The portrait of one of the greatest frontman in the history of rock, Freddie Mercury, the singer of Queen, will be broadcast on Wednesday 18 December at 10.15pm for the first time on Rai 5 (then streaming on RaiPlay). This is proposed by “The story of Freddie Mercury in ten shots”, the series that tells the professional and personal life of some of the icons of popular music of our time starting from ten symbolic images. The story ranges from his birth in Zanzibar to his tragic death in 1991 and is constructed through archive images and direct interviews with the protagonists, friends and collaborators.
Freddie Mercury was the undisputed star of Queen, the one who contributed significantly to their great worldwide success with his powerful vocals and his performance disruptive on stage. Yet, at first the rest of the English band had doubts about the singer and he himself did not feel confident in his voice. Guitarist Brian May confided this during a recent question and answer session. May revealed that Queen had questioned the choice to collaborate with Mercury in 1970: “The first time we worked with him, it was a bit unsettling,” she explained. “He was running everywhere and screaming uncontrollably. We were wondering, 'Will this work?'”
According to May, Freddie was not yet the frontman claimed he would become, and his exuberant personality divided audiences: “Some found him abrupt, but everyone found him interesting and entertaining. However, he was not yet the Freddie Mercury we know.” The change came during the first demo sessions in 1971. Once in the studio, Freddie heard his recorded voice and was not satisfied: “He immediately said: 'I don't like it. I'll do it again,'” May recalls. Mercury's determination led him to record repeatedly until he achieved the desired result, becoming increasingly aware of his potential and quickly transforming into the singer he aspired to be.
May highlighted that this process took a long time, a perfectionism that would last throughout Queen's career: “Each new album was an opportunity for Freddie to push himself further, he listened to the recordings and constantly tried to improve himself, with more passion and intensity. And we encouraged each other, continually pushing ourselves to do our best.”
Recently, Brian May also confided that he is considering releasing new music, marking a possible return of the Queen brand after decades of recording silence. The band's last official release of “Night At The Opera” dates back to 1995, with the album “Made In Heaven”, released four years after the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991. However, Roger Taylor and Brian May are evaluating the possibility of offering fans new unreleased songs.
In an interview with Uncut magazine, the 75-year-old drummer said: “I think we could do it. Brian and I were talking about it recently, and we said if we found some good material, why not do it? We can still play and sing, so I see no reason not to try.”
Despite having been active live since 2012 with singer Adam Lambert, the two surviving members of the historic English lineup have expressed doubts about the possibility of a new studio album with the lineup current. In an interview with Total Guitar last year, May revealed: “We tried to record something during one of the tours, but we never got to the point where we felt it was right to release it. There is always some kind of barrier. When people see Queen's name on a record, they expect Freddie to sing. Even if it was Jesus Christ on vocals, they would still want Freddie, and I can't blame them for that.”
In any case, despite the dissent of a part of the public, Queen + Adam Lambert continue with their tours, strong in the belief that the spirit of Freddie Mercury would be proud to see them again on stage.
Antonio Santini for SANREMO.FM
