Has anyone ever noticed that for about the first 15 years of Queen, Freddie and Brian did about 90% of the song writing.
Generally Freddie & Brian would have the big hits, plus the lesser known songs on the older albums....John would contribute a song, and Roger as well.
In the 80's, John and Roger scored number one hits.
John had "Another on bites the dust, and Roger had Radio Ga Ga.
While John didn't write many songs, his songs were many times hits.
Roger's 1970's songs are usually considered album filler.... but when the 1980's came, Roger's writing either got better, or he pushed harder for his songs to be used.
Consider these following songs are all Roger's.
(Even if it is credited to the whole band)
1. Under Pressure
2. Radio Ga Ga
3. A kind of Magic
4. One Vision (Roger's initial idea, lyrics said to be Roger and Freddie togther)
5. The Invisible Man
6. Breakthru
7. Innuendo
8. These are the days of our lives
9. Ride the Wild Wind
10. Heaven for Everyone
While these ten hits of Rogers certainly don't make up all of the hits...as Freddie & Brian still had a fair share of the biggies....and John had several hits..
They prove that Roger is very much a force of Queen, which all of us here already knew.
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Keep in mind he also wrote three albums worth of solo material, in addition to his Queen contributions. I think he'd finally established himself as a prominent voice and songwriter, and his songwriting really improved over time.
Somrbody had to compensate for Freddie's slide toward mediocrity, and Roger rose to the challenge.
Was not You Don't Fool Me co-writen with Freddie? If so, replace RtWW with YDFM and that top ten list is all top twenty hits.
If QP has run out of ideas maybe these ten songs can be released as a compilation called Roger Rocks. I mean who wants a boring old box set anyway?
Was not You Don't Fool Me co-writen with Freddie? If so, replace RtWW with YDFM and that top ten list is all top twenty hits.
If QP has run out of ideas maybe these ten songs can be released as a compilation called Roger Rocks. I mean who wants a boring old box set anyway?
4. One Vision (Roger's initial idea, lyrics said to be Roger and Freddie togther)
No, that can't be right. If anything, One Vision's initial concept was Brian's. He was fuckin' around on guitar, then Roger chimed in with drums, and it went from there. Roger and Freddie probably did the lyrics, but for initial idea, that goes to Brian.
Has anyone ever noticed that for about the first 15 years of Queen, Freddie and Brian did about 90% of the song writing.
Generally Freddie & Brian would have the big hits, plus the lesser known songs on the older albums....John would contribute a song, and Roger as well.
In the 80's, John and Roger scored number one hits.
John had "Another on bites the dust, and Roger had Radio Ga Ga.
While John didn't write many songs, his songs were many times hits.
Roger's 1970's songs are usually considered album filler.... but when the 1980's came, Roger's writing either got better, or he pushed harder for his songs to be used.
Consider these following songs are all Roger's.
(Even if it is credited to the whole band)
1. Under Pressure
2. Radio Ga Ga
3. A kind of Magic
4. One Vision (Roger's initial idea, lyrics said to be Roger and Freddie togther)
5. The Invisible Man
6. Breakthru
7. Innuendo
8. These are the days of our lives
9. Ride the Wild Wind
10. Heaven for Everyone
While these ten hits of Rogers certainly don't make up all of the hits...as Freddie & Brian still had a fair share of the biggies....and John had several hits..
They prove that Roger is very much a force of Queen, which all of us here already knew.
Innuendo was mainly written and arranged by Freddie... as many others on this site will tell you.
What makes you so sure that Roger wrote Under Pressure? It was a jam session and from what I have heard, it was mainly done by Freddie and David Bowie!
So Under Pressure and Innuendo are not Rogers songs.
4. One Vision (Roger's initial idea, lyrics said to be Roger and Freddie togther)
No, that can't be right. If anything, One Vision's initial concept was Brian's. He was fuckin' around on guitar, then Roger chimed in with drums, and it went from there. Roger and Freddie probably did the lyrics, but for initial idea, that goes to Brian.
Did Roger say the original idea was his? A song about Martain Luther King? And then Freddie changed the words around?
Roger has said that the original idea for One vision came from him and if you watch the video on magic years you'll notice he writes the majority of the lyrics.
He's a prolific writer. He has worked on all the queen albums and got a number one with these are he days of ours lives and a close second with gaga and a kind of magic.
He's also written 4 solo albums and co written 3 with his his band the cross. Roger is very very underrated in my opinion.
He's a prolific writer. He has worked on all the queen albums and got a number one with these are he days of ours lives and a close second with gaga and a kind of magic.
He's also written 4 solo albums and co written 3 with his his band the cross. Roger is very very underrated in my opinion.
kind of off-topic but does neone else think that The Invisible Man sounds like the Ghostbusters theme?
kind of off-topic but does neone else think that The Invisible Man sounds like the Ghostbusters theme?
It Does a bit.
I just love Roger. Ok, boyfriends coming cant let him see me type this.
True...
Several points I want to mention.
1) One Vision, without a doubt originally came from Roger. Roger had the idea of how the beat would go, and about 2/3 of the lyrics complete.
Freddie changed all the lyrics around.
While Roger was saying "One man, One goal, One true religion"..... Freddie was playing the beginning riff....(you know which Brian plays on piano) ....the riff that starts at D5 then C#/D5 ....on the piano.
The next scene we see is Roger telling an interviewer that he had the lyrics done, but they changed them.....the interview says "who did"....Roger says that damn "Freddie".
2) It should be noted that FREDDIE usually was the organizer in making all of John and most of Roger's songs come to life.....many times Freddie would change the music and lyrics.....but since the original idea came from John or Roger....the liner nots writing credit would go to them.
I have JOHN either in printed word, or on footage saying that Freddie took over the following songs of his.....Another One Bites The Dust, Spread Your Wings, and I want to Break Free.
When John introduced the bass riff of Another One bites.....Brian wasn't impressed, and Roger hated it.....it was Freddie that reorganized the song in such a way to where the other got interested....and Freddie has said "John had the original idea and bass....I just finished it for him".
Of Roger's songs...... A Kind Of Magic & Radio Ga Ga are two songs that I have Roger, in an interview saying....."Those started off as mine, then that bloody Freddie took over, especially on "Magic", which I could hardly recognize when I can back from vacation."
Innuendo was another one, which really was a collaboration.....Brian knew he wanted that middle guitar section (Spanish sounding) in some track on the album......Roger had the title.....Freddie wrote most of the lyrics w/ideas from Roger, and John had nothing to do with that track (according to Brian).
Several points I want to mention.
1) One Vision, without a doubt originally came from Roger. Roger had the idea of how the beat would go, and about 2/3 of the lyrics complete.
Freddie changed all the lyrics around.
While Roger was saying "One man, One goal, One true religion"..... Freddie was playing the beginning riff....(you know which Brian plays on piano) ....the riff that starts at D5 then C#/D5 ....on the piano.
The next scene we see is Roger telling an interviewer that he had the lyrics done, but they changed them.....the interview says "who did"....Roger says that damn "Freddie".
2) It should be noted that FREDDIE usually was the organizer in making all of John and most of Roger's songs come to life.....many times Freddie would change the music and lyrics.....but since the original idea came from John or Roger....the liner nots writing credit would go to them.
I have JOHN either in printed word, or on footage saying that Freddie took over the following songs of his.....Another One Bites The Dust, Spread Your Wings, and I want to Break Free.
When John introduced the bass riff of Another One bites.....Brian wasn't impressed, and Roger hated it.....it was Freddie that reorganized the song in such a way to where the other got interested....and Freddie has said "John had the original idea and bass....I just finished it for him".
Of Roger's songs...... A Kind Of Magic & Radio Ga Ga are two songs that I have Roger, in an interview saying....."Those started off as mine, then that bloody Freddie took over, especially on "Magic", which I could hardly recognize when I can back from vacation."
Innuendo was another one, which really was a collaboration.....Brian knew he wanted that middle guitar section (Spanish sounding) in some track on the album......Roger had the title.....Freddie wrote most of the lyrics w/ideas from Roger, and John had nothing to do with that track (according to Brian).
As far as "Under Pressure" goes, I have an old "Hit Parader" where they are interviewing Bowie.
The interviewer asks "How did that song with Queen come about?"
I am paraphrasing now....and this is not an exact quote...but it went something like this:
Bowie said that Queen were in the same studio as he, he stepped in, the said they were taking a break...we talked for an hour or so..... John and Brian were outside talking to someone.....the drummer, Roger Taylor just starting playing a beat....Freddie and I were sitting there talking, and I asked Fred what song he was playing....Freddie said, "thats just some rubbish we've been toying around with."
Bowie went onto say that Roger wrote down a few lines....lines which were later used.
Bowie said "Freddie and I just toyed around with some words"
Brian and John came back in the room, and the magic just happened.
So "Under Pressure" was a true collaboration.
No doubt Freddie probably had something to do with the lyrics....
John probably came up with the bassline.
On that song, we will never know.
The interviewer asks "How did that song with Queen come about?"
I am paraphrasing now....and this is not an exact quote...but it went something like this:
Bowie said that Queen were in the same studio as he, he stepped in, the said they were taking a break...we talked for an hour or so..... John and Brian were outside talking to someone.....the drummer, Roger Taylor just starting playing a beat....Freddie and I were sitting there talking, and I asked Fred what song he was playing....Freddie said, "thats just some rubbish we've been toying around with."
Bowie went onto say that Roger wrote down a few lines....lines which were later used.
Bowie said "Freddie and I just toyed around with some words"
Brian and John came back in the room, and the magic just happened.
So "Under Pressure" was a true collaboration.
No doubt Freddie probably had something to do with the lyrics....
John probably came up with the bassline.
On that song, we will never know.
kind of off-topic but does neone else think that The Invisible Man sounds like the Ghostbusters theme?
You mean "I Want a New Drug" by Huey Lewis and the News, right? ;)
for what it's worth, Bowie was asked directly on his website last year, during his "Reality Tour" (which I saw 5 shows of- DB dedicated 'Under Pressure' to "Freddie, wherever he is" in PA- and he explained that the parts he sang were his, and the parts Freddie sang, were his, with Queen handling the majority of the music, and he handling the beggining arrangement, with the fingersnaps, etc. He explained it alot better than I did, but he was very adamant that only he and Freddie did the lyrics.
Innuendo is Freddie`s (lyrics started off by him and completed by Roger).
Under Pressure is Freddie`s on music, Fred & Bowie on lyrics and melody, everybody in the arrangements, but mostly Fred, Bowie & Brian. Roger participated way more in the production and mixing than in the songwritting. John himself said the bass-line is Bowie`s.
You Don`t Fool Me`s music is Roger`s, lyrics are Freddie`s.
Under Pressure is Freddie`s on music, Fred & Bowie on lyrics and melody, everybody in the arrangements, but mostly Fred, Bowie & Brian. Roger participated way more in the production and mixing than in the songwritting. John himself said the bass-line is Bowie`s.
You Don`t Fool Me`s music is Roger`s, lyrics are Freddie`s.