bo rhap - brian's view

I need to remind you guys that even after 'Sheer Heart Attack' came out Queen was nearly bankrupt, not because they weren't selling well enough but because their managers at Trident were screwing them up, and stealing money from them.

That's when EMI came along, worked a deal with Trident, and then John Reid took over as a manager after Elton John recommended his services to Freddie.

Brian admits that it was an important moment, but not THE important moment. Certainly the release of a band's first single/album is important and for Queen WatC/WWRY were important as well. Not to mention that AOBtD was their biggest selling song.

I've never heard him downplay someone's ability to promote himself. The HS/Thriller issue is a band thing. It's a bit weird, but it wasn't directed at himself.

He is a very modest person, that has been mentioned, and just because he recognizes his own tallent every now and again doesn't mean he is "letting his facade down". He is entitled to be proud of his work.

At the time, as someone mentioned earlier, it wasn't unusual at all for Freddie to present the band with something like BohRhap. Listen to the "...and I'm going to call it Bohemian Rhapsody" quote from GVHI. He's not downplaying the song, but pointing out the usualness of it.

Either way, context of quotes is very important.

This is so very wrong... I had enough examples in my own life of people being slanderd for nothing or quickjudging. Grow up! Informations rarely survive few hours without being deformed or ill-treated in some way for some reason. Leave the man alone. Nobody can say for sure what's in his head, so stop explainig it to others like you own it! Surely you have some better things to do.

I didn't saw that interview, but in other one I clearly remeber that same BRIAN specifically saying how Bohemian Rhapsody had nothing to do with rest of the band, it was solely Freddie's baby and he gave him full credit for it. Damn! He even mentioned that heavy guitar riff was written by Freddie not him.

i'm not sure if it was metioned but brian did mention that freddie wrote the heavy part in bo rap, that's the guitar part. brian said it was all freddies, so i'm not sure if that means anything.

mike hunt wrote:

i'm not sure if it was metioned but brian did mention that freddie wrote the heavy part in bo rap, that's the guitar part. brian said it was all freddies, so i'm not sure if that means anything.

What are you trying to say?

Mr.Jingles79 wrote:

So just because Brian mentions that he wrote the guitar parts on Boh Rap does it mean that he's a cocky and arrogant?

C'mon people! Freddie and Roy Thomas Baker have also mentioned that Brian indeed wrote those guitar parts. Is it a problem if Brian just mentions it again?

Bohemian Rhapsody was perhaps Queen's finest moment, but arguably there were other great moments as well (which were as big, or perhaps even bigger) and I think that what Brian meant is that 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is not seen by Queen as their finest moment as "one hit-wonders" enjoy their moment of popularity with one single song.

Agreed. In the words of Mark Twain:

"It ain't braggin' if you done it"


And honestly, I listened to an interview w/ Brian, where the reporter was a real jerk, trying to make Brian admit credit for alot of things. One specific one was: "But you did lots of the stuff on Bohemian Rhapsody right?". And Brian was like," No actually, that was the other three more so than me"

He may have a big head (w/ good reason, look what he's accomplished!), but he's REASONABLE and FAIR and frankly I trust him to know the band's accomplishments better than any one of us.

I think some of you are also downplaying the fact that BoRap indeed was their defining moment - even if WWRY, WATC, AOBTD or Radio Ga Ga are probably as famous. It was their first number one single in the UK, it was the only Queen song to soar to number one twice in the UK charts (16 years apart!!), it turned them into superstars, partly because of BoRap the album "A Night At The Opera" is seen as one of the best rock albums of all time.
Not WWRY gets voted usually as the best song of all time but BoRap. Its also seen as the first true music video (very important fact!). Its considered the best rock/pop song by many critics (even by those he hate Queen) and usually as the defining queen song. When Freddie died there was no question which song would be released to honour him! I also guess its still their best selling single in the UK.

It was not their only important moment. But it is the moment everything that queen did later on is measured up against. So Brian did downplay this fact really if his answer is true. Hell, its the only Queen song a whole documentary is devoted to!!! Brian can say what he wants, but Freddie will always be the greatest songwriter of them!!!

Well, I saw on the VH1 dvd that he says he did come up with little counter melodies etc, but the heavy bit at the end was all Freddie's.

In the UNCUT interview, what is the thing Brian replies to immediatly after he said Bo Rhap wasn't that big a deal to Queen?
He said "Quite honestly, I don't think there are any better songs. I certainly can't think of any. Even the Stones... I don't think they did anything to match Bo Rap".
Sounds to me as though he thinks it's quite good really.

Well, well, well... Good work LB! I knew we'd have to read the article for ourselves.

Peace,
Adam.

Seems to me that his comment about there being many turning points was simply trying to make a point that there exists a danger of placing too much significance on one song, especially by rock media. The view is just too simplistic. There are MANY great Queen songs (turning point or not), and Brian is just trying to point out how narrow a view the journalist's question is.

If left to their own devices, the ignorant might form a very misinformed point of view that BoRhap was Queen's only great song. "Best Song of the Last 25 Years" hardly leaves room for any others. Indeed, if one believes polls or charts or countdowns one might actually get the impression that everything after BoRhap was recycle, resting on laurels, and hence dismissable.

But the person who started this thread has a very tabloid point of view, of which only Rupert Murdoch and Aaron Spelling could be proud. You're missing the point if you're going 'round looking for reasons to accuse other band members of this kind of thing. "Oh yes, Brian didn't write Queen's BEST SONG, so he must have sour grapes, oh yes, quite definitely."

You're fabricating this out of nothing and I pity you.

Brian Stated that the heavy riff all of it, is freddies. The whole vocal orchestration and chords are freddies idea and music. Of course brian sang on it he always sings backing harmonies. but the only thing that was his as far as music is the solo and the guitar tacets. He added the diffrent tone colors but the music is freddies. And news does get twisted. And bo rhap isnt that big of a deal its a good song but their are plenty of queen songs just as good and better...the prophets song, somebody to love, long away, white queen, father to son, was it all worth it and many many more.

so leave bri alone hes just as good as freddie if not better.

GonnaUseMyPrisoners wrote:

If left to their own devices, the ignorant might form a very misinformed point of view that BoRhap was Queen's only great song.
But the person who started this thread has a very tabloid point of view, of which only Rupert Murdoch and Aaron Spelling could be proud.

You're fabricating this out of nothing and I pity you.

don't accuse me of having a tabloid or narrow view - it was a direct quote from BHM
why don't you read what i actually said...and the later quotes i added from the interview

Bo_Rhap was THE KEY moment on queen history for the reason i suggested - queen were flat broke, the management were paying them £50 a week - ffs even labourers were getting more back then!!! and the gamble on refusing to edit bo-rhap down to "single size" could have backfired and if it had the THEY WOULD'VE been bankrupt - as many others on here agreed!!! - that's why it was a pivotal moment and Brian's comment that there were many pivotal moments belittle's the significance of not only the song - but
1. it's affect on music lovers - not many songs are evoke either love or hate - you can't ignore this song!
2. queen's future success....the commerciality of it gave them the grounding to take further risks
3. it took them from averagely successful to a major band status

so please don't dismiss my comments with your "tabloid" sweeping statement point - if you are going to assess (such as yours was) my comments - at least have the decency to read all my posts in this thread and the interview in UNCUT mag

I happen to agree with GUMP (Ha! funny initials).

AND, who are any of us to designate importance to BohRhap. There are only 3 people alive today who can answer that question.
According to Roger when they recieved the award for the song (it's on GVH1) he suggested that Freddie himself yould have said: "Oh it's nothing dears. There's pleanty more where that came from."
It's all a matter of perspective.