Would Freddie have been fit enough to tour in 1989 ?

Serry... wrote:

I'm not sure about 'Headlong' filming dates (some of footages are dates to April 1991) - single was released in USA at the same time with UK's release of Innuendo, and I guess that two promo videos had to be showed at the same time...

This is it, Headlong was the first single for North America and Innuendo the one for UK. Actually Innuendo was never released as a single in the US like Slightly Mad...

crowley wrote:

Here are the exact dates of every video from "Innuendo" album:

"Innuendo"
December 1990

"I`m Going Slightly Mad"
15-02-1991

"Headlong"
23-11-1990 (Freddie in yellow blouse)
April 1991 (Freddie in blue shirt)

"These Are The Days Of Our Lives"
30-05-1991 (footgae of Brian was filmed later)

"Show Must Go On"
it was a compilation - 1991

Headlong was the first single from Innuendo released in January, 1991 here in America whilst it was released as single #3 in the UK. The title cut was first UK single and second US rock radio single in March here in the US.

If you didn't understand this before, here is what I mean.

John Deacon gave an interview in 1985. He told some rumours that he heard about Queen recently, and the press were calling him asking him if Freddie has AIDS.

http://www.queenfans.com/articles/johnbored.shtml
http://www.queenmad.20m.com/John%20Interviews.htm

Bored? Depressed? Lonely?

Cheer Up, So is John Deacon of Queen and he’s a millionaire.

"Bored and depressed" by Queen’s recent inactivity, John Deacon faces flak from the HiT over Live Aid ad South Africa and talks about the brand new Queen single "One Vision". Well you know us anything to cheer him up…….

The HiT has it on best authority that Stevie Wonder actually knows most of the Stevie Wonder jokes. Even laughs at some of them.

Likewise John Deacon, bass player with Queen. He’s heard most of the Queen rumours – including the latest, and scuzziest, from Fleet Street… that Freddie Mercury has AIDS.

"Well I heard someone asked – I think it was The Sun or something – because AIDS so much in the press at the moment." John explains. " So they ring up and want to know is it true? And if you say no, then it becomes ‘So and So denies etc, etc’ – I mean they can twist it anyway they want…."

The AIDS rumour is the latest in a long line of scandals and stories that have dogged Queen – and particularly the controversial Freddie – since the band’s formation in 1973. In the last three years the gossip has become steadily more frequent, increasingly more vicious coinciding with Fleet Street’s pop-gossip circulation war and Queen’s rise from pomp-rock stars who have hits to a state of near pop perfection…

It’s ironic then with Queen riding on the crest of a triumphant Live Aid appearance – and gossip plumbing new depths – that John Deacon, the quietest and most anonymous member of the group has pushed himself forward to speak…

" I mainly did it because Pete Brown (a PR currently working for Deacon) asked me to do it. I mean we’ve ended up with a lot of time on our hands now 'cos we don’t work as hard as we used to so now I need something to fill up my time"

The phrase has a hollow ring coming from a member of one of the world’s richest (the richest?) rock groups.

Crushed

He’s here ostensibly to talk about a new studio that he’s opened in London with partner Henry Crallen – formally a member of Queen’s road crew. And about a new single he’s working on with Hot Chocolate singer Errol Brown called ‘This is your time’ but he has little to say about either.

He seems crushed down by the inactivity during Freddie’s album, then Roger’s – "I can’t make a solo album because I can’t sing"

"We’re not so much a group anymore," he explains. "We’re four individuals that work together as Queen but our working together as Queen is now actually taking up les and less of our time. I mean I basically went spare, really, because we were doing so little. I got really bored and I actually got quite depressed because we had so much time on our hands."

That slow drag for Deacon started around three years ago after the groups disappointing ‘Hot Space’ album.

"We were disappointed with it too I think, so we really did talk about how we were going to attack the next album. With ‘The Works’ we decide to go more towards the things people associate with Queen."

Live Aid

The result was an album so successful that it raised Queen into a yet higher bracket of superstardom. A glorious run of hit singles – Radio Ga Ga, I Want To Break Free, Hammer To Fall, It’s A Hard Life – accompanied by deliciously camp videos, left Queen with more time than ever to slow up and bask in the glory.

The brilliantly theatrical and exuberant appearance at Live Aid raised their status higher but it also gave them the impetus to record a brand new single ‘One Vision’. Since ‘Queen Greatest Hits’ climbed back up the charts as a resu

""Headlong"
23-11-1990 (Freddie in yellow blouse)
April 1991 (Freddie in blue shirt)"

I'm assuming you heard that on this site. It's wrong. He didn't do the blue shirt thing in April 1991.
The Innuendo EPK is dated 1990, and it has that footage on it.

As for his fitness to tour in 1989? No. I think maybe he might have been able to do a one-off show, at his absolute best health - but no tour. It is a shame - and when you see the Miracle videos you think 'he coulda done it!'. But it is all a clever ruse, as any video shoot can go on for days and days... in Brian's words, Freddie was 'already very ill'.

Bummer that.

Someone mentioned his last performance, in April 1988? I've heard one good quality mp3 out of that, and two bad ones (one of the bad ones was lip synched).
Why did no one film it??? What a historic occasion!
It's a pity it's got Cliff Richard singing over him, Freddie sounded pretty good.

I cant honestly believe people even think like this, the disproportionate ageing of Freddie from 1986 to the brit awards in 1990, is clear enough proof that he was on borrowed time. Queen used to knock albums out in a few months, but their final two albums were pretty much recorded back to back Jan 1988 - Nov 1990 (& those few tracks post Innuendo)& if you add the Barcelona project into that from 1987-88, he crammed more into those final 4 years that can be expected. Maybe Queen could have took the success of 86 magic tour into 1987, maybe gone to Japan, back to Europe or even to the States in those early months say March thru to May 1987... but rest assured Freddie probably would have collaped on stage & later die in hospital, I personally prefer the way he did it. He bowed out at the vey top at Knebworth & continuted to work until he couldnt anymore

First of all I dont see John suspecting that Freddie has HIV or AIDS in that interview you posted. That's how misinformation get started because you make a false statement and then back it up by posting proof that dispute your statement or doesnt mention what you said at all and if someone doesnt take the time to read the link you posted, they would go around spreading your false comment...a pet peeve of mine, dear.










A Queen special would've been nice, like a heavily edited "Christmas with Queen" special with fan club members in the audience in decemeber 90 would've been a nice way to promote the reissue of their catalogue from Hollywood records. A few classic songs mixed in with a few songs from Innuendo and the Miracle. But obviously that sounds like it would've been impossible based on what you peeps are saying about his health from even 89... Maybe a rough show, maybe 2 or 3 songs...too tacky, the beatles did it...

Was Freddie singing about a personal expeience during the jam session that spawned Khashoggi's ship, the "who said that my party was all over, uh huh I'm in pretty good shape, the best years of my life was like a supernova, perpetual craze" I ask because the song kinda takes a turn, kinda like the latter verses of "Was it all worth it"

Sorry, but I'm not meaning John Deacon said he is HIV, I mean the press.

The press already said Freddie might be HIV positive right after HIV, and John Deacon was discussing it in an interview.

The reason I posted the interview thingy is because someone said the rumors began after Wembly, when it started in '85

Ah.

As for Kashoggi's Ship, don't be surprised if their is anything autobiographical in any of the songs.

There is no lost tape of Freddie crying at the camera in an interview talking about AIDS, but the songs are full of what the band think about it.

Freddie probably wouldn't have been able to tour by then though he does look well on Breakthru and seems in high spirits during the making of on GVH2. However, you see a marked contrast on Scandal, where he looks very gaunt. It seems that his health must have gone down hill very quickly because he looks fine at the Barecelona concert in October '88 (in fact, if anything he looks a little overweight). I think I recall an interview with Q magazine shortly afterwards where he said that he was looking forward to doing live work again with Queen (they were recording The miracle at the time), so it was either Freddie pretending or a serious decline from early '89 onwards that stopped any live activity. The Q article is called Opera Ahoy; has anyone read it?

I believe he was not fit to tour for a simple reason: I think that if he had been fit enough he would have toured.

firstly, I have a question. Is there any footage or pics of Mercury's last performsance in October 88??


Now to my point on Mercury being able to perform in 1989, Asterik is spot on.

Mercury's health had significantly declined throughout the year of 1989, as stated before Mercury's appearances in each of the video shoots for 'The Miracle' album showed him to becoming increasingly frail and gaunt.

It appears from late 1988 to mid 1989, it is where the horrible AIDS disease started to really hit Mercury and eat him alive. I dont mean by any means to be smart when I say that, but the evidence is clearly there by looking at press photos and the videos, no matter how much effort the make up crew tried to cover his appearances.

Ive seen pics of the band for the "I want it All" video, and despite the new look beard, Mercury does look well, Breakthru he looks ok, lost a bit of weight though, have a look at the making of videos in the GH2 DVD, Mercury keeps having to pull up his pants, and he is looking more like a matchstick!and the marks and blemishes on his face do protrude.

By 'Scandal' and "The Miracle" clips, we know something isn't quite right with Mercury, the clothes are beginning to really hang from him. So I really don't think a tour would of been possible for him, and besides with the lesions on his body, Mercury would be mindful that given he would get hot and sweaty during a concert, if he were to remove any clothing i.e shirt/ tops, we would be exposed to the more physical implacations of his condition.

Yes, I think a one off tv performance would of been nice, however Mercury most likely would not want to run the risk of his illness being exposed or even impacting on him. Even his last ever live performance in October 88 was mimed, as he had health issues around his voice. A result of the progession of AIDS?? Most Likely.

I think more likely a tour or series of shows in 1987/88 would of been more realistic.

firstly, I have a question. Is there any footage or pics of Mercury's last performsance in October 88??

Abe- you can see the '88 concert on the Freddie Mercury solo DVD which features The great pretender, living On my Own etc. as well. They "perform" 3 songs, Baecelona, How Can I Go on and The Golden Boy. Freddie looks pretty well here. He is wearing heavy make-up and looks slightly flabby in the face but the difference between him there and on the later Miracle videos is extraordinary. Put a moustache on him on the concert and he wouldn't look significantly different to how he did on the Who Wants To Live Forever video. Something must have gone wrong very quickly...

"Something must have gone wrong very quickly..."

Yeah well, AIDS can do that.

There are two foties of his last non-mimed performance at this very site. It's April '88, he looks a bit fat in the face. I can't remember where they are... just look through the Freddie section you'll see 'em. :D

Asterik, thankyou for that, a good mate of mine has that collection, I will check it out.

Some scenes were filmed clip Headlong in November and December 1990.
Freddie was wearing a yellow sweater, March / April 1991 it is all