All-consuming ambition, hard work and an operatic touch made “Bohemian Rhapsody” their most listened to song of the 20th century. Exclusive meeting with Brian May and Roger Taylor.
Inordinate ambition, hard work and an operatic touch have made Bohemian Rhapsody the most streamed song of the 20th century on Spotify, with 2.8 billion streams. At the end of the 1960s, Roger Taylor and Freddie Bulsara (soon Mercury) dreamed big, inspired by Jimi Hendrix and the psychedelic swirls of Electric Ladyland. “We wanted to be the best”confides Taylor, seated in his 18th century English estate, surrounded by 20 hectares of woods.
Without this iconic title, it might never have reached this setting. Broadcast in October 1975, Bohemian Rhapsody is soon celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. ” Amazing “marvels Brian May. “She doesn’t age. That's the magic. »
Five minutes and fifty-four seconds of audacity: a razor-sharp rock opera, where Queen pushes the limits of musical structures and recording technologies. “You had to know how to play your instrument”says Taylor with a touch of irony, comparing the time to today. In 1975, while Queen was refining their fourth album, A Night at the Opera, the Sex Pistols gave their first concert in London, announcing a punk turn. But “Bohemian Rhapsody” remains a summary of the genius and pain of Freddie Mercury, who died of AIDS in 1991 at the age of 45. “We like to go to excess”he confided. “That’s what keeps us going, darling.” »
In Taylor's living room, French doors opening onto a vast garden, a 6 meter statue of Mercury sits somewhere, a remnant of the musical We Will Rock You. A 1.5 meter gong, audible at the end of Rhapsody, also rests in the greenery. “Led Zeppelin had a gong, so we got a bigger one”Taylor laughs, assuming the overbidding. His silver hair, neat beard and retired tycoon look contrast with his youthful memories. In 1969, he played drums in Smile with Brian May, a brilliant, curly-haired guitarist, while Bulsara sang in Ibex. The two groups shared London flats, living modestly.
At Rockfield Studios in Wales, the basic tracks (drums, bass, piano) take shape quickly. Mercury, percussive pianist, carries the momentum. “He was a brilliant musician, overshadowed by his role as frontman”insists Taylor. The operatic section requires three weeks of work, with 160 to 200 vocal overdubs. “It was all in his head”wonders engineer Gary Langan. Taylor, the only one capable of reaching the “Galileo” high notes, runs out and explodes in frustration, an underrated episode in the 2018 biopic. The length of the piece (six minutes) worries the group and EMI. “Fred held on to his six minutes”says Langan. Elton John predicted failure: “It’s too long!” However, Reid imposes the group's vision.
The clip, shot in four hours at Elstree Studios, is an innovation for 1975. May plays on his Red Special, a guitar made with his father. “An old friend”he said, handing it to me when we met. His gray hair, still curly, and a pin celebrating the flyby of Pluto betray his past as an astrophysicist. A recent stroke has affected his playing, but he remains active. “Rhapsody” is never easy to play, he confides: I have to stay focused.”
Since 2011, Queen has toured with Adam Lambert. “We’re not finished”assures Taylor, rejecting the idea of a farewell tour. May dreams of a show at the Sphere in Las Vegas, inspired by the Eagles. John Deacon, retired since Mercury's death, remains silent. “We respect his choice”, says May, who still consults Deacon on decisions through intermediaries. Mercury remains present. “We know what he would say,” confides Taylor. May, who still dreams of him, remembers his words: “My art is like fish-and-chip paper, disposable. But he corrects himself: He didn't really mean that.”
Find this interview with Brian May and Roger Taylor on Bohemian Rhapsody in our weekly n°206. View it via the reader below:
