Listening to Mr Bad Guy it sounds like Freddie didn't take his solo career that seriously.
I wonder if Freddie ever had any plans to be a major solo artist.
Biggest Band On The Planet
Thread
Posts in chronological order
musicland munich
It was about money ;)
Geffen for example wants to sign Freddie for his label, but he denied. He don`t want to leave the band.
Geffen for example wants to sign Freddie for his label, but he denied. He don`t want to leave the band.
k-m
That's very laconic. Can you elaborate? Did Geffen want to sign him for a few albums, for example?
I think he did want to establish himself as a major solo artist (at least in 1985; "Barcelona" was just about pursuing an ambition). "Mr Bad Gay" aimed at a contemporary, radio friendly sound, it contained a few potential hits, but the whole project just didn't take off. A bit earlier, he also seemed a bit bitter about the MJ collaboration. Just like Mack said one day - he didn't anticipate what a big task it would be to do everything on his own, without the other three, not to mention people like MJ who had five producers and ten songwriters per album and fifty songs to choose from.
So, I think it was on his mind a bit, but at the same time he was quite down to earth and just waited how things would work out. I don't think he'd ever want to burn any bridges with Queen, he wasn't daft ;-)
[QUOTE] [b]musicland munich wrote:[/b]
It was about money ;)
Geffen for example wants to sign Freddie for his label, but he denied. He don`t want to leave the band.[/QUOTE]
I think he did want to establish himself as a major solo artist (at least in 1985; "Barcelona" was just about pursuing an ambition). "Mr Bad Gay" aimed at a contemporary, radio friendly sound, it contained a few potential hits, but the whole project just didn't take off. A bit earlier, he also seemed a bit bitter about the MJ collaboration. Just like Mack said one day - he didn't anticipate what a big task it would be to do everything on his own, without the other three, not to mention people like MJ who had five producers and ten songwriters per album and fifty songs to choose from.
So, I think it was on his mind a bit, but at the same time he was quite down to earth and just waited how things would work out. I don't think he'd ever want to burn any bridges with Queen, he wasn't daft ;-)
[QUOTE] [b]musicland munich wrote:[/b]
It was about money ;)
Geffen for example wants to sign Freddie for his label, but he denied. He don`t want to leave the band.[/QUOTE]
cmsdrums
If Mr Bad Guy had taken off then it's possible he would have left the band at that point.
master marathon runner
......don't Think so.
Chief Mouse
[QUOTE] [b]k-m wrote:[/b]
not to mention people like MJ who had five producers and ten songwriters per album and fifty songs to choose from.
[/QUOTE]
That's a bit far fetched. Thriller had some guest writers but even then the duo responsible for its massive success were MJ and Quincy Jones. Same thing for Bad, except that MJ wrote 8/10 songs.
not to mention people like MJ who had five producers and ten songwriters per album and fifty songs to choose from.
[/QUOTE]
That's a bit far fetched. Thriller had some guest writers but even then the duo responsible for its massive success were MJ and Quincy Jones. Same thing for Bad, except that MJ wrote 8/10 songs.
Sebastian
Technically, 'Thriller' had six writers (that's 600% the amount of writers 'Mr Bad Guy' had), took the team eight solid months of work (as opposed to doing it in between band commitments), featured Michael bringing his A-game (as opposed to songs that didn't make it to the band's worst album) and Michael was in one of his best moments, as opposed to Fred who was in one of his lowest points.
This is merely a hypothesis, but had Fred's solo album taken place a decade earlier, it could've been wonderful, with more pieces like 'Love of My Life', 'My Melancholy Blues', 'You Take My Breath Away' and 'Jealousy', emphasis on piano and harmonies, maybe some big-name guests (Elton John, Phil Collins, Chris Squire, instead of Stefan Wissnet, Curt Cress and a bunch of machines) and a more Freddie-at-his-best creative approach. Maybe an orchestra conducted by Paul Buckmaster or even George Martin, rather than Rainer Pietsch.
We'll never know...
This is merely a hypothesis, but had Fred's solo album taken place a decade earlier, it could've been wonderful, with more pieces like 'Love of My Life', 'My Melancholy Blues', 'You Take My Breath Away' and 'Jealousy', emphasis on piano and harmonies, maybe some big-name guests (Elton John, Phil Collins, Chris Squire, instead of Stefan Wissnet, Curt Cress and a bunch of machines) and a more Freddie-at-his-best creative approach. Maybe an orchestra conducted by Paul Buckmaster or even George Martin, rather than Rainer Pietsch.
We'll never know...
Chief Mouse
^ agree.
Benn Kempster
At best, Freddie hoped that it would lay down a gauntlet to the rest of the band in order to challenge them.
Realistically, Paul Prenter believed that Freddie would generate massive amounts of money as a solo artist and when that global success happened, Freddie would take him on as his manager and Prenter would profit financially and sexually.
Realistically, Paul Prenter believed that Freddie would generate massive amounts of money as a solo artist and when that global success happened, Freddie would take him on as his manager and Prenter would profit financially and sexually.
musicland munich
[QUOTE] [b]k-m wrote:[/b]
That's very laconic. Can you elaborate? Did Geffen want to sign him for a few albums, for example?
[QUOTE] [b]musicland munich wrote:[/b]
It was about money ;)
Geffen for example wants to sign Freddie for his label, but he denied. He don`t want to leave the band.[/QUOTE]
[/QUOTE]
The story is from one of the "books"...can`t remember wich one...Peter Hince,Peter Freestone etc.
Maybe someone else is willing to contribute the whole thing.I just can remember the basic frame - not much more. Sorry.
That's very laconic. Can you elaborate? Did Geffen want to sign him for a few albums, for example?
[QUOTE] [b]musicland munich wrote:[/b]
It was about money ;)
Geffen for example wants to sign Freddie for his label, but he denied. He don`t want to leave the band.[/QUOTE]
[/QUOTE]
The story is from one of the "books"...can`t remember wich one...Peter Hince,Peter Freestone etc.
Maybe someone else is willing to contribute the whole thing.I just can remember the basic frame - not much more. Sorry.
mooghead
Had Freddie's album gone stratospheric I think Queen would have become an afterthought for him.
Sebastian
[QUOTE] [b]mooghead wrote:[/b]
Had Freddie's album gone stratospheric I think Queen would have become an afterthought for him.[/QUOTE]
Which is precisely what happened to the Jacksons after MJ made it big. It's already remarkable that he still recorded two albums with them, one after 'Off the Wall' and one after 'Thriller.' He certainly was quite a hard-working man.
Had Freddie's album gone stratospheric I think Queen would have become an afterthought for him.[/QUOTE]
Which is precisely what happened to the Jacksons after MJ made it big. It's already remarkable that he still recorded two albums with them, one after 'Off the Wall' and one after 'Thriller.' He certainly was quite a hard-working man.
mooghead
Family loyalty though..... after Thriller even the rest of the Jacksons wouldn't have been able to complain that MJ went it alone...
Sebastian
It was rather clear throughout the tour that both the audience and MJ himself were far more interested in his own solo material.
Gregsynth
I felt really bad for Michael during the Victory Tour (if that's the tour being referenced). From the stories I've read - he was the only one who had his head on his shoulders!