Bohemian Rhapsody / A Night at the Opera Timeline

The thing about Bo Rhap is that there are so many different and often contradicting stories. The 1995 SOS article, which seems to be regarded as *the* holy grail when it comes to info about it, claims (IIRC) that sessions began on the 24th of August 1975 at Rockfield.

I strongly suspect that's not the case: they had some rehearsals at the Ridge Farm (around June/July, most likely), which would mean they just had a month of literally doing 'nothing' from rehearsals to recordings.

Freddie's then-boyfriend said in his book that he witnessed a rough mix of Bo Rhap being played to him and a friend on a Friday before a bank holiday weekend in late August ... the only bank holiday around that time was summer bank holiday, which that year was on the 25th of August ... which means their encounter (which took place at Roundhouse Studios) was on Friday the 22nd and, by then, a lot of the song had already been done (to the point he was ready to play it to other people).

A recent Fred biography (Laura Jackson's IIRC) claims Jill Sinclair interrupted the mixing sessions for Bo Rhap (at SARM) by turning the power off to sing Happy Birthday to Freddie, which puts the date on or around the 5th of September. It makes sense if they were mixing it roughly a month and a half before the single was released, as it'd give EMI and Elektra time to master, press, pack and distribute the vinyl.

There's no way around it: either the SOS article's wrong/inaccurate about that, or Minn's recollection is wrong, or the birthday story's a lie, or a combination of some/all/none of the above.

As much as SOS's a respected source, the article's got several mistakes already: 'Scorpion Studios' anyone? It also claims the first three Queen albums were recorded on 16-track (SHA wasn't), it claims Kenny Everett played the song fourteen times on his programme (he did it four times, no teen), it claims NOTW was a Marx Brothers' title (it wasn't) and it claims part of Bo Rhap was done at Wessex (it wasn't - the studio was undergoing refurbishment), so one more inaccurate claim wouldn't be a big surprise.

My theory, and there's still a lot I need in order to make it a serious claim, is that sessions began either in late July or in early August, giving them more than enough time to deliver the mixed single to EMI in early September and secure a late October release.

BTW, about that Kenny Everett thing ... does anybody know the exact date of Kenny first broadcasting Bo Rhap? If it really was before the single was released and if it really was a rough mix, then there's a collectors' holy grail that some people *should* have, unless of course nobody bothered recording from the radio.

With the birthday interruption thing, it could be that recording was interrupted, but not necessarily Bo Rhap, but she just named that as its the most famous song of the batch being collectively worked on at that time.

I assume you're talking here strictly about the recording sessions, because as we know Freddie had already played the genesis of the song to people several years before.

[QUOTE] [b]cmsdrums wrote:[/b]I assume you're talking here strictly about the recording sessions, because as we know Freddie had already played the genesis of the song to people several years before.[/QUOTE]

Actually, we don't: there's a claim that there was a Cowboy Song, blah, blah, blah, but there's no evidence. For all we know, every second person who met Freddie will claim they were the first to hear Bo Rhap's working version or even contribute to it.

His boyfriend at the time? I thought he and Mary didn't break up till 1977 or so?

Freddie's neither the first nor the last person to have more than one simultaneous relationship...

Aye, like that blokey on days of our lives doc, re "the cowboy song"-talk about coming outta the woodwork!

[QUOTE] [b]Sebastian wrote:[/b]

[QUOTE] [b]cmsdrums wrote:[/b]I assume you're talking here strictly about the recording sessions, because as we know Freddie had already played the genesis of the song to people several years before.[/QUOTE]

Actually, we don't: there's a claim that there was a Cowboy Song, blah, blah, blah, but there's no evidence. For all we know, every second person who met Freddie will claim they were the first to hear Bo Rhap's working version or even contribute to it.[/QUOTE]

I was basing that on the chap in the recent documentary who was the keyboardist in an early band with Freddie, and recounts a story of Freddie playing him the 'mama, just killed a man' section at the piano. I remember his story as he has the same name as me!!

Quite how true the story is though, I suppose we only have his word that it happened.

I have just dug out my QFC stuff from June/July 1975 to try to glean some info on this. As far as I can make out, I received the newsletter about 10 June 1975 and I quote from the Pat & Sue June/July '75 newsletter included:
(Re: August 1975) - 'During the (recent USA) tour Freddie suffered a slight set-back with an inflamed throat, and several concerts had to be cancelled. To compensate disappointed fans, Queen are returning to America in August for a brief visit to play those dates. A schedule has been enclosed...' - which it has and I'm looking at the US rescheduled dates now.
I suspect they flew out on the 10/11th August 1975 because the dates begin on Aug. 12th in Philadelphia, Spectrum and go right through to August 31st when they played Duluth Arena, Duluth, Minn. That would mean they were probably back in the UK on Sept. 2nd 1975. They did 18 dates in total and had two days off, Aug. 18th and 25th.

The newsletter goes on to say that - 'Queen start recording their next album and single throughout the coming months, and the release dates will coincide with a British tour, which is planned for November.'

Interestingly it says that 'plans are being made for a possible Queen concert sometime in the summer' (next year - Hyde Park).

Kenny Everett also got the first exclusive play of Somebody to Love in advance of release: it says that in a newsletter a year later. Although I missed the weekend that Kenny played Bo Rhap, I did used to listen to his Capital Radio show all the time. From years ago I'd always read that he played it fourteen times. Four times wouldn't really have been that outrageous over the two shows he did - Sat/Sun - at Capital each weekend. What I never have heard is that Fred was on his show one weekend soon after the release of ANATO. Someone at school told me that (2 days after) and of course I never heard the segment of the show but he said it was very funny. The next year I recorded Fred and Kenny and had the entire show on tape for years. But I would love to hear that earlier appearance Fred made in 1975... that would be great to hear if anyone has it.

The tour was cancelled, that's why they went straight to recording.

Regarding four vs fourteen, here are the sources:

FOUR:

* Said by the man himself (Kenny Everett).
* Said mere months after the fact (the 1976 band bios).

FOURTEEN:

* Said by someone who's well-known for exaggerations (Roy Baker).
* Said a decade after the fact.

Kenny's a far more believable source.

Well I actually remember it being said that it was fourteen c. late 1975, from interviews, so not sure about that. But could well be a PR thing from the time, just to generate even more buzz about it.
Interesting those dates were cancelled - just shows how fraught it all was around that time for them. Perhaps cancelled by John Reid, as he took over around those months...

[QUOTE] [b]Planetgurl wrote:[/b]Well I actually remember it being said that it was fourteen c. late 1975, from interviews, [/QUOTE]

Which interviews?

[QUOTE] [b]Planetgurl wrote:[/b]Perhaps cancelled by John Reid, as he took over around those months...[/QUOTE]

He signed with them in September, concerts'd already been cancelled by then, and the album was already on its way.

According to Sounds on 16th August, John Reid 'is now managing Queen, since they have split up with their previous management'. Taken from Tony Brainsby records kept at the time and quoted in 'Queen' by George Tremlett, pub. 1976.

Magnificent info. Thanks.

Seb - I have found an article that would be very helpful to you date wise. It pins down a few days in September where they were doing Bo Rhap vocals. Please pm me with your email: I will scan later and send it to you. It's from the NME on 27th September 1975 by Julie Webb. I worked it out (believe it or not) through John Reid's birthday party date! This was much publicised at the time and I have found out the exact date as to when and where it was: the band were all present. This is referenced in the article itself as being 'last week'. I reckon Fred was interviewed at the studio about 12th/13th September when they were working on the operatic section of Bo Rhap - also talked about in the article and where two of Hustler were also present... I think the article was held up before going to press for obvious reasons - JR had signed contracts in mid Sept plus other contracts were signed at this time, so probably were waiting for the dust to settle before they went to print - ie. there was an embargo on the article until a certain date.

The article's available at Queencuttings and I've read it several times. AFAIR, the backing vocals section and the actual interview took place at different dates, so there's still chance for the recordings to have finished earlier.