Farrokh Bulsara

March 3, 2007 6:59 AM

BBC Tribute to Freddie Mercury (1991) [youtube] Lots of live concerts.
posted by jouke (33 comments total)

Love that man, love that band, love your post!
posted by Dizzy at 7:04 AM on March 3, 2007

Queen had already run out of A-material by the time 1985 rolled around (for several years at that point), but seeing that performance at Live Aid still gives me chills. Thanks for posting this.

WTF:

He was killed by the CIA/MI6. They kill all the great ones by assassination or disease. The NWO can't stand individuals who spread love, unity, equality and peace.

posted by psmealey at 7:13 AM on March 3, 2007

He was killed by the CIA/MI6. They kill all the great ones by assassination or disease. The NWO can't stand individuals who spread love, unity, equality and peace.

They had to cut him down in his prime by forcing him to have unprotected sex in the back rooms of clubs, over and over again with hundreds of anonymous men -- the bastards!

It's just as well he was in the closet, because if he'd been an open advocate for gay rights, who knows what the hell they would have done to him?
posted by PeterMcDermott at 7:25 AM on March 3, 2007 [1 favorite]

*hands to ears*

La la la la Freddie wasn't gay la la la la I can't hear you la la la la
posted by ZachsMind at 7:38 AM on March 3, 2007

Awesome. A good friend of mine is putting together a one-off Queen tribute show for sometime in late spring. This gets me even more pumped up.
posted by Kwine at 7:40 AM on March 3, 2007

They had to cut him down in his prime by forcing him to have unprotected sex in the back rooms of clubs, over and over again with hundreds of anonymous men -- the bastards!

Well that's pretty much the stereotypical, promiscuous "homosexual lifestyle" view of all gay AIDS victims innit? I doubt Freddie Mercury was any more promiscuous than any similarly famous heterosexual male, but "teh gay" still carries a stigma.

Ditto on the Live Aid performance. Brilliant.
posted by three blind mice at 7:55 AM on March 3, 2007 [1 favorite]

There are 6 parts by the way. You can find them in the sidebar of the linked part 1.
posted by jouke at 8:09 AM on March 3, 2007

I went to the Classic Albums Live show of Night at teh Opera a few weeks ago, they did a great job of the album but the singer didn't even try to emulate Freddie's stage presence.
posted by Space Coyote at 8:19 AM on March 3, 2007

The other segments:

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
posted by maudlin at 8:24 AM on March 3, 2007

Re the gay thing: watch the start of part 3 Another one bites the dust, Montreal 1981
The tight shorts, the moustache, the cap, etc.
From the comments:
Somehow, he made looking like a complete nancy boy acceptable to hetero males!
posted by jouke at 8:27 AM on March 3, 2007

In the mid 1990's I stumbled upon two outdoor monuments/altars to Freddie in the strangest places: one about an hour south of Ephesus in Turkey, the other in Phuket, Thailand. Bizarre but so beautiful.

Fun post. Freddie is sorely missed.
posted by tidecat at 8:51 AM on March 3, 2007

God damn it, now if only someone will make looking like a hetero male acceptable to complete nancy boys.

Thanks for posting this, jouke.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 8:52 AM on March 3, 2007

Along the same lines, the star-studded Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert from 1992 (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10).
posted by grabbingsand at 9:04 AM on March 3, 2007

Actually three blind mice, I would argue that any promiscuity on his part would have had more to do with the fact that he was a rock legend coming off of the highest point in his career, than anything to do with his sexual orientation. Precedent has shown that rock and roll celebrities certainly can indulge in their vices at will when on the road. Gay, straight, or otherwise.

But enough of that. I don't know how busy he got off-stage, and I don't care. The man helped to create some of the best music I have ever heard, and influenced the entire shape of music to come.

Dude was legendary.
posted by quin at 9:11 AM on March 3, 2007

Freddie Mercury was in the closet? That's news to me (as a long term fan).
posted by ClarissaWAM at 9:39 AM on March 3, 2007

I actually saw this when it aired...I think I was eight years old and my dad showed it to me. It made a big impression. Freddie was beautiful and so talented.
posted by inoculatedcities at 10:10 AM on March 3, 2007

Watch it before it's pulled.

PS: Queen recorded several albums here in Munich. Freddie celebrated some hot parties around here too.
posted by homodigitalis at 10:37 AM on March 3, 2007

Freddie Mercury was in the closet? That's news to me (as a long term fan).

Not only was he in the closet, but he also consistently denied having AIDS until the day before he died.

I doubt Freddie Mercury was any more promiscuous than any similarly famous heterosexual male, but "teh gay" still carries a stigma.

If by similarly famous heterosexual male you mean George Michael, then yes, I agree completely. Otherwise, you're probably wrong.

Not that there's anything wrong with promiscuity, IMO.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 10:55 AM on March 3, 2007

Marvelous, thank you!
posted by Space Kitty at 10:56 AM on March 3, 2007

Actually three blind mice, I would argue that any promiscuity on his part would have had more to do with the fact that he was a rock legend coming off of the highest point in his career, than anything to do with his sexual orientation. Precedent has shown that rock and roll celebrities certainly can indulge in their vices at will when on the road. Gay, straight, or otherwise.

quin that was my point exactly.
posted by three blind mice at 11:05 AM on March 3, 2007

I know. I just didn't want the thread to derail into a long debate about whether or not he died because of his gay promiscuity. He may or may not have been promiscuous, and his orientation would have had no bearing on that. I figured if I spelled it out, the conversation could focus instead on his legacy.

In this effort, I have probably failed.
posted by quin at 11:29 AM on March 3, 2007

Freddie Mercury was a miracle, and I worship him and lament his loss to this day. Even now, I still cannot listen to Queen for more than a few minutes without crying. He was one of those guys who really should have lived forever. What a beautiful, beautiful man.

Great post. Thank you.
posted by perilous at 12:04 PM on March 3, 2007

This is cool, I should dig out my Queen albums. I wonder if this is part of the new BBC/YouTube deal thingy?
posted by TheDonF at 1:00 PM on March 3, 2007

Just incredible. I'm spending my afternoon watching these.

I used to know of Queen only because of "Bohemian Rhapsody," which is inevitable; one day I was bored, and it was available, so I downloaded the Greatest Hits compilation to see if I liked anything else by these "Bohemian Rhapsody" guys.

One complete discography later...I do.

I tend not to know much about bands' histories or members' personalities; I like their music or I don't. As a result, I thought for the longest time that Queen couldn't have done many concerts. Look at the tight harmonies, the effects -- I assumed they were a band that did most of their work in the studio. Oops.

Now I'm getting my brother into Queen. He requested one of my mixes for a trip, and I obliged with an all-Queen playlist. I don't usually play tricks like that, but I had to know if he'd recognize "Somebody to Love," "Another One Bites the Dust," "We Are the Champions," "Don't Stop Me Now," "Who Wants to Live Forever," "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy," "Save Me," and, yes, "Bohemian Rhapsody" as the work of the same band. He was hooked.

However, I figure I ought to wait a bit more before I send him links to the short-shorts videos.
posted by booksandlibretti at 1:59 PM on March 3, 2007

I tend not to know much about bands' histories or members' personalities

Brian May built his guitar when he was 12 or something. Freddie Mercury's voice is one of the most distinctive and instantly recognizeable voices in music, and so is Brian May's guitar.
posted by three blind mice at 2:16 PM on March 3, 2007

Thanks for all the additional video links - I had a blast watching them all!
posted by homodigitalis at 2:26 PM on March 3, 2007

The tight shorts, the moustache, the cap, etc.

The bandanna totally de-gays the whole outfit.
posted by kirkaracha at 3:28 PM on March 3, 2007

The man certainly had a way with the microphone stand. And his vocal mic placement (which as any sound engineer will tell you, is key) is particularly good at 3:47 into the first clip.

Thanks for the post, jouke.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:42 PM on March 3, 2007

I was lucky enough to see Queen in concert, way back when...
posted by JujuB at 8:02 PM on March 3, 2007

Queen was one of the first bands I consciously sought out and listened to. I'm pretty sure that without Freddie's help, I would've never gotten into metal in my later years. The man's and the band's influence can be felt in every genre of music. Without Fat Bottom Girls I would never have truly appreciated Rock 'n' Roll...
posted by slimepuppy at 5:24 AM on March 4, 2007

I'm surprised to see the use of backing tracks in pt. 3. Even his voice is double tracked. Hm.

Anyone remember the statement on the original issue early Queen albums: "No synthesizers were used in the recording of this album".
posted by dash_slot- at 9:03 AM on March 4, 2007

Hm, dash, I was impressed with the way Queen & Mercury sounded in that concert. 'They where awesome live'
But I guess it wasn't all that live....?
posted by jouke at 12:16 PM on March 4, 2007

There was a story that circulated after Freddie's death. Their manager came up to the hotel floor that the band was staying on and saw a group of young men in sailor uniforms outside Freddie's room. He met Brian May in the hallway and asked him what was going on. May just shrugged and said "Freddie's just acting out one of his fantasies."

I don't know if it's true or not. And I'm not judging Mercury if he did. I am sure at some time Robert Plant or Roger Daltrey certainly pulled off the hetero equivalent in their day so God bless Freddie for enjoying the spoils of being a rock god.
posted by Ber at 7:48 AM on March 5, 2007