Mika I really feel you and me are alike as I wish I could contact any and everyone who knew Freddie to get to the bottom of his life and relationships . Actually that is what lead me to this site. Freddie had an annoying habit of starting a sentence and then starting another mid way through ...arrrrr he did this a lot in his 1986/1987 david wigg interviews
have you met Phoebe and what is it like in the Czech Republic?
Doughnut
Actually it wasn't Freddie who didn't finish his sentence, the whole recording is just cut in the middle of his sentence. I don't have a clue why and where is the rest! ??
This thread actually inspired me to listen to his interviews with David in 85/86/87 and man he was really special. Can't get enough of his voice and opinions.
Back to books before I start to be too sentimental :)
I agree with you, it is very important to get as many sources as possible, but real sources I mean people who really knew him. Every memory is a small treasure and makes the whole picture of a human being. And actually I'm really glad that they also speak about his weaknesses because this makes him real.
Yesterday I went through Ask Phoebe blog and found some interesting insight into Freddies refusal to believe that some of "friends" weren't real friends. And on the other side he simply stopped talking to people when he felt betrayed by them without giving them a chance to explain the situation. This creates a picture of his whole personality and helps to understand how he really was.
What do you think about Peter Hince's book? It is quite a unique piece. I laughed so hard when reading it that I had to stop to read it in public because people thought I'm crazy.
I have never met Phoebe and our country is quite boring actually, but still a great place to live. But I still don't get why Phoebe choose this place on Earth to live in :)
Off topic
In his '86 interview David ask him how does the crowd affect him and Freddie answers he looks at the bank balance and both of them laugh.
My English is not good enough I simply didn't get it. What does it mean? Money darling? :)
Nevertolate - good idea of the book thread.
I have read most of the books mentioned - but my problem is they are all digital - which was economical, but it's hard to go back to reference things. It would be much easier to flip through pages to find what I am looking for.
I am still reading the Minns/Evans book.
I did buy the Somebody To Love bio in paperback. After reading about the inaccuracies, I don't know what's true or not.
I really liked Mercury and Me. I've read a lot of reviews from people who thought it was a "kiss and tell" book, but I just don't see it that way. I suppose when it was published relatively close after Freddie's death- many were angered. I just wonder how much of this stemmed around the fact that some didn't want to accept Freddie as being gay.
Also, after I read the part in the book when they exchanged wedding bands, I always look for the ring on Freddie's finger in his interviews!!
Hi All,
Finally got started on the David Evans/David Minns book today.
My favorite so far has been Jim Hutton's book and I didn't think it was too intrusive into their lives. He told it how it was from his perspective and I respect that. I didn't have a preconceived notion of Freddie's life, so there was no particular image I needed to have validated. I want and accept the truth, regardless of what it is.
I don't take anything written about Freddie personally, as I am not him nor did I know him. Those that did know him may have different opinions on what he was like simply due to the nature of their individual relationships with him. Freddie was a complicated man; he wasn't all sweetness and light, he wasn't all just one or 2 things.
To anyone who has been looking for the book Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender, A Life in Pictures, it is back in stock on the official Queen website
https://www.queenonlinestore.com/*/*/Freddie-Mercury-The-Great-Pretender-A-Life-In-Pictures/63TL0000000
Also, this is the link to order Peter Freestone's cookbook
http://www.freddiemercurysroyalrecipes.com/
The list of books I've read:
1. Both of Phoebe's books
2. Jim Hutton's book
3. Ratty's book
4. Somebody To Love (do not read this book)
5. The Virtuoso in The Closet 1&2 (fiction story about Freddie's early life. It is very good and the author really did her research)
6. Queen in Cornwell (about one of Queen's first tours after Freddie joined Brian and Roger and changed the name from Smile. The tour was partially arranged by Roger Taylor's mum)
7.Queen: The Early Years (tells how each member first began in music up and came together. Continues through about 1975 )
8. Life on Two Legs (this is written by Norman Sheffield, the manager the band had at the beginning for whom Freddie wrote the song Death on Two Legs)
9. This Was The Real Life (David Evans&Minns book)
*Though not a book, I also recommend Peter Freestone's blog Ask Phoebe. There is a lot of information there. One of the things I found there is he disputes the long running rumor the Freddie had 4 extra teeth. He says that, nope, Freddie only had the standard 32.
Freddienotfreddy
This is actually very interesting I have read it too in his blog and I was quite confused. He is the only one who says that the 4 extra teeth story isn't true. Who knows. The matter of fact is, third molars when not extracted are often too much to fit in the mouth. I would rather believe 4 extra teeth were simply wisdom teeth and they probably grew at a very young age, which is unusual.
mike I have attached a link to the transcribed interviews. Maybe the cut out part is here.
http://www.ultimatequeen.co.uk/freddie-mercury/miscellaneous/david-wigg-interviews.htm
Also when Freddie says 'i look at my bank balance' he means he looks at how much money he has got. He was being flippant in saying I look at the crowd and see how much money I am making from being in queen.
I read somewhere, maybe his blog, that he moved to the C Republic to get away from all things Freddie. It seems he was still struggling with his loss at that time but as we now know he has fully embraced that Freddie will always be part of his life. Bless him .
I also read Death on Two Legs. I found it interesting to read that situation from Norman's point of view.
I am starting 'The Virtusoso in the closest - part 1' today.
I have been thinking about buying 'The Great Pretender'. I have found it on amazon uk for £14
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Freddie-Mercury-Great-Pretender-OHagan/dp/1787392589/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+great+pretender+book&qid=1555231340&s=gateway&sr=8-1
emdee you can't beat having a book of pages to flick though .
I too like Peter Hince's book. He certainly got himself into some situations lol. I can understand why he decided to stop as it seems such hard work although there were lots of positives from being a roadie with Queen. I like the part where Freddie asks him what gift he would like LOL. Was it a record player or something lol.
Again the end was interesting from Freddie's character point of view. I think Phoebe has said that Freddie did not like confrontation or suchlike so I feel that is why he didn't approach Peter about his plans to leave . This is also evident as he got someone else to tell David Minns their relationship was over and Mary/Joe to tell Jim to move out.
sorry meant mika :) not mike
Hi
I have a lot of catching up to do after a hectic start to the weekend.
I think I love Phoebe's books best of all then Jim's then More of the Real Life.
I agree David Minn's seemed heart broken at the break-up, and Freddie did behave pretty badly toward him. I certainly wouldn't have stood for it. Freddie was a very, very complex creature. Highly strung, and I think deeply affected by that "upheaval of an upbringing" He certainly had separation issues, and speaking from the POV of someone who was a complicated child with difficulty making social connections to other humans, I too have a tendency to push people into a space I'm comfortable with. I tend to reject people before they can reject me. I think Freddie, in those days especially, pushed people to the limit to see how far they'd be pushed. Not nice, not kind, but a sign of insecurity, I think.
Somebody to Love was an interesting read to learn about the evolution of HIV, but as someone who has made a study of Fredie, many statements within it (many almost copied and pasted from Ms. Jones's book!) We're glaringly erroneous.
The authors also made some alwparmjng conclusions with little or no historic or scientific evidence. Such as Gaetan Sugar being Patient O (and that's the letter "O" not 0 as in zero! That is what the initial title that was given to the first known patient who contracted and was a vector for the virus was called. Somebody just thought zero sounded more dramatic!) and making assumptions about precisely when Freddie contracted HIV (around the SNL performance when they assumed Freddie was hoarse due to a flu-like illness, supposedly an indicator that he had been exposed to the virus in the previous weeks when we know the hoarseness was due to a screaming match with Bill Reid!)
Then to say he likely caught the virus from John Murphy who he never had sex with, who in turn caught the virus from Gaetan Dugas. Pure fiction! We cannot know when Freddie was unfortunate to contract the HIV virus, as incubation period is not exact.
Nor can we tell who passed the virus to him. Let's be honest , our boy had a very promiscuous period to his life, as did most rock stars, especially then, and anyway, you could have sex with only one person in your whole life, but if that one person was infected, then there's your method of contracting it. Nobody should assume or judge.
Has anyone read Rick Sky's book The Show Must Go On ? It's not the best book I've read, and has a rather too dramatic tasteless start, but there are some interesting anecdotes in there including from Tony Pike.
Gotta go look at starting to make the dinner now, folks!
Hope you all have a good day.
Bye for now
Hi
doughnut
thanks a lot for the link, I know about this site and this particular interview isn´t included - it isn´t included in the solo collection box as well. I don´t know why.
I mean this part:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0OX9zNJMMQ
at the end he explains, when it comes to love, everybody is equal, doens´t matter if you are a rock star or a butcher. But he has to prove it, speaks he has to try so hard to show he is normal, he has to overcompensate his rock star status. I think he quite made a point. And then he continues and the video is cut. Damn! :)
You made a good point with Peter´s deciding to leave and Freddie´s reluctance to speak about it. I mean he was such a coward :D A can imagine living in this time, he would be exactly this type of person who writes an SMS to end a relationship :)
I like Peter´s book because he wasn´t an ultimate fan and also not a very close friend. So his perspective is quite interesting and so to say "healthy".
The person I would like to read more is Crystal, Roger´s roadie. He made some good points in David Minn´s book and there are several stories on the internet and I laughed for hours reading them. he and Roger together, it was apparently a dangerous combination :)
Real books are much better than ebooks for me too. I like to write notes and go back and read some parts again which is much easier with a real book in hand. Sadly there are not many available, or the price is too high. But once there will be a reprint, I will definitely buy them.
Have you read all the books in English? (if English is not your native language). I have read also some Czech translations and it was a disaster.
Freddie darling
I think you hit the nail on its head with separation issue. This itself would be hard enough but you have a to add an "I can do what I want" rock- star attitude and let's say little exaggerated sexual appetite and voilà - try to handle this!
Poor boy.
Mika I am English and a stereo typical english person who can only read English lol.
which books are you looking for ?
I have read Crystal's posts, very amusing. He and Roger used to get up to all sorts lol. He should def write a book. I think he was quite close with Freddie.
I read some comments from Tony Pike in Laura Jackson's book . He was very complimentary about Jim as was the man who worked with Montserrat (can't remember his name) .
Read Munich 1984 part 1 as that is the interview you are looking for.
I am going to continue reading Somebody to Love - just half way through when I realized the errors thanks to everyone on this forum. I find myself reading the endnotes so I can at least have an idea of credible sources.
It looks like I am going to need to read Ratty's book- I like the fact it's from someone not quite within the tight inner circle.
I also started the The Virtuoso- I am enjoying that. Those that have read that series- is her book a more accurate account of Freddie's life than Leslie Jones biography?
When looking on the ask Phoebe blog- does anyone have a particular favorite they would suggest? I just pick a number- probably not the way to read it :)
Also- thanks to everyone sharing their knowledge of Freddie- I am learning so much!!
