The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, Who played, who didn't.

The Elaine Paige Queen album topic has drifted off onto the Freddie Tribute and I had things to say about that, that were so far off topic I started this one.

I preface this with the fact that I was at the concert, and it was wonderful. I cried my eyes out a few times with both joy and sadness.

I personally believe the way the Tribute concert ended up was not the way Roger, John and Brian initially intended. At least not in terms of the artists who played.

Many years ago, Fish (he from Marillion) mentioned on a Q&A that he had discussions with Brian about playing at the concert and that Brian was very much up for it. But later, Fish said that TV had taken it over (He may have said US TV) and they were going for big names rather than people who knew the band.
He also said that if he had played, the song he would have sung was Liar. (A surprising choice I thought, I remember the answer because it was my question).

Now it is entirely possible that Brian was just being nice and amiable with Fish and letting management deal with the issue of letting him down gently, but given the number of artists who played with no Queen or Freddie connection, I am tempted to believe there is some truth in the statement.

Brian stated in his soapbox fairly recently that he admires Zucchero, but also let slip that he never met him before the tribute show. Lisa Stansfield's duet with George Michael on Days of Our Lives may be the best version of the song out there, but there is no Queen connection, she was a huge name at the time though.

Wayne Sleep and Montserat Caballe have both said they were disappointed not to take part in the final concert and it seems obvious to me that those trying to do this for Freddies Memory, would have taken those two over a Metallica set 100% of the time.

Maybe the price of TV coverage was the dismissal of lesser names or just a necessity to stick to big rock names, but I would be interested to know if others have any info to add that would help identify just what the selection process was. It did seem a little random at times and I wonder just how much control Brian, Roger and John had in the end. (At least with regards to who performed)

Hi everyone.

Excellent post there gg01.

Personally speaking.I think it would have been a nice touch if Aretha Franklin had appeared and did a version of "Somebody To Love, as great as George Micheal's performance.

I never quite understood Guns 'n Roses and Spinal Tap's inclusion - especially the latter.

The 'charity show big guns' seem to have been missing - Phil Collins, Paul McCartney, Status Quo etc.

It would have been great to have had Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, Cliff Richard, Duran Duran and Rod Stewart.

I dont like the fact people say that it was a 'Queen' tribute rather than a 'Freddie' tribute, of course it was!!! How many of those who performed ever quoted Freddie as an influence rather than Queen? There were a few acts there who were there just coz they happened to be big at the time (Seal, Lisa Stansfield, Extreme.. etc...) As for the above post, can you imagine what a fucking flop on you would get if Cliff Richard came on (who has a tenuous Queen connection)? They played it pretty right in my opinion.

[QUOTE] [b]mooghead wrote:[/b]

As for the above post, can you imagine what a fucking flop on you would get if Cliff Richard came on (who has a tenuous Queen connection)? They played it pretty right in my opinion.[/QUOTE]

My post wasn't about whether it was right or not, it was more about how the acts that did play were chosen, and how much control he band had. I believe that some were there because the band wanted them to be there (Geldof, Mott The Hoople, Liza Minelli) and others were likely hoisted on them by tv or record company. (Lisa Stansfield and Seal for example)

Ian Hunter was a great inclusion. Proper history there!

All the rock bands were not only big at the time (and still big names bar Extreme), but also bona fide Queen fans esp Axl Rose.

Stansfield, Seal and Zucherro were pretty poor. But Liza Minnelli was a quirky choice even though she didnt exactly deliver musically.

All in all a mixed bag. Typical Queen.

Great post.

I hadn't realised that there were a few acts that would be deserving of a slot but that we're ruled out. I hadn't heard the Fish story either.

You make a good point of the tv broadcast perhaps taking some precedent over the band's wishes; I suppose they wanted the greatest possible audience to raise the issue of AIDS awareness, and having bigger names would help that. Equally you'd like to think that such a huge event as a tribute to Freddie, the first really massive world star to die of AIDS, would have pulled the viewers in anyway regardless of the line up (especially as the line up was totally secret, pre Internet, and no one knew who was playing).

I recall a big 'The Sun' newspaper two page spread shortly before the gig (maybe in the week leading up to it?) featuring a Gary Glitter interview where he 'blabbed' that he was going to be singing 'Crazy Little Thing...', and also leaking some of the show line up and format......if he was originally in the line up he was soon dropped as a result of that.

I can definitely imagine that Stansfield, Zucchero and Metallica were there as big names of the time, but equally Extreme absolutely belonged there as huge fans of Queen/Freddie, Iommi was Brian's 'crutch' on rhythm guitar, Bowie was a natural choice, Daltrey and Plant as heroes/role models of Freddie, Mott due to the Queen early days, and Liza was genuinely one of Freddie's heroes too.

All in all the bill was pretty well balanced towards Freddie/Queen, whilst also considering the global audience.

Afraid I don't have any more info on other possible acts, but I dk recall running into Wembley on the day and being intrigued on seeing the line up for the first time on the t shirts, and wondering how it would all pan out!!

A little off topic....was Roger actually going to sing A Kind of Magic or is that bullshit?

No. Chris Tompson was meant to sing AKOM but it was dropped last minute because the shoe was running late.
I bet he was gutted.

*Thompson

The show was very of it's time! The Bowie bit was interesting, as not only was that the first time he'd sung Under Pressure live, but also the first time he'd done Heroes since his 'retirement' of old songs in 1990. ATYD hadn't been done live by him since 1974 (ok fair enough he only added sax and BVs on that).

All I really remember is that Guns N Roses and Elton John had a tiff - Axl had made some homophobic remarks which didn't sit right with the vibe of the day so I think Elton refused to play if they did. Maybe just hype to make their duet more triumphant? I dunno.

Also, Bowie said some bad things about a 'cunt' on the day which ruined his enjoyment. Conjecture says it was either Elton or Axl. I don't think it was ever fully explain.

Interestingly, Ronson died 22 years ago on 29th April so this thread is timely.

Actually, it would've been a nice gesture to have added the version of All The Young Dudes from that night to GH3 - it was release on Ronson's posthumous Heaven And Hull album. Certainly would've expanded the Queen legacy nicely and avoided the unnecessary duplication of tracks on the Platinum collection (AOBTD immediately springs to mind....

Aye, god bless Mick, an immensely talented and classically trained musician.

I think I remember reading somewhere that Eric Clapton had been a rumor.....(great musician obviously, but somehow I just cant imagine him doing any Queen song...lol)

A shame it wasn't a year later - might've had some of the talent from the fast forming Britpop lot. Suede doing Fairy Feller would've been good.

About Lisa Stansfield, I believe she does has a "Queen"connection.

If I am not mistaken : she was a singing waiteres and Freddie was at her working place and impressed by her voice. He took care she got a record deal.

In the linear notes of 5live she states : Thanks to Freddie otherwise I still would have been a waiteres.