men first arrived in Buenos Aires, for instance, their backstage passes were seized briefly by customs officials, who deemed them pornographic (they depicted two nude women embracing).

But basically, things went smoothly – not unlike some master plan. That concept was brought up again and again when I discussed Queen with some of its associates. “They want to conquer the world” was how one person put it. For a group of this stature, a group that presumably has made enough money to last a lifetime, Queen maintains a very busy work schedule. After the release of The Game last June, the band did a major U.S. tour, recorded Flash Gordon and played some more dates in Europe and Britain. Then came the Japanese shows, the South American trek and a solo LP from Roger Taylor. This June they plan to begin work on another studio album, but before that comes out sometime next year, they will release a greatest-hits package (which reportedly will vary from country to country, depending on what songs have been hits in those areas).

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Four years ago, in Queen’s last interview with Rolling Stone, Freddie Mercury said, “Our goal is to get to the top, obviously. We’re not there yet; nowhere near it. And I don’t want anybody to tell me I’m there either.” And the band still feels that way. When I asked them what they thought they’d be doing in five years, each member was convinced Queen would still be together, still reaching for something more. After all, you can’t conquer the world overnight.

This story is from the June 11th, 1981 issue of Rolling Stone.

[my-chaos-radio]

Release: August 22, 1990

Lyrics:

Yo VIP, let's kick it

Ice, ice baby

Ice, ice baby

Alright stop, collaborate and listen

Ice is back with my brand new invention

Something grabs a hold of me tightly

Flow like a harpoon daily and nightly

Will it ever stop? Yo, I don't know

Turn off the lights, and I'll glow

To the extreme, I rock a mic like a vandal

Light up a stage and wax a chump like a candle

Dance, go rush to the speaker that booms

I'm killing your brain like a poisonous mushroom

Deadly, when I play a dope melody

Anything less than the best is a felony

Love it or leave it, you better gangway

You better hit bull's eye, the kid don't play

If there was a problem, yo, I'll solve it

Check out the hook while my DJ revolves it

Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice, ice baby

Vanilla

Now that the party is jumping

With the bass kicked in, and the Vegas are pumping

Quick to the point, to the point, no faking

Cooking MCs like a pound of bacon

Burning them, if you ain't quick and nimble

I go crazy when I hear a cymbal

And a hi-hat with a souped up tempo

I'm on a roll, it's time to go solo

Rollin' in my 5.0

With my rag-top down so my hair can blow

The girlies on standby, waving just to say "Hi"

"Did you stop?" No, I just drove by

Kept on, pursuing to the next stop

I busted a left, and I'm heading to the next block

The block was dead, yo

So I continued to A1A Beachfront Avenue

Girls were hot wearing less than bikinis

Rockman lovers driving Lamborghinis

Jealous, 'cause I'm out getting mine

Shay with a gauge, and Vanilla with a nine

Ready for the chumps on the wall

The chumps acting ill because they're full of eight ball

Gunshots rang out like a bell

I grabbed my nine, all I heard were shells

Falling on the concrete real fast

Jumped in my car, slammed on the gas

Bumper to bumper, the avenue's packed

I'm trying to get away before the jackers jack

Police on the scene, you know what I mean

They passed me up, confronted all the dope fiends

If there was a problem, yo, I'll solve it

Check out the hook while my DJ revolves it

Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice, ice baby

Vanilla

Take heed 'cause I'm a lyrical poet

Miami's on the scene, just in case you didn't know it

My town, that created all the bass sound

Enough to shake and kick holes in the ground

'Cause my style's like a chemical spill

Feasible rhymes that you can vision and feel

Conducted and formed, this is a hell of a concept

We make it hype, and you want to step

With this, Shay plays on the fade

Slice like a ninja, cut like a razor blade

So fast, other DJs say "Damn!"

If my rhyme was a drug, I'd sell it by the gram

Keep my composure, when it's time to get loose

Magnetized by the mic while I kick my juice

If there was a problem, yo, I'll solve it

Check out the hook while D-Shay revolves it

Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice, ice baby

Vanilla Ice

Yo man, let's get out of here

Word to your mother

Songwriter:

Ice, ice baby, too cold

Ice, ice baby, too cold, too cold

Ice, ice baby, too cold, too cold

Ice, ice baby, too cold, too cold

David Bowie / Brian May / Freddie Mercury / John Deacon / Roger Taylor / Mario Johnson / Robert Van Winkle / Floyd Brown

SongFacts:

👉📖

[musicfreak8769]

Classic Rock Songs

Classic rock songs are a cherished part of music history, known for their timeless appeal and enduring popularity. Here's a brief overview of the history of classic rock songs:

Origins: Classic rock as a genre emerged in the mid-1960s and reached its zenith through the 1970s. It evolved from the rock and roll genre of the late 1940s and early 1950s, characterized by a fusion of various musical elements, including blues, R&B, and country.

The 1970s Golden Era: The 1970s witnessed a classic rock explosion with the rise of bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Queen. Their albums and singles became anthems of a generation, defining the classic rock sound.

Subgenres: Classic rock is not limited to a single style; it encompasses a wide range of subgenres, from blues rock (e.g., Eric Clapton) to progressive rock (e.g., Yes) and folk rock (e.g., Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young).

Top Artists and their hits: Classic rock boasts a rich history of iconic bands and timeless hits. Here are some of the top classic rock bands and a selection of their most famous hits:

The Beatles: The Beatles were a British rock group that left an indelible mark on the music industry. Formed in Liverpool, England, in 1960, the band consisted of four principal members:

John Lennon

Paul McCartney

George Harrison

Ringo Starr

The Beatles grew out of a shared enthusiasm for American rock and roll. They started as a skiffle group called "The Quarrymen" and went through various name changes, including "The Beatals," before settling on "The Beatles."

Some of their hits:-

"Let It Be"

"Yesterday"

"Hey Jude"

"Come Together"

Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin, one of the most iconic rock bands in history, was formed in London in 1968. The group consisted of:

Robert Plant (vocalist)

Jimmy Page (guitarist)

John Paul Jones (bassist and keyboardist)

John Bonham (drummer)

The band initially came together as the New Yardbirds, with Jimmy Page being the final lead guitarist for the British blues band, The Yardbirds. However, they quickly changed their name to Led Zeppelin.

Some Of their Hits are:-

"Stairway to Heaven"

"Whole Lotta Love"

"Kashmir"

"Immigrant Song"

Pink Floyd: Pink Floyd is an iconic English rock band that was formed in London in 1965. The band gained an early following as one of the first British psychedelic groups, and they went on to become a seminal force in the world of rock music.

The original members of Pink Floyd included:

Roger Waters

Nick Mason

Richard Wright

Syd Barrett

They initially met while studying architecture at the London Polytechnic in Regent Street, London. The band's early years were marked by the leadership of Syd Barrett, who played a pivotal role in shaping their psychedelic sound. However, due to Barrett's deteriorating mental health, David Gilmour was brought in to replace him.

Pink Floyd's music journey saw them pioneer the concept album, achieving significant success in the 1970s with albums like "The Dark Side of the Moon" and "The Wall." These albums remain classics in the rock genre and are celebrated for their progressive and experimental approach to music.

Some of their greatest hits are:-

"Comfortably Numb"

"Wish You Were Here"

"Another Brick in the Wall"

"Time"

Queen: Queen is a renowned British rock band formed in London in 1970. The band was founded by Freddie Mercury (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (guitar, vocals), Roger Taylor (drums, vocals), and John Deacon (bass).

Throughout their illustrious career, Queen became known for their eclectic and dynamic musical style, blending rock, pop, and opera elements. Their music was characterized by powerful vocals from Freddie Mercury and the distinctive guitar work of Brian May.

Some of Queen's most famous songs include "Bohemian Rhapsody," "We Will Rock You," "We Are the Champions," "Another One Bites the Dust," and "Radio Ga Ga." Their 1975 album "A Night at the Opera" features the iconic track "Bohemian Rhapsody," which is often considered one of the greatest rock songs ever recorded.

Some of their greatest hits are:-

"Bohemian Rhapsody"

"We Will Rock You"

"Somebody to Love"

"Radio Ga Ga"

The Eagles: The Eagles are an iconic American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. The band's founding members included Glenn Frey (guitars, vocals), Don Henley (drums, vocals), Bernie Leadon (guitars, vocals), and Randy Meisner (bass). Over the years, the lineup evolved, with members like Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit joining the group.

Some of their greatest hits are:-

"Hotel California"

"Take It Easy"

"Desperado"

"Life in the Fast Lane"

These classic rock bands and their hits have left an indelible mark on the music industry and continue to be celebrated by music enthusiasts around the world. Their songs are considered classics and are frequently played on classic rock radio stations.

Check out more rock songs hits on https://musicfreak.in/classic-rock-songs-playlist/

Influence: Classic rock has left an indelible mark on the music industry and inspired subsequent generations of musicians. It remains a touchstone for artists in various genres, and its influence can be heard in contemporary rock music.

Modern Relevance: Classic rock's appeal endures in the 21st century, with new generations discovering and appreciating the genre's iconic songs. Classic rock radio stations and music festivals keep the spirit alive.

Classic rock songs are more than just music; they are a cultural phenomenon, a bridge between eras, and a testament to the timelessness of great artistry.

For More Playlists Visit our website:- https://musicfreak.in/

[embodies]

GHOST OF TSUSHIMA STARTERS. ACCEPTING. ❛ that's over now. you're here. with me. ❜

@ategods. deacon st. john & sarah whitaker.

it is still a concept he is struggling to come to terms with, because despite yearning and pining for this like a man begs for water in the desert, the reality of it is hard to discern. he has dreamt of this a thousand times over, watched the oasis crumble like a mirage while his hopes crash and burn. who's to say this time is any different ? careful not to take any second for granted, he has been unabashed in his silent admiration of her as he works — as if he wasn't an absolute sap before. deacon loves to the point of burden, hugs just that little bit too tight in the night and wakes up in cold sweats when his nightmares turn sour. this is one instance of many, and while he's apologetic for the sheets being soaked with perspiration, he is moreso thankful that he has sarah to wake up to again. he doesn't often dwell on these thoughts or express them, but his fear of going through that again is alive and well. it permeates the air between them and thickens like a wedge in his throat, needing to be vocalised. superstition freezes him, as if speaking the words into existence will set a curse into motion and destine their doom.

❛ i know, i know. i just— i still can't believe it. ❜ the admittance is accompanied by a cradling of her face, learned time and time again by fingertips that, merely by habit, lift blonde strands delicately to tuck behind her ear. ❛ you're really here. do you know how crazy it is to say that ? how crazy everyone thought i was to wish for it ? ❜ in the dimly lit room, moonlight basking her, he thinks this is the most beautiful she's ever looked. tomorrow he'll have the same thought, and the day after, and the next. each moment supercedes the previous, love swelling in him like a benevolent abscess. a growth. he is sick with the thought of her. ❛ but look at us now. ❜

[freddiemercurylegendabovelegends]

Today, on April 5th, 1970 - Queen Story!

Freddie Mercury, Brian May and Roger Taylor were in Roger's flat and decided to form a new band

🔸“The concept of Queen is to be regal and majestic,” he told the English press early in their career. “Glamour is a part of us and we want to be dandy. We want to shock and be outrageously instantly”.

More than anything else, Freddie Mercury wants to be a legend. The vehicle for the 28 year-old “Kensington poseur” is a rock’n’roll band called Queen, and the meticolous Mercury seems to have the situation neatly in hand. He came up with the band’s name, he designed their crest (combining the star signs of its members), and he defines their style.

Smile was a local group featuring Roger Taylor on drums and Brian May on guitar. Freddie, who had been singing with groups since he was 14 years-old, was himself performing in small, unmentionable bands while studying the art of Mucha and Arthur Rackham. All the bands in the area used to keep tabs on each others’ music and even occasionally traded equipment. In 1970, Smile broke up in general frustration, and Freddie quickly cornered Taylor and May to sell them on his idea for a hotshot band to be called Queen. The pair approved, invited Freddie to join them, and after six months of auditions, the lineup was completed when they signed on John Deacon as their charter bassist. For months they practiced, playing only small, select shows for their friends and word-of-mouth fans instead of grinding through the usual provincial club circuit.

- Freddie Mercury

Interview, 1975 - Circus Magazine

Queen’s Freddie Mercury Shopping For An Image In London

by Scott Cohen

➡️ In the original photo Freddie Mercury is with other members of the group in a color photo used as the cover of the single 'Now I'm Here /' Lily Of The Valley 'Japanese Sleeve, 1975

Taken from 'Sheer Heart Attack' album, 1974

[cmcsmen]

The Call For Catholic Men Chicago Southland (CMCS)

By Frank J Casella, CMCS Co-founder & Executive Director

The CMCS Mission reads:

The CMCS Mission: Catholic Men Chicago Southland (CMCS) is engaged in fostering holy and courageous men and proclaiming the importance of husbands and fathers to children and the family. CMCS is a Catholic Apostolate of Interim Vicar Fr. Larry Sullivan, and founded by Bishop Emeritus Joseph N. Perry, Deacon John Rangel, and (Executive Director) Frank J Casella.

The greatest threat to our beloved nation does not come from foreign invaders, but rather from a sinister force that lurks within: the corruption of our moral fiber. This venom has seeped into every aspect of our society, poisoning our marriages, corrupting our youth, tarnishing our culture, and even contaminating our sources of entertainment, education, and communication. It is a corrosion that has been silently eating away at us for decades, slowly eroding the very foundations of our nation. We must be wary, for our enemies will not be able to conquer us from the outside unless we first crumble from within. The signs of this insidious implosion are becoming more evident with each passing day, gaining momentum and strength to bring us closer to the brink of cultural collapse.

The malevolent presence of Satan looms, intent on nothing short of eradicating the very essence of God's fatherhood from this world. The wise words of St. John Paul II ring true as he emphasizes the crucial role of fathers in families, “is to reveal and relive on earth the very fatherhood of God” iterating any true understanding or affection towards God the Father, especially among the minds of innocent children, by shattering the foundations of earthly fatherhood. With divorce, abandonment, distractions, and vices like alcohol and pornography, coupled with the distorted concept of same-sex unions, Satan is thriving in his attempts to dismantle the strength and masculinity of modern fatherhood, both within and beyond the walls of the Church.

In a rapidly changing world, the future of our children and grandchildren is at stake. As a result, I am drawn to men's conferences where the majority of attendees are under the age of 40. Far too often, these younger dads with little ones at home are overlooked in such gatherings. However, in this era of increasing anti-Christian sentiments, it is crucial that we prioritize and cater to their unique needs in conference planning and venue, topic selection, and recruitment efforts. Let us come together and equip the next generation of fathers for the challenges they will face in the 21st century.

The realm of pornography is a treacherous battleground for men of the Catholic faith, spanning across all generations. But fear not, for I am seeking bold individuals who dare to pioneer a parish-based gathering in the name of spiritual growth. These conferences will delve deep into the souls of our youth, nurturing their minds and hearts alike, equipping them with unshakeable faith to withstand the challenges of our modern society. However, bear in mind that this is not a conventional approach - we must break away from tradition to prevent our children from abandoning their religious beliefs like the majority of young adult Catholics have done. Will you answer the call?

I am a firm believer that when you nurture Men in the ways of holiness, their impact can reverberate down three generations. That is why the CMCS Team is grateful for your presence with CMCS today.

[troybeecham]

Today the Church honors St. Dionysius the Areopagite, Bishop and Theologian, St. Rusticus, Priest, St. Eleutherius, Deacon, all Martyrs.

Orate pro nobis.

Saint Dionysius lived originally in the city of Athens. He was raised there and received a classical Greek education. He then went to Egypt, where he studied astronomy at the city of Heliopolis. It was in Heliopolis, along with his friend Apollophonos where he witnessed the solar eclipse that occurred at the moment of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ by Crucifixion. “Either the Creator of all the world now suffers, or this visible world is coming to an end,” Dionysius said. Upon his return to Athens from Egypt, he was chosen to be a member of the Areopagus Council (Athenian high court).

When the holy Apostle Paul preached at the place on the Hill of Ares (Acts 17:16-34), Dionysius accepted his salvific proclamation and became a Christian. For three years Saint Dionysius remained a companion of the holy Apostle Paul in preaching the Word of God. Later on, the Apostle Paul selected him as bishop of the city of Athens. And in the year AD 57, Saint Dionysius was present at the repose of the Mary, the mother of Jesus..

During the lifetime of the Mary, Saint Dionysius had journeyed from Athens to Jerusalem to meet her. In one of the few extant eyewitness accounts of Mary, he wrote to his teacher the Apostle Paul: “I witness by God, that besides the very God Himself, there is nothing else filled with such divine power and grace. No one can fully comprehend what I saw. I confess before God: when I was with John, who shone among the Apostles like the sun in the sky, when I was brought before the countenance of the Most Holy Virgin, I experienced an inexpressible sensation. Before me gleamed a sort of divine radiance which transfixed my spirit. I perceived the fragrance of indescribable aromas and was filled with such delight that my very body became faint, and my spirit could hardly endure these signs and marks of eternal majesty and heavenly power. The grace from her overwhelmed my heart and shook my very spirit. If I did not have in mind your instruction, I should have mistaken her for the very God. It is impossible to stand before greater blessedness than this which I beheld.”

After the death of the Apostle Paul, Saint Dionysius wanted to continue with his work, and therefore went off preaching in the West, accompanied by the Presbyter Rusticus and Deacon Eleutherius. They converted many to Christ at Rome, and then in Germany, and then in Spain.

The writings of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite hold great significance for the Orthodox Church. Four books of his have survived to the present day:

On the Celestial Hierarchy

On the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy

On the Names of God

On Mystical Theology

In additional, there are ten letters to various people.

The theology of the Orthodox Church is totally based upon experience of divine knowledge. In order to know God it is necessary to be in proximity to Him, to have come near to Him in some measure, so as to attain communion with God and growth in sanctification, or deification (theosis) in Orthodox language. This condition is accomplished through prayer. This is not because prayer in itself brings us close to the incomprehensible God, but rather that the purity of heart in true prayer, which is humble silence and stillness of the heart and mind, allows us to become aware of the already close presence of God.

The written works of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite are of extraordinary significance in the theology of the Orthodox Church, and also for late Medieval Western Catholic theology. For almost four centuries, until the beginning of the sixth century AD, the works of this holy Father of the Church were preserved in an obscure manuscript tradition, primarily by theologians of the Alexandrian Church. The concepts in these works were known and utilized by Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Dionysius the Great, pre-eminent figures of the catechetical school in Alexandria, and also by Saint Gregory the Theologian. Saint Dionysius of Alexandria wrote to Saint Gregory the Theologian a Commentary on the “Areopagitum.” The works of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite received general Church recognition during the sixth-seventh centuries.

Particularly relevant are the Commentaries written by Saint Maximus the Confessor. (trans. note: although many scholars suggest that the “Areopagitum” was actually written by an anonymous sixth century figure who employed the common ancient device of piously borrowing an illustrious name, this in no way diminishes the profound theological significance of the works.)

In the Russian Orthodox Church the teachings of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite about the spiritual principles and deification were at first known through the writings of Saint John of Damascus. The first Slavonic translation of the “Areopagitum” was done on Mt. Athos in about the year AD 1371 by a monk named Isaiah. Copies of it were widely distributed in Russia. Many of them have been preserved to the present day in historic manuscript collections, among which is a parchment manuscript “Works of Saint Dionysius the Areopagite” belonging to Saint Cyprian, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus in his own handwriting.

Later returning to Athens, during a persecution against Christians by the pagan authorities, all three confessors were arrested and thrown into prison. By night Saint Dionysius celebrated the Divine Liturgy with angels of the Lord. In the morning the martyrs were beheaded in AD 96. A pious woman named Catulla buried the relics of the saint, and tradition holds that many miracles were worked at his grave.

Almighty God, you gave to your servant St. Dionysius special gifts of grace to understand and teach the truth as it is in Christ Jesus: Grant that by this teaching we may know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Almighty God, who gave to your servants Dionysius, Rusticus, and Eleutherius boldness to confess the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ before the rulers of this world, and courage to die for this faith: Grant that we may always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is in us, and to suffer gladly for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.

Amen.

[cruger2984]

THE DESCRIPTION OF SAINT LAWRENCE OF BRINDISI Feast Day: July 21

"Nos cum prole pia, benedicat Virgo Maria." (Mary, with Her loving Son, bless us each and every one.)

One of the greatest preachers of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin, Lawrence was born Giulio Cesare Russo, on the feast of St. Mary Magdalene - Brindisi, a city located in the Apulia region at Kingdom of Naples in the year 1559. Showing an early gift for oratory, he was always the one chosen to address, in accordance with the Italian custom, a short sermon to his compatriots on the Infant Jesus during the Christmas festivities. He is raised by a family of Venetian merchants. At the age of 16, he entered the Capuchin Franciscans in Venice, receiving the habit, and changed his name from Cesare to Lawrence.

An accomplished linguist, in addition to his native Italian, Lawrence could read and speak Latin, Hebrew, Greek, German, Bohemian, Spanish, and French fluently. While still a deacon he preached the Lenten sermons in Venice. After his ordination at the age of 23, he became famous throughout Europe as a forceful preacher. He also wrote many theological books and worked for the conversion of the Jews. Lawrence was elected superior of the Capuchin Franciscan province of Tuscany at the age of 31, and appointed definitor general in Rome for the Capuchins in 1596.

Pope Clement VIII assigned him the task of preaching to the Jews in the city. His knowledge of the Hebrew language was of great help in this regard. Beginning in 1599, Lawrence was sent to establish the Capuchin convents in modern Germany and Austria as a barrier agent in Lutheranism, furthering the Counter-Reformation and bringing many Protestants back to the Catholic faith. He also founded friaries in Vienna, Prague, and Graz.

On account of of his holiness, he was named the imperial chaplain of the Christian forces sent by Rudolph II (Rudolf II), Holy Roman Emperor, and successfully recruited Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur, against the Ottoman Turks, who were threatening Hungary. Before the Siege of Székesfehérvár (Stuhlweissenburg) in 1601, though the Christians were outnumbered four to one, he gave a rousing address to the troops. Then he himself rode a horse before them, armed with the crucifix in his hand. The Turks were defeated and Europe was saved.

At their chapter of 1602, Lawrence was elected vicar general of the Capuchin friar, at that time the Order's highest office, whom he administered with energy and charity. Despite his fervent apostolate, Lawrence was a man of prayer and learning. He entered the service of the Holy See, becoming papal nuncio to Bavaria. After serving as nuncio to Spain, he retired to a monastery in 1618, and was recalled as a special envoy to the King of Spain regarding the actions of the Viceroy of Naples in 1619, and after finishing his mission, died in Lisbon, Portugal on July 22, 1619 - his 60th birthday.

Beatified by Pope Pius VI on June 1, 1783 and canonized a saint by Pope Leo XIII on the feast of the Immaculate Conception in 1881, Lawrence's remains were entombed at the Poor Clares' Convento de la Anunciada (Convent of the Annunciation) in Villafranca del Bierzo, Spain. Because of his creative yet orthodox writings on the Virgin Mary and for his commanding erudition in, and harmonious presentation of, Scripture, patristics, and fundamental theology, Pope St. John XXIII proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church in 1959.

Lawrence of Brindisi is the third Franciscan Doctor of the Church, along with Saints Bonaventure and Anthony of Padua, and, unfortunately, one of the least well-known.