‘He was completely focused’: Queen’s Brian May remembers Freddie Mercury’s

real wanker: What on earth are going on about?
first you accuse me of been narrow minded and not expand my musical searches then you accuse me of liking other groups albums
what is going on in your brain man??
wacky backy me thinks?

Gerry I think you should re read what The Real Wanker has said.

Also those five singers that were mentioned in Mr Wankers last post are easily equal to, if not better then Freddie. He didn't stand on stage in 1982 and say "I'm gonna make you sing like Aretha Franklin" because he thought she was crap. . . or not as good as him.

[QUOTE] [b]The Real Wanker wrote:[/b]
[QUOTE] [b]gerry wrote:[/b]
its just that i can not find anyone more excellent than Freddies vocals to please me, he was a one off and had the style other rock singers lack.
[/QUOTE]
Etta James? Stevie Wonder? Marvin Gaye? Aretha Franklin?
How about Imelda May?
[/QUOTE]

or PP Arnold, Janis Joplin, Ben E King, Sam Cooke, Solomon Burke, Frankie Valli, Joan Baez....
and Irma Thomas' "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is" - is possibly one of the finest vocals ever put to disc....effortless perfection

NO it has to be "somebody to love" because Freddies vocal
on that track was phenomenal and unbeatable, even George Michael had trouble with that vocal.
My second Favourite singer is Tina Turner!
Dynamic woman, check out her vocals on "its only love"
amazing lung power!

Gladys Knight's performance on "Midnight Train to Georgia" might give that a run for its money.

There are so many really great rock vocalists out there. Phil Mogg is a personal favourite, although probably doesn't have the same range as Fred. I would argue Myles Kennedy is up there too. David Coverdale's vocals on 'Starkers in Tokyo' are excellent. Even someone like Joe Lynn Turner can really belt it out. Still, if you listen to Fred's isolated vocal on 'Somebody to Love' it's not hard to make a case for him being a great, if not the greatest rock vocalist around in his lifetime.


[QUOTE] [b]brENsKi wrote:[/b]
or PP Arnold, Janis Joplin, Ben E King, Sam Cooke, Solomon Burke, Frankie Valli, Joan Baez....
and Irma Thomas' "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is" - is possibly one of the finest vocals ever put to disc....effortless perfection[/QUOTE]

Yeah she's great. Have to admit I went through a phase in my late teens when 'Private Dancer' was never off my stereo. 'It's Only Love' (1986), with Bryan Adams, is perhaps the perfect rock/pop song.

[QUOTE] [b]gerry wrote:[/b]

NO it has to be "somebody to love" because Freddies vocal
on that track was phenomenal and unbeatable, even George Michael had trouble with that vocal.
My second Favourite singer is Tina Turner!
Dynamic woman, check out her vocals on "its only love"
amazing lung power![/QUOTE]

[QUOTE] [b]Holly2003 wrote:[/b]

Gladys Knight's performance on "Midnight Train to Georgia" might give that a run for its money.

There are so many really great rock vocalists out there. Phil Mogg is a personal favourite, although probably doesn't have the same range as Fred. I would argue Myles Kennedy is up there too. David Coverdale's vocals on 'Starkers in Tokyo' are excellent. Even someone like Joe Lynn Turner can really belt it out. Still, if you listen to Fred's isolated vocal on 'Somebody to Love' it's not hard to make a case for him being a great, if not the greatest rock vocalist around in his lifetime.


[QUOTE] [b]brENsKi wrote:[/b]
or PP Arnold, Janis Joplin, Ben E King, Sam Cooke, Solomon Burke, Frankie Valli, Joan Baez....
and Irma Thomas' "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is" - is possibly one of the finest vocals ever put to disc....effortless perfection[/QUOTE]

[/QUOTE] Holly, how about Love Of My Life?...I think it might equal to Somebody To love...Then listen to Hammer To Fall...Not many singers could sing two totally different styles so well...

Brenski: All those singers you listed are good in there own fields but Freddie was a wizard (pardon the pun)
in that he could sing anything, Rock, ballads, pop, opera, etc...
i very much doubt the likes of sammy hagar and the rest of the rock crowd could stand up to the forces
of Montserrat Caballe. Freddie was the one exception and nailed it.
MikeG: yes Freddies vocal on "Love of my life" was truly beautiful, clear and crisp, and again the same style
appeared on "you take my breath away" Fred had a gorgeous falsetto voice which many could not match.

Hey Gerry, I don't like PISCP, Cool Cat, Rain Must Fall, My Baby Does Me, in fact I can't stomache it at all!! So in your book that means I'm not a passionate Queen Fan? So everything the band released I have to take as stunning, fucking brilliant, otherwise I'm not a Queen fan? The above mentioned tracks, are those ROCK tracks? Hell not, by no means Queen WAS a rock band. So I must like Back Chat because it has a stunning guitar solo by Brian, that's a bit pisspoor isn't it?

This goes not only for the band Queen, this goes for all the CD's in my collection, David Gogo is a brilliant guitarist, but believe me or not, I've seen Gogo over a dozen times, but this doesn't mean I like everything he brought out so far. I'm not a blind follower. Gerry that you find Queen albums by the rock session, tells you what. Here we have Nick and Simon, pure Dutch, their albums can be found....in the rock section......how plain that is, ain't it


Tom

[QUOTE] [b]gerry wrote:[/b]Brenski: All those singers you listed are good in there own fields but Freddie was a wizard (pardon the pun)
in that he could sing anything, Rock, ballads, pop, opera, etc...[/QUOTE]
thought YOU said he was a "ROCK SINGER" now you say he's a "JACK OF ALL TRADES" ...make your mind up

[QUOTE] [b]gerry wrote:[/b]i very much doubt the likes of sammy hagar and the rest of the rock crowd could stand up to the forces of Montserrat Caballe. Freddie was the one exception and nailed it.[/QUOTE]
he nailed it...IN THE STUDIO. Any singer could do that. Was the quote from her something along the lines of "I asked him what I should sing"
Don't recall them singing this song 100% live - so there was no "FORCE" to stand up to

Freddie could jump from one style to the other, probably, better than any one. It was one of the contributing factors to Queen's ability to have a foot in so many musical doors. However I don't think anyone could claim that Freddie was the best pure rock vocalist in the world, and he may have played on the fringes of opera, operetta would be a truer term for what he did as he never played a part and performed in an opera either on stage or recorded. In the vast landscape of real opera, Feddies voice was somewhat lacking when compared to professionals in that field of music.

vocal harmony: Freddie always won polls on best rock male vocalist, and the likes of
Robert Plant, Dio, Sammy Hagar etc... got left by the way side.
Freddie always outshone everybody and today he is considered the greatest rock showman ever!

Brenski: you are one bitter Queen!
Freddie has sung live with Monty he made a bloody album with the woman so what the hell
you are going on about i do not know.
The way you go on it sounds like you actually hate our beloved Freddie.
Yes Freddie Mainly sang rock songs but gradually tried other styles and
discovered he was damn good at it.
Freddie also beat Elvis Presley to the best Rock icon award, which makes me proud as a true ardent Queen fan!
May not make you proud brother cos you sound like you have issues with Freddie.

[QUOTE] [b]gerry wrote:[/b] Brenski: you are one bitter Queen! Freddie has sung live with Monty he made a bloody album with the woman so what the hell
you are going on about i do not know.[/QUOTE]
you're hysterical. they NEVER sung live together - from what i saw - it was mimed...and studio recordings are NOT a live performance are they? you do realise how studio recordings work don't you? they wouldn't necessarily have "sung live" - there'd be various takes and retakes and edits...hence the differing versions labelled "early take" "guide vocal" etc - on the FM boxset
you fool

[QUOTE] [b]gerry wrote:[/b] The way you go on it sounds like you actually hate our beloved Freddie.
Freddie also beat Elvis Presley to the best Rock icon award, which makes me proud as a true ardent Queen fan! May not make you proud brother cos you sound like you have issues with Freddie.[/QUOTE]
what????????????? because I'm not the deluded stepford fool like you - who'd probably think Freddie burping into a mic would be a "classic"???? you really are bonkers...and you need a life other than queen.
I grew up with the band thru the 70s heyday, but it doesn't make Freddie the b-all and end-all of everything. honestly, you need to get out more...or even AT ALL

Brenski: Twisted sister have a name for people like you "Sick mother Fuckers" you really are one!