Freddie's voice was one of a kind and beautiful. I love his live voice even more than recorded. I don't over analyze his voice because its so pleasant to listen to. AL on the other hand is not. I wish AL fans would stop trying to "sell" him here. I will never be a fan of his and feel it a mistake for him to be fronting what's left of Queen.
The Real Wizard · Member since
Mercury suffered from throat nodules, so he was rarely able to hit the notes live that he hit in the studio.
In the studio you get as many takes as you want. There was absolutely no studio manipulation. Live he could've nailed everything on the first two nights, but then he would've blown out his voice for the rest of the tour.
Check out Oakland 80. He hit everything that night.
These two performances are from Oakland 1980. Freddie completely nails Need Your Loving Tonight, and Save Me from this show is one of the best live versions.
So yes, he CAN and HAS nailed his studio studio live--it only takes a couple of clicks to Youtube or to Queenzone to listen to the audio.
winterspelt · Member since
Some people ignores that in the 70s and 80s things like protools wasnt available so every record was basically a hit or miss...
Sebastian · Member since
Not having Protools is not the same as recording without effects or trickery. Theoretically, it could've been possible for a singer of lesser calibre to hit those notes even in the 20th century (e.g. recording them at a lower speed).
The reason, however, has been clearly explained by other posters: in the studio, Freddie could have as many takes as he needed, even for a single word or syllable. He could rest, drink, use drugs, whatever he wanted or needed. If he felt 'today's not the day', he could try some other time and that was it. If he tried to sing a high note and failed, it wouldn't be the end of the world - he could erase that take and try again.
On stage there are different 'rules'. If he tried a high note and failed, it was public humiliation; if he strained his voice on the first day, he'd compromise the rest of the tour and his band-mates' efforts. He played it safer but he had all the reason to do so. Why going 110% of your skills when you can resort to a simpler and more effective solution? He focused on the show, the entertainment, sang very well (but not as well as in the studio, for obvious reasons) and left the high notes to someone who could reach them far more easily and whose voice was better rested as he only sang backing vocals, not lead.
john bodega · Member since
People talk a lot about ProTools, but manipulation of recorded music is an old, old bit of magic. You'd be surprised what they used to be able to pull off with a razor and varispeed. Something that works even today is simply ducking the volume slightly on a part that you're not happy with. You don't always need to erase a 'mistake' - sometimes you can make it sound better by just burying it slightly.
Have a listen to the Bohemian Rhapsody multitrack and there's plenty of slip-ups or ideas that didn't work out. That's just what making music is, for the most part. I actually don't agree with people who reckon digital technology is ruining music, in and of itself. It just happens to be the thing we're using at the moment. Blame the people who show extremely poor judgement in manipulating that technology ...
Mr Mercury · Member since
[QUOTE] [b]Holly2003 wrote:[/b]
Yes he was a fraud. He also had a girlfriend called Mary Austin, so he wasn't even totally gay as he had everyone believe. Furthermore, his real name was Farrokh Bulsara, not Freddie Mercury. It was all a tissue of lies. It wouldn't surprise me if his moustache was fake too.[/QUOTE]
I thought his name was Larry Lurex.....
Definetely a fraud....!
on my way up · Member since
The Real Wizard and Sebastian said all there is to say about this imho.
tomchristie22 · Member since
[QUOTE] [b]radiogugu wrote:[/b]
Seems everyone has to resort to sarcastic responses instead of answering my question. So I guess freddie did in fact tamper studio notes. he certainly cannot do under pressure notes or who wants to live forever notes lives in their original form. hell, lambert atleast does it live. Lambert at least doesn't wimp out live. He certainly sings circles around freddie in live performances[/QUOTE]
I'd hazard a guess that you're basing your theory off his performance at Wembley '86 :P Yes, Freddie couldn't sing Who Wants To Live Forever in the original key live, can you? I can't.. It's a lot easier to sing well in the studio, you're in a controlled environment, you're generally not exhausted, and you have as many attempts to get it right as you deem necessary.
Yes, Adam can reach the notes of Who Wants To Live Forever in it's original key, but he also hits them obnoxiously and tastelessly, butchering the song while he's at it. Freddie, regardless of whether or not he dropped notes, managed to maintain the integrity of the song. He also didn't make my ears bleed when he sang it.
I'd recommend you listen to some of Freddie's earlier shows, that is '73 and '74 tours, as he was yet to develop the vocal problems that would later plague him, and often does near perfect renditions of some pretty demanding songs.
RMTaylorBest · Member since
freddie a fraud ??? he just had better or worse shape cause he live so much at night also.
He had a rocking voice even on the worse days of shape.
Nobody can even ask if he was a fraud, he's the most true singer in rock history and he was great in the studio cos he was relaxed and he could stop wherever he wanted. He's a human, so in live concerts, running for miles and singing in the while....HE IS GREAT, JUST SOME OF YOU ARE FRAUD FANS
koldweather123 · Member since
NEVER hit the notes...
Someone should let this guy listen to the 79 Newcastle shows!!
How about this version of 39 where he actually goes HIGHER than the recorded version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-LwCClVz8Y
Just take a listen to any song from that show and it'll be either close to the studio or spot on, or once or twice better than the studio versions.
There are so many other shows and songs where Freddie hits studio notes. Freddie didn't hit falsetto notes often live, I suppose its because until the mid-80s at least they didn't have much behind them. Still his live improv sections between 84-86 prove he could easily hit those notes.
This audio should prove that nicely:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHLxUURGLRU
(I think most people know what it'll be, but also listen to the improv AFTER Dragon Attack, its great!!)
ps, the multi-tracks of Bo-Rhap are great, you can hear Freddie crack the C note on the rock section, and I can now hear it in the final version as well after knowing what to listen for!
brENsKi · Member since
[QUOTE] [b]radiogugu wrote:[/b]
Man, I listen to him sing on his albums and it is amazing.
Live however, he NEVER hits notes he did in the studio. ....He avoids ALL the high notes and makes his drummer sing them.
I have a feeling he was a fraud singer. Can't hit the notes live so used studio tricks to make his voice higher. [/QUOTE]
you're a f*ckin indiot. what's your next claim? Br*an shagged animals? J*hn murdered his mother?
only question needing an answer: is radiogugu a fucking simpleton?
a] yes
b] deifnitely
c] more than we'll ever know or be able to measure
d] makes scientoloty look like the sensible alternative
plumrach · Member since
I would say if you want to listen a clean polished version of a song just listen to the recordings, Freddie however was about entertainment and he loved a live audience and it does not make the shows anyless lieable just because he does not hit the "right" notes
SimonFerocious · Member since
Freddie was struggling with his voice on The Magic Tour. I agree that his vocals weren't up to scratch there but that was probably his HIV condition asserting itself. If you look at Queen On Fire from Milton Keynes Bowl in 1982, Freddie's voice is fantastic. He goes for all the high notes and gets them. It depends what concert you are looking at. I heard Freddie's voice at Slane and it's actually much higher than it is on record, he really did sound like a woman singing.
Marcos Napier · Member since
He's such a fraud that he couldn't even duplicate that damn easy opera section live and had to use ANALOG TAPES - not even computers and ProTools! Fraud, fraud fraud. At least he died before Autotune was invented or else he would have used it all the time too.
