Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:05.614 --> 00:00:07.434
I don't know if they want us to go
do you want us to go?
2
00:00:51.340 --> 00:00:52.960
queen have been together 13 years and so
3
00:00:53.435 --> 00:00:54.655
and you want to do the different things
4
00:00:55.797 --> 00:00:59.797
I want to write the batch of song that actually
came out under the name of freddie mercury
5
00:01:41.980 --> 00:01:45.619
He made it very plain that wasn't a question of leaving Queen or anything like that.
6
00:01:45.620 --> 00:01:47.860
It was just something he wanted to do and get done.
7
00:02:02.280 --> 00:02:04.279
He also, typically, Freddie, I think,
8
00:02:04.280 --> 00:02:07.240
wanted to see how much money he could make out of it as well.
9
00:02:12.400 --> 00:02:16.379
It's a track called Mr Bad Guy and that's what the album's called, so I'm happy with that.
10
00:02:16.380 --> 00:02:19.419
- Why is it called Mr Bad Guy?
- Because it's me.
11
00:02:19.420 --> 00:02:21.739
♪ I'm Mr Bad Guy
12
00:02:21.740 --> 00:02:25.819
♪ Yes, I'm everybody's Mr Bad Guy... ♪
13
00:02:25.820 --> 00:02:28.190
Do you miss the rest of the guys?
14
00:02:28.200 --> 00:02:29.819
No.
15
00:02:29.820 --> 00:02:32.419
♪ I'm Mr. Mercury
16
00:02:32.420 --> 00:02:34.219
♪ Whoa, oh
17
00:02:34.220 --> 00:02:37.940
♪ Spread your wings and fly away with me... ♪
18
00:02:38.500 --> 00:02:40.259
Who plays on the album, are there any sort of surprise guests?
19
00:02:40.800 --> 00:02:42.119
Yeah, me.
20
00:02:55.600 --> 00:02:59.559
And Michael Jackson was going to do a song, cos I've worked with him before.
21
00:02:59.560 --> 00:03:02.439
He used to just come and see our shows, at the Forum in LA.
22
00:03:02.440 --> 00:03:04.559
I guess he likes us and so I got to meet him
23
00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:07.600
and he kept coming to see us, and then we started talking.
24
00:03:13.980 --> 00:03:17.779
Michael suggested they might record something together,
25
00:03:17.780 --> 00:03:20.699
so Freddie went up to Michael's studio
26
00:03:20.700 --> 00:03:22.819
and they started working on a couple of tracks.
27
00:03:22.820 --> 00:03:26.900
♪ There must be more to life than this
28
00:03:29.100 --> 00:03:33.460
JACKSON: ♪ There must be more to life than this
29
00:03:35.600 --> 00:03:41.299
- BOTH:
- ♪ How do we cope in a world without love?
30
00:03:41.300 --> 00:03:45.499
♪ There must be more to life than this... ♪
31
00:04:03.800 --> 00:04:06.279
They got on well,
32
00:04:06.280 --> 00:04:10.799
except for the fact that I suddenly got a call from Freddie saying,
33
00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:15.239
"Miami, dear, can you get on over here, because you've got to get me out of this studio."
34
00:04:15.240 --> 00:04:17.780
I said, "Well, what is the problem?"
35
00:04:17.790 --> 00:04:18.920
He said, "I'm recording with a llama.
36
00:04:18.921 --> 00:04:22.279
He said, "Michael's bringing his pet llama into the studio every day,
37
00:04:22.280 --> 00:04:24.760
"and I'm really not used to recording with a llama,
38
00:04:24.761 --> 00:04:25.999
"and I've had enough and I want to get out.
39
00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:30.519
I think one of the tracks would have been on the Thriller album, if I'd finished it.
40
00:04:30.520 --> 00:04:32.519
But, um, I missed out.
41
00:04:32.520 --> 00:04:37.790
♪ I was born to love you... ♪
42
00:04:37.800 --> 00:04:40.519
By the time I actually got in to recording I found I was doing it all myself.
43
00:04:40.520 --> 00:04:43.920
Then I turned the other way and said, "I want to do it completely myself."
44
00:04:45.640 --> 00:04:50.239
♪ Yes, I was born to take care of you... ♪
45
00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:52.279
I don't like to write message songs.
46
00:04:52.280 --> 00:04:54.439
I'm not like a John Lennon or a Stevie Wonder.
47
00:04:54.440 --> 00:04:57.159
I'm in to writing songs about what I feel about.
48
00:04:57.160 --> 00:05:00.519
And, basically, what I feel very strongly about is love and emotion,
49
00:05:00.520 --> 00:05:02.799
and I think my solo album is filled with that.
50
00:05:02.800 --> 00:05:06.390
♪ I want to love you
51
00:05:06.400 --> 00:05:09.959
♪ I love every little thing about you
52
00:05:09.960 --> 00:05:14.390
♪ I want to love you, love you, love you... ♪
53
00:05:14.400 --> 00:05:18.799
Michael Jackson had just finished the Thriller album and it had sold 25 million copies,
54
00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:21.439
and CBS were very much awash with money,
55
00:05:21.440 --> 00:05:24.799
so I approached Walter Yetnikoff in New York,
56
00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:28.390
and proposed a deal which Walter accepted.
57
00:05:28.400 --> 00:05:32.480
♪ I was born to take care of you... ♪
58
00:05:34.320 --> 00:05:37.239
It's actually, I think, the worst deal he ever did.
59
00:05:37.240 --> 00:05:39.800
CBS - Cock, Bollocks and Satisfaction.
60
00:06:09.880 --> 00:06:13.519
'He liked being in Munich and being away from it all.'
61
00:06:13.520 --> 00:06:19.790
He said once, "This is so wonderful, I can eat sausage on the street.
62
00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:22.559
"Nobody bothers me and I'm totally happy.
63
00:06:22.560 --> 00:06:26.790
"I can be a person just like anybody else."
64
00:06:26.580 --> 00:06:29.219
Not that he would like that too much, but still!
65
00:06:29.220 --> 00:06:32.299
What do you think from your stay in Munich?
66
00:06:32.300 --> 00:06:33.500
I've learnt a lot.
67
00:06:33.501 --> 00:06:37.939
All I know is all the swear words, like bloder Hund and bloder Affe,
68
00:06:37.940 --> 00:06:41.340
leck mich am Arsch. That means "lick my arse".
69
00:06:42.980 --> 00:06:48.190
He took a liking to how we lived together as a family,
70
00:06:48.200 --> 00:06:51.779
which might have been what he had wished for when he was younger,
71
00:06:51.780 --> 00:06:55.190
because he was shipped off to school and, you know,
72
00:06:55.200 --> 00:06:59.419
he wasn't really all that close with his parents for a lot of time.
73
00:07:05.500 --> 00:07:09.659
I was put in an environment where I had to, sort of, fend for myself at a very early age.
74
00:07:09.660 --> 00:07:12.339
- Your birthplace is Zanzibar?
- Yes, that's right.
75
00:07:12.340 --> 00:07:15.179
When I was about seven, I was put in boarding school in India,
76
00:07:15.180 --> 00:07:18.619
so I went from Zanzibar to India for a while and then came back to England.
77
00:07:18.620 --> 00:07:22.979
A very...upheaval of an upbringing.
78
00:07:22.980 --> 00:07:26.819
Freddie had whatever you were taught in the choir at school
79
00:07:26.820 --> 00:07:29.379
and that was it. That was his vocal training,
80
00:07:29.380 --> 00:07:31.659
everything else came from within him.
81
00:07:31.660 --> 00:07:33.219
I went through art college.
82
00:07:33.220 --> 00:07:36.139
I was going to be a graphics illustrator, you know?
83
00:07:36.140 --> 00:07:39.339
Obviously, I mean, I can paint and do that,
84
00:07:39.340 --> 00:07:41.339
but when I was going through college,
85
00:07:41.340 --> 00:07:43.339
I was very interested in music,
86
00:07:43.340 --> 00:07:47.190
so I joined other bands, and I got to know Brian and Roger.
87
00:07:47.200 --> 00:07:50.379
And then I realised that through college I spent more time rehearsing
88
00:07:50.380 --> 00:07:52.699
our songs and things than doing the other thing,
89
00:07:52.700 --> 00:07:56.699
and I just said, "Look, I'm going to try and make money out of this,
90
00:07:56.700 --> 00:07:58.100
"or make a life out of it."
91
00:08:00.500 --> 00:08:04.419
I remember we were in our management offices and Fred just says,
92
00:08:04.420 --> 00:08:06.579
"Oh, by the way, I'm changing my name.
93
00:08:06.580 --> 00:08:08.459
And we said, "Really? What to?"
94
00:08:08.460 --> 00:08:10.579
"I'm going to be Freddie Mercury."
95
00:08:10.580 --> 00:08:13.219
♪ Fear me, you lords and lady preachers... ♪
96
00:08:13.220 --> 00:08:16.419
He created this umbrella which was like Queen music,
97
00:08:16.420 --> 00:08:20.539
and underneath that, you could pretty much do anything you wanted.
98
00:08:29.660 --> 00:08:31.219
♪ She's a killer Queen
99
00:08:31.220 --> 00:08:32.979
♪ Gunpowder, gelatine... ♪
100
00:08:33.480 --> 00:08:36.199
I think when we found we had our first number one in England,
101
00:08:36.300 --> 00:08:37.420
that was very nice.
102
00:08:37.421 --> 00:08:40.379
♪ He's just a poor boy from a poor family
103
00:08:40.380 --> 00:08:43.939
♪ Spare him his life from this monstrosity... ♪
104
00:08:43.940 --> 00:08:48.990
We were checking in to a hotel and we realised that Bohemian Rhapsody had gone to number one.
105
00:08:48.100 --> 00:08:49.219
♪ Bismilla!
106
00:08:49.220 --> 00:08:50.660
♪ No, we will not let you go... ♪
107
00:08:50.661 --> 00:08:54.259
The four of us were in a lift jumping up and down and the fucking lift stopped.
108
00:08:54.260 --> 00:08:55.460
So there we were, thought,
109
00:08:55.461 --> 00:08:59.739
"My God! Here's the number one group in England, going to suffocate in this damn lift."
110
00:08:59.740 --> 00:09:03.190
♪ Find me somebody to love
111
00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:06.299
♪ Find me somebody to love
112
00:09:06.300 --> 00:09:08.539
♪ Find me somebody to love... ♪
113
00:09:08.540 --> 00:09:10.859
People can't put us into one category.
114
00:09:10.860 --> 00:09:15.419
There's a lot of ingredients that make up Queen and you can't put your finger on it, really.
115
00:09:15.420 --> 00:09:22.419
♪ No time for losers cos we are the champions
116
00:09:22.420 --> 00:09:26.299
♪ Oh, burning through the sky, yeah!
117
00:09:26.300 --> 00:09:31.190
♪ 200 degrees - that's why they call me Mr Fahrenheit
118
00:09:31.200 --> 00:09:33.990
♪ Travelling at the speed of light
119
00:09:33.100 --> 00:09:36.379
♪ I want to make a supersonic man out of you
120
00:09:36.380 --> 00:09:39.259
♪ Crazy little thing called love... ♪
121
00:09:40.440 --> 00:09:44.119
We all do different things. They'll leave me to just the wardrobe I guess.
122
00:09:45.560 --> 00:09:48.479
They'll leave me to the wardrobe and writing the hits.
123
00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:49.559
Oh!
124
00:09:49.560 --> 00:09:52.759
Now what happens when one of them writes a song that...
125
00:09:52.760 --> 00:09:55.519
- If I don't like it...
- Yeah, that's what I was going to say.
126
00:09:55.520 --> 00:09:58.799
Well, I'm not going to say, "Yes, the song's good," if it's not good.
127
00:09:58.800 --> 00:10:01.319
- And they come and tell you that?
- Of course. Of course they do.
128
00:10:01.420 --> 00:10:04.180
- And I tell them to fuck off.
129
00:10:07.620 --> 00:10:10.739
♪ Another party's over
130
00:10:10.740 --> 00:10:13.619
♪ And I'm left cold sober
131
00:10:13.620 --> 00:10:17.659
♪ My baby left me for somebody new... ♪
132
00:10:17.660 --> 00:10:21.339
'Well, I don't think the music industry, generally, understood Freddie.'
133
00:10:21.340 --> 00:10:26.190
He was always pushing boundaries, you know, changing, changing tack.
134
00:10:26.200 --> 00:10:29.459
Keep them guessing and keep the public interested.
135
00:10:29.460 --> 00:10:37.899
♪ Wanna be intoxicated with that special brew... ♪
136
00:10:54.200 --> 00:10:55.599
When I first met him,
137
00:10:55.600 --> 00:10:58.959
he was this guy who was already a bit of a rock star,
138
00:10:58.960 --> 00:11:01.479
but poised to be a major rock star.
139
00:11:01.480 --> 00:11:05.759
And the Liza Minnelli Cabaret soundtrack's playing in the house,
140
00:11:05.760 --> 00:11:08.559
and there's cats everywhere, so I thought,
141
00:11:08.560 --> 00:11:10.519
"It, kind of, doesn't compute!"
142
00:11:10.520 --> 00:11:13.279
I'd always known him as someone
143
00:11:13.280 --> 00:11:17.279
whose personal interests were beyond rock.
144
00:11:17.280 --> 00:11:21.159
My interests are in what's going on now and so it's, kind of, research.
145
00:11:21.160 --> 00:11:22.400
So I go to the ballet,
146
00:11:22.401 --> 00:11:25.390
I go to all the musicals to find out what's happening.
147
00:11:25.400 --> 00:11:29.320
I want to do interesting things and things I haven't done before.
148
00:11:32.294 --> 00:11:35.886
I knew Sir Joseph Lockwood, who was the chairman for EMI, quite well,
149
00:11:35.887 --> 00:11:38.667
and, as he was also the chairman for the Royal Ballet,
150
00:11:38.668 --> 00:11:44.268
he and Freddie took to each other like ducks to water, it was amazing.
151
00:11:44.269 --> 00:11:47.281
I think Freddie had a general interest in the ballet,
152
00:11:47.282 --> 00:11:50.450
but Sir Joseph really got him fired up.
153
00:11:53.695 --> 00:11:56.166
He was fascinated by the scale.
154
00:11:56.167 --> 00:11:57.479
I mean, it's quite epic,
155
00:11:57.480 --> 00:12:00.648
and everything about Freddie's performance was epic.
156
00:12:06.340 --> 00:12:08.386
In 1979, he said to me,
157
00:12:08.387 --> 00:12:10.858
"You've got to come to the Coliseum.
158
00:12:10.859 --> 00:12:13.562
"I'm performing with the Royal Ballet."
159
00:12:13.563 --> 00:12:14.876
They asked me.
160
00:12:14.877 --> 00:12:16.884
They actually thought I could dance,
161
00:12:16.885 --> 00:12:19.550
so they actually asked me to do a charity concert,
162
00:12:19.551 --> 00:12:22.331
and then I realised how I couldn't dance.
163
00:12:29.932 --> 00:12:35.725
♪ Mama, just killed a man
164
00:12:35.726 --> 00:12:38.622
♪ Put a gun against his head
165
00:12:38.623 --> 00:12:42.485
♪ Pulled my trigger, now he's dead
166
00:12:42.486 --> 00:12:48.743
♪ Mama, life had just begun
167
00:12:48.744 --> 00:12:49.747
♪ But now... ♪
168
00:12:49.748 --> 00:12:53.263
This included that moment when he had his jump,
169
00:12:53.264 --> 00:12:55.194
where he just goes whoosh.
170
00:12:55.195 --> 00:13:02.302
- ♪ Momma, ooh, ooh-ooh, ooh
- (Any way the wind blows)
171
00:13:02.303 --> 00:13:05.585
♪ I don't want to die
172
00:13:05.586 --> 00:13:11.320
♪ I sometimes wish I'd never been born at all... ♪
173
00:13:12.780 --> 00:13:14.899
He disappeared behind a wall of dancers,
174
00:13:14.900 --> 00:13:18.819
and about 20 seconds later, they just sort of lifted him up
175
00:13:18.820 --> 00:13:22.260
and there he was, wearing a silver sequin outfit.
176
00:13:30.380 --> 00:13:36.259
♪ So you think you can stone me and spit in my eye?
177
00:13:36.260 --> 00:13:41.259
♪ So you think you can love me and leave me to die?
178
00:13:41.260 --> 00:13:45.339
♪ Oh, baby
179
00:13:45.340 --> 00:13:48.299
♪ Can't do this to me, baby
180
00:13:48.300 --> 00:13:49.899
♪ Just gotta get out
181
00:13:49.900 --> 00:13:53.499
♪ Just gotta get right outta here...♪
182
00:13:53.500 --> 00:13:56.139
As a ballet dancer, I'd be terrible.
183
00:13:56.140 --> 00:13:59.699
- But I can kick my legs up real high.
184
00:14:40.460 --> 00:14:41.779
In the early '80s,
185
00:14:41.780 --> 00:14:45.779
he was living very much in the gay circle in New York.
186
00:14:45.780 --> 00:14:49.459
He bought a beautiful apartment on about the 52nd floor
187
00:14:49.460 --> 00:14:52.939
of 52nd Street, actually, East 52nd Street,
188
00:14:52.940 --> 00:14:55.259
looking over the bridge there,
189
00:14:55.260 --> 00:14:57.739
And he was really living it up.
190
00:14:57.740 --> 00:15:00.739
He was in the bars every night.
191
00:15:00.740 --> 00:15:02.939
He loved Donna Summer,
192
00:15:02.940 --> 00:15:05.820
and that's where, sort of, musical influence came from.
193
00:15:08.860 --> 00:15:11.539
We got more publicity from him growing a moustache
194
00:15:11.540 --> 00:15:14.700
than we would have done if he'd committed suicide, I think.
195
00:15:16.580 --> 00:15:19.859
It was the height of gay hedonism,
196
00:15:19.860 --> 00:15:23.619
and I think Freddie lived that life outside of England,
197
00:15:23.620 --> 00:15:26.819
where he could be a bit more anonymous and,
198
00:15:26.820 --> 00:15:29.140
you know, he wasn't the only one doing it.
199
00:15:30.380 --> 00:15:35.459
Everybody was taking drugs, so the combination of all those things,
200
00:15:35.460 --> 00:15:37.299
and the massive success...
201
00:15:37.300 --> 00:15:40.339
Well, you know, you start to think you can do anything,
202
00:15:40.340 --> 00:15:44.939
and lead any kind of life without any consequences.
203
00:15:44.940 --> 00:15:47.819
♪ Love kills
204
00:15:47.820 --> 00:15:51.139
♪ Drills you through your heart
205
00:15:51.140 --> 00:15:52.979
♪ Love kills
206
00:15:52.980 --> 00:15:56.339
♪ Scars you from the start
207
00:15:56.340 --> 00:15:58.739
♪ It's just a living pastime
208
00:15:58.740 --> 00:16:00.699
♪ Ruling your heartline
209
00:16:00.700 --> 00:16:02.699
♪ Stay for a lifetime
210
00:16:02.700 --> 00:16:04.659
♪ Won't let you go
211
00:16:04.660 --> 00:16:07.590
♪ Cos love, love
212
00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:09.179
♪ Love won't leave you alone... ♪
213
00:16:09.180 --> 00:16:12.459
I like to try different things every time.
214
00:16:12.460 --> 00:16:15.299
I'm more in to the black kind of thing, I like more the disco.
215
00:16:15.300 --> 00:16:18.379
That's why on Hot Space, we went off on a limb,
216
00:16:18.880 --> 00:16:21.200
and I said, "Let's just do some of this black stuff,"
217
00:16:21.210 --> 00:16:23.739
that I liked, and I sort of forced the other three to do it.
218
00:16:23.840 --> 00:16:25.480
They hate me for it now cos it didn't sell that much.
219
00:16:25.581 --> 00:16:28.260
♪ Staying power... ♪
220
00:16:34.200 --> 00:16:36.390
Freddie's particularly looking for a certain sound
221
00:16:36.400 --> 00:16:38.280
which sounds good in a certain kind of club.
222
00:16:39.400 --> 00:16:41.839
It was actually quite painful for me to record,
223
00:16:41.840 --> 00:16:43.599
because it was very intense,
224
00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:46.239
and it led to some very inspired moments,
225
00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:49.799
but it also led to some conflicts, which were difficult.
226
00:16:49.800 --> 00:16:51.200
We still fight like kids.
227
00:16:51.201 --> 00:16:55.919
- Every time I'm in the same room with Brian, within five minutes we sort of...
- Sparks fly?
228
00:16:55.920 --> 00:16:57.640
Yeah. I haven't hit him yet...
229
00:16:58.800 --> 00:17:01.200
- ..but there's still time!
- I was just thinking...!
230
00:17:03.500 --> 00:17:04.819
When I got involved with the band,
231
00:17:04.920 --> 00:17:07.390
one of the first things Freddie said,
232
00:17:07.400 --> 00:17:09.839
"Well, we need to have a personal, a personal."
233
00:17:09.840 --> 00:17:11.599
I said, "What's a personal?"
234
00:17:11.600 --> 00:17:16.279
So I figured out that they needed somebody that's a kind of runner, general dogsbody,
235
00:17:16.280 --> 00:17:21.419
somebody that I could relate to, so I knew Paul Prenter and I hired him.
236
00:17:21.420 --> 00:17:26.219
Paul Prenter was an important part of Freddie's life.
237
00:17:26.220 --> 00:17:30.659
He showed Freddie what he could do,
238
00:17:30.660 --> 00:17:33.619
and what was available in the nightclubs,
239
00:17:33.620 --> 00:17:36.990
you know, in the club scene.
240
00:17:36.100 --> 00:17:38.219
♪ Let me show it to you... ♪
241
00:17:38.220 --> 00:17:41.990
And there was disrupting creative moments
242
00:17:41.100 --> 00:17:43.579
where something would be actually working,
243
00:17:43.580 --> 00:17:47.339
and he would sort of pace up and down the control room,
244
00:17:47.340 --> 00:17:49.339
looking at the watch and, you know,
245
00:17:49.340 --> 00:17:52.580
it's like 7 o'clock, oh, it's 8 o'clock, it's club time.
246
00:17:54.200 --> 00:17:57.499
He was scoring guys and scoring coke,
247
00:17:57.500 --> 00:18:00.379
and scoring opportunities to get debauchery happening.
248
00:18:00.380 --> 00:18:02.820
You know, less said about him the better, you know.
249
00:18:02.821 --> 00:18:04.939
♪ Staying power... ♪
250
00:18:04.940 --> 00:18:10.459
I saw him as a very subversive influence in the worst possible sense.
251
00:18:10.460 --> 00:18:13.299
I don't see Queen touring when they're in their 60s.
252
00:18:13.300 --> 00:18:15.179
I won't be with them if they are.
253
00:18:15.180 --> 00:18:17.339
I hope that I'm sleeping, you know.
254
00:18:17.340 --> 00:18:21.339
What Paul Prenter was to Freddie was his partner in crime.
255
00:18:21.340 --> 00:18:27.190
If there was criticism of him he didn't attempt to, say,
256
00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:34.459
curtail or, sort of, just dampen things down at various times,
257
00:18:34.460 --> 00:18:36.779
and that would have helped a lot.
258
00:18:36.780 --> 00:18:39.819
The band, sort of, rejected Paul Prenter,
259
00:18:39.820 --> 00:18:44.379
and so Paul Prenter wanted to take Freddie away from the band, I suppose,
260
00:18:44.380 --> 00:18:46.259
and, to a degree, he did.
261
00:18:46.260 --> 00:18:51.139
Freddie took him on his own payroll when the band disagreed
262
00:18:51.140 --> 00:18:53.539
and didn't want him around any more,
263
00:18:53.540 --> 00:18:56.899
because they didn't think he was a good influence.
264
00:18:56.900 --> 00:18:59.190
When we toured America that last time,
265
00:18:59.200 --> 00:19:00.900
as it turned out to be the last time,
266
00:19:00.901 --> 00:19:02.939
he was the guy who answered the phone.
267
00:19:02.940 --> 00:19:06.459
So radio stations would phone up and he would be the intermediary,
268
00:19:06.460 --> 00:19:09.859
and he was telling everybody that Freddie wasn't interested.
269
00:19:09.860 --> 00:19:12.699
"Freddie says, 'Fuck off, '" or whatever, you know,
270
00:19:12.700 --> 00:19:15.779
which really wasn't true most of the time, as far I know.
271
00:19:15.780 --> 00:19:19.739
But, you know, we know now because that information has come back to us.
272
00:19:19.740 --> 00:19:24.779
So, basically, this one person, who was a sort of personal assistant,
273
00:19:24.780 --> 00:19:27.140
managed to piss off the whole of America.
274
00:19:29.180 --> 00:19:31.499
Being a world-famous rock star,
275
00:19:31.500 --> 00:19:36.700
does this make it more difficult for you to actually keep a friendship going?
276
00:19:38.820 --> 00:19:43.299
Yes. Yes, because I think it's harder for other people
277
00:19:43.300 --> 00:19:45.619
to try and understand me as a normal person.
278
00:19:45.620 --> 00:19:48.619
There must be times when you do need to turn to someone.
279
00:19:48.620 --> 00:19:50.779
I don't have that many people to turn to.
280
00:19:50.780 --> 00:19:53.459
The only one, if you're talking about it, is Mary,
281
00:19:53.460 --> 00:19:55.590
who's, you know, a long...
282
00:19:55.600 --> 00:19:58.539
You know, she's been a girlfriend of mine from a long time,
283
00:19:58.540 --> 00:20:01.339
and even though we're not together right now,
284
00:20:01.340 --> 00:20:02.780
I, sort of, refer to her a lot.
285
00:20:02.781 --> 00:20:07.939
When I met him, he was living with Mary, and the cats, and Liza,
286
00:20:07.940 --> 00:20:13.339
and I think the most difficult thing for him was to not hurt Mary.
287
00:20:13.340 --> 00:20:18.379
I wasn't around when, you know, they had the talk,
288
00:20:18.380 --> 00:20:23.419
but he was very conscious of not embarrassing her,
289
00:20:23.420 --> 00:20:26.859
or putting her in any difficult positions.
290
00:20:26.860 --> 00:20:29.459
Mary's gone through just about everything.
291
00:20:29.460 --> 00:20:32.259
She's about the only person I can think about.
292
00:20:32.260 --> 00:20:37.540
Otherwise I just... I fend for myself and I come... I just...
293
00:20:39.620 --> 00:20:42.100
You know, I cross my hurdles in my own way.
294
00:20:43.660 --> 00:20:46.659
♪ Can...
295
00:20:46.660 --> 00:20:48.299
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
296
00:20:48.300 --> 00:20:53.620
♪ Can you find me
297
00:20:57.100 --> 00:21:00.460
♪ Somebody?
298
00:21:03.740 --> 00:21:05.419
♪ Somebody... ♪
299
00:21:05.420 --> 00:21:09.259
I'm sure there comes a time when you want to share your life with someone.
300
00:21:09.260 --> 00:21:11.899
Yes, but nobody wants to share their life with me.
301
00:21:11.900 --> 00:21:17.779
♪ Somebody... ♪
302
00:21:17.780 --> 00:21:19.939
'The more I open up, the more I get hurt.'
303
00:21:19.940 --> 00:21:23.590
So I mean, you know, basically what happens is, you know,
304
00:21:23.600 --> 00:21:26.379
I'm just riddled with scars, and I just don't want any more.
305
00:21:26.380 --> 00:21:28.980
♪ ..body to love
306
00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:39.140
♪ Can you find me
307
00:21:41.340 --> 00:21:47.699
♪ Somebody to love? ♪
308
00:22:27.300 --> 00:22:29.819
It's not easy living with me.
309
00:22:29.820 --> 00:22:34.379
In one way, I think, I think...the more mishaps I have,
310
00:22:34.380 --> 00:22:36.740
the better the songs are going to be, you know.
311
00:22:39.900 --> 00:22:41.539
'Once I find somebody,
312
00:22:41.540 --> 00:22:44.259
'I mean, I can find a long-lasting relationship,
313
00:22:44.260 --> 00:22:47.699
'bang goes all the research for wonderful songs.'
314
00:22:47.700 --> 00:22:51.539
At the moment, you know, I'm sort of living on past mishaps.
315
00:22:51.540 --> 00:22:53.699
And... Well, having said that...
316
00:22:53.700 --> 00:22:57.219
I don't know. I don't know. I don't know what's in store for me.
317
00:22:57.220 --> 00:23:00.339
♪ Oh, oh!
318
00:23:00.340 --> 00:23:04.900
♪ Somebody to love. ♪
319
00:23:35.440 --> 00:23:39.919
♪ I don't want my freedom... ♪
320
00:23:39.920 --> 00:23:43.959
So the rest of the guys have houses in LA - I assume you mean the other members of Queen.
321
00:23:43.960 --> 00:23:47.359
- Yeah, who did you think I meant?
- What are their names again? I'm sorry.
322
00:23:47.360 --> 00:23:50.919
- Stop that shit! There's Brian, Roger and John.
- Roger and John. Yes.
323
00:23:50.920 --> 00:23:53.199
I sometimes forget them, too, you know.
324
00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:56.959
- But you don't really hang out with them or anything, do you?
- No.
325
00:23:56.960 --> 00:24:02.679
♪ Ridi, Pagliaccio... ♪
326
00:24:02.680 --> 00:24:06.399
They have very different characters and they like different things,
327
00:24:06.400 --> 00:24:09.279
I like to go to ballet and opera and things. They don't like all that.
328
00:24:09.280 --> 00:24:11.200
They just keep going to rock 'n' roll shows.
329
00:24:11.201 --> 00:24:16.679
♪ ..pianto... ♪
330
00:24:16.680 --> 00:24:20.599
He liked listening to Pavarotti's voice, just for the control,
331
00:24:20.600 --> 00:24:25.390
for the, you know, the amount of training that that voice had had,
332
00:24:25.400 --> 00:24:27.919
and just the sound that he was able to produce.
333
00:24:27.920 --> 00:24:33.719
♪ ..t'avvelena
334
00:24:33.720 --> 00:24:38.559
♪ Il cor. ♪
335
00:24:38.560 --> 00:24:41.799
I said, "Look, why don't you hear him live?
336
00:24:41.800 --> 00:24:43.639
He says, "OK, yeah, that's fine."
337
00:24:43.640 --> 00:24:46.680
I got tickets. We were in the front of the Grand Tier...
338
00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:50.119
..and Freddie was...
339
00:24:50.120 --> 00:24:52.200
"I like that, he's good."
340
00:24:53.720 --> 00:24:57.319
Act One, Scene Two, the soprano gets her bit in.
341
00:25:07.240 --> 00:25:10.439
From the minute the voice started,
342
00:25:10.440 --> 00:25:14.719
Freddie's jaw had just sort of fallen open.
343
00:25:14.720 --> 00:25:18.599
He could not believe what he was hearing.
344
00:25:23.640 --> 00:25:26.679
I was at Covent Garden, the Opera House,
345
00:25:26.680 --> 00:25:29.790
for a recital by Montserrat Caballe.
346
00:25:33.720 --> 00:25:37.719
And then out of the corner of my left eye, gesticulating, waving arms,
347
00:25:37.720 --> 00:25:41.390
and I look over, and there in a box seat is Freddie.
348
00:25:41.400 --> 00:25:45.279
And he's leaning up like that, and he's pointing at the stage,
349
00:25:45.280 --> 00:25:46.959
and he's going...
350
00:25:46.960 --> 00:25:51.239
He was just like a 12-year-old kid seeing the Beatles.
351
00:25:51.240 --> 00:25:53.959
The grin on his face, he was just...
352
00:25:53.960 --> 00:25:57.479
You know, he was just so up from that whole show.
353
00:25:57.480 --> 00:26:02.159
He said, "Look, I have now heard the best voice in the world."
354
00:26:06.680 --> 00:26:10.759
I was in Munich for a playback of the Mr Bad Guy album,
355
00:26:10.760 --> 00:26:14.439
and we were all sitting there in Musicland Studios.
356
00:26:14.440 --> 00:26:18.790
It was a strange playback cos I could tell that Freddie was slightly bored
357
00:26:18.800 --> 00:26:19.759
and not really listening to it,
358
00:26:19.760 --> 00:26:22.999
and we were halfway through the album and he suddenly said,
359
00:26:23.000 --> 00:26:26.559
"Switch it off, switch it off. I want to play you something else."
360
00:26:26.560 --> 00:26:31.719
And he put on this opera singer singing.
361
00:26:31.720 --> 00:26:35.559
And he said, "That's the most beautiful voice in the world."
362
00:27:00.380 --> 00:27:04.739
Freddie had some of the best ears in the business so maybe he sat there,
363
00:27:04.740 --> 00:27:08.459
at that early stage, thinking, "This is not going to work."
364
00:27:08.460 --> 00:27:11.590
Maybe that's why he interrupted playback,
365
00:27:13.260 --> 00:27:16.299
because he was moving on, I think already,
366
00:27:54.980 --> 00:27:57.459
He underestimated the workload.
367
00:27:57.460 --> 00:28:01.699
When Michael Jackson has three or four number ones,
368
00:28:01.700 --> 00:28:07.699
there's probably 60 songwriters and 900 songs involved,
369
00:28:07.700 --> 00:28:10.499
and he was just doing everything himself.
370
00:28:10.500 --> 00:28:14.179
♪ Fooling around with me ♪ You keep foolin'
371
00:28:14.180 --> 00:28:15.460
♪ You keep foolin'... ♪
372
00:28:15.461 --> 00:28:18.579
I would love my album to be better than the last Queen album,
373
00:28:18.580 --> 00:28:21.779
because that will set a precedent and then the next Queen album...
374
00:28:21.780 --> 00:28:25.900
we're going to say, "It had better be better than Freddie Mercury's solo album."
375
00:28:25.980 --> 00:28:29.619
Unfortunately, the album didn't sell and so,
376
00:28:29.620 --> 00:28:34.339
from CBS's point of view, it was their worst deal, financially,
377
00:28:34.340 --> 00:28:36.579
because they paid a lot of money for it.
378
00:28:36.580 --> 00:28:40.190
Freddie always said, "Money's great. It tells me that I'm successful.
379
00:28:40.200 --> 00:28:41.900
"It tells me that people like my work."
380
00:28:41.901 --> 00:28:46.459
Well, this must have been very odd for him, because he had a lot of money, which was the advance,
381
00:28:46.460 --> 00:28:49.419
but it wasn't real money because the record wasn't selling.
382
00:29:19.720 --> 00:29:21.680
Freddie didn't like failure.
383
00:29:22.760 --> 00:29:24.800
And this album was a failure.
384
00:29:25.880 --> 00:29:28.839
And the fact it was a failure meant that he moved on.
385
00:29:28.840 --> 00:29:29.919
Instantly.
386
00:29:29.920 --> 00:29:32.119
So you will be working with Queen again?
387
00:29:32.120 --> 00:29:33.639
Oh, yes, definitely.
388
00:29:33.640 --> 00:29:37.519
- Even if...
- Otherwise, I'm going to be car mechanic, dear.
389
00:29:37.520 --> 00:29:42.279
He came back slightly with, I think, his tail between his legs, really.
390
00:29:42.280 --> 00:29:46.559
The next project will be a Queen album.
391
00:29:46.560 --> 00:29:49.279
- When will it be?
- Soon I hope, soon.
392
00:29:49.280 --> 00:29:52.479
If we're still talking to each other, that is.
393
00:29:52.480 --> 00:29:55.400
OK, thanks a lot. Just cut there.
394
00:30:36.780 --> 00:30:39.539
'How does it affect you when you know that you've won an audience?
395
00:30:39.540 --> 00:30:40.740
'I always win an audience.'
396
00:30:41.940 --> 00:30:45.659
So how are you affected, then, every night you play to a crowd that big?
397
00:30:45.660 --> 00:30:48.819
Actually, no, that's, that's, that's part of my role.
398
00:30:48.820 --> 00:30:53.739
I have to win them over, otherwise it's not a successful gig, you know?
399
00:30:53.740 --> 00:30:56.299
It's my job to make sure that I win them over
400
00:30:56.300 --> 00:30:59.180
and make them feel that they've had a good time.
401
00:31:05.660 --> 00:31:09.339
He was just a natural at communicating with the whole audience.
402
00:31:09.340 --> 00:31:11.539
An amazing thing to watch, actually.
403
00:31:11.540 --> 00:31:13.580
HE SCATS
404
00:31:18.140 --> 00:31:23.379
'On stage, you give this impression that you're quite a formidable individual, Freddie.'
405
00:31:23.380 --> 00:31:24.780
I am.
406
00:31:31.980 --> 00:31:35.299
- ♪ Another one bites the dust, yeah!
- Another one bites the dust... ♪
407
00:31:35.300 --> 00:31:37.699
I'm very frivolous and I like to enjoy myself.
408
00:31:37.700 --> 00:31:42.990
And what better way to do it than on stage in front of something like 300,000 people?
409
00:31:42.100 --> 00:31:44.539
'And, you know, I just cook.'
410
00:31:44.540 --> 00:31:46.299
- Yeah, yeah!
- Yeah, yeah!
411
00:31:46.300 --> 00:31:48.459
- Yeah, yeah!
- Yeah, yeah!
412
00:31:48.460 --> 00:31:50.539
- Yeah, yeah!
- Yeah, yeah!
413
00:31:50.540 --> 00:31:52.659
- Yeah, yeah!
- Yeah, yeah!
414
00:31:52.660 --> 00:31:54.419
♪ Another one bites the dust
415
00:31:54.420 --> 00:31:55.780
♪ Another one bites the dust
416
00:33:07.300 --> 00:33:09.979
- Yes!
417
00:33:18.440 --> 00:33:23.790
Everybody looks at me on stage and they think that's how I am,
418
00:33:23.800 --> 00:33:25.879
like arrogant and, you know, that's the way I am.
419
00:33:25.880 --> 00:33:29.520
And when you look at me now, you know, I'm quite boring, really!
420
00:33:31.280 --> 00:33:34.119
A lot of people think that you are reclusive.
421
00:33:34.120 --> 00:33:35.799
I am a bit, actually, yes, yes.
422
00:33:35.800 --> 00:33:39.390
- Are you?
- But not in a Greta Garbo way. It's not alone-alone.
423
00:33:39.400 --> 00:33:43.790
I like to be alone with my friends and shut myself off, yes.
424
00:33:43.800 --> 00:33:44.919
I'd hate to be on a desert island.
425
00:33:44.920 --> 00:33:46.639
I'm petrified of being alone.
426
00:33:46.640 --> 00:33:50.519
I'm very happy with my relationship at the moment,
427
00:33:50.520 --> 00:33:52.559
and I couldn't ask for better.
428
00:33:52.560 --> 00:33:57.960
I've finally found a niche that I was looking for all my life.
429
00:33:59.920 --> 00:34:03.239
Well, we first met accidentally, I suppose, in a club.
430
00:34:03.240 --> 00:34:06.239
He offered to buy me a drink and I told him to sling...
431
00:34:06.240 --> 00:34:08.479
sling his hook, basically.
432
00:34:08.480 --> 00:34:11.719
- Did you know it was Freddie Mercury?
- I didn't know who he was, no.
- Really?
433
00:34:11.720 --> 00:34:15.959
- Total absolute stranger to me, yeah.
- So then what happened after that?
434
00:34:15.960 --> 00:34:20.439
I think some months after that, I was out in a restaurant,
435
00:34:20.440 --> 00:34:22.839
a friend I was with just happened to mention,
436
00:34:22.840 --> 00:34:25.399
"Oh, guess who's behind you." I said, "Who?"
437
00:34:25.400 --> 00:34:26.999
"Freddie Mercury again."
438
00:34:27.000 --> 00:34:31.679
I didn't see Freddie again for, ooh, gosh, I think about 18 months,
439
00:34:31.680 --> 00:34:33.960
and I bumped in to him in a club.
440
00:34:35.520 --> 00:34:37.679
- And that was it, was it?
- And that was it.
441
00:34:37.680 --> 00:34:40.439
Same routine again - "Let me buy you a drink."
442
00:34:40.440 --> 00:34:43.799
What was he like in real life? What was he like off-stage?
443
00:34:43.800 --> 00:34:46.319
He was quiet, very reserved.
444
00:34:46.320 --> 00:34:49.199
Just plain, ordinary Joe Bloggs on the street, really.
445
00:34:49.200 --> 00:34:51.439
I'm not scared of doing what I want to do.
446
00:34:51.440 --> 00:34:53.319
Before, I'd sort of hide in my...
447
00:34:53.320 --> 00:34:55.799
So, like, when I went out, I had to sort of try
448
00:34:55.800 --> 00:34:59.999
and perform a little as well and, like, in not letting them down,
449
00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:03.239
cos Freddie Mercury - I don't know what it means...
450
00:35:03.240 --> 00:35:08.359
but he had to react in a certain way, what the press had told people.
451
00:35:08.360 --> 00:35:10.599
And a lot of the times I used to do that,
452
00:35:10.600 --> 00:35:16.480
so that I was actually living, in a way, living a false image of myself.
453
00:35:21.800 --> 00:35:27.679
♪ Guilt stains on my pillow... ♪
454
00:35:27.680 --> 00:35:29.319
♪ Blood on my... ♪
455
00:35:29.320 --> 00:35:32.359
That party in Munich was really something else,
456
00:35:32.360 --> 00:35:36.790
but it did feel at the time it was like the last hurrah.
457
00:35:36.800 --> 00:35:39.599
It felt as though those decadent days were,
458
00:35:39.600 --> 00:35:41.440
if not over, winding down.
459
00:35:42.560 --> 00:35:46.119
And it was kind of like Freddie saying goodbye
460
00:35:46.120 --> 00:35:49.879
to that old hedonistic lifestyle.
461
00:35:49.880 --> 00:35:53.519
♪ Success is my breathing space
462
00:35:53.520 --> 00:35:55.839
♪ I brought it on myself... ♪
463
00:35:55.840 --> 00:35:58.799
Freddie was tiring of the rock 'n' roll lifestyle I think.
464
00:35:58.800 --> 00:36:03.239
♪ I can take it or leave it
465
00:36:03.240 --> 00:36:06.119
♪ Loneliness is my... ♪
466
00:36:06.120 --> 00:36:09.439
It was kind of like the last days of Berlin.
467
00:36:09.440 --> 00:36:11.520
That was Freddie's last hurrah.
468
00:36:18.800 --> 00:36:22.279
♪ Is this the world we created?
469
00:36:22.280 --> 00:36:24.999
♪ We made it on our own
470
00:36:25.000 --> 00:36:29.839
♪ Is this the world we devastated right to the bone? ♪
471
00:36:29.840 --> 00:36:33.790
'I know there'll be a time where I can't run around on stage'
472
00:36:33.800 --> 00:36:35.319
because it'll be ridiculous, you know.
473
00:36:35.320 --> 00:36:38.559
I mean, I know when there comes a time when you have to stop.
474
00:36:38.560 --> 00:36:45.839
♪ To the world that he created. ♪
475
00:36:53.200 --> 00:36:55.639
I remember the very last gig in Knebworth.
476
00:36:55.640 --> 00:36:58.879
Freddie said, "Look, I can't fucking do this anymore."
477
00:36:58.880 --> 00:37:01.119
You'll have to bleep me again, won't you?!
478
00:37:01.120 --> 00:37:03.999
It's very hard to quote Freddie without swearing.
479
00:37:04.000 --> 00:37:05.960
It was just part of his vocabulary.
480
00:37:05.961 --> 00:37:09.199
He said, "I can't do this any more. You have to understand,"
481
00:37:09.200 --> 00:37:12.639
and we thought, "Oh, that's just Freddie being Fred," you know.
482
00:37:12.640 --> 00:37:15.439
He was quoted as saying that he can't do this forever,
483
00:37:15.440 --> 00:37:18.559
that there are going to be different phases to his career,
484
00:37:18.560 --> 00:37:22.390
because rock 'n' roll is a young man's game,
485
00:37:22.400 --> 00:37:24.319
and when he's going to be middle-aged,
486
00:37:24.320 --> 00:37:26.599
he's going to have to do other things.
487
00:37:26.600 --> 00:37:29.879
You might not have the physical fitness to run around on stage,
488
00:37:29.880 --> 00:37:31.479
but you can still write songs.
489
00:37:31.480 --> 00:37:37.439
So one way or another, the music side is always going to be my life.
490
00:38:03.100 --> 00:38:07.379
I first met Freddie Mercury at Abbey Road Studios in the mid '80s,
491
00:38:07.380 --> 00:38:10.579
and it came about because I was musical director
492
00:38:10.580 --> 00:38:12.600
on a musical called Time.
493
00:38:14.260 --> 00:38:17.219
Dave Clark and I had worked on the album of Time,
494
00:38:17.220 --> 00:38:20.939
which featured a wonderful selection of really great artists...
495
00:38:20.940 --> 00:38:23.699
Dionne Warwick, Stevie Wonder, Cliff - and he told me one day,
496
00:38:23.700 --> 00:38:26.499
"I think Freddie Mercury's going to do two tunes."
497
00:38:26.500 --> 00:38:28.459
I said, "Well, that's fantastic."
498
00:38:28.460 --> 00:38:32.699
I met Freddie. Well, this incredible force of nature hurtled through the door.
499
00:38:32.700 --> 00:38:36.899
It was just this immense presence,
500
00:38:36.900 --> 00:38:38.659
enthusiastic, keen...
501
00:38:38.660 --> 00:38:41.990
Freddie Mercury, for goodness' sakes, you know.
502
00:38:41.100 --> 00:38:43.579
He contacted me not long after that to say,
503
00:38:43.580 --> 00:38:48.459
"Look, would you be interested in working on a solo album with me?"
504
00:38:48.460 --> 00:38:50.219
That was agreed and he said,
505
00:38:50.220 --> 00:38:52.459
"Well, before we do that,
506
00:38:52.460 --> 00:38:55.419
"I've really always wanted to record a cover version,
507
00:38:55.420 --> 00:38:58.990
"something I've never done in my own name,
508
00:38:58.100 --> 00:39:01.619
and he said, "The song I want to do is The Great Pretender."
509
00:39:13.120 --> 00:39:18.159
♪ Oh, yes, I'm the great pretender
510
00:39:18.160 --> 00:39:19.759
♪ Ooh, ooh-ooh
511
00:39:19.760 --> 00:39:25.790
♪ Pretending I'm doing well
512
00:39:25.800 --> 00:39:26.599
♪ Ooh, ooh-ooh
513
00:39:26.600 --> 00:39:33.879
♪ My need is such I pretend too much
514
00:39:33.880 --> 00:39:39.439
♪ I'm lonely but no-one can tell... ♪
515
00:39:39.440 --> 00:39:43.599
I wanted to do a cover version, you know, a long time ago,
516
00:39:43.600 --> 00:39:45.679
and you can't do that with Queen, you know,
517
00:39:45.680 --> 00:39:48.599
cos I mean, we just write our own sort of original material,
518
00:39:48.600 --> 00:39:50.799
and I've always had that in the back of my head.
519
00:39:50.800 --> 00:39:52.959
And this song was the one I always wanted to do.
520
00:39:52.960 --> 00:39:55.839
♪ Ooh, ooh-ooh
521
00:40:39.300 --> 00:40:41.780
He thought it was appropriate cos he was a "pretender".
522
00:40:42.300 --> 00:40:45.459
He was certainly the great self-invention.
523
00:40:45.840 --> 00:40:50.400
In Freddie, you had a shy person who lived with the protection of his persona.
524
00:40:54.680 --> 00:40:57.999
Most of the stuff I do, it is pretending, it's like acting.
525
00:40:58.000 --> 00:41:01.239
So you go on stage, I pretend to be a macho man and all that,
526
00:41:01.240 --> 00:41:05.790
and then in my videos, you know, you go through all the different characters
527
00:41:05.800 --> 01:22:11.579
and then you're pretending anyway.
528
00:41:05.860 --> 00:41:08.619
So I think it's a great title for what I do
529
00:41:08.620 --> 00:41:11.339
and it sort suited to what I was doing.
530
00:41:15.240 --> 00:41:17.959
All this is a pretence, and it's just fun.
531
00:41:54.400 --> 00:41:57.759
Why haven't you done any interviews in the past few years?
532
00:41:57.760 --> 00:41:59.719
- Cos I hate them.
- Why?
533
00:41:59.720 --> 00:42:02.359
I hate talking to people I don't really know.
534
00:42:15.799 --> 00:42:18.158
It's the media, basically, built me up being a real ogre
535
00:42:18.159 --> 00:42:20.440
and a tyrant on stage because of the way I come across.
536
00:42:23.500 --> 00:42:25.460
'That's the only part they see of me.'
537
00:42:25.461 --> 00:42:26.979
I don't talk to everybody,
538
00:42:26.980 --> 00:42:30.980
so they don't really know the real me, and I don't think anybody will.
539
00:42:42.420 --> 00:42:45.179
When we got to the end of The Great Pretender, I said,
540
00:42:45.180 --> 00:42:48.190
"Fred, one thing we haven't thought about is a B side,"
541
00:42:48.200 --> 00:42:50.819
and he said, "Look, I'll tell you what.
542
00:42:50.820 --> 00:42:54.139
"Why don't you go and play some nice little classical thing on the piano?
543
00:42:54.140 --> 00:42:57.220
"I'll warble over the top and we'll kind of figure something out."
544
00:43:06.860 --> 00:43:09.180
It became the B side of The Great Pretender.
545
00:43:11.100 --> 00:43:13.819
I was planning to do a solo project,
546
00:43:13.820 --> 00:43:17.339
and I wanted it to have some kind of bearing, something different,
547
00:43:17.340 --> 00:43:20.819
something different from another boring studio album.
548
00:43:47.920 --> 00:43:52.439
I put the television on and there was the group,
549
00:43:52.440 --> 00:43:55.959
and Freddie of all, and I said,
550
00:43:55.960 --> 00:43:59.519
"What do you like more of Spain?"
551
00:43:59.520 --> 00:44:02.359
And he was answering, "Montserrat Caballe."
552
00:44:02.360 --> 00:44:05.319
She's the best. That's what I listen to.
553
00:44:05.320 --> 00:44:08.159
I love very much Freddie,
554
00:44:08.160 --> 00:44:11.679
but I was surprised he says that on television.
555
00:44:11.680 --> 00:44:16.239
He said, "You'll never guess! I've had a phone call from Montserrat Caballe. She wants to meet us."
556
00:44:16.240 --> 00:44:18.000
I said, "Well, she wants to meet YOU."
557
00:44:18.100 --> 00:44:19.998
He said, "No, no, no. You're coming with me.
558
00:44:19.999 --> 00:44:21.920
"We're going to Barcelona on Saturday."
559
00:44:31.220 --> 00:44:34.579
He said, "I think we ought to take something to play her
560
00:44:34.580 --> 00:44:37.379
"which might make her laugh and cut the ice a little bit."
561
00:44:37.380 --> 00:44:40.859
He said, "Why don't we take this thing that we did?"
562
00:44:40.860 --> 00:44:43.459
We built a full concert PA system,
563
00:44:43.460 --> 00:44:47.219
and we laid out a lunch so that we could have lunch together,
564
00:44:47.220 --> 00:44:50.139
the plan being that we'd all have a lovely lunch,
565
00:44:50.140 --> 00:44:52.100
and then play her this song and say,
566
00:44:52.101 --> 00:44:54.659
"This is the sort of thing we want to do."
567
00:45:02.360 --> 00:45:05.959
We met here in the Hotel Ritz.
568
00:45:05.960 --> 00:45:12.679
He was a little shy in the beginning to sing with me.
569
00:45:12.680 --> 00:45:15.319
He was so nervous that instead of saying,
570
00:45:15.320 --> 00:45:18.599
"How lovely to meet you. Would you like some lunch?"
571
00:45:18.600 --> 00:45:22.599
and all the various plans that we had, he just blurted out,
572
00:45:22.600 --> 00:45:25.680
"I've written a song for you. "Would you like to hear it?"
573
00:45:33.840 --> 00:45:39.279
And I told him, "But you're sure you want to sing with me?"
574
00:45:39.280 --> 00:45:44.520
And he says, "Yes, I was dreaming of that all my life."
575
00:45:46.400 --> 00:45:50.959
The only thing I ask him to have the score of Exercise In Free Love.
576
00:45:50.960 --> 00:45:53.199
I'm saying, "Give it to me, the music,
577
00:45:53.200 --> 00:45:55.999
"I will learn and, maybe from that, come something."
578
00:45:56.000 --> 00:45:57.959
But I was tricking him,
579
00:45:57.960 --> 00:46:01.639
because I wanted to sing that as a vocalise
580
00:46:01.640 --> 00:46:05.879
in one of my recitals at the Royal Opera House.
581
00:46:53.880 --> 00:46:55.319
Well, last night I mean,
582
00:46:55.320 --> 00:46:58.839
she sang one of my songs at the Royal Opera House, so it's amazing.
583
00:46:58.840 --> 00:47:01.679
I mean, I'm going in to opera, you know. Forget rock 'n' roll.
584
00:47:01.680 --> 00:47:06.479
And we went after this to his home to have dinner,
585
00:47:06.480 --> 00:47:12.559
and so we begin to, after the dinner, to work.
586
00:48:19.600 --> 00:48:20.939
She said things like,
587
00:48:22.640 --> 00:48:25.719
"Only one song? Are you sure you only want to do one song?"
588
00:48:25.720 --> 00:48:30.390
And I said, "Well, let's see how we get on, you know, if you like more of my music,"
589
00:48:30.400 --> 00:48:33.679
and she said, "How many songs does a normal rock 'n' roll album have?"
590
00:48:33.680 --> 00:48:37.119
And I said, "Something like ten." "Oh, we'll do ten songs, then."
591
00:48:37.120 --> 00:48:38.879
And we knew we were away.
592
00:48:38.880 --> 00:48:40.839
And then she went on to say,
593
00:48:40.840 --> 00:48:44.800
"But the song I really want is about my home town.
594
00:48:45.560 --> 00:48:48.640
"I want a song about Barcelona."
595
00:48:52.360 --> 00:48:54.159
What drives you on?
596
00:48:54.160 --> 00:48:57.719
At this very moment, it's Montserrat Caballe.
597
00:48:57.720 --> 00:49:00.839
It's like a flippant gesture for me to start it off with,
598
00:49:00.840 --> 00:49:04.199
and I really thought it would never come to any sort of fruition,
599
00:49:04.200 --> 00:49:07.399
and when she accepted it, I was dumbfounded, so then I thought,
600
00:49:07.400 --> 00:49:10.320
"My God, I'd better put my money where my mouth is!"
601
00:49:14.980 --> 00:49:16.979
It's such a challenge, actually.
602
00:49:16.980 --> 00:49:19.539
I've never thought of writing songs in that way.
603
00:49:19.540 --> 00:49:21.779
Now she said she wants to do duets with me,
604
00:49:21.780 --> 00:49:24.580
I have to sort of think in a totally different way.
605
00:49:35.340 --> 00:49:37.779
I told him when we do an album,
606
00:49:37.780 --> 00:49:42.339
it has to be an album of friendship,
607
00:49:42.340 --> 00:49:47.339
and also of understanding musically, both.
608
00:49:47.340 --> 00:49:50.659
Not like two worlds, everyone singing his way.
609
00:49:50.660 --> 00:49:52.859
No. Two worlds come together.
610
00:49:52.860 --> 00:49:55.939
♪ I had this perfect dream
611
00:49:55.940 --> 00:49:58.579
♪ Un sueno me envolvio
612
00:49:58.580 --> 00:50:01.179
♪ This dream was me and you
613
00:50:01.180 --> 00:50:03.859
♪ Tal vez estas aqui
614
00:50:03.860 --> 00:50:07.139
♪ I want all the world to see
615
00:50:07.140 --> 00:50:09.179
♪ Un instinto me guiaba... ♪
616
00:50:09.180 --> 00:50:11.159
I'm sure the opera critics will, you know, slam it and everything.
617
00:50:11.660 --> 00:50:13.659
But I mean, this is something that...
618
00:50:13.660 --> 00:50:16.420
It's a good challenge at this time in life, you know?
619
00:50:19.200 --> 00:50:24.359
Pavarotti was saying, "That's bad, so bad. You're dumbing down opera."
620
00:50:24.860 --> 00:50:27.259
♪ Barcelona!
621
00:52:02.560 --> 00:52:04.879
♪ Such a beautiful horizon
622
00:52:04.880 --> 00:52:06.319
♪ Barcelona!
623
00:52:06.320 --> 00:52:09.239
♪ Like a jewel in the sun... ♪
624
00:52:09.240 --> 00:52:11.319
The single, I thought, was fantastic.
625
00:52:11.320 --> 00:52:14.679
You sometimes think, "Well, is he having us on?"
626
00:52:14.680 --> 00:52:16.839
but it was so good musically,
627
00:52:16.840 --> 00:52:18.279
and so intriguing,
628
00:52:18.280 --> 00:52:21.399
wonderful melody and beautifully sung,
629
00:52:21.400 --> 00:52:23.440
and Freddie matched Montserrat.
630
00:52:27.760 --> 00:52:31.439
There's only ever really one Freddie who could do that kind of thing
631
00:52:31.440 --> 00:52:33.799
and make that kind of record, and make it OK.
632
00:52:33.800 --> 00:52:36.599
And I think the reason why it was OK is you've got this guy
633
00:52:36.600 --> 00:52:38.199
standing in front of you going,
634
00:52:38.200 --> 00:52:40.519
"It's all right, you're safe. You're with me.
635
00:52:40.520 --> 00:52:41.879
"I know what I'm doing,
636
00:52:41.880 --> 00:52:46.119
"Even though it's the most ridiculous thing in the entire world, it's OK."
637
00:52:46.120 --> 00:52:51.160
♪ Barcelona! ♪
638
00:53:13.760 --> 00:53:17.199
When Freddie decided to record his second album,
639
00:53:17.200 --> 00:53:18.440
I went back to New York
640
00:53:18.441 --> 00:53:23.439
and said to Walter that we'd come in to discuss the second album.
641
00:53:23.440 --> 00:53:27.639
Well, the first album had sold about 130,000 copies
642
00:53:27.640 --> 00:53:31.639
and CBS were reeling from the loss that they made on the first album.
643
00:53:31.640 --> 00:53:32.920
So he sat there, he said,
644
00:53:32.921 --> 00:53:36.390
"Well, I understand we've got to do a second album, so what is it?"
645
00:53:36.400 --> 00:53:37.679
I said, "Well, it's a duet album."
646
00:53:37.680 --> 00:53:40.790
And he said, "Oh, well, that sounds interesting.
647
00:53:40.800 --> 00:53:43.399
"That's, that... Might get something in that. Duetting with who?"
648
00:53:43.400 --> 00:53:48.279
And I said, "It's Montserrat Caballe. She's a Spanish opera singer,"
649
00:53:48.280 --> 00:53:51.119
and he completely freaked. He said, "You have to be joking.
650
00:53:51.120 --> 00:53:56.790
"You can't conceivably be delivering me an opera duet album as a second album,"
651
00:53:56.800 --> 00:53:58.959
and, in the end, he paid us quite a substantial amount of money
652
00:53:58.960 --> 00:54:02.239
to go away and deliver the album somewhere else, which is what we did.
653
00:57:44.310 --> 00:57:47.349
I think one of the reasons that Freddie
654
00:57:47.350 --> 00:57:50.749
put so much of himself into the Barcelona project
655
00:57:50.750 --> 00:57:56.829
was the fact that he had just found out of his AIDS status.
656
00:57:56.830 --> 00:57:59.109
He explained to me that, obviously,
657
00:57:59.110 --> 00:58:01.869
he'd got some rather heavy news for me,
658
00:58:01.870 --> 00:58:04.709
and, I suppose, like everybody's reaction,
659
00:58:04.710 --> 00:58:06.589
it was just total disbelief.
660
00:58:06.590 --> 00:58:09.629
"No, we must get someone else's opinion on this."
661
00:58:09.630 --> 00:58:12.309
We talked a little about it, but then he just said,
662
00:58:12.310 --> 00:58:15.309
"Look, these are the top AIDS specialists there are."
663
00:58:15.310 --> 00:58:17.270
In terms of gay visibility back then,
664
00:58:17.271 --> 00:58:19.469
you had some people like Jimmy Somerville,
665
00:58:19.470 --> 00:58:21.749
people like that, who were quite political,
666
00:58:21.750 --> 00:58:25.509
but there was something quite austere about them and sort of asexual,
667
00:58:25.510 --> 00:58:27.869
OR you had gay people who were in the closet,
668
00:58:27.870 --> 00:58:29.709
but Freddie, along with Elton,
669
00:58:29.710 --> 00:58:31.869
was just quite flippant about his sexuality.
670
00:58:31.870 --> 00:58:33.869
He didn't have a care in the world about it,
671
00:58:33.870 --> 00:58:36.230
It was a really great kind of role model, I think.
672
00:58:36.231 --> 00:58:37.749
He wasn't overtly sexual.
673
00:58:37.750 --> 00:58:40.109
I mean, he was camp as anything, you know,
674
00:58:40.110 --> 00:58:42.709
the most camp performer ever. He's got to be.
675
00:58:42.710 --> 00:58:45.989
But I don't think there was ever anything sexual about it.
676
00:58:45.990 --> 00:58:47.509
- Hello.
- Hello.
677
00:58:47.510 --> 00:58:52.669
Frejjie, it's true that the song I Want To Break Free
678
00:58:52.670 --> 00:58:57.290
is dedicated for the gay world?
679
00:58:57.300 --> 00:58:59.349
No, not at all, not at all.
680
00:58:59.350 --> 00:59:02.269
That song, to start off with,
681
00:59:02.270 --> 00:59:05.469
that song was written by John Deacon, you know, and, well,
682
00:59:05.470 --> 00:59:08.669
he's a very happily married man, you know, with about four children.
683
00:59:08.670 --> 00:59:12.749
It's got nothing to do with the gay thing. In fact, it's not my song anyway. John wrote it.
684
00:59:49.956 --> 00:59:51.915
I always feel terrible
685
00:59:51.916 --> 00:59:57.115
when people are judged on their sexual behaviour in the '70s
686
00:59:57.116 --> 01:00:00.715
from the perspective of today's knowledge because,
687
01:00:00.716 --> 01:00:04.715
in fact, while we were going through the '70s,
688
01:00:04.716 --> 01:00:10.155
it was assumed that there would be no consequences for whatever your sexual actions may be.
689
01:00:10.156 --> 01:00:13.835
I was extremely promiscuous. It was excess in every direction.
690
01:00:13.836 --> 01:00:18.515
I want everyone to get fucked all night, every day, just like I do.
691
01:00:18.516 --> 01:00:23.715
He intentionally didn't get tested for several years.
692
01:00:23.716 --> 01:00:28.350
Because in those days, since there was no treatment,
693
01:00:28.360 --> 01:00:31.396
a lot of people chose not to get tested. They didn't want to know.
694
01:00:32.756 --> 01:00:34.595
And Freddie was one of them.
695
01:00:34.596 --> 01:00:38.750
I did this big interview with him in Ibiza, Pikes Hotel, Ibiza.
696
01:00:38.760 --> 01:00:40.755
He had his friends round the swimming pool,
697
01:00:40.756 --> 01:00:42.475
played a bit of tennis,
698
01:00:42.476 --> 01:00:45.350
and it was sadly that day
699
01:00:45.360 --> 01:00:52.115
when I realised something was wrong, that he might possibly have HIV.
700
01:00:52.116 --> 01:00:57.635
And I brought this up in the interview,
701
01:00:57.636 --> 01:00:59.795
and he was very, very honest.
702
01:00:59.796 --> 01:01:03.755
Freddie, how has the AIDS thing affected you?
703
01:01:03.756 --> 01:01:08.395
Well, I've stopped going out, whatever, and to be honest,
704
01:01:08.396 --> 01:01:10.755
I tell you, I've almost become a nun.
705
01:01:10.756 --> 01:01:13.355
I thought sex was a very important thing to me,
706
01:01:13.356 --> 01:01:15.355
and I lived through sex and everything,
707
01:01:15.356 --> 01:01:17.835
and now I've just gone completely the other way.
708
01:01:17.836 --> 01:01:19.435
It's frightened me to death.
709
01:01:19.436 --> 01:01:22.750
And I just, just... I-I-I have, um,
710
01:01:22.760 --> 01:01:24.235
I've just stopped having sex, basically.
711
01:01:24.236 --> 01:01:26.835
- Have you?
- Yes. I just like titillation now.
712
01:01:26.836 --> 01:01:28.275
LAUGHTER
713
01:01:28.276 --> 01:01:31.435
You know, I'm also an old bird now, dear.
714
01:01:31.436 --> 01:01:34.915
One of these days in the studio
715
01:01:34.916 --> 01:01:38.555
I saw two glasses of Champagne,
716
01:01:38.556 --> 01:01:41.235
and I wanted to take one,
717
01:01:41.236 --> 01:01:44.355
and he tells me, "Not this one, the other one."
718
01:01:44.356 --> 01:01:48.595
I said, "I'm sorry, I not knew you have drunk out of this."
719
01:01:48.596 --> 01:01:54.635
I wanted to make a kiss like we always have done - mwah, mwah - you know?
720
01:01:54.636 --> 01:01:58.436
And he says, "No, don't kiss me any more."
721
01:01:59.516 --> 01:02:02.275
And I thought, "You are angry?"
722
01:02:02.276 --> 01:02:04.635
Because I don't understood.
723
01:02:04.636 --> 01:02:09.155
And he says, "No, but, Montserrat - Montsi, he called me Montsi...
724
01:02:09.156 --> 01:02:14.875
"Montsi, I am zero positive,
725
01:02:14.876 --> 01:02:18.475
"and I don't want to make a kiss to you."
726
01:02:18.476 --> 01:02:23.715
It was the beginning of this illness.
727
01:02:23.716 --> 01:02:29.435
And, of course, I said, "But you look so good, you are so strong,
728
01:02:29.436 --> 01:02:32.115
"and you sing so wonderful."
729
01:02:32.116 --> 01:02:33.315
He says,
730
01:02:33.316 --> 01:02:38.716
"Yes, but I know that it will come, one day, that I can't any more.
731
01:02:43.796 --> 01:02:46.955
Freddie was incredibly loyal to his friends,
732
01:02:46.956 --> 01:02:51.675
even in the case of Paul Prenter, Freddie supported him, basically.
733
01:02:51.676 --> 01:02:55.676
He gave him money so that he could get his life together again.
734
01:02:57.760 --> 01:02:59.675
But then he soon went back to Ireland,
735
01:02:59.676 --> 01:03:02.435
once he'd sort of got on his feet again.
736
01:03:02.436 --> 01:03:05.875
He disappeared back and that's where he sold the story.
737
01:03:05.876 --> 01:03:08.915
When he betrayed him in the newspapers, that was it.
738
01:03:08.916 --> 01:03:13.955
It was devastating, because I think it really was the first time
739
01:03:13.956 --> 01:03:16.915
that Freddie had been publicly betrayed,
740
01:03:16.916 --> 01:03:19.750
and that was a terrible shock.
741
01:03:19.760 --> 01:03:22.195
If you entrust somebody with all your secrets,
742
01:03:22.196 --> 01:03:26.635
and then they go and sell it to a newspaper for just £32,000...
743
01:03:26.636 --> 01:03:28.835
I mean, it was just dreadful.
744
01:03:39.634 --> 01:03:44.433
♪ When all the salt is taken from the sea
745
01:03:44.434 --> 01:03:48.193
♪ I stand dethroned
746
01:03:48.194 --> 01:03:51.993
♪ I'm naked and I bleed
747
01:03:51.994 --> 01:03:55.993
♪ But when your finger points so savagely
748
01:03:55.994 --> 01:03:58.193
♪ Is anybody there... ♪
749
01:03:58.194 --> 01:04:01.873
One of the fascinating things about AIDS,
750
01:04:01.874 --> 01:04:05.433
which is a fairly long death sentence,
751
01:04:05.434 --> 01:04:09.953
is that it increases the creativity in artists.
752
01:04:09.954 --> 01:04:15.473
Freddie was not alone in having an enormous burst of creativity towards the end of his life.
753
01:04:15.474 --> 01:04:21.730
♪ How can I go on from day to day?
754
01:04:21.740 --> 01:04:26.473
♪ Who can make me strong in every way? ♪
755
01:04:26.474 --> 01:04:27.793
As a songwriter,
756
01:04:27.794 --> 01:04:31.153
do you ever have a fear that your inspiration may dry up?
757
01:04:31.154 --> 01:04:35.113
I don't wake up every morning and say, "Oh, look, have I dried up?"
758
01:04:35.114 --> 01:04:39.793
♪ In this great big world of sadness... ♪
759
01:04:39.794 --> 01:04:41.673
He's looking after me.
760
01:04:41.674 --> 01:04:44.433
♪ How can I forget... ♪
761
01:04:44.434 --> 01:04:46.193
When that happens, I'll, I'll...
762
01:04:46.194 --> 01:04:48.393
It won't happen! That's all there is to it.
763
01:04:48.394 --> 01:04:50.833
There you go. I don't think it'll ever happen.
764
01:04:50.834 --> 01:04:52.153
I'll die first.
765
01:04:52.154 --> 01:04:56.633
♪ They're lost and they're nowhere to be found... ♪
766
01:04:56.634 --> 01:05:01.473
Every time I saw it, I see his adieu.
767
01:05:01.474 --> 01:05:03.993
♪ How can I go on? ♪
768
01:05:03.994 --> 01:05:09.633
He took the hand and I wanted to retain him.
769
01:05:09.634 --> 01:05:10.834
He didn't want it.
770
01:05:10.835 --> 01:05:13.713
It's significant, if you know,
771
01:05:13.714 --> 01:05:17.353
every movement, every look,
772
01:05:17.354 --> 01:05:19.740
everything.
773
01:05:24.234 --> 01:05:27.833
In his mind, he had to create the best music he could for Barcelona
774
01:05:27.834 --> 01:05:32.794
because it might be the last thing that he was ever involved in.
775
01:05:36.594 --> 01:05:41.433
He absolutely immersed himself into this album, completely and utterly.
776
01:05:41.434 --> 01:05:45.634
It was, for him, possibly the most important work he ever did.
777
01:05:54.514 --> 01:05:59.433
♪ How can I go on? ♪
778
01:06:29.134 --> 01:06:33.173
It was a huge success and it rode in on the back of Barcelona,
779
01:06:33.174 --> 01:06:34.814
which was the big track...
780
01:06:36.174 --> 01:06:38.933
..and it was a very successful album indeed.
781
01:06:38.934 --> 01:06:43.573
As he looked back at his artistic life, of course he would be most proud of Queen,
782
01:06:43.574 --> 01:06:45.853
Let's not pretend that he wasn't,
783
01:06:45.854 --> 01:06:49.930
but, boy, would he be glad that he got this one in!
784
01:06:49.940 --> 01:06:51.333
♪ I want it all
785
01:06:51.334 --> 01:06:54.333
♪ I want it all
786
01:06:54.334 --> 01:06:56.773
♪ I want it all
787
01:06:56.774 --> 01:06:59.453
♪ And I want it now... ♪
788
01:06:59.454 --> 01:07:03.130
After we took this long, sort of, holiday, doing our solo stuff,
789
01:07:03.140 --> 01:07:07.253
we decided that we'd only come back together if we really wanted to,
790
01:07:07.254 --> 01:07:09.573
and we felt that we really wanted to.
791
01:07:09.574 --> 01:07:12.853
We just came in to the studio and things just evolved naturally,
792
01:07:12.854 --> 01:07:15.133
straightaway, so we were hungry for it,
793
01:07:15.134 --> 01:07:16.893
and it felt like the early days.
794
01:07:16.894 --> 01:07:19.293
And that's why we got very, sort of, excited.
795
01:07:19.294 --> 01:07:21.533
And out came a whole load of tracks.
796
01:07:21.534 --> 01:07:23.373
♪ I want at all
797
01:07:23.374 --> 01:07:25.413
♪ I want it all
798
01:07:25.414 --> 01:07:28.130
♪ I want it all
799
01:07:28.140 --> 01:07:31.940
♪ And I want it now
800
01:07:38.374 --> 01:07:40.294
♪ I want it
801
01:07:41.374 --> 01:07:44.930
♪ Now! ♪
802
01:07:44.940 --> 01:07:48.493
In 1989, the doctors told him that you stop everything,
803
01:07:48.494 --> 01:07:52.893
the cigarettes, the drink, everything.
804
01:07:52.894 --> 01:07:56.940
"You stop and you will have a bit more life."
805
01:07:57.174 --> 01:07:59.613
But they had also told us at that point,
806
01:07:59.614 --> 01:08:03.574
"Be prepared that Freddie will not see Christmas."
807
01:09:03.254 --> 01:09:07.530
We were working really flat-out on everybody's ideas,
808
01:09:07.540 --> 01:09:09.333
and not being kind of possessive about things.
809
01:09:09.334 --> 01:09:11.140
It was quite a liberation really.
810
01:09:15.254 --> 01:09:18.573
Actually, we had some fantastic times
811
01:09:18.574 --> 01:09:21.520
and we were a very close-knit group, like a family,
812
01:09:21.530 --> 01:09:22.932
and we would work in the studio until,
813
01:09:22.933 --> 01:09:24.854
really until Freddie got very tired.
814
01:10:24.955 --> 01:10:26.914
Are we not even taking him?
815
01:10:35.194 --> 01:10:39.313
'He was having radiation therapy, but he had to do that about 5.30,
816
01:10:39.314 --> 01:10:40.953
'6 o'clock in the morning, '
817
01:10:40.954 --> 01:10:42.754
because it had to be done at the hospital.
818
01:10:42.755 --> 01:10:44.753
It could not be done at home,
819
01:10:44.754 --> 01:10:50.993
But it had to be done when as few people as possible were around to see him going in there.
820
01:10:50.994 --> 01:10:52.673
Yet he would still go home,
821
01:10:52.674 --> 01:10:55.793
have a couple of hours' rest and go and make music.
822
01:10:55.794 --> 01:11:00.633
When we did discover that Freddie had this terrible AIDS virus in his body,
823
01:11:00.634 --> 01:11:02.913
there was still a disbelief in us.
824
01:11:02.914 --> 01:11:04.313
You know, you think,
825
01:11:04.314 --> 01:11:07.513
"No, it can't happen to our mate. It can't happen to Freddie,
826
01:11:07.514 --> 01:11:10.913
"There's going to be some way out of this. He's going to be cured."
827
01:11:10.914 --> 01:11:14.330
And right up to the last minute, I think it was,
828
01:11:14.340 --> 01:11:15.633
we knew but we didn't know.
829
01:11:15.634 --> 01:11:18.340
We sort of refused to know, if you like.
830
01:11:56.634 --> 01:12:00.730
The last time we met was approximately ten days before he died,
831
01:12:00.740 --> 01:12:03.330
and he and I had a long meeting,
832
01:12:03.340 --> 01:12:06.730
and I talked to him about preparing a press release,
833
01:12:06.740 --> 01:12:08.233
which he didn't really want to talk about.
834
01:12:08.234 --> 01:12:11.193
He said, "Well, whatever you want to do, dear. I don't mind,"
835
01:12:11.194 --> 01:12:14.113
because what he wanted to talk about was his music, still,
836
01:12:14.114 --> 01:12:16.873
because, even at that very late stage in his life,
837
01:12:16.874 --> 01:12:19.634
the music was the one thing that brought him to life.
838
01:13:00.534 --> 01:13:03.733
The music world has been paying tribute to Freddie Mercury,
839
01:13:03.734 --> 01:13:06.173
the lead singer of the rock group Queen.
840
01:13:06.174 --> 01:13:07.533
He died last night,
841
01:13:07.534 --> 01:13:11.130
24 hours after confirming he was suffering from AIDS.
842
01:13:26.140 --> 01:13:28.453
The night after he died,
843
01:13:28.454 --> 01:13:30.334
I went to 1 Logan Place.
844
01:13:31.934 --> 01:13:34.930
There were probably 100 people there
845
01:13:34.940 --> 01:13:36.933
and people were just crying and comforting each other.
846
01:13:59.734 --> 01:14:03.773
And Queen music was blasting out of the house,
847
01:14:03.774 --> 01:14:08.573
but it was just the saddest, saddest, saddest thing.
848
01:13:39.974 --> 01:13:41.613
Why did you want to come today?
849
01:13:41.614 --> 01:13:43.454
Just to pay our last respects to him.
850
01:13:43.455 --> 01:13:45.454
Just to show what sort of person he was,
851
01:13:45.455 --> 01:13:48.173
a person that everyone loved and never hurt nobody.
852
01:14:09.740 --> 01:14:10.634
Why have you come?
853
01:14:11.714 --> 01:14:13.953
I can't answer any questions.
854
01:14:14.540 --> 01:14:17.213
'Some say the greatest gift Freddie Mercury left behind
855
01:14:17.214 --> 01:14:19.853
'was his public acknowledgment that he had AIDS.
856
01:14:19.854 --> 01:14:21.573
'Just 24 hours before he died,
857
01:14:21.574 --> 01:14:23.893
'he ended speculation about his health
858
01:14:23.894 --> 01:14:27.173
'by issuing a statement saying he was HIV positive.'
859
01:14:27.174 --> 01:14:29.933
I think the press had their final bit of sort of vitriol
860
01:14:29.934 --> 01:14:31.974
against Freddie at that time, you know?
861
01:14:34.214 --> 01:14:38.133
Which was amazing, you know, that we had some nasty reports, saying...
862
01:14:38.134 --> 01:14:40.813
Some of them even saying that he, kind of, deserved to die
863
01:14:40.814 --> 01:14:43.133
cos he had a promiscuous lifestyle, you know?
864
01:14:43.134 --> 01:14:45.293
Quite unbelievable things people wrote.
865
01:14:45.294 --> 01:14:49.373
So Roger and I went on television to just sort of set the record straight, really.
866
01:15:31.674 --> 01:15:34.273
We do feel absolutely bound to stick up for him
867
01:15:34.274 --> 01:15:37.353
cos he can't stick up for himself any more, so...you know?
868
01:15:37.354 --> 01:15:39.234
But I think you can't defend anybody
869
01:15:39.235 --> 01:15:42.313
in the context of having Paul Daniels sitting next to you.
870
01:15:42.314 --> 01:15:45.673
Were you a fan of Queen and of Freddie Mercury?
871
01:15:46.174 --> 01:15:48.933
Well, no, cos I wasn't a fan of any music,
872
01:15:48.934 --> 01:15:50.333
I just put my head down,
873
01:15:50.334 --> 01:15:52.893
I should imagine like you did into music,
874
01:15:52.894 --> 01:15:55.133
I put my head down into magic.
875
01:15:55.134 --> 01:15:56.894
What a dick.
876
01:17:26.360 --> 01:17:33.919
♪ It's all so beautiful
877
01:17:33.920 --> 01:17:38.919
♪ Like a landscape painting in the sky
878
01:17:38.920 --> 01:17:40.959
♪ Yeah!
879
01:17:40.960 --> 01:17:45.319
♪ Mountains are zooming high
880
01:17:45.320 --> 01:17:47.359
♪ Little girls scream and cry... ♪
881
01:21:00.800 --> 01:21:03.659
Now that we're at the 25th anniversary of the Barcelona song,
882
01:21:03.760 --> 01:21:05.559
it seemed the right moment to do
883
01:21:05.760 --> 01:21:08.779
what I'm quite sure Freddie would have wanted to do,
884
01:21:08.820 --> 01:21:10.539
had he had the balls at the time,
885
01:21:10.940 --> 01:21:14.899
which was to do the album with full orchestra, and not with keyboards.
886
01:21:15.500 --> 01:21:19.139
So, we are working with Stuart Morley who's our musical director
887
01:21:19.320 --> 01:21:21.839
from We Will Rock You in London,
888
01:21:21.840 --> 01:21:26.759
and he has gone back to the album and orchestrated it, faithfully,
889
01:21:26.760 --> 01:21:29.120
for a full 80-piece orchestra.
890
01:21:33.800 --> 01:21:37.859
And then we will put Freddie and Montserrat's voice
891
01:21:37.860 --> 01:21:40.379
back on to that, and realise the album
892
01:21:40.880 --> 01:21:43.399
that I think should have been there,
893
01:21:43.400 --> 01:21:45.239
had we had the balls to do it at the time.
894
01:21:45.310 --> 01:21:49.189
♪ Barcelona
895
01:21:49.190 --> 01:21:52.749
♪ Barcelona... ♪
896
01:21:52.750 --> 01:21:54.829
It turned out to be such a success
897
01:21:54.830 --> 01:21:59.549
that it sold better after he died than before he died.
898
01:21:59.550 --> 01:22:02.869
In 1992, the Olympics actually happened in Barcelona
899
01:22:02.870 --> 01:22:04.949
and the song goes to number two.
900
01:22:04.950 --> 01:22:07.749
♪ Viva... ♪
901
01:22:07.750 --> 01:22:09.669
It succeeded in its great purpose,
902
01:22:09.670 --> 01:22:13.189
but its great purpose was after Freddie had died.
903
01:22:13.190 --> 01:22:16.790
♪ Barcelona! ♪
904
01:22:24.590 --> 01:22:32.350
♪ A-a-a-a-ah! ♪
905
01:22:37.590 --> 01:22:41.309
Freddie was a shy boy who, sort of, worried about his skin
906
01:22:41.310 --> 01:22:44.489
and his teeth and, you know, how he looked and everything,
907
01:22:44.590 --> 01:22:46.649
but he overcame everything to become that rock god.
908
01:22:47.880 --> 01:22:50.759
♪ Made in heaven
909
01:22:50.760 --> 01:22:54.239
♪ Made in heaven
910
01:22:54.240 --> 01:22:59.559
♪ It was all meant to be... ♪
911
01:22:59.560 --> 01:23:02.119
Do you think you're going to get to Heaven?
912
01:23:02.120 --> 01:23:03.959
No. I don't want to.
913
01:23:03.960 --> 01:23:06.319
- You don't want to?
- No. Hell's much better.
914
01:23:06.320 --> 01:23:09.959
Look at the interesting people that you're going to meet down there.
915
01:23:09.960 --> 01:23:12.790
You're going to be there, too, you know.
916
01:23:12.800 --> 01:23:15.759
♪ It was really meant to be
917
01:23:15.760 --> 01:23:19.719
♪ So plain to see
918
01:23:19.720 --> 01:23:21.679
♪ Everybody, everybody... ♪
919
01:23:21.680 --> 01:23:23.879
He really invented this persona
920
01:23:23.880 --> 01:23:27.839
which he inhabited in public with his outrageous sort of showmanship,
921
01:23:27.840 --> 01:23:30.159
et cetera, et cetera, but at the heart of it,
922
01:23:30.160 --> 01:23:32.399
he was a brilliant, brilliant musician,
923
01:23:32.400 --> 01:23:35.640
and I think that's what people forget about Freddie Mercury.
924
01:23:40.120 --> 01:23:41.799
♪ Written in the stars... ♪
925
01:23:41.800 --> 01:23:44.279
How would you like to be remembered?
926
01:23:44.280 --> 01:23:47.959
Oh, I don't know. I don't really think about it, it's up to them.
927
01:23:47.960 --> 01:23:49.799
When I'm dead, who cares?
928
01:23:49.800 --> 01:23:51.240
I don't.
929
01:23:56.920 --> 01:23:58.439
Go on. And again.
930
01:23:58.440 --> 01:24:00.879
♪ Yeah! ♪
931
01:24:00.880 --> 01:24:02.720
HE HUMS
932
01:24:04.280 --> 01:24:05.840
♪ Yeah!
933
01:24:07.120 --> 01:24:08.839
♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah!
934
01:24:08.840 --> 01:24:10.639
♪ Yeah! ♪
935
01:24:12.280 --> 01:24:14.519
Your album's been round the world, Freddie.
936
01:24:14.520 --> 01:24:17.359
Have you anything to say to the stations in Australia?
937
01:24:17.360 --> 01:24:21.119
I'm looking to actually outrage them with my new costumes.
938
01:24:21.120 --> 01:24:23.799
Do you have a message for the stations in Brazil?
939
01:24:23.800 --> 01:24:26.799
I just want them to have a carnival every time they listen to my songs.
940
01:24:26.800 --> 01:24:29.599
A message for the stations in Japan?
941
01:24:29.600 --> 01:24:31.279
Japan, you'd better watch out.
942
01:24:31.280 --> 01:24:34.599
And do you have a message for the stations in Mexico?
943
01:24:34.600 --> 01:24:37.319
- No.
944
01:24:37.320 --> 01:24:41.790
- Why not?
- Because I don't... I don't give a shit!
945
01:24:41.800 --> 01:24:43.879
And, finally, the stations in Sweden?
946
01:24:43.880 --> 01:24:45.920
Fuck everybody else, that's it.
947
01:24:47.440 --> 01:24:48.640
You forgot Tibet.
948
01:24:50.440 --> 01:24:52.600
Oh, fucking hell! Now, come on, that's enough.
79992
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.