7/28/2019 BohemIAN rhaposdy power
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Bohemian Rhapsody is like a condensed version of the second side
of Abbey Road, with makeup and tights. Six minutes of flamboyant
patchwork popa capella intro, sentimental verses, faux-Italian
chorale, a thundering glam-metal climaxits a testament to Freddie
Mercurys adeptness as a songwriter and Queens musicianship that
thedisparate parts add up to such a glorious sum.
It was really Freddies baby from the beginning, said guitarist
Brian May. He came iand knew exactly what he wanted. The backing
track was done with just piano, bass and drums, with a few spaces
for other things to go in Freddie sang a guide vocal at the time,
but he had all his harmonies written out, and it was really just a
question of doing it.
After lengthy rehearsals, the four-month recording sessions for
the songs parentalbum, A Night at the Opera, moved between six
studiosan excess unheard of in 1975. Three weeks of that time was
spent on Bo Rhap (as Queen fans affectionately call it), with a
whole week devoted to the operatic interlude. To achieve the
grandchorale, the group layered a whopping 160 tracks of vocal
overdubs (and remember, this was in the days of 24-track analog
recording).
We ran the tape through so many times it kept wearing out, May
said. Once we held the tape up to the light and we could see
straight through it, the music had practically vanished. Every time
Fred decided to add a few more Galileos we lost something, too.
As the song was edited together from various reels, Mercury
remained confident that his vision would be realized. Producer Roy
Thomas Baker wasnt as sure. Nobodyreally knew how it was going to
sound as a whole six-minute song until it was put together. I was
standing at the back of the control room, and you just knew that
you were listening for the first time to a big page in history.
Something inside me told me that this was a red-letter day, and it
really was.
Queen wanted it as the first single from their new album. Both
their label, EMI,and manager, John Reid, deemed it too long for
radio and suggested an edit. Thomas Baker said, We thought wed
better get some outside advice, so we took it to Kenny Everett at
Capitol Radio. He said, I love this song. This is so good, theyll
have to invent a new chart position. Instead of it being Number
One, itll be Number Half.
An influential DJ, Everett aired the song 14 times over one
October weekend, andby Monday morning, the record stores were
overrun with requests for the song. EMI released it in its
full-length glory. Mercury said, We were adamant that it could be a
hit in its entirety. We have been forced to make compromises, but
cutting up a song will never be one of them.
An accompanying video clip was also shot for Bohemian Rhapsody,
presaging the MTVera by five years. But the song proved to be a bit
of challenge to perform live.The band would leave the stage for the
chorale, letting the recorded tracks take over, before storming
back on for the finale.
In November 1991, after Freddie Mercurys untimely death,
Bohemian Rhapsody reappear
ed on the charts in the U.K. and achieved the rare distinction
of being a NumberOne twice. In the U.S., thanks to its appearance
in the hit movie Waynes World,it also jumped back onto the charts
and reignited interest in Queen.
Despite it being his grandest achievement, Mercury was candid
about the songs origin. Bohemian Rhapsody didnt just come out of
thin air. I did a bit of research, although it was tongue-in-cheek
and it was a mock opera. Why not? I certainly wasnt saying I was an
opera fanatic and I knew everything about it.
By Bill DeMain
