Behind the scenes in studio, how did Queen record songs? myths and truths

How did Queen record their songs in studio? How was a song produced from beginning to end? Did it come from an idea a member brought then a jam would result or was it more structured or more laid out in mind to then for arguments sake Bohem Rhap, where Freddie organised what goes where (was this a one of or were most songs made this way by the respected member?) and ULTIMATELY...
When the end product was made how was it then put on to album as in, was the song played by the members in its entirety (instrument wise) then for the respected lead vocalist to sing the parts or was the whole final process like a live rehearsing, everyone plays and sings and that's what we get? I could imagine that the vocal overdubs were laid down after the entire song was produced?
What are some myths and truths regarding behind the scenes Queen in studio????

This is a pretty deep rabbit hole. There are tidbits we've learned from interviews, articles, and the bits of audio and video that have popped up that have helped provide a few answers.

Generally they wrote separately, and the song was presented to the band. They'd refine the parts as a group, and regardless of who composed what, the writer of the lyrics was credited with the song (through 1986, of course). And with the exception of News Of The World, they usually would have rehearsed extensively and known their parts cold before tracking in the studio.

But sometimes there were jams, as heard on the Get Down Make Love outtake released on the box set last year. Here the song is just a basic idea, and they're just getting into the vibe of it while the tape is rolling.

Their vocal harmonies often required long and tedious sessions. Mary Austin once remarked that seeing the band live was far more preferable, as an entire day in the studio would yield 30 seconds of music.

And yes - most bands tend to do instrumental backing tracks first, and the lead vocal is the last thing done. An earlier take will often have a guide vocal, just so the band will know where they are in the song, but the words often aren't finished. For the final tracks in 1991, Mercury laid down three takes of every line, as he knew he wouldn't survive to see the song through to its final stages - but that's an anomaly.

Some songs went through many revisions. Keep Yourself Alive on the debut album is actually the third studio version of the song. There are actually six, if we include the two BBC versions.

I could go on forever, so I'll leave it there for now !

Brilliant source of knowledge mate.. You and Seb Thanks. I definitely find the whole 'studio/behind the scenes Queens world' so intriguing especially with the whole 'the writer all but composed the whole song...' nd wondering what input did the others have and are there infact, some uncredited input from the others pre 86. Insight into this world seems so mysterious in a sense, as not much has been released or spoken by the four about the process of making a song apart from a handful of songs such as the infamous Bo Rap

So... When it came to the final product was the song then played in its entirety with record switched on, for arguments sake. March of the Black Queen, When it was ready for the album did all four get into the recording room and play the whole song in one go and that's what we hear on QII? are there any songs that we actually listen to 'a take' or are they almost all just instruments then vocals laid down separately

Over the many years being on this forum, as much as Queen are an amazing band live and what we also got in studio, they were never really a band people might or would like to think and believe. A band like Led Zep or pink Floyd, where there is this creative juice that flows and the whole band comes together and helps produce, create and jam out songs in a sense, both in studio and live. But that's what gives Queen that edge, they are/were a very precise and very well measured band that did give consistency both in their studio albums which then flowed through to their on stage performance ( Which you Bob, I think you mentioned was Led Zeps downfall if you like, that too long a jam on stage kinda lost the song especially during the mid 70s with Led Zep) although it would be awesome to see how far a creative force in Queen would have gone, on stage and those jam sessions on stage in the late 70s during Brighton rock, also where the combined creative force that, 'well'... led to the 30 odd songs that could have been during the Miracle sessions....

[QUOTE] [b]fras444 wrote:[/b]

I definitely find the whole 'studio/behind the scenes Queens world' so intriguing especially with the whole 'the writer all but composed the whole song...' nd wondering what input did the others have and are there infact, some uncredited input from the others pre 86.[/QUOTE]

Take "You And I" for example. It clearly has the musical fingerprints of all four members, but it's still credited to Deacon. It's just the way they chose to take care of business, as it was pretty unusual to have a band where everyone was a strong writer.

[QUOTE] [b]fras444 wrote:[/b]

Insight into this world seems so mysterious in a sense, as not much has been released or spoken by the four about the process of making a song apart from a handful of songs such as the infamous Bo Rap[/QUOTE]

A lot of the old bands were like that. Mystique has a currency value as much as knowledge. Some would argue it's even greater.

Today they're opening up more now that it's all in the past, but in the moment their methods were their secret to their success. There's a good reason why most answers in interviews are evasive or incomplete.

Most Queen interviews are terribly boring and tedious to listen to or read. But now and again you get a tidbit, and you learn something new. But without a doubt, their strategy to reveal little was a very conscious one. The final product is all they want people to hear. Their process is their own, and what happens in the band stays in the band.

"Mary Austin once remarked that seeing the band live was far more preferable, as an entire day in the studio would yield 30 seconds of music."

I don't think it was Mary. I remember this exact quote from the DOOL documentary, and it was some other woman who said it.

It was Rosemary Horide I think

Yeesss, you're both right ! Good catch.

Ultimately the writer of the song had the last word as to what he wanted, so with Bohemian Rhapsody Freddie had the last say.
We all know Queen bickered and fought in the studios and as Freddie once said "were the bitchiest band in the universe darling" !

I'll add a TRUTH...


WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS was conceived as a NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH, to the non believers in (Fred mostly, but also) the band.


It is SELF EVIDENT...


NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH....

WE ARE THE CHAM-PIONS

(5 syllable pattern of disdain)

prob wrote the melody afterward.

who is Rosemary Horide?

[QUOTE] [b]Apocalipsis_Darko wrote:[/b]

who is Rosemary Horide? [/QUOTE]

She reviewed the band a few times in the early days.

http://queenlive.ca/queen/73-11-02.htm
http://queenlive.ca/queen/74-03-31.htm

And she was overly kind because she really liked them.

Rosemary Horide? Is she from the gutter press then?

Thanks Bob.
Next week I will send you a mail.