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July 6, 2009
Brian May Not Happy About Mercury-Jackson Recording Leaks
My earlier report regarding the whereabouts of the recordings made by Michael Jackson and Freddie Mercury during the 1980’s may have been a bit premature. It has become apparent that whomever it was that was in possession of them has somehow allowed them to be leaked to the internet. Something that does not sit well with Queen guitarist Brian May.
What’s a little strange is that it appears as if the two songs May makes reference two have been on YouTube for quite some time. I was quickly able to locate both “State of Shock” as well as “There Must Be More To Life Than This” on YouTube, and they have apparently been posted there for three years.
Whether or not May realized that the material was posted that long ago on YouTube or was just venting his frustration during this time when there is so much attention focused on Jackson’s death is not clear. The Queen guitarist was quoted as saying, “The music thieves at work as usual.”
Brian May is also in the news for reasons other than his comments about the Mercury-Jackson material. May was injured during a performance in the U.K. on July 2nd.
May and drummer Roger Taylor were on stage at the Birmingham Hippodrome when the accident occurred. A platform that was used to support Taylor reportedly malfunctioned as it was moving forward and failed to stop before hitting May, resulting in a nasty bruise.
Although May laughed off the incident, it was reported by someone who had seen May’s injury that it was worse than May had admitted. Roger Taylor reports that the accident was no fault of his, but just demonstrates that the show was live and that May is all right.
May and Taylor were on stage as part of a production known as “We Will Rock You,” – a musical that is based on Queen’s greatest hits.
For more on the mishap, visit the Sunday Mercury.
July 2, 2009
Who Knew? A Queen-Michael Jackson Connection
As millions of fans around the world mourn his untimely passing, it has come to light that Michael Jackson had become friends with Queen’s late singer Freddie Mercury during the 1980’s. As described by Brian May, the two met up when Jackson would go to see Queen in concert and the two eventually ended up recording some material together at Jackson’s home.
The recordings have never been released, but there is bound to be a lot of curiosity among fans of Jackson as well as Queen fans about how those tracks came out. There is no word on whether they will ever be heard by the public or who is actually in possession of the recordings at this time.
May also says that the legendary Queen hit “Another One Bites The Dust” may have never achieved its number one status if it were not for Michael Jackson. Having heard the song at one of the group’s shows during “The Game” tour Jackson suggested that it be released as a single. The rest, as the well-worn saying goes, is history.
Jackson’s extraordinary talent was not lost on Brian May. On his personal blog he writes: “I think he qualifies as a great artist; he devoted his whole body and soul to his art. It’s as if, with all the changes he introduced to his body, his art actually became his body and his persona.”
You can read all of Brian May’s comments on his blog at BrianMay.com.
November 5, 2008
Classic Rock Briefs For November 5, 2008
Vancouver Plans Special Welcome For AC/DC
I guess the fact that the mayor of Vancouver, B.C. is a former member of a band called Spinal Chord has something to do with the official proclamation that declares November 28 as “AC/DC Day.” The name of the mayor’s former band, Spinal Chord, has more meaning than one might expect. Mayor Sam Sullivan was injured in a skiing accident at the age of 19 and has been a quadriplegic ever since. That has not stopped him from racking up some impressive achievements, however.
The announcement of the proclamation honoring AC/DC came as a surprise to listeners who were tuned into the Jeff O’Neil Show on 99.3 The FOX (CFOX-FM) yesterday when the mayor, who was co-hosting the show delivered the news. I’m sure the boys from AC/DC will appreciate the gesture. Full Story.
Original Members of Queen Believe Freddie Mercury Would Have Approved of Paul 
Rodgers
I suspect that more than a few dedicated Queen fans do not approve of the group’s continuation without original frontman Freddie Mercury, but according to drummer Roger Taylor, Mercury would have been happy with their decision to choose Paul Rodgers as their new frontman.
“Freddie was a huge Paul Rodgers fan. Absolutely adored his voice. He was a different animal, but he would have loved to be able to sing like that,” Taylor said.
The group’s first album since bringing Rodgers into the fold has met with mixed reviews, and since it was released in the U.S. only about a week ago, it’s hard to gauge its success. The Cosmos Rocks appears to be occupying the number 59 slot on the Billboard European Top 100 albums at the moment. Full Story.
Gene Simmons To Play For Charity on Fox Game Show ‘Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?’
He seems to be one of those guys that people either love or hate. Gene Simmons, bass player for rock legends KISS is scheduled to showcase his knowledge of various elementary subjects on the Fox game show Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?
Simmons will be playing for charity, in this case, the Elizabeth Glazer Pediatrics AIDS Foundation, which will benefit from the cash that he will be able to rack up by answering questions culled from elementary school curricula.
The episode featuring Simmons will air on the Fox Network on Friday, November 7 at 8:00 PM, but check your local listings to be sure. Full Story.
December 31, 2007
Sacha Baron Cohen As Freddie Mercury In New Movie
That crazy guy most of us know as “Borat” has been tapped to portray the late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in a new film that does not yet have a name.
Cohen reportedly edged out Johnny Depp for the role which makes perfect sense to me. I have a hard time picturing Depp as Mercury and for me, Cohen is a much better choice. I know Depp seems to go for the unusual roles, but I just don’t see him as a good fit for Mercury.
Mercury was well known as a flamboyant performer who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1991, which brought the group’s activities to a stop for a time until they decided to team up with Paul Rodgers and work together under the banner “Queen & Paul Rodgers.”
Just within the last week I caught a 1981 Queen performance from Montreal on the RAVE Channel and although Mercury’s choice of wardrobe for the latter portion of the performance was a bit over-the-top for my choice, there’s no denying he was a talented performer and fine musician.
The movie should be interesting and one that I will definitely have to check out. As flamboyant and unique as Freddie Mercury was, I think Cohen can pull it off.
Thanks to Spin for the head’s up on this story.
