Freddie's live falsetto

Chief Mouse wrote: But even in his prime live years 1979 - 1982. I'm just talking from my perspective, certainly I'm no singer and I can't really sing, but for me falsetto just seems way easier to do. Not saying it's bad though, for example "keep us fighting" sounds awesome in full high voice :D

Pretty sure it's "keep on fighting".

Oscar J wrote:

Chief Mouse wrote: But even in his prime live years 1979 - 1982. I'm just talking from my perspective, certainly I'm no singer and I can't really sing, but for me falsetto just seems way easier to do. Not saying it's bad though, for example "keep us fighting" sounds awesome in full high voice :D

Pretty sure it's "keep on fighting".

You're right. I always make this mistake :P

gerry wrote: Freddies heavy smoking ruined his voice and that is why the falsetto voice became less and less on tour,
He smoked like a chimney and relighting a new cig after the old one got stubbed out!
On the "Live in Rio" set he tried to reach to the high notes on the end of "Its a hard life" and went off key,
so went down a note or two to compensate!
In the 70s Freddies falsetto voice was amazing, check out "In the lap of the gods" (revisited) on the hammersmith 1975 show.

Ruined his voice? I'm sorry, are we talking about the same Freddie Mercury here?

yes we are talking about the same Freddie Mercury.
You sound so surprised lol
Did you not notice Freddies voice getting worse as the 80s came to an end?
He was a chain smoker, and to prove that watch the interviews of Freddie, he always had a cigarette in his hand
and he always never went 5 mins without starting a fresh cigarette.
Probably the last falsetto voice he ever did was on innuendos "Dont try so hard" and even that vocal was not as magnificent as 1981 "Soul brother".

gerry wrote: yes we are talking about the same Freddie Mercury.
You sound so surprised lol
Did you not notice Freddies voice getting worse as the 80s came to an end?
He was a chain smoker, and to prove that watch the interviews of Freddie, he always had a cigarette in his hand
and he always never went 5 mins without starting a fresh cigarette.
Probably the last falsetto voice he ever did was on innuendos "Dont try so hard" and even that vocal was not as magnificent as 1981 "Soul brother".

No, I only hear Freddie having improved because of the lack of touring.
He often had a cigarette in his hand during interviews, but it has been stated many times that he never actually inhaled, and it was just to keep him busy.

well believe me freddie did inhale the ciggies.
It was also mentioned in the press in the 80s that his singing voice was getting hammered because of consistent
smoking and the old nodules on his throat.
Even on "Live Aid" day back in 1985 his doctor told him not to perform as his throat was so bad, but freddie
did not want to let the people down and performed.

gerry wrote:
Even on "Live Aid" day back in 1985 his doctor told him not to perform as his throat was so bad, but freddie
did not want to let the people down and performed.

And this completely disproves your point that smoking ruined his voice in the 80s, as his vocal performance at Live Aid was one of his best.

tomchristie22 wrote:

gerry wrote:
Even on "Live Aid" day back in 1985 his doctor told him not to perform as his throat was so bad, but freddie
did not want to let the people down and performed.

And this completely disproves your point that smoking ruined his voice in the 80s, as his vocal performance at Live Aid was one of his best.

I'd say THE best since Crazy or The Game tour. Radio GaGa best version ever, Hammer To Fall probably also best ever and We Are The Champions the best version ever - definitive live version in my book :)

Sure "Live Aid" was great but we are discussing freddies falsetto voice and there was not any falsetto voice by freddie in "Live Aid".

There was A LOT of falsetto during The Works tour and the Magic tour - probably more than on any other tour. Get your facts straight. He consistently goes for the falsetto notes in "ITLOTG Revisited" during the Magic tour and the impromptus from the 1984-1986 concerts have tons of high falsetto wailing. Look no further than the "Rock In Rio Blues" for a prime example.

This doesn't mean that I think that his voice was particularly great during those years - but surely he was more confident in his own falsetto than ever before.

well your entitled to your opinion like i am but freds voice did get worse as the 80s came to an end.
Queen cancelled shows in 85 because of his voice, and even when fred was getting interviewed by simon bates on radio one he was ill with his throat, and simon said freddie smoked like a chimney.
look back to 1974 ITLOTGS on SHA album and freds falsetto is sharp and crisp, and compare that to around 1984 to 1986, no contest.
Freddie did use the falsetto voice but very sparingly between 84 to 86.

I don't think Freddie in any way lost his falsetto in the 80's. Actually he performed some of his best falsetto work live on the Works and Magic tours in the impromptus. If you look at the second night at Wembley his voice is tired and strained but still he sings a great impromptu. His falsetto seems totally unaffected by his strained chest voice. So the reason he didn't use it more is probably because it didn't suit his singing style/image which at the time was very macho and he liked to belt out the songs with his raw chestpower.

Riku M wrote: So the reason he didn't use it more is probably because it didn't suit his singing style/image which at the time was very macho and he liked to belt out the songs with his raw chestpower.

Yeah, but he hardly used it live ever since 1976. But he still did in studio obviously, It's A Hard Life for example.

gerry wrote: well your entitled to your opinion like i am but freds voice did get worse as the 80s came to an end.
Queen cancelled shows in 85 because of his voice, and even when fred was getting interviewed by simon bates on radio one he was ill with his throat, and simon said freddie smoked like a chimney.
look back to 1974 ITLOTGS on SHA album and freds falsetto is sharp and crisp, and compare that to around 1984 to 1986, no contest.
Freddie did use the falsetto voice but very sparingly between 84 to 86.

No, not sparingly. In 1984 - 1986, he used his falsetto a lot more than he ever did before or since on live shows. Have you even listened to any concerts during the era? I do agree that his "full voice" had a dip in the mid 80's, but his falsetto remained intact.

And just for the record Gerry, there is no falsetto on ITLOTGR from Hammersmith '75, unless my memory serves me incorrectly?