Listen to This (Insert the song we want to play at the beginning of the presentation)

Freddie Mercury Roger Taylor Brian May John Deacon (take pictures of book- pix of them in playing cards…)

Brian May Roger Taylor John Deacon Freddie Mercury
Date Of Birth July 19, 1947 Birthplace Twickenham, England Instruments Guitars, keyboards, vocals Brian May Date Of Birth July 26, 1949 Birthplace King's Lynn, Norfolk, England Instruments Drums, percussion, keyboards, vocals Roger Taylor Date Of Birth August 19, 1951 – Youngest Member Birthplace Leicester, England Instruments Bass guitar, double bass, keyboards John Deacon Real Name Farrokh Bulsara Date Of Birth September 5, November 24, 1991 Birthplace Zanzibar, Tanzania Instruments Vocals, piano, guitar, keyboards Freddie Mercury born Farrokh Bulsara

The Making of Queen

QUEEN is ready to Rock the World!
How it all started… Brian May, Tim Staffell and Roger Taylor formed the group SMILE 1969 – SMILE were signed to Mercury Records Tim Staffell introduced Freddie Mercury to the band. Freddie soon became a keen fan 1970 – SMILE calls it a day…. Freddie leaves his own band “WRECKAGE” and joins up with Brian and Roger 1971 – In February, John Deacon is enlisted QUEEN is ready to Rock the World! Brian May (astronomy student) and Tim Staffell, both students a Imperial College decides they want to form a group. They placed an advertisement and a young dental student Roger Taylor gets auditioned and got the job. They call their group SMILE. 1969 – SMILE were signed to Mercury Records Tim Staffell was at Ealing College of Art with Freddie Mercury and introduced him to the band. Freddie soon became a keen fan. 1970 – SMILE calls it a day… nothing seemed to be happening for them. Tim went off to join a band called Humpty Bong They had 3 temporary bass players until February 1971, John Deacon was taken on as the 4th member of QUEEN. The band rehearsed tirelessly and played several small gigs at Imperial College. They signed a recording contract with Trident . They were just paid £60 per week. 13 July 1973, they issued their eponymous debut album, Queen.

“ I thought up the name “QUEEN”
“ I thought up the name “QUEEN”. It’s just a name, but its very regal obviously, and it sounds splendid. It’s a strong name, very universal and immediate. It had a lot of visual potential and was open to all sorts of interpretations. I was certainly aware of gay connotations, but that was just one facet of it” - Freddie Mercury

The Crest Combines zodiac signs of its members:
2 lions for Leo (Deacon and Taylor) A crab for Cancer (May) 2 fairies for Virgo (Mercury). The lions embrace a Letter Q. Designed by Freddie – using his skills he picked up at college.

Early 1970s - Queen had moderate success with the albums Queen and Queen II The release of Sheer Heart Attack in 1974 and A Night at the Opera the following year propelled the band into international success – Release of News of the World, the champion that rock the world! 1974- Sheer Heart Attack – Night of the Operator - Bohemian Rhapsody 1976 – News of the World – We will Rock You, We are the Champions

Gordon Fletcher writes:
Received critical response from the Rolling Stone- establishing their prominence in mainstream culture Gordon Fletcher writes: “Rumor has it that Queen shall soon be crowned "the new Led Zeppelin" this funky, energetic English quartet has all the tools they'll need to lay claim to the Zep's abdicated heavy-metal throne, and beyond that to become a truly influential force in the rock world.” which, at the time, was considered the most serious magazine covering the popular music scene and youth culture in general,

The KING of QUEEN

1946 – a star is born Freddie’s Birthplace : Zanzibar, East Africa
His parents, Bomi and Jer Bulsara were Parsis from the Gujarat region. The Bulsara family had moved to Zanzibar so that his father could continue his job as a cashier at the British Colonial Office. 1952 younger sister, Kashmira, is born. Freddie was born in the British protectorate of Zanzibar, East Africa His parents, Bomi and Jer Bulsara were Parsis from the Gujarat region of the then province of Bombay Presidency in British India The Bulsara family had moved to Zanzibar so that his father could continue his job as a cashier at the British Colonial Office. He had a younger sister, Kashmira.

Early Life Mercury spent his childhood in India
Took piano lessons at a young age. When he was 8 , studied at St. Peter's School, a British-style boarding school for boys near Bombay. He began to call himself "Freddie".. Aged 12, he formed a school band, The Hectics. At the age of 17, Freddie and his family fled for safety due to the 1964 Zanzibar Revolution Mercury spent the bulk of his childhood in India and began taking piano lessons at the a young age. In 1954, at the age of eight, Mercury was sent to study at St. Peter's School, a British-style boarding school for boys in Panchgani near Bombay. Aged 12, he formed a school band, The Hectics. At St. Peter's where he began to call himself "Freddie". Mercury remained in India, living with his grandmother and aunt until he completed his education at St. Mary's School, Bombay. At the age of 17, Mercury and his family fled from Zanzibar for safety reasons due to the 1964 Zanzibar Revolution

His youth 1n 1963 the family moved to England.
Freddie studied art and earned a Diploma in Art and Graphic Design at Ealing Art College After graduation, Freddie joined a series of bands and sold second-hand clothes in the Kensington Market in London. Friends from the time remember him as a quiet and shy young man who showed a great deal of interest in music. In April 1970, Mercury joined Brian May & Roger Taylor and formed QUEEN. The family moved England. Mercury enrolled at Isleworth where he studied art. He ultimately earned a Diploma in Art and Graphic Design at Ealing Art College Following graduation, Mercury joined a series of bands and sold second-hand clothes in the Kensington Market in London. Friends from the time remember him as a quiet and shy young man who showed a great deal of interest in music. In 1969 he joined the band Ibex, later renamed Wreckage. When this band failed to take off, he joined a second band called Sour Milk Sea. However, by early 1970 this group broke up as well. In April 1970, Mercury joined guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor who had previously been in a band called Smile

His Name Freddie changes his name by deed poll.
He closed the door on Farrokh Bulsara and reinvented himself as someone else –synonymous with glamour, fame and strength. He delved in Roman mythology and chose Mercury, the messenger of the gods. As of July 1970, he was to be known as Freddie Mercury. The transformative period,which saw Queen move from amateur to professional status, inspired Bulsara to abandon his surname and adopt Mercury in its place, arguably emblematic of his rather mercurial disposition on stage, which was ever changing, energetic and, at times, erratic.

“All my lovers asked me why they couldn't replace Mary, but it's simply impossible. The only friend I've got is Mary and I don't want anybody else. To me, she was my common-law wife. To me, it was a marriage. We believe in each other, that's enough for me.“ – Freddie Mercury (1985) The person with whom Mercury shared the strongest bond was Mary Austin, described by many as Mercury's soulmate. Austin recalls, "Freddie was like no one I had ever met before. He was very confident and I have never been confident. We grew together. I liked him, and it went on from there.“ Following his breakup with Austin, Mercury stressed his inability to find a partner whose interests extended beyond his level of celebrity and seemingly endless flow of money, a complaint that arguably sets the thematic backdrop to the gospel-influenced hit, "Somebody to Love" (1976). Mercury and Austin lived together for nearly seven years, first on Victoria Road and later on Holland Road in London. Although the couple's official relationship ended around the time of "Bohemian Rhapsody's" release in 1975, Mercury shared a platonic yet profound union with her that lasted until his death.

Albums: Discography of Queen, nice way to present ! All the albums

Freddie, the Instrumentalist
Piano Received formal piano at a young age. Played the piano in many of Queen's most popular songs. He used concert grand pianos and other keyboard instruments such as the harpsichord. Unimpressed with his own, he used the instrument less. He preferred to walk around onstage and entertain the audience. Guitar While living in London, he learned guitar Favourite artists: The Who, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, and Led Zeppelin Wrote many lines for the guitar, but possessed only rudimentary skills Songs like "Ogre Battle" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" were composed on guitar. As a young boy in India, Mercury received formal piano training up to the age of eight. Later on, while living in London, he learned guitar. Much of the music he liked was guitar-oriented: his favourite artists at the time were The Who, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, and Led Zeppelin. He was often self-deprecating about his own skills on both instruments and from the early 1980s onward began extensively using guest keyboardists, leaving most of the keyboard work exclusively to them. Mercury played the piano in many of Queen's most popular songs, including "Killer Queen”, "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy", "We Are the Champions", "Somebody To Love" and "Don't Stop Me Now". He used concert grand pianos and, occasionally, other keyboard instruments such as the harpsichord. From 1980 onward, he also made frequent use of synthesisers in the studio. Queen guitarist Brian May claims that Mercury was unimpressed with his own abilities at the piano and used the instrument less over time because he wanted to walk around onstage and entertain the audience. Although he wrote many lines for the guitar, Mercury possessed only rudimentary skills on the instrument. Songs like "Ogre Battle" and "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" were composed on the guitar; the latter featured Mercury playing acoustic guitar both on stage and in the studio.

Freddie, the Songwriter
Wrote 10 of the 17 songs on Queen's Greatest Hits album: His songwriting involved a wide range of genres : rockabilly, progressive rock, heavy metal, gospel and disco. In a 1986 interview, "I hate doing the same thing again and again and again. I like to see what's happening now in music, film and theatre and incorporate all of those things.” Tended to write musically complex material. Eg "Bohemian Rhapsody" is acyclic in structure and comprises dozens of chords ]He also wrote six songs from Queen II which deal with multiple key changes and complex material Wrote most of his songs on the piano and used a wide variety of different key signatures. Used his intuition to compose in a manner that he found sonically pleasing. Mercury wrote 10 of the 17 songs on Queen's Greatest Hits album: "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Seven Seas of Rhye", "Killer Queen", "Somebody to Love", "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy", "We Are the Champions", "Bicycle Race", "Don't Stop Me Now", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Play the Game". The most notable aspect of his songwriting involved the wide range of genres that he used, which included, among other styles, rockabilly, progressive rock, heavy metal, gospel and disco. In a 1986 interview, "I hate doing the same thing again and again and again. I like to see what's happening now in music, film and theatre and incorporate all of those things.“ Mercury also tended to write musically complex material. For example, "Bohemian Rhapsody" is acyclic in structure and comprises dozens of chords.] He also wrote six songs from Queen II which deal with multiple key changes and complex material. "Crazy Little Thing Called Love", on the other hand, contains only a few chords. Despite the fact that Mercury often wrote very intricate harmonies, he also claimed that he could barely read music. He wrote most of his songs on the piano and used a wide variety of different key signature. used his intuition to compose in a manner that he found sonically pleasing.

Freddie, the Singer His Speaking voice in the baritone range but delivered most songs in the tenor range. Vocal range extended from bass low F (F2) to soprano high F (F6). He could belt up to tenor high F (F5). As Queen's career progressed, he would increasingly alter the highest notes of their songs when live, often harmonising with seconds, thirds or fifths instead. He is said to have "the rawest vocal fold nodules" and claimed never to have had any formal vocal training From the time he composed "Bohemian Rhapsody" in 1975, Freddie Mercury's fascination with opera continued to flourish, as he developed a profound appreciation for the technical precision evinced by operatic singers. Peter Freestone states: Up until 1981, Freddie had a passion for the voices of operatic tenors, mainly Luciano Pavarotti. He was always taken aback at the control that tenorsmaintained over their voices, the only operatic vocal range in which at that point he had any interest. Although Mercury's speaking voice naturally fell in the baritone range, he delivered most songs in the tenor range. His vocal range extended from bass low F (F2) to soprano high F (F6).[ He could belt up to tenor high F (F5). Biographer David Bret described his voice as "escalating within a few bars from a deep, throaty rock-growl to tender, vibrant tenor, then on to a high-pitched, perfect coloratura, pure and crystalline in the upper reaches". Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballé, with whom Mercury recorded an album, expressed her opinion that "the difference between Freddie and almost all the other rock stars was that he was selling the voice".She adds, "His technique was astonishing. No problem of tempo, he sung with an incisive sense of rhythm, his vocal placement was very good and he was able to glide effortlessly from a register to another. He also had a great musicality. His phrasing was subtle, delicate and sweet or energetic and slamming. He was able to find the right colouring or expressive nuance for each word.“ As Queen's career progressed, he would increasingly alter the highest notes of their songs when live, often harmonising with seconds, thirds or fifths instead. Mercury was said to have "the rawest vocal fold nodules" and claimed never to have had any formal vocal training.

- Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballé
The difference between Freddie and almost all the other rock stars was that he was selling the voice. His technique was astonishing. No problem of tempo, he sung with an incisive sense of rhythm, his vocal placement was very good and he was able to glide effortlessly from a register to another. He also had a great musicality. His phrasing was subtle, delicate and sweet or energetic and slamming. He was able to find the right colouring or expressive nuance for each word.” - Spanish soprano Montserrat Caballé 1987: the meeting One of Freddie's all-time heroines was opera diva Montserrat Caballe, and in March 1987, he met with her in her home city of Barcelona. An astonishing partnership was forged with Montserrat agreed to record an album with Freddie. He penned a song about Barcelona for her, and the two began to write and record that album. Freddie and Montserrat appeared on stage together for the first time in May 1987 at the Ibiza '92 festival, held at the famous Ku Club on the holiday island. They performed Barcelona. 1987: Barcelona, the single The single Barcelona was released in Spain in September 1987, and 10,000 copies were sold in just three hours. The Spanish Olympic Committee adopted the song as the theme for the Olympic Games being held in the city in then decided against it, which caused much anger amongst the fans. 1988: solo releases Freddie and Montserrat appeared together again on October 8th at the huge La Nit event staged in Barcelona, which was held to celebrate the arrival of the Olympic Flag from Seoul. Freddie and Montserrat closed the event, held in the presence of the King and Queen of Spain, with Barcelona, The Golden Boy and How Can I Go On - tracks taken from their forthcoming album : Barcelona, the album Barcelona, the duet album from Freddie and Montserrat, was released on October 10th, The launch party was a typically extravagant affair held in the Crush Bar of the beautiful Covent Garden Opera House - a fitting venue!

Freddie, the Live Performer
Highly theatrical style Evoked a great deal of participation from the crowd A performer out to tease, shock and ultimately charm his audience with various extravagant versions of himself Highly theatrical style that often evoked a great deal of participation from the crowd, a performer out to tease, shock and ultimately charm his audience with various extravagant versions of himself“

“Of all the more theatrical rock performers, Freddie took it further than the rest... he took it over the edge. And of course, I always admired a man who wears tights. I only saw him in concert once and as they say, he was definitely a man who could hold an audience in the palm of his hand.” David Bowe

Freddie, the Live Performer
Performed an estimated 700 concerts around the world 1st band to play in South American stadiums, breaking worldwide records for concert attendance in the Morumbi Stadium in São Paulo in 1981. Live Aid in 1985, entire stadium of 72,000 people clapped, sang and swayed in unison. Queen's performance at the event has since been voted by a group of music executives as the greatest live performance in the history of rock music. In 1986, played behind the Iron Curtain to a crowd of 80,000 in Budapest, one of the biggest rock concerts held in Eastern Europe. Freddie's final live performance with Queen took place on 9 August at Knebworth Park in England and drew an attendance estimated as high as 300,000. One of Queen’s best performance took place at Live Aid in 1985, during which the entire stadium audience of 72,000 people clapped, sang and swayed in unison. Queen's performance at the event has since been voted by a group of music executives as the greatest live performance in the history of rock music. The results were aired on a television program called "The World's Greatest Gigs Over the course of his career, Mercury performed an estimated 700 concerts in countries around the world with Queen. The band were the first ever to play in South American stadiums, breaking worldwide records for concert attendance in the Morumbi Stadium in São Paulo in In 1986, Queen also played behind the Iron Curtain when they performed to a crowd of 80,000 in Budapest, in what was one of the biggest rock concerts ever held in Eastern Europe. Mercury's final live performance with Queen took place on 9 August 1986 at Knebworth Park in England and drew an attendance estimated as high as 300,000.

Crazy Little ThinG called love
Freddie had a long-term relationship with Mary Austin in the early 1970’s. By the mid-1970’s, he had an affair with a male American record executive who worked for Elektra Records. In the early 1980’s, he became involved with Barbra Valentin, an Austrian actress. By 1985, again he became involved with a male hairdresser named Jim Hutton. In the early 1970s Mercury had a long-term relationship with Mary Austin. He lived with her for several years By the mid-1970s, the singer had begun an affair with a male American record executive, which ultimately resulted in the end of his relationship with May. Mercury and Austin nevertheless remained close friends through the years, with Mercury often referring to her as his only true friend. He also wrote several songs about Austin, the most notable of which is "Love of My Life". Mercury was also the godfather of Mary's oldest son, Richard. During the early-to-mid-80s, he was romantically involved with Barbara Valentin, an Austrian actress, who is featured in the video for "It's a Hard Life“. By 1985, he began another long-term relationship with a hairdresser named Jim Hutton who lived with Mercury for the last six years of his life. Hutton died from cancer on 1 January 2010.

Love kills Mercury undergoes a secret AIDS test at the end of 1985 Results had come back, he learnt from his doctors that he has AIDS Due to his reckless lifestyle, prowling gay night bars and days of wild partying, Freddie finally contracted aids…

The final chapter – Nov Following a brief hiatus, the group reconvened to record prolifically for the remainder of Freddie's life, producing three albums, two of which Queen released prior to his 's death {The Miracle [1989] and Innuendo [1991]). During the final ten months of Freddie’s life, although AIDS significantly debilitated his physical capacity, he valiantly continued to record and compose in the seclusion of Montreux, Switzerland, a place that provided him with serenity from the unrelenting pursuits of the paparazzi. For Freddie Mercury and Queen, 1988 to 1991 was a time of immense struggle, profound creativity and intimate reclusion, marking the final chapter of the band‘s impressive career as a collective. Following a brief hiatus, the group reconvened in November 1988 to record prolificalfy for the remainder of Mercury's life, producing three albums, two of which Queen released prior to Mercury's death {The Miracle [1989] and Innuendo [1991]). During the final ten months of Mercury's life, although AIDS significantly debilitated his physical capacity, he valiantly continued to record and compose in the seclusion of Montreux, Switzerland, a place that provided him with serenity from the unrelenting pursuits of the paparazzi. On Monday 6 November 1995, nearly four years following the singer's tragic death, the surviving members of Queen released theirfifteenth album, Made in Heaven, an unparalleled posthumous work intended to eulogize Mercury's inspirational life. Upon Made in Heaven's release, it quickly climbed to the number one position (on 18 November 1995), and remained on the UK Charts for twenty-eight consecutive weeks. To date, the album has been certified platinum on six occasions and stands as one of Queen's most successful works. Mercury, who recorded vigorously until his death, sought to bequeath a musical legacy to the world, as his terminal illness not only prematurely ended his career but equally jeopardized the professional lives of his fellow bandmates.

The show must go on Mercury's spirited ambition to continue making music determinedly reflected, in part, his dismay for contracting a malady that would inescapably terminate the band. Following his AIDS-positive diagnosis, Mercury, rather than immediately surrendering his talents to a merciless disease, courageously continued to battle for his life, as he sought to impart his musical legacy upon the world. Despite the constant manhunts by the paparazzi during the Montreux voyages, Mercury bravely continued to compose and record music, as he chronicled through "The Show Must Go On:" "Inside my heart is breaking, my make-up may be flaking but my smile still stays on."

Brian May states: We kind of knew for a long time, very very gradually, because the signs began to appear. There came a day when Freddie said, "Look, you've probably figured out what I am dealing with. I have this thing, and as far as I know, there is no cure. I only have a certain amount of time left and I would like everything to carry on as is; I would like us to make records. I do not want anyone to know, I do not want anyone to talk about it from this point forward, and that is it."

Freddie said, "Get me to sing anything, write me anything
Brian May discusses the circumstances that surrounded these sessions: By the time we were recording these other tracks [the songs comprising Made in Heaven] after Innuendo, we had had the discussions and we knew that we were totally on borrowed time, because Freddie had been told that he wouldn't make it to that point. So our plan was to just make use of him as much as possible. We lived in the studio for a while and when he would call and say, "I can come in for a few hours," our plan was to make as much use of him as we could. Freddie said, "Get me to sing anything, write me anything and I will sing it, and I will leave you as much material as I possibly can."

Peter Freestone states:
“For so many people that I know, as soon as they are told they have AIDS, they give up because there is no reason for living anymore. But for Freddie, it was the total opposite. It concentrated him, it made him accept that there was so much more that he still had to do, particularly where the music was concerned. It wasn't just him who was going to suffer from this, it was the band. With him being so inconsiderate and dying, what would happen to the band? That preyed a great deal on his mind. He wanted to give them as much as he could.” Mike Moran continues: "He could have easily given up and disappeared somewhere, and lived the rest of his life in isolation, but he did not do that. It is another example of how brave the man was. He was out working until he could actually work no more."

Freddie’s Farewell 23 Nov 91 - This announcement was made to the press on behalf of Mercury: “Following the enormous conjecture in the press over the last two weeks, I wish to confirm that I have been tested HIV positive and have AIDS. I felt it correct to keep this information private to date to protect the privacy of those around me. However, the time has come now for my friends and fans around the world to know the truth and I hope that everyone will join with my doctors and all those worldwide in the fight against this terrible disease. My privacy has always been very special to me and I am famous for my lack of interviews. Please understand this policy will continue.” On 22 Nov 91 Mercury called Queen's manager over to his Kensington home, to discuss a public statement. The next day, 23 Nov 91 the following announcement was made to the press on behalf of Mercury: “Following the enormous conjecture in the press over the last two weeks, I wish to confirm that I have been tested HIV positive and have AIDS. I felt it correct to keep this information private to date to protect the privacy of those around me. However, the time has come now for my friends and fans around the world to know the truth and I hope that everyone will join with my doctors and all those worldwide in the fight against this terrible disease. My privacy has always been very special to me and I am famous for my lack of interviews. Please understand this policy will continue.”

A little over 24 hours after issuing the statement, Mercury died on 24 Nov 1991 at the age of 45. The official cause of death was bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS

Heaven and beyond 6 November 1995, nearly four years following the singer's tragic death, the surviving members of Queen released their fifteenth album, Made in Heaven, an unparalleled posthumous work intended to eulogize Mercury's inspirational life. (Jami- pix for the album.. If can find…)

Queen+ Rodgers Following Mercury's death in 1991 and Deacon's retirement later in the decade, May and Taylor have performed infrequently under the Queen label. Since 2005, they have been collaborating with Paul Rodgers, under the moniker Queen + Paul Rodgers. They officially split up on 12 May 2009.

Bohemian rhapsody Steph – this can be included in your part, its what he says about the song - Jami “It's one of those songs which has such a fantasy feel about it. I think people should just listen to it, think about it, and then make up their own minds as to what it says to them... "Bohemian Rhapsody" didn't just come out of thin air. I did a bit of research although it was tongue-in- cheek and mock opera. Why not? — Freddie Mercury

End of Jami’s changes

Musical Styles, Influences

Musical style The band are noted for their:
musical diversity – fragmented strict genre paradigms and gender codes eclectic array of music in a consistently innovative manner multi-layered arrangements to imitate the sound of a large choir through overdubs vocal harmonies extended guitar solos incorporation of audience participation into their live performances – often theatrical flamboyant and androgynous imagery themes of sentimentality, mystery, fantasy and escapism In 1963, the teenage Brian May and his father custom-built his signature guitar Red Special, which was purposely designed to feedback.[186][187] Sonic experimentation figured heavily in Queen's songs. A distinctive characteristic of Queen's music are the vocal harmonies which are usually composed of the voices of May, Mercury, and Taylor best heard on the studio albums A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races Besides vocal harmonies, Queen were also known for multi-tracking voices to imitate the sound of a large choir through overdubs. For instance, according to Brian May, there are over 180 vocal overdubs in "Bohemian Rhapsody".[190] Many Queen songs were also written with audience participation in mind, such as "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Championsornate props, rapid changes to the stage set and wardrobes in addition to elaborate lighting displays and detailed choreography, all of which projected themes expressed through the album and its marketing.

Aside from the amount of raw talent in the band Queen excelled because each member had a specific role to play and fulfilled it to the max. Everyone contributed as a songwriter. They had three lead singers who brought distinctly different attributes to the songs they sand. They forged a unique collaborative vocal style. They had a cosmic guitar presence that was unequalled and perhaps the most commanding frontman rock ‘n’ roll has ever seen. You don’t get much better than that. ~ Billy Squier, Rock icon, 1982

Musical genres Typical
encapsulated a diverse range of genres, interwoven artistically through the medium of a rock album Typical Glam rock Hard rock Dance/disco- ‘I Want to Break Free’ Heavy metal – ‘Stone Cold Crazy’ Pop rock- ‘We are the Champions’, ‘ We will Rock You’ Progressive rock Psychedelic rock Others Country Ragtime Rockabilly – ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ Opera - ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Gospel - ‘Somebody to Love’ Vaudeville Folk Funk Antheic – we are the champtions and we will rock you Crazy little thing called love - -rockabilly tinged song – reportedly written in 5 min while enjoying a bubble bath - could be mercur playing tribute to elvis a personal hero or referencing the then hugely popular movie grease an eclectic array of music in a consistently innovative manner the band's assorted musical pallet drew from glam and glitter rock, hard rock, heavy metal, progressive and psychedelic rock,country, ragtime, opera, gospel, vaudeville, celtic, flamenco, folk, funk and disco, all the while remaining rooted in the visual and sonic formats of rock pheavy metal hit "Stone Cold Crazy," the soft lyrical ballad "Lily of the Valley," the one-minute lullaby "Dear Friends," the Jim Croce-influenced ragtime number "Bring Back That Leroy Brown," the Caribbean-influenced piece "Misfire," and finally, arguably the forerunner to "Bohemian Rhapsody," the classicallyinspired hit "Killer Queen." ractices

I like people to go away from a Queen show feeling fully entertained, having had a good time. I think Queen songs are pure escapism, like going to see a good film - after that, they can go away and say that was great, and go back to their problems Freddie Mercury, 1981

“I’m in awe of Queen as a band, just from the way they morphed from pretty much a direct hard rock band into a massively effective progressive rock band and the way they married classical into hard rock...and the way they kept pushing the envelop. ‘Bohemian Rhapsody,’ to me, took rock to another level. And Queen was mega-versatile- songs like ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ that were practically 1950s to songs like ‘Killer Queen’ and ‘Tie Your Mother Down’ that were out-and-out rockers. Jus watching that band morph and change directions over the years was just amazing.” ~ Paul O’Neill, Trans Siberian Orchestra

Who inspired them Many other British rock acts at the time, such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Who, Black Sabbath, Slade, Deep Purple, and David Bowie And other artists such as the Beach Boys, Jimi Hendrix, Jan and Dean, Annunzio Mantovani and Frank Zappa ... as well as many different genres of music, often with a tongue-in-cheek attitude Queen borrows the falling cascade effect from Annunzio Paolo Mantovani, a popular conductor of the light orchestral genre during the mid-twentieth century. Mantovani and composer Ronnie Binge developed the practice for strings, to duplicate and create synthetically the sonic properties of echo. May states that upon hearing Mantovani's "Charmaine," the band began experimenting with the idea by i n multitracking and panning guitars and vocals. Beach Boys in "Good Vibrations" (1966) present varied thematic sections filled with dense orchestration and untraditional instrumentation by using the recording studio as a compositional tool rather than as a strict domain to capture preconceived sound. meticulous treatment of layered vocals, which as in "Bohemian Rhapsody," produce bountiful artificial choirs. Similarly, the Beatles in "A Day in the Life" (1967) employ the studio to construct an expansive musical work, featuring multisectional forms. Much like "Bohemian Rhapsody," the textual subtleties described by the narrator come to the foreground through studio effects and word painting heard in this case when Paul McCartney describes his dream (2:49-3:19). As such, vocal panning functions to personify McCartney's state of mind, a device commonly used by Mercury, who, as I shall reveal, portrays moods and colours through the spatial placement of musical gestures in the mix. A secondary source of inspiration for Queen came from concept albums. / am so depressed by these people who still won't admit that everything we do simply drips with originality. - Freddie Mercury

Who they inspired Like their music, the bands and artists that have claimed to be influenced by Queen are diverse and span different generations, countries, and genres: Nirvana Foo Fighters Franz Ferdinand Muse Mika George Michael Green Day Guns N' Roses Journey Katy Perry Keane Lady Gaga Meat Loaf metallica My Chemical Romance Panic at the Disco Radiohead Robbie Williams The Killers Kurt Cobain Adam Lambert michael jackson ... Queen have been recognised as having made significant contributions to such genres as hard rock, and heavy metal amongst others.. Freddie Mercury can also be credited for helping to create the foundation of . In the early 70s, Queen helped spur the heavy metal genre's evolution by discarding much of its blues influence;[194][206] the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in addition, they fused the music genre with a punk rock sensibility and an increasing emphasis on speedmuch of today’s rock musicMercury's gender acts provoked some artists to project a similar degree of sexual ambiguity through their stage personae, some of whom include Boy George (Culture Club), Neil Tennant (the Pet Shop Boys), Annie Lennox (the Eurythmics), Pete Burns (Dead or Alive) and Madonna.

Bohemian Rhapsody - introduction
Released as a single on 31 October 1975, and later appearing on A Night at the Opera (21 November 1975) Queen's best-known and arguably most important work in terms of its lasting cultural significance At the time of Mercury's death, he considered "Bohemian Rhapsody" to be one of his greatest accomplishments Sonically personifies the artistic innovation and musical mastery of Queen and the late Freddie Mercury – through technological experimentation and creative modes of composition Vividly showcases the fragmentation of genre constructions through the group's innovative use of technological applications and by fusing elements of glam and progressive rock with those found in musical theatre, opera buffa and vaudeville Groundbreaking promotional video significantly influenced the style of modern-day music videos in the MTV era Six minutes long -nearly twice the length of conventional pop singles of the time . -- progressive work, one that changed the face of popularmusic At the time of Mercury's death, he considered "Bohemian Rhapsody" to be one of his greatest accomplishments, all the while having no idea of its forthcoming resurgences. placed Queen in the limelight of the recording industry as an innovative band who, through technological experimentation and creative modes of composition, were taking rock music in new directions. - musical sophistication and structural complexity explicitly echo progressive rock's vision to break conventions linked with commercial pop The overall musical precision that, in the end, emblematized the operatic section of "Bohemian Rhapsody" results not only from their inventive sonic experimentation, but duly reflects Queen's untiring patience and perfectionism. This fact is evident from the band's desire to employ numerous recording studios to achieve their musical vision. Through technological experimentation and the use of modern-day recording equipment, Queen, in 1975, created a song of epic proportion by building upon the fundamental recording techniques, particularly those pertaining to layering, established by their forerunners, including the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa and the Beach Boys. the pioneering role of "Bohemian Rhapsody's" promotional video, as its visual language acted as a forerunner that significantly influenced the style of modern-day music videos in the MTV era. The song, unlike any other to date, achieved a monumental degree of mainstream success at three different points in time. In 1975, "Bohemian Rhapsody" rapidly ascended to the top of the UK charts where it sat at the number one position for nine consecutive weeks, and in the United States, it peaked at the number nine position in December. As a commemorative gesture, hissurviving bandmates re-released "Bohemian Rhapsody" as a double A-side single, paired with "These Are the Days of Our Lives" (the latter appearing on Innuendo [Queen's fourteenth studio album, released on 5 February 1991]). The rebirth of "Bohemian Rhapsody" provoked alternate connotations that, in light of Mercury's death, went beyond the song's escapist and comedic elements "Bohemian Rhapsody” not only changed the trajectory of the band's career by catapulting them to a heightened level of international stardom,

Bohemian rhapsody – A rock “mock opera”
Use of "cascade effect" and vocal overdubs to create sonic choral effects Parodies various elements of opera: choruses of multitracked voices alternating with arialike solos, excessive emotions, confusing plot, and sarcastic recitative and distorted Italian operatic phraseology Operatic recitative, aria/lied, and chorus are juxtaposed with hard rock The initial dramatic monologue gives way to outrageous juxtaposition of music and words, so the song veers from melodrama to nonsense. The confused context of these terms serves both to highlight the foreign intrusion of opera in a rock anthem and parody the lack of understanding of foreign language opera common to most rock fans. Mocks the musical conventions of both opera and rock in order to represent the world turned upside down, the Bohemain underworld of ‘Beezebub’ where it is certain that ‘nothing really matterseach note of ashort melody is sung and held by a separate voice, which in turn causes overlap andharmony.Featured over 180 vocal overdubs to achieve the sonic choral effects described as ‘opreatic voals’ the first at the end of the line "let me go" (3:19), and the second on the final syllable of "magnifico" (3:49). Bohemian Rhapsody's" title establishes a partition whereby the noun, "Rhapsody," appropriately implies an elaborate episodic one-movement throughcomposed musical work that features a range of highly contrasting moods, colours, textures and tonal areas. Alternatively, the adjective of the title, "Bohemian," signifies nonconformist artists commonly associated with unorthodox social beliefs, including non-marital sexual relations and voluntary povertyThrough retrospective analysis, some commentators wrongfully speculate that Mercury encodes his AIDS-positive status in "Bohemian Rhapsody." anticipated death of the 'poor boy' and that of Freddie Mercury through AIDS have tended to be confused in the popular imagination."46 In agreement with Pope's observation, I argue that at the time of the song's composition in 1975, in no way could Mercury have been cognizant of a disease that had not yet been medically documented, as the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only named AIDS on 27 July 1982.

Bohemian rhapsody – musical structure
Consists on 3 main parts: a ballad segment ending with a guitar solo, an operatic passage and a hard rock section Begins with a cappella group vocals introducing the story and setting the mood Next comes an aria/lied – a lament-like ballad with enigmatic lyrics, accompanied by limping broken arpeggios on the piano depicts a suicidal young man confessing to a murder, bemoaning his short life and imploring his “mother” ‘to carry on as if nothing really matters’ Interrupted by a dramatic guitar solo which depicts an Orpheous-like descent into the insanity of he underworld aka chaos --complete with a demonic chorus “Thunderbolts and lightning, very very fright’ning...” Followed by a operatic section with falsetto solos - ‘Gallileo...’ and a nonsensical mix of Italian and French terms such as ‘Silhouetto’, ‘Scaramouche’, ‘Mama mia’ and ‘Fandango’. Choral jury interjects with their judgement of guilt; “We will not let you go;” Abrupt transition into a stereotypical rock mode with the words, “So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye.” Songs ends with an aria/lied by gradually thinning the density of the accompaniment with a subtle decrescendo The confused context of these terms serves both to highlight the foreign intrusion of opera in a rock anthum and parody the lackof understanding of foreign language opera common to most rock fans. which by its termination leaves Mercury at the piano and May on the guitar.

Bohemian rhapsody – Meaning part 1
Literal interpretation: its nihilistic narrator kills a man for no reason and then resigns himself to execution and subsequent damnation. Underlying meaning: autobiographical testimonial to Mercury's binary life Mercury expressing his plea for forgiveness, as he confronts his suppressed past and begins a new life as a liberalized homosexual A very simple interpretation of a very complex song: Featured over 180 vocal overdubs to achieve the sonic choral effects described as ‘opreatic voals’ the first at the end of the line "let me go" (3:19), and the second on the final syllable of "magnifico" (3:49). Bohemian Rhapsody's" title establishes a partition whereby the noun, "Rhapsody," appropriately implies an elaborate episodic one-movement throughcomposed musical work that features a range of highly contrasting moods, colours, textures and tonal areas. Alternatively, the adjective of the title, "Bohemian," signifies nonconformist artists commonly associated with unorthodox social beliefs, including non-marital sexual relations and voluntary povertyThrough retrospective analysis, some commentators wrongfully speculate that Mercury encodes his AIDS-positive status in "Bohemian Rhapsody." anticipated death of the 'poor boy' and that of Freddie Mercury through AIDS have tended to be confused in the popular imagination."46 In agreement with Pope's observation, I argue that at the time of the song's composition in 1975, in no way could Mercury have been cognizant of a disease that had not yet been medically documented, as the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention only named AIDS on 27 July 1982.

Bohemian rhapsody – Meaning part 2
Guitarist Brian May supports suggestions that the song contained ceiled references to Mercury’s personal traumas "Freddie was a very complex person: flippant and funny on the surface, but he concealed insecurities and problems in squaring up his life with his childhood. He never explained the lyrics [of "Bohemian Rhapsody"], but I think he put a lot of himself into that song.“ Roger Taylor maintains that the true meaning of the song is “fairly self-explanatory with just a bit of nonsense in the middle”

Somebody to love (covers, different version)
different versions & usually selected as contestant songs in many of American idol series (lastest season – group round) Ella Enchanted ( movie – ella version ) (movie) Glee Cast (can play this one as this is the latest and has lyrics on screen)

Discography Queen Discography Queen II Discography Sheer Heart Attack Discography A Night at the Opera Discography A Day at the Races Discography News of the World Discography Jazz Discography The Game Discography Flash Gordon Discography Hot Space Discography The Works Discography A Kind of Magic Discography The Miracle Discography Innuendo Discography Made In Heaven

Their Legacy

“I think most people will never really be able to appreciate the genius of Queen... Luckily, when it comes to these kind of artists, they leave us a legacy of their music, and all you have to do is listen to them once...to realize they were ahead of their time. And at a time we’re trying to compartmentalize everything, I think Queen was just music. They were lovers of music, and that’s why their music stands the test of time. Every time you hear it you go ‘Wow, that’s genius.” ~ Brian McKnight “Some of my favourite songs and some of the only songs that I know all the words to are Queen. My favourite’s definitely ‘We are the Champions’. ’Something about that song is so powerful, and if they play it at a stadium or in a sports arena, everyone knows that song. It’s so amazing when you can have a part of history like that, a song that the whole world knows. It’s such a feat.” ~ Lance Bass NSYNC

In terms of music Created music that utilized technology in inventive ways, consequently enabling them to compose complexly by appropriating stylistic attributes from disparate genres. The poetics of their vocation as musical innovators inspired countless musicians with their precision and originality. To this end, Freddie Mercury and his bandmates determinedly challenged themselves by continually exceeding customary industry standards. Mercury states: We always liked to confuse people and prove we're not really like anyone else... We're more in the showbiz tradition than the rock 'n' roll tradition. We had an identity of our own because we combined all those things that define Queen. That's what people didn't seem to realise. Their music is played ad infinitum around the world at spectacles ranging from sporting events to musicals

Contribution to AIDS As the first major rock star to die of AIDS, Mercury's death represented a very important event in the disease's history. In April 1992, the remaining members of Queen founded The Mercury Phoenix Trust and organised The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert for AIDS Awareness to celebrate the life and legacy of Mercury and raise money for AIDS research, which took place on Easter Monday, 20 April 1992. The Mercury Phoenix Trust has since raised millions of pounds for various AIDS charities. The tribute concert, which took place at Wembley Stadium for an audience of 72,000, featured a wide variety of guests including; Robert Plant (of Led Zeppelin), Roger Daltrey (of The Who), Extreme, Elton John, Metallica, David Bowie, Annie Lennox, Tony Iommi (of Black Sabbath), Guns N' Roses, Elizabeth Taylor, George Michael, Def Leppard, Seal, Liza Minnelli (and also U2 via Satellite). Elizabeth Taylor spoke of Mercury as "an extraordinary rock star who rushed across our cultural landscape like a comet shooting across the sky". The concert was broadcast live to 76 countries and had an estimated viewing audience of 1 billion people.

Tributes A statue in Montreux, Switzerland (by sculptor Irena Sedlecka) has been erected as a tribute to Mercury. It stands 3 metres high overlooking Lake Geneva and was unveiled on 25 November 1996 by Freddie's father and Montserrat Caballé. Beginning in 2003, fans from around the world gather in Switzerland annually to pay tribute to the singer as part of the "Freddie Mercury Montreux Memorial Day" on the first weekend of September and the Bearpark And Esh Colliery Band played at the Freddie Mercury statue on 1 June In 1999, a Royal Mail stamp with the image of Mercury on stage was issued in his honour as part of the Millennium Stamp series. Freddie Mercury statue above the West End's Dominion Theatre. In 2009, a plaque was unveiled in Feltham where Mercury and his family moved upon arriving in England in The star in memory of Mercury's achievements was unveiled in Feltham High Street by his mother Jer Bulsara and Queen bandmate Brian May.[99] A tribute to Queen has been on display at the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas throughout 2009 on its video canopy. In December a large model of Mercury wearing tartan was put on display in the centre of Edinburgh as publicity for the run of We Will Rock You at the Playhouse Theatre. A statue of Mercury stands over the entrance to the Dominion Theatre in London's West End since May 2002, where the main show has been Queen and Ben Elton's musical We Will Rock You. For Mercury's 65th birthday, Google dedicated their Google Doodle to him. It included an animation set to the chorus of "Don't Stop Me Now"

Monument

Portrayal on Stage On 24 November 1997, a monodrama about Freddie Mercury's life titled Mercury: The Afterlife and Times of a Rock God opened in New York City. It presented Freddie Mercury in the hereafter; examining his life, seeking redemption and searching for his true self . The play was written and directed by Charles Messina and the part of Mercury was played by Khalid Gonçalves (né Paul Gonçalves) and then later, Amir Darvish. Billy Squier opened one of the shows with an acoustic performance of a song he had written about Mercury titled I Have Watched You Fly.

Portrayal in film Brian May announced in a September 2010 BBC interview that Sacha Baron Cohen, previously best known for his comedic characters Borat, Ali G and Brüno, had been chosen to play Mercury in a film about his life. TIME commented with approval on his singing ability and visual similarity to Mercury. The motion picture is being written by Peter Morgan, who had been nominated for Oscars for his screenplays The Queen and Frost/Nixon. The film, which is being co-produced by Robert De Niro's TriBeCa Productions, will focus on Queen's formative years and the period leading up to the celebrated performance at the 1985 Live Aid concert. Filming is due to begin sometime in 2011. In April 2011, Brian May confirmed that a lot of work was still being done in preparation for the film. He said that after holding back for a long time due to mixed feelings, the band had approved a team to start filming later in 2011, and Baron Cohen's eagerness had been the key to progress.

Discography We Will Rock You We Are the Champion I want to break free
Bohemian Rhapsody Don’t Stop Me Now ETC.

Legacy ( can list here awards)
(hall of fame news) Queen's star is the 2,207th such honour made to date. (news- 18 oct 2002)

Freddie Mercury Just recently---Freddie's birthday tribute - Rolling stones video (OK! Magazine – mary’s interview) Last appearance of Freddie Mercury Last moment/cut of Freddie Mercury He loved life and loved music and worked his best until the end despite of his health. ( Queen Timeline)

“ If you are going to do something, do it with style” – Freddie Mercury

with a quotation from "We Are the Champions," a song that compellingly incarnates the life, works, times and memory of the late Freddie Mercury: I've paid my dues time after time I've done my sentence but committed no crime And bad mistakes, I've made a few I've had my share of sand kicked in my face, but I've come through

FROM here onwards, pictures that we could use…………………….

References Sutcliffe, P. (2011.) Queen: The ultimate illustrated history of the crown kings of rock. Minneapolis, USA : Voyageur Press Bret, D. (1996.) The Freddie Mercury story: Living on the edge. London: Robson Books. Jackson, L. (1996.) Mercury: The King of Queen. London: Smith Gryphon.

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