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ACTION THIS DAY TimeLine - Some facts about Queen (partly taken from books, websites (like the QueenPictureHall) and Q Classic 2005 issue) NOTE: WORK IN PROGRESS ! |
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1946 |
Freddie Mercury is born in Zanzibar on 5th September as Farookh Bulsara parents Jer and Bomi Bulsara, sister Kashmira |
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1947 |
Brian Harold May is born in Hampton UK on 19th July parents Harold and Ruth May |
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1949 |
Roger Meddows Taylor is born on 26th July in King's Lynn UK. parents Michael and Winnifred Taylor, sister Clare |
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1951 |
John Richard Deacon is born on 19th August in Oadby, Leicestershire UK. parents Arthur and Lillian Deacon, sister Julie |
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1957 |
Roger Taylor forms a band called Bubblingover Boys. Roger played ukelele. |
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1958 |
Farookh Bulsara, now called Freddie, plays piano in his Bombay schoolband The Hectics. Brian May and schoolmate Dave Dilloway started playing acoustic guitar together. |
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1963 |
16-year old Brian May builds his own electric guitar - The Red Special - with the help of his father, carved from a second-hand piece of oak, the neck made of mahogany from a fireplace. Roger Taylor and some friends form a group called The Cousin Jacks with Roger at first on rhythm guitar but later on on percussion. |
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1964 |
The Bulsara's leave Zanzibar and move to Feltham UK. Together with Bill Richards, Brian May and Dave Dilloway recorded tracks for The Left Handed Marriage in Abbey Road Studios. Later this year Brian May, Dave Dilloway and Tim Staffell form the group 1984 and played their first gig at St. Mary's Church Hall, Twickenham. |
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1965 |
The Opposition, featuring John Deacon on rhythm guitar play their first gig at a friend's party in Leicestershire. Later this band would call themselves The New Opposition and finally Art. Roger Taylor joins the band Johnny Quale and the Reaction. Later this year Johnny left, Roger became singer of the now called band The Reaction. |
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1966 |
Freddie starts at Ealing College Of Art where he will meet Tim Staffell. In Truro, Cornwall, local band The Reaction with Roger Taylor enters the Rock & Roll Championship. |
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1967 |
Brian and his band 1984 recorded some demos at Thames TV Studio - one of them was Step On Me. 1984 played at Imperial College on the same bill as Jimi Hendrix. That night they met Hendrix in a very short way when he asked them "Which way is the stage, man?" Later this year 1984 played on the Christmas On Earth event. Again one of the headlining acts was Jimi Hendrix. |
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1968 |
Brian and Tim wanted to form another band and advertised for a Ginger Baker/Mitch Mitchell type drummer. Roger Taylor reacted and they met at his Shepherd's Bush apartment. The band was called Smile. They played their first real gig as Pink Floyd's support band at Imperial College. Brian receives his BSc Maths and Physics from the Queen Mother at London's Royal Albert Hall. |
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1969 |
Smile played several gigs in Truro and also at Imperial College in London. They soon were known as The Imperial College Band. They played there also as support band for Yes. On February 28th (Mercury Paradise webmaster's 10th birthday!) Smile played at the Royal Albert Hall on the same bill as Free with lead singer Paul Rodgers. Freddie played in a band called Ibex at Octagon Theatre. One night Freddie phoned all members one by one and made them believe each other member had agreed to rename the group Wreckage. The next day they all found out Freddie had played them and Freddie had all the artwork for Wreckage ready. Early this same year Tim Staffell introduced Freddie to his group Smile. In May of this year Smile was signed to Mercury Records. In August Smile's single Earth/Step On Me was released. More tracks were recorded (such as April Lady) |
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1970 |
Freddie's latest band Sour Milk Sea plays at Highfield Parish in Oxford. Tim Staffell left Smile and in April Freddie Bulsara finally convinced Brian and Roger to give it one more go with himself as lead singer. Together with bassplayer Mike Grose (The Reaction) the band Queen was born. Freddie Bulsara changes his name to Freddie Mercury. John Deacon went to see a gig of this band called Queen. |
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1971 |
After three unsuitable bassists Queen meets John Deacon and invite him to join them. They play their first gig together at Surrey College in Surrey, UK. |
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1973 |
Queen records their first live session for BBC Radio at Langham Studio 1 in London. EMI launches Queen with a gig at The Marquee in London, Where Jac Holzman from Elektra Records sees them perform. Larry Lurex releases a cover of the Beach Boys' I Can Hear Music in the UK. Larry Lurex of course is Freddie Mercury, Brian on guitar and Roger on drums. Queen releases their debut single Keep Yourself Alive. Their debut album QUEEN is released. To make clear that Queen had been together for three years now, trying to get a record deal, recording and playing live, the album credits say: "Representing at last something of what Queen music has been over the last three years". The sound of Brian's guitar is exceptional. The sound of Queen is exceptional. To make this clear to everyone they also state on the album cover: "...and nobody played synthesizer". A promo for Keep Yourself Alive is filmed at Shepperton Studios in August. Most of the rest of this month they spend recording their second album at Trident Studios. Queen are recorded live at London's Golders Green Hippodrome for Radio 1 In Concert, broadcasted on October 20th. Elektra Records releases Keep Yourself Alive in the US. Queen starts a UK tour at Leeds Town Hall, supporting Mott The Hoople. |
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1974 |
Queen's second US single is Liar. Queen makes their first appearance on BBC's Top Of The Pops, performing Seven Seas Of Rhye. The single peaks at no. 10 in the UK. Queen starts their first major UK tour at Blackpool's Winter Gardens. QUEEN II is released in the UK and the US. The album's cover says: "And nobody played synthesizer... again". Queen begin their 19-date US tour supporting Mott The Hoople. Due to their huge success they decide never to be a support band again. After the last 6 nights at New York's Uris Theatre, Brian collapses with Hepatitis and the band have to cancel all remaining dates. While Queen rehears new material at Rockfield Studios in Wales, Seven Seas Of Rhye is released in the US. At Trident Studios Queen starts recording their third album SHEER HEART ATTACK but work is delayed when Brian falls ill with a duodenal ulcer. Brian continues his work in the hospital where he writes the lyrics to Now I'm Here in bed. In October Killer Queen is released in the UK and the US. Queen starts touring the UK again and their debut album QUEEN and their single Killer Queen is rewarded silver discs in the UK. In November SHEER HEART ATTACK is released. (their second album release in one year.) Queen is hot and tickets for the first dates at London's Rainbow Theatre sell out in two days, requiring the addition of a second night. Two weeks after the release of SHEER HEART ATTACK this album is awarded with a silver disc in the UK. Queen starts touring Europe with their first gig in Gothenburg, Sweden. Killer Queen reaches the no. 2 spot in the UK. |
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1975 |
In January the fourth Queen single is released: Now I'm Here. Queen play their first US headlining tour. After a gig in Washington Freddie is diagnosed with a swollen throat and Queen is forced to cancel the next 6 shows. In April, in a hotelroom in Seattle, Freddie is disturbed by a thief. He persues her to the lobby to get her arrested. Queen fly to Tokyo, Japan, to start their first Japanese tour and is greeted at the airport by 3000 fans. In May Freddie is rewarded by an Ivor Novello for Killer Queen. In August the recording of A NIGHT AT THE OPERA starts with Roy Thomas Baker as producer. Six studios are used over several months. This made A NIGHT AT THE OPERA the most expensive album of all times - uptil then. Bohemian Rhapsody is recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales. Queen parted company with Trident mostly due to the fact that album sales were huge and the Queen members only earned 20 Pounds a week each. Queen were signed to Elton John's manager John Reid. On October 31 Bohemian Rhapsody is released. While rehearsing at Elstree Studios, Queen film the video for Bohemian Rhapsody and this video is shown on Top Of The Pops for the first time on 20th November. Later this video will be acknowledged being the first ever video-clip. The single hits the number 1 spot in the UK on November 29 where it will remain for a staggering 9 weeks. On December 2 their fourth album A NIGHT AT THE OPERA is released. On Christmas Eve Queen plays at London's Hammersmith Odeon. Most of this show is televised live by the Old Grey Whistle Test and simultaneously on Radio 1. Before the year is over, three weeks after it's release A NIGHT AT THE OPERA hits the number 1 spot in the UK album chart. The album remains in that chart for almost a whole year. |
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1976 |
On January 1st A NIGHT AT THE OPERA and Bohemian Rhapsody are awarded platinum discs in the UK. On the 27th of that month a three-month tour starts, covering the US, Japan and Australia. Their debut album QUEEN re-enters the album chart, three years after it's release. In april the live concert film Queen At The Rainbow plays in the UK cinemas. In May the single You're My Best Friend is released. In May Bohemian Rhapsody wins the Best-Selling British Record award at the Ivor Novello Awards. Taiwan sees the release of the first (pirate) Queen compilation album on vinyl, called THE BEST OF QUEEN, containing tracks from QUEEN II, SHEER HEART ATTACK and A NIGHT AT THE OPERA. An estimated 150.000 fans attend Queen's free open air "picnic at the serpentine" concert in London's Hyde Park. Somebody To Love is released on November 12 and the album A DAY AT THE RACES is released on December 10. When this album is released in the US on December 27, it is the first album to be priced $7.98, one dollar higher than previous albums. Two days later on December 29 A DAY AT THE RACES is certified gold in the US. |
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1977 |
On January 13 Queen starts a US tour with Thin Lizzy as regular support band. Queen play Madison Square Guardens in New York for the first time, to 19.600 fans. Brian's parents are there too. In March Tie Your Mother Down is released. Japan sees the release of Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together). Finally Queen's debut album QUEEN goes gold in the US. In May Stockholm, Sweden, is the start of a European tour which ends with two nights at Earl's Court in London. In June Long Away is released in the US, while the UK gets Queen's First EP. Roger Taylor is the first Queen member to release a solo single. He covers a track from The Parliaments called I Wanna Testify (which differs a lot from the original version). On October 7 the double A-sided single We Are The Champions/We Will Rock You is released. On the 18th of that month both Queen and Procol Harum are jointly presented with the Britannia Award for the Best British Pop Single of the Last 25 years. Queen with Bohemian Rhapsody and Procol Harum with A Whiter Shade Of Pale. Ten days later NEWS OF THE WORLD is released. In November Queen tour the US again, supported by Cheap Trick, Queen play to 15.000 fans in the Boston Gardens. Later this month Queen parts with John Reid and opt to manage themselves. On December 22 Queen's US tour ends at the Los Angeles Forum where they play an accoustic version of White Christmas. |
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1978 |
Spread Your Wings is released in February. Again Sweden sees the start of a European tour in Stockholm. On April 25 We Are The Champions is awarded a platinum disc in the US. Queen play three nights at Wembley's Empire Pool before flying to Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland, to start recording a new album. Freddie Mercury got inspired when he saw Tour De France cyclists passing by and wrote Bicycle Race. Sixty-Five young women assembled in Wembley Stadium, London, to participate in a naked bicycle race as a publicity stunt for the new double A-sided single Bicycle Race/Fat Bottomed Girls. (The owner of the bicycles complains that he had to throw away all bicycle saddles afterwards...) On October 28 another Queen US tour starts. At the end of the month after a gig Queen throws a party for 400 guests featuring naked female mud wrestlers, strippers, drag artists, groupies, unicyclists, dwarves, Zulu dancers, wrestlers, fire-eaters and (almost unnoticed...) jazz musicians. Queen's new album JAZZ is released. Queen perform at Madison Square Gardens again, this time joined on stage by a group of near-naked girls with bicycles. Back home the Lawn Tennis Association refuses permission for Queen to stage a gig at Wimbledon Tennis Club in London. Within two weeks after release, JAZZ is certified platinum in the US. |
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1979 |
Queen's European tour starts on January 17 in Hamburg, Germany. Don't Stop Me Now is released, the video is shot on stage during off-time hours. On April 13th Queen starts touring Japan. In June the group starts recording the new album THE GAME at Musicland Studios in Munich, Germany co-produced by Mack Rheinholt. In this month LIVE KILLERS, a live double album, is released. This album goes gold in the US within one month. In August Queen headlines a festival in Saarbrücken, Germany, playing to 30.000 people. Roger Taylor's hair is bright green after a bleeching accident. Roger also headlines the news in September when during a holiday in France his Ferrari catches fire and has to be written off and later his speedboat engine dies off St. Tropez and he has to be rescued. October 5 sees the release of Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Freddie gets a standing ovation when he dances to orchestral versions of Bohemian Rhapsody and Crazy Little Thing Called Love a the Royal Ballet in London. On November 22 Queen plays their first ever Irish date, in Dublin, followed by 19 concerts in England and Scotland. On December 13 the Crazy Tour of London starts. Over 10 nights Queen will play 6 one night stands. On December Queen performs at another venue (not played before, this month) in Londen, they play at the first of four charity Concerts For The People Of Kampuchea at Hammersmith Odeon. |
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1980 |
In January the single Save Me is released in the UK, while a month later Queen gets their first US number 1 single with Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Their first studio album in two years, THE GAME, is released on June 30th and on July 1st Queen starts a three month North American tour in Canada. In August the US sees the release of Another One Bites The Dust. It was Michael Jackson who adviced Queen to release this track as a single. It became their second number 1 single in the US and it goes platinum. In September THE GAME peaks at number 1 in the US album charts for 5 weeks and goes platinum. The US tour ends with three nights at Madison Square Gardens in New York. In November Queen starts their European tour in Zürich, Switzerland. The next day the single Flash is released. On the first of three nights at Wembley Arena in December, Queen releases their first soundtrack album FLASH GORDON. By 31th December 1980 Queen have sold 45 million albums and 25 millions singles worldwide. In this year Poland release a THE BEST OF QUEEN compilation album. |
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1981 |
In January Another One Bites The Dust is chosen as favorite single in the Pop/Rock category at the American Music Awards in Hollywood. The next month Queen begin five nights at the Budokan, Tokyo, Japan. On March 20 Queen sets a new World-Record by playing to 131.000 paying customers attending a live gig on the first night at Morumbi Stadium in Sao Paulo in Brazil. In April Roger Taylor releases his debut solo album FUN IN SPACE and the singles Future Management, Let's Get Crazy and My Country. Queen release their first GREATEST HITS album (platinum in a short time) together with a compilation video GREATEST FLIX and a book GREATEST PIX. In May Queen starts recording a new album in Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland and they decide to buy the studio. Engineer David Richards knew David Bowie was in Montreux as well and he invites him to come and meet Queen in the studio. On September 5th Freddie Mercury celebrates his birthday by flying his closests friends to New York on Concorde for a five-day party in his suite at the Berkshire hotel. Eastern Germany release a compilation album called QUEEN. Queen starts their second Latin American tour on September 25th in Caracas, Venezuela. During that tour Tour Promoter José Rota is arrested in Puebla, Mexico, and $25.000 had to be paid to have him bailed out before the gigs could resume. The next day Under Pressure is released, a joint single by Queen and David Bowie. Three weeks after it's release Under Pressure tops the UK singles chart, making Queen the FIRST BAND EVER to top the single, album and video chart simultaneously. In December the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra plays an evening of compositions by Queen, with profits from the concert going to Leukaemia research. The year ends with GREATEST HITS certified platinum in the US. |
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1982 |
Queen sign a new 6-album contract with EMI and start a two-month European tour in Gothenburg, Sweden. When a new single, Body Language, is released in the US, due to complaints about the two naked bodies on the cover, Elektra withdraws the single and re-issues it in a plain white sleeve. the new album HOT SPACE is released and SHEER HEART ATTACK goes platinum in the UK. On July 12th HOT SPACE goes gold in the US and a little later Queen starts their two-month North American tour in Montreal, Canada. July 23rd is declared Queen's Day in Boston, Massachusetts and the band are given the keys to the city. Queen's gig at the Great Western Forum, Inglewoon, Los Angeles, will prove to be their last ever on American soil. In October Queen starts another tour in Japan. Roger Taylor leads a team on the UK TV-show Popquiz on December 6. Japan releases the promotional album DISCO HITS, containing 5 tracks from HOT SPACE and the song Another One Bites The Dust. Japan releases 6 Smile a vinyl album called GETTIN' SMILE. It has 6 original songs: Doin' Alright, Blag, April Lady, Polar Bear, Earth, Step On Me. |
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1983 |
1983 is designated a sabbatical year for Queen, with all band members taking a break from any group activities. Inspired by his son Jimmy, Brian plays a theme for a Japanese SciFi series called Starfleet. Brian takes this to a higher level and starts a two day recording in Los Angeles together with a group of friends such as Eddie van Halen and Alan Gratzer. On May 5 the Queen film We Will Rock You has its European premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. That month Roger Taylor attends the Monaco Grand Prix and is arrested for being drunk. In September Queen comes together again and starts recording their next album THE WORKS in Los Angeles. They leave Elektra and sign a US recording deal with Capitol. Brian May releases a solo album, STARFLEET PROJECT, under the name of Brian May & Friends. On November 23 an expensive (110.000 BP) video is shot, featuring 500 extras for the forthcoming single Radio Ga Ga. The 500 extras were dressed in white overalls and were directed to do simultaneous handclapping with their arms in the air. This would become the song's trademark and was tp be copied unasked by every Queenfan whenever this song was played live in the years to come. |
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1984 |
On January 23 Radio Ga Ga was released. This Roger Taylor song peaked at number 2 in the UK, making Queen the ONLY group in which all four members have individually composed a Top 10 hit. The next month the album THE WORKS was released. In April the single I Want To Break Free is released. The video proved to be outrageous! The Queen members were dressed in drag, inspired by characters of Britain's longest running soap series Coronation Street. On June 28 Queen were presented with the coveted Silver Clef award at the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Centre in London. In July the single It's A Hard Life is released. Another outrageous video, featuring Freddie Mercury's German friend Barbara Valentin. A video-ep is released, called THE WORKS-EP. In the US a compilation album is released, called QUEEN COLLECTION - 15 OF THE BEST. Roger releases his second solo album called STRANGE FRONTIER and three singles from it, called Man On Fire, Beautiful Dreams and Strange Frontier. In August Queen begins a 23-date European tour in Brussels, Belgium. The live concert video WE WILL ROCK YOU is released. Freddie Mercury releases his first solo-single in September, called Love Kills. It was co-written with Giorgio Moroder for the soundtrack to a re-issued and colourised version of Fritz Lang's classic sci-fi movie Metropolis. During the tour Freddie takes a tumble on the stage steps in Hannover, Germany, tearing ligaments in his knee. In October Queen plays 7 shows at Sun City, Bophuthatswana, South Africa. Despite the fact that I Want To Break Free is adopted as an anthem by the African National Congress, the group find themselves on the United Nations' blacklist of artists who appear to be supporting Apartheid. In November Queen release the non-album single Thank God It's Christmas. |
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1985 |
When Queen play at The Rock In Rio festival, claimed to be the biggest event ever staged, local clergy protest that their show will corrupt the youth of Brazil. The concert is filmed and released as ROCK IN RIO. The Netherlands release 2 different (unique) double-lp compilation albums called GOLDEN COLLECTION VOLUME 1. The first contains the US pressings of A DAY AT THE RACES/JAZZ and the second NEWS OF THE WORLD/JAZZ. In April Freddie releases another solo single, I Was Born To Love You. In a Dutch pop programm he says his forthcoming album will be called MADE IN HEAVEN. Roger Taylor produces the single Love Don't Live Here Anymore by Jimmy Nail. Finally Freddie Mercury releases his first solo album MR. BAD GUY. For some reason he did not call it MADE IN HEAVEN as he had fortold in the previous interview. (Looking back one could think he saved this title for something else) This title only remains on the album as a songtitle. Singles released from that album are I Was Born To Love You, Made In Heaven, Living On My Own and Love Me Like There's No Tomorrow. In The Netherlands GOLDEN COLLECTION VOLUME 2 is released, a unique release of the US pressings of THE GAME and HOT SPACE. Also in The Netherlands a unique 4LP box is released called HIT BOX, containing the albums NEWS OF THE WORLD, JAZZ, THE GAME and HOT SPACE. The albums are in their original inner sleeves to separate them. In May of this year Queen's GREATEST HITS album is certified triple platinum in the UK. On July 13 Queen play at Live Aid. This global event had a stage in the UK and one in the US. All artists that day agreed afterwards that Queen had stolen the show - they were definitely the best act of the day. Queen realised that they still were alive and kicking. It gave them new energy for new work in the studio. The single One Vision is released, credited to all four members and allegedly inspired by Martin Luther King's "I have a dream"-speech. Later in time this track will be used on the soundtrack of the film Iron Eagle. Some countries like Japan, Brazil and Australia release two edited versions of LIVE KILLERS on lp, called LIVE and LIVE IN CONCERT. In December a limited edition 12-album box set containing every Queen album to date is released in the UK as THE COMPLETE WORKS. It also contains a bonus album with unreleased tracks, called COMPLETE VISION. Brazil releases a compilation album called THANK GOD IT'S CHRISTMAS. |
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1986 |
Queen spend most of January writing and recording the soundtrack for the film Highlander. In March the single A Kind Of Magic is released. On April 25 the first ever Queen Fan Club Convention, a three day event, begins at Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. Freddie releases a single called Time, the title theme from the musical Time which had recently opened in London, starring Cliff Richard. Queen release the album A KIND OF MAGIC. When Russel Mulcahy (director of Highlander) asked Queen to do one song for the movie, Queen looked at the footage of the film and decided to write 5 songs for it. Queen did not want to write another real soundtrack album but recorded a genuine Queen album and 6 tracks were used in the movie. Another first for Queen when they release a video (the world's first ever video-single) of Who Wants To Live Forever. On June 7 The Magic Tour begins in Stockholm, Sweden. The tour will be seen by over one million fans and gross over £11 million. On July 11-12 Queen play London's Wembley Stadium and two weeks later the gig at the Népstadium in Budapest, Hungary, attracts 40.000 fans. The gig is filmed as LIVE IN BUDAPEST. Not knowing it at the time, Queen play their final live gig together on August 9 headlining the Knebworth Festival. The single Anyone Can Fall In Love, by actress/singer Anita Dobson and produced by her boyfriend Brian May, enters the UK singles chart. Queen release a new single Who Wants To Live Forever. A film of the 12 July Wembley gig, called REAL MAGIC,made by Tyne Tees Television is transmitted in the UK as the first-ever Channel 4 and BBC Radio simulcast. Their second live album LIVE MAGIC is released on December 1 and will be certified platinum in 6 weeks. This year John Deacon co-writes with Robert Ahwai on a track called No Turning Back. Lenny Zakatek on vocals. The song is used in the film BIGGLES. |
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1987 |
Freddie's solo single The Great Pretender (originally from The Platters) is released in March along with an expensive video in which Freddie did a remake of several shots from earlier Queen video's. The female backing vocalists in that video are in fact Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor and Peter Straker dressed in drag. On April 15 Queen scoop the Outstanding Contribution To British Music Award at the Ivor Novello Awards. One month later GREATEST HITS is 6 times platinum. In Germany the lp ZABOU is released, a soundtrack album from the movie Zabou. On this album there's the duet Hold On from Freddie Mercury with Jo Dare. On May 30 Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé give the world premiere of their duet Barcelona in the KuClub, Ibiza. When this single is released in Spain, over 10.000 copies are sold in the first three hours. The video of it is of an absolute beauty. In November the triple video compilation THE MAGIC YEARS is released. Also the video LIVE IN BUDAPEST is released. A second video-single sees the light of day: Bohemian Rhapsody/Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Roger Taylor forms a new group with himself as lead singer, called The Cross. They release a single called Cowboys And Indians. He declares that he misses touring with Queen but Queen will always be his main band that will come prior to any other activity. |
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1988 |
The first album from The Cross is released, called SHOVE IT, and three singles were released this year: Shove It, Heaven For Everyone and Manipulator (non-album track). The Freddie Mercury/Montserrat Caballé album BARCELONA is released and so is another single from that album, called The Golden Boy. Freddie makes a guest appearance on April 14 in the stage musical Time at the Dominion Theatre, London. (This theatre would become a very special place in future for Queen's music.) In June Brian May and John Deacon appear as part of a supergroup with Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, Mark Knopfler, Elton John and Joe Cocker for a Prince's Trust Gala Concert at London's Royal Albert Hall. Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballé headline a show at a stadium in Barcelona, to launch the city's bid to host the 1992 Olympic Games. This would become Freddie's last musical performance in public. |
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1989 |
The UK sees the release of another single from BARCELONA, called How Can I Go On.The single I Want It All is released in May 2. The next day THE MIRACLE, Queen's first studio album for three years is released and enters the charts at number 1. In June Queen release the single Breakthru. Two months later another single: The Invisible Man. In October they release Scandal and on November 27 a fifth and final single from THE MIRACLE is released, also called The Miracle. In the video of this track Queen is represented by 4 young boys, reflecting images from the past. There's also a video-ep called THE MIRACLE EP. In December the album QUEEN AT THE BEEB is released, containing live BBC Radio sessions. The video RARE LIVE is released, containing live performances of different tours (subtitled A Concert Through Time And Space). Brian May and Roger Taylor collaborate on the single Smoke On The Water, by Rock Aid Armenia, to raise funds for earthquake victims. The all-star line-up also includes the singer Paul Rodgers. In Germany a 16CD box is released, called MANIA, containing all Queen studio and live albums. Capitol in the US releases a promo compilation album called CLASSIC QUEEN. |
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1990 |
February 18 sees Queen collecting another Outstanding Contribution To British Music trophy at the Brit Awards in London. In November rapper Vanilla Ice tops the US singles chart with Ice Ice Baby, which features samples from Under Pressure by Queen and David Bowie. Having ended their contract with Capitol in the USA, Queen signs a $10 million-plus deal with the Disney owned Hollywood Records. Roger and his band The Cross release a second album called MAD, BAD AND DANGEROUS TO KNOW, and in different countries 5 singles were taken from it: Power To Love, Liar, Final Destination, Closer To You and Top Of The World Ma. From their forthcoming third album The Cross release a single called New Dark Ages. Queen release another live concert on video: QUEEN AT WEMBLEY. |
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1991 |
On January 26, the day before the USA starts their Desert Storm attack on Iraq, Queen release the single Innuendo which enter the UK singles chart at number 1. The album INNUENDO is released on February 4 and enters the UK albums chart at number 1. In May they release the single Headlong. On October 14 the single The Show Must Go On is released. Brian May performs at Seville's Guitar Legends concert. On November 9 GREATEST HITS II enters the UK chart at number 1. Again a video goes along with this release, called GREATEST FLIX II. Later this year their two greatest flix videos are released in a box, called BOX OF FLIX, with an extra 4 videos. On November 23 after months of speculation by the press, Freddie Mercury sends out a message to his fans telling them he was tested for HIV, was positive and that he had AIDS. He felt the time had come to tell his friends and fans the truth, and he hoped that they would join with him and his doctors in the continuing fight against this terrible disease. The following day's newspapers were full of it. The next day, Sunday November 24 on 7 p.m. Freddie's fight was over. He died of AIDS-related bronchial pneumonia aged 45. Only the closest to Freddie had been aware ot his ilness but even for them his death was sudden and painfully shocking. As much as Freddie had arranged his life in many ways, he seemed to have arranged his death also. Shortly before his departure he refused to take any more medication. The news of Freddie's death shocked the world. Fans were devastated. On the evening of his death the BBC broadcasted a memorial program about Freddie and Queen, showing the video of These Are The Days Of Our Lives for the first time, the last ever videoshoot of Freddie Mercury. Very heartbreaking. John Deacon, Brian May and Roger Taylor were shattered. They had lost their closest friend. They issued the following statement: "We have lost the greatest and most beloved member of our family. We feel overwhelming grief that he has gone, sadness that he should be cut down at the height of his creativity, but above all great pride in the courageous way that he lived and died. It has been a privilege for us to have shared such magical times. As soon as we are able we would like to celebrate his life in the style to which he was accustomed." Three days after his death he was cremated at a private service in London. As expected his death gave a boost to Queen's record sales. On December 1 GREATEST HITS (volume 1) is certified 10 times platinum in the UK. Two days later Brian May tells a UK TV breakfast show that Freddie knew he was HIV positive for some years before his death. Within days the albums LIVE MAGIC, A KIND OF MAGIC and INNUENDO all re-chart in the UK. One day after Freddie's death a single by Brian May called Driven By You is released. It was long planned to be released on November 26 and somewhere near that date Brian had asked Freddie if he should go through with this release. Freddie had told Brian that he should go through with it, having the best publicity one could get. On the other hand, Roger and his band The Cross had recently released their last studio album as a Germany only release, called BLUE ROCK and also a (German only) single called Life Changes but immediately after Freddie's death the single is withdrawn. On December 21 Bohemian Rhapsody re-enters the UK singles chart at number 1 (b/w These Are The Days Of Our Lives). This was the first time in British music history a single reaches the number 1 spot twice. In the US ALL Queen albums are released as remastered cd. To promote this re-release a promotional 4CD set is released, called ROCKS. Every future release or production by two or more of the remaining members of Queen together, will be released under the name of Queen. |
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1992 |
On January 1 GREATEST HITS (volume 1) is certified 11 times platinum in the UK meaning it has sold over a million copies since Freddie's death. On February 2 Bohemian Rhapsody wins Best British Single, while Freddie pothumously wins the Outstanding Contribution To British Music Special Award at London's Brit Awards. When Bohemian Rhapsody is chosen as Best Selling A-Side at the Ivor Novello Awards, Queen donates $1.76 million of the single's profit to the Terrence Higgins Trust. Queen release THE BOX OF TRIX, containing an audio cd THE 12" COLLECTION, a large poster with all album and single sleeves, the video LIVE AT THE RAINBOW, badge, broche, t-shirt and picturebook. In March CLASSIC QUEEN is released in the US. On April 20 The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, a Concert For Live (and AIDS awareness) is staged at London's Wembley Stadium, featuring, besides Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon, artists like George Michael, Guns N' Roses, Roger Daltrey, Elton John, David Bowie, Annie Lennox, Seal, Paul Young, Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson, Extreme, Bob Geldof, Robert Plant, Def Leppard and Liza Minnelli. In May an announcement is made that part of Freddie's estate, including his house on Logan Place 1 London, goes to his lifetime friend Mary Austin. Another live album is released from a 1986 tour, called LIVE AT WEMBLEY 1986. The US only THE QUEEN COLLECTION 3CD box set is released, containing the US GREATEST HITS cd, the US CLASSIC QUEEN cd and a cd-single containing Queen Talks and Thank God It's Christmas. In June Brian May joins Guns N' Roses on the Wembley Stadium stage to perform Tie Your Mother Down and We Will Rock You. Freddie and Montserrat's single Barcelona is re-issued. In September Bohemian Rhapsody wins the Best Video From A Film Award at MTV Awards in Los Angeles. The track was played in Wayne's World and the remaining members of Queen send a "thank you" message to the makers of this movie for causing the uplift of Queen's music in the US. During the evening of MTV Awards Brian May and Roger Taylor donates $300.000 to the Magic Johnson Foundation For AIDS Research. Brian May releases his solo single Too Much Love Will Kill You, that he first performed at The Freddie Mercury Tribute, and his solo album BACK TO THE LIGHT and a single of the same name. On October 24 Brian May announces that new tracks, recorded with Freddie before his death, will be released. The FREDDIE MERCURY ALBUM is released as is the Freddie Mercury single In My Defence. The latter came in two versions which could be stored in one special cd-box. The US releases a Freddie Mercury compilation album called THE GREAT PRETENDER. The single The Great Pretender is re-released. At a concert from The Cross, Smile members Brian, Roger and Tim reunited on stage once more and played Earth and If I Was A Carpenter. |
|
1993 |
GREATEST HITS (volume 1) is platinum in the US. An EP from The Freddie Mercury Tribute, called Five Live, featuring Queen and George Michael enters the UK chart at number 1. Brian releases two more singles this year, called Ressurection and Last Horizon.The double-video THE FREDDIE MERCURY TRIBUTE CONCERT is released. A re-mixed version of Freddie's 1985 single Living On My Own reaches the number 1 spot in the UK singles chart. The album CLASSIC QUEEN goes double platinum in the US. In The Netherlands and some other countries a Freddie Mercury remix cd is released, called REMIXES. In several countries a remix of the single Living On My Own is released (the original version is on the MR BAD GUY album. |
|
1994 |
Freddie Mercury's Living On My Own wins the International Hit Of The Year at the Ivor Novello Awards. Brian May releases his first live album called LIVE AT THE BRIXTON ACADEMY. This year has also the release of Roger Taylor's third solo album, called HAPPINESS? and three singles called Nazis 1994, Foreign Sand (Japanese artist and co-writer Yoshiki plays on this track) and Happiness? |
|
1995 |
Brian may works with other artists and releases the track The Amazing Spiderman. This year Queen re-release GREATEST HITS I & II, the two albums in one package. The single Heaven For Everyone is released. The song originally appeared with vocals by Roger Taylor on the 1988 The Cross album SHOVE IT (released that time in Germany with vocals by Freddie). The 1995 version has a new instrumental track by the surviving Queen members and enters the UK singles chart at number 2. A new Queen album called MADE IN HEAVEN, compiled from tracks recorded before Freddie's death is released and enters the UK album chart at number 1. This year also sees the re-release of ALL Queen studio and live albums, as remastered gold cd's all picture-cd with the album covers printed on them. The cd's are framed together in THE ULTIMATE QUEEN 20CD BOX SET, renamed by the fans as THE CABINET, together with a Freddie Mercury moving hologram and picturebook. This edition is limited to 15.000 worldwide. In the US the album AT THE BBC is released. The documentary video CHAMPIONS OF THE WORLD is released. |
|
1996 |
The Freddie Mercury Award, established to honour artists who have made an extraordinary contribution to charitable works during the previous year, is given to War Child charity. The single Let Me Live is released. In July Brian and Roger collect a Hall Of Fame award for Queen. Canada releases the European 1994 2CD box GREATEST HITS I & II under the name THE VERY BEST OF QUEEN. Europe sees the release of a compilation album with Queen songs performed by other artist, called QUEEN DANCE TRAXX 1. A group of heavy metal artists releases the tribute album DRAGON ATTACK with a collection of Queen songs. Another tribute album is made by David Palmer conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The album is called PASSING OPEN WINDOWS - A Symphonic Tribute To Queen. In the US a tribute album is released, called DRAGON ATTACK, Queen songs covered by other artists. The video MADE IN HEAVEN-THE FILMS is released. In Montreux, Switzerland, the statue of Freddie Mercury is revealed by Montserrat Caballé. Freddie's parents and sister were there too. |
|
1997 |
In January, at the premiere of The Ballet For Life by Bejart in Paris, Queen and Elton John perform The Show Must Go On. The ballet, with an AIDS related theme, includes Queen songs. Later this year the ballet is filmed for video release in Lausanne, Switzerland. Queen win a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Comet Awards in Cologne, Germany. In The Netherlands a Dutch-only cd is released called GHOST OF A SMILE, containing the 6 Smile songs and two versions of the Eddie Howell/Freddie Mercury/Brian May collaboration song The Man From Manhattan. On October 1 MADE IN HEAVEN is certified 4 times platinum in the UK. The compilation album QUEEN ROCKS is released. The PC-CDROM game QUEEN - THE EYE based on the music of Queen and containing instrumental versions of it, is released. Representing Queen Brian and Roger are presented with the International Contribution Award in Madrid. No-One But You is released as a Queen single. Initially intended to be released by Brian May as a solo track, Roger Taylor convinces him to record this song together with John Deacon and himself and make it a tribute to Freddie and releasing it under the name of Queen. This recording would be the last one on which John Deacon collaborates. (edit: writing this in 2005) John plays bass in the video. Somewhere in time John Deacon decides to retire from the music business. |
|
1998 |
Roger Taylor earns a place in the Guinness Book Of Records by playing the largest audience to date on an internet concert from his house, called LIVE AT THE CYBERBARN, accessed via the Queen website, which recorded 595.000 hits during the event. He also releases his fourth solo album, called ELECTRIC FIRE and releases two singles from it: Pressure On and Surrender. The hip-hop remake of Another One Bites The Dust, featuring Queen and Wyclef Jean is released. In the US the 8CD box THE CROWN JEWELS is released, featuring mini-vinyl cd-versions of the first 8 studio albums. In Japan 2CD set is released called GREATEST KARAOKE HITS containing instrumental versions of the songs taken from laserdisc. Brian May release another solo album called ANOTHER WORLD and 4 singles from that album, Business (a special tribute to Cozy Powell who recently had died), Why Don't We Try Again, On My Way Up and Another World. Japan releases a mini-album promoting Brian's tour. The cd is called RED SPECIAL. One of the tracks on this album is the slow version of Hammer To Fall. The compilation video QUEEN ROCKS is released. |
|
1999 |
Freddie Mercury's image appears on a UK postage stamp. The image is taken from the video for Hammer To Fall and is highly debated because the image of Roger Taylor can be seen too. According to British law only deceased persons are allowed to be displayed on British stamps. The only living persons that are allowed to be displayed on stamps are members of the Royal Family. So, here's another first for Queen! A compilation album GREATEST HITS III is released that also contains solo tracks, the song No-One But You and a remake of Under Pressure - the Rah mix. This version of Under Pressure is released as a single and in the video live footage from Queen and live footage from David Bowie (performing at The Freddie Mercury Tribute) in combined and stunningly mixed making one believe Freddie and David were on the same stage. |
| ACTION THIS DAY | |
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2000 |
We Will Rock You by boy band Five and Queen reaches number 1 in the UK singles chart. Again another first for Queen. With this song Queen achieved to be the only band in British history to have number 1 hits in 4 decades. Queen re-releases their three Greatest Hits albums in one package as THE PLATINUM COLLECTION. Brian May collaborates with The Foo Fighters on a song called Have A Cigar. This track is featured on the Mission Impossible 2 soundtrack album. Brian May also composes most of the music for a French movie called FURIA. There's one song on the album, by Brian, called Dream Of Thee. On October a Freddie Mercury box set is released called THE SOLO COLLECTION, beautifully packed. It's a large book filled with pictures, stories, lyrics and detailed stories about the cd's and dvd's it contains. Inside are 10 cd's: remasters of MR. BAD GUY, BARCELONA, 3 compilation discs: THE GREAT PRETENDER, THE SINGLES 1973-1985, THE SINGLES 1986-1993, 3 cd's of rarities and demos: RARITIES 1, RARITIES 2, RARITIES 3, an interview cd: THE DAVID WIGG INTERVIEWS, 2 dvd's: THE VIDEO COLLECTION and THE UNTOLD STORY. Also a 10-track promo cd RARITIES SAMPLER is released with tracks from THE SOLO COLLECTION. Finally a 3CD box called SOLO is released containing MR. BAD GUY, BARCELONA and a BONUS CD. A special Dutch cd-single of Guide Me Home is released. The Dutch pressing of this single is also released in Italy. The single has 4 tracks on it, Single Version - with a unique different ending, Alternative Version, Piano Version (by Thierry Lang) and a videotrack with a teaser from THE UNTOLD STORY. |
|
2001 |
Japan releases ALL Queen albums as mini-vinyl cd's. The high quality sleeves are identical to the original lp-sleeves and the songs are remastered. The soundtrack A KNIGHT'S TALE is released. As used in the movie the track We Will Rock You is on this cd. Queen collaborates with Robbie Williams on this cd with the re-recorded version of We Are The Champions. |
|
2002 |
Queen (Brian and Roger) do a surprise gig in Amsterdam on April 30, in The Netherlands also known as Queen's Day, celebrating the birthday of the Dutch Queen Mother. On May 14 the musical WE WILL ROCK YOU, based on the Queen songs, opens at London's Dominion Theatre. On June 4 Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 50-year Royal Golden Jubilee with a star-studded concert in the garden of Buckingham Palace. Brian May opens the concert by playing God Save The Queen from the rooftop of the Palace. Queen performs with several guests and gives a mini concert accompanied by the cast of the We Will Rock You musical. Brian is awarded an honorary doctorate in science by the University Of Herfordshire. In Korea a unique 2CD box is released called GOLD, in a gold box, containing the GREATEST HITS 1 cd and a cd called SPECIAL CD with Queen hits, other songs and Mercury/Caballé/May songs. In October the cd THE QUEEN SYMPHONY is released worldwide containing orchestral versions of Queen songs, performed by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The Orchestra company goes touring around the world and one registration of this concert is released on dvd also called THE QUEEN SYMPHONY. Brian May, Roger Taylor and Jer Bulsara, the mother of Freddie Mercury, are seen in some short footage. A special 10th anniversary edition of THE FREDDIE MERCURY TRIBUTE CONCERT is released on double-dvd. |
|
2003 |
In February THE PLATINUM COLLECTION is certified triple platinum in the UK. In August a second production of the We Will Rock You musical opens in Melbourne, Australia. |
|
2004 |
In the US a new compilation cd is released, called GREATEST HITS. Brian and Roger appear in a new Pepsi TV commercial which also features Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Pink and Enrique Iglesias. The girls sing We Will Rock You and the stage is set in ancient Greece, in gladiator style. In February the song We Will Rock You is voted the Greatest Rock Anthem Of All Time. The runner up is Bohemian Rhapsody. In Japan a Queen revive is on it's way. First a compilation cd is released, called JEWELS and so is the dvd JEWELS and the live dvd WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS-FINAL LIVE IN JAPAN. Then ALL Queen cd's are remastered and reissued as mini-vinyl cd's, with MADE IN HEAVEN with two different MIH-sleeves. Japan releases a 2CD compilation box with instrumental Queen songs, called QUEEN KARAOKE HITS. Japan also releases the dvd QUEEN KARAOKE HITS. A dvd from the Hot Space Tour (1982) is released, called QUEEN ON FIRE - LIVE AT THE BOWL. Also an audio cd QUEEN ON FIRE - LIVE AT THE BOWL is released. In September another production of the We Will Rock You musical opens at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas, US. The hotel's casino offers $5 Queen gambling chips. In December the We Will Rock You musical opens in Cologne, Germany. Within weeks it will become the best selling musical of all times in Germany. Brian, Roger and the cast of the musical perform at the TV show Wetten Dass and Queen anounce they will go on tour Spring 2005! |
|
2005 |
Japan sees the release of another Queen compilation cd, called JEWELS 2. Queen and Paul Rodgers, together with the other bandmembers, perform at the second Nelson Mandela 46664 Campaign concert, this time in Fancourt, South Africa. The concert (showing only 4 of Queen's songs) is transmitted on the internet. Queen (Brian May and Roger Taylor) begins a European Tour with singer Paul Rodgers. Other bandmembers are Spike Edney, Jamie Moses and Danny Miranda. In ticket sale for the European tour, The Netherlands sets a record by selling out the Rotterdam gig in 10 minutes. Later on Queen decided to extend the tour with open air concerts, one of them in Gelredome - Arnhem, The Netherlands and one in the legendary Hyde Park, London. The last European concert of this tour, in Hyde Park, was postponed one week due to terrorist attacks on the underground and busses. Queen and Paul Rodgers decided to reprint T-shirts with the words "The Show Must Go On" on them. They also expressed their feel of this moment in time by playing John Lennon's Imagine that night, sung by May, Taylor and Rodgers. On September 19th the live double cd RETURN OF THE CHAMPIONS was released shortly after the single Reaching Out/Tie Your Mother Down/Fat Bottomed Girls. Also the triple vinyl version was released. Queen + Paul Rodgers were named as BAND OF THE YEAR at the inaugural Classic Rock Roll Of Honour Awards on October 4th. On 8th October Q+PR played at the Music Festival in Aruba and on 16th and 22nd October Queen + Paul Rodgers played in the USA., followed by a Japanese tour between October 26th and November 3rd. In October the dvd RETURN OF THE CHAMPIONS is released entering the UK video charts at number 1 ! The dvd Flash Gordon Silver Anniversary Edition, was released on 10th October. On November 9 Queen's performance at Live Aid 1985 was chosen as the best live performance in history (UK Music Hall Of Fame). A two DVD set is released: the 30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, containing a dvd with videos for every track and a remastered cd. |
|
2006 |
In January a limited edition of the VOX Brian May AC30 Combo is released. From February 10th the multi-media show "Queen - Heaven" can be seen at Zeiss Planetarium, Germany and the UK sees the release of the cd-single Queen - Heaven" can be seen at Zeiss Planetarium, Germany and the UK sees the release of the cd-single We Are The Champions, sung by computer animated figure Charlie Chicken. The song also features in the movie Chicken Little. From March 3rd to April 13th Queen and Paul Rodgers are touring the USA and Canada and a NEW SONG called Take Love is added to the setlist. March sees the release of the dvd Premium Release of THE MAKING OF A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, This two disc release also features the 30th Anniversary Edition of A NIGHT AT THE OPERA dvd. A track from the forthcoming and long awaited Axl Rose album CHINESE DEMOCRACY is leaked to the internet: Catcher In The Rye. It features Brian May on guitar. In April, while touring the USA, the US TV programm American Idol held a Queen week for the contestants. They each had to sing a Queen song and were given the opportunity to rehearse with... Queen in the Q+PR stage set! To coincide with this a new compilation album, called STONE COLD CLASSICS was released, a 12 track cd containing the songs sung on American Idol and 2 bonustracks from Queen + Paul Rodgers. On April 28th the DVD SUPER LIVE IN JAPAN is released. A superb registration of the October 2005 Queen and Paul Rodgers concert in Tokyo. In May of this year Jacky Gunn from the Official International Queen Fan Club announces that the OIQFC office is to be closed. She keeps running the Fan Club from her home. The amount of Fan mags is reduced to 3 editions a year. On the 9th of that month the WWRY musical opens in South Africa. Two days later the fourth anniversary of the WWRY musical in the Dominion Theatre in Londen is celebrated. Earlier in May it was confirmed that the musical does not end on October 7th, as announced, but will at least stay there onto April 2007. Diana Ross released an album which features a rerecording of Crazy Little Thing Called Love, Brian May plays guitar on this track. Queen's GREATEST HITS album takes the number 1 position in the Capital Gold All Time Top 500 chart being the best selling album to date. In August Brian May announces that Queen + Paul Rodgers are going to record new songs in October 2006 with the possibility of a NEW studio album in 2007. A new Freddie doll is released. An 18inch figure resembling the Magic Tour Freddie. On September 5th there's a celebration of Freddie's 60th birthday at the Dominion Theatre in London. Visitors are asked to dress up in true Freddie Mercury-style. Brian and Roger (and Ben Elton) perform with the cast and the evening turns into a huge party. Among the guests are Freddie's mother and sister. September 5th also sees the release of a (single-cd and) double cd THE VERY BEST OF FREDDIE MERCURY, the double DVD THE VERY BEST OF FREDDIE MERCURY - LOVER OF LIFE SINGER OF SONGS, and the cd-single Love Kills. Also a book called FREDDIE MERCURY A LIFE, IN HIS OWN WORDS is released. To coincide with all these 60th birthday releases there is also the OFFICIAL 60TH ANNIVERSARY PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION, in the PROUD GALLERY, LONDON from September 8th to November 17th. On tv Freddie Mercury documentaries are shown and Montreux has it's 3rd Freddie Mercury Memorial days. The new official Freddie Mercury website is launched: loveroflifesingerofsongs. Together with Patrick Moore and Chris Lintott, Brian May is co-writer of the book BANG! - the complete history of the universe. Meatloaf releses Bat Out Of Hell III, it contains a track called Bad For Good, on which Brian May plays guitar at his best! In November a version of Another One Bites The Dust is released by Queen vs Miami Project. Cliff Richard releases the single 21st Century Christmas/Move It. Brian May plays guitar on Move It. On December 8th Felix and Arty (Felix Taylor and his father Roger Taylor) perform their song Woman You're So Beautiful at Bisley. Norwegian singer Sissel releases an album featuring her duet with Brian May, What Are We Made Of. Also in December Freddie Mercury features on Time Asia Magazine as one of the 12 Asian Heroes of the last 60 years. In the Netherlands Bohemian Rhapsody is voted no. 1 of the Dutch Radio 2 Top 2000. In the 9 years of the existance of this poll Queen has hit the no. 1 spot 8 times. |
|
2007 |
On January 1st BBC 2 announced Queen as winner of the BRITISH BATTLE OF THE BANDS. Runners up were of course The Beatles (2) and The Rolling Stones (3). In the USA I-tunes chart, Queen's album box GREATEST HITS I & II gets to the number 1 spot. U2 release a promotional video for their single Window in the Skies, containing numerous bits of other artists videos. Queen appears in a split second. In February/March Queen + Paul Rodgers start recording for a new studio album. Brian May appears at the opening of the We Will Rock You musical in Madrid, Spain, and receives a platinum ticket for achieving a sale of 5 million tickets for the musical worldwide. The musical also starts at Toronto, Canada. WWRY London reaches number 1 in the chart of best selling West End shows. The London cast celebrates it's 5th year of WWRY on May 14th. Lynn Carey Saylor releases her album YOU LIKE IT CLEAN. Brian May features on the songs We Belong and If We Believe. The movie HAPPY FEET wins the Oscar for best animated feature film. Queen's Somebody To Love is one of the songs featured in the movie. In Montreux, Switzerland, an new "Freddie Mercury Tour" starts with Peter Freestone as guide. For a short while in May, Brian May stood under permanent police control after being threatened by a stalker. Bohemian Rhapsody was chosen as the most unforgettable movie song (Wayne's World). Queen feature in an episode of tv-series Seven Ages Of Rock on the subject of biggest stadium acts. The episode was called We Are The Champions. Ben and Jerry's icecream manufacturer introduce a new flavour: Bohemian Raspberry. In June the Toronto production of the WWRY Musical receives the award for "Outstanding production of a Musical". On July 1st a tribute concert is held in the new Wembley Stadium in London, organised by Prince William and Prince Harry, to celebrate what would have been Princess Diana's 48th birthday. On request of Prince William Joss Stone performed Queen's Under Pressure. The concert ended with a compilation of private childhood videos of Princess Diana accompanied by the moving song THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES by Queen. In June Jacky Smith celebrates her silver jubilee (25 years) of managing the Official International Queen Fan Club. Former US vice president Al Gore initiates a glabal event raising awareness of the earth's global warming by organising live concerts throughout the world on 7-7-07. The concert in Wembley Stadium opens with first named artist Roger Taylor accompanied by drummers of the Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers, along with a large group of percussionists (SOS Allstars). They performed a strong drum piece based on the SOS morse code and ended with a short version of We Will Rock You. On 2nd August Brian May and Roger Taylor perform live at Toronto's Canon Theatre as special guests for the "We Will Rock You" themed episodes on Canadian Idol. PUTTIN' ON THE STYLE, the 1977 Lonnie Donegan album is to be released on cd, containing 2 tracks on which Brian May collaborated - Diggin' my potatoes and the previously unreleased track I'm just a rolling stone. After 37 years Brian May finishes his thesis about Astronomy (the Zodiacal Light) and gets his PhD - so he now is a Doctor. He's also co-writer of the book BANG! - THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE. It's also translated and released in several countries. The Queen Heaven lasershow is playing in Genk, Belgium where it is planned to stay from October until the end of 2007 (maybe longer). The next stop is going to be Berlin in Germany. End October sees the release of the remastered (this time with Queen in control) version of QUEEN ROCK MONTREAL (1981). Also released on cd, 3-lp and Blue Ray. On November 22nd Maurice Bejart died, creator of the Ballet For Life. In The Herald Sun's poll Freddie Mercury was voted top ROCK LEGEND of all time. On World AIDS Day, december 1st, Queen + Paul Rodgers release a remake of the song Say It's Not True for free download to give attention to Mandela's 46664 campaign. Due to great demand a cd-single was released on December 31st. |
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2008 |
Queen + Paul Rodgers announce their new album to be released in Summer 2008 followed by a tour in September/October. The Queen musical WWRY has it's premiere in Vienna, Austria on January 24th. Brian, Roger and Ben Elton are present. Brian played guitar during the encore with Bohemian Rhapsody and all three of them appear on stage afterwards. Say It's Not True enters the Dutch Top 40. For 24 weeks starting February 10th a Spanish newspaper release all Queen studio and live albums in a deluxe edition (24 cd's). In April Queen + Paul Rodgers perform the track C-lebrity on the Al Murray's Happy Hour. This single will be released in September and so is their first studio album THE COSMOS ROCKS. From 17th May the pre-sale for the Queen + Paul Rodgers tour of September/October starts. From now more and more tourdates are announced. Brian May becomes Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University. The musical We Will Rock You enters it's 7th year on West-End. On 27th June, Queen + Paul Rodgers play the closing act at the Nelson Mandela 90th birthday concert in Hyde Park, organised by Queen. Kerry Ellis (original player of the Meat character in WWRY musical) release a single called Wicked in Rock, produced by Brian May. He also plays guitar on the track. In August the US announces the upcoming release of ALL Queen albums on 180gr vinyl. On September 4 and 5 another Freddie Mercury Memorial is held in Montreux, Switzerland. This month also makes the Queenfans get really excited while new tracks from THE COSMOS ROCKS are played on British radio. On September 4th Queen + Paul Rodgers played a short rehearsal concert for their upcoming tour. September 8 sees the release of the new single C-lebrity. On September 12th Queen + Paul Rodgers play a benefit concert in Kharkov, Ukraine, just prior to their European/South American tour. This evening the setlist has just a couple of new tracks besides the well known hits. This concert was visited by 350.000 spectators and televised live in the Ukraine. On this day also the first Queen + Paul Rodgers studio album THE COSMOS ROCKS is released. Format: cd or special edition cd/dvd. The dvd contains a shortened version of the QPR concert in Japan 2006. A few days after the Kharkov concert Q+PR continue their tour through Europe and South America (including Dubai). October also sees the release of a book by dutch pop journalist Edger Hamer, called VOOR QUEEN EN VADERLAND (For QUEEN and Country) and has the complete history of QUEEN in the Netherlands. Full of stories told by Dutch well-known people (including Hannie of the Dutch Queen Fan Club), illustrated with pictures taken in The Netherlands, a complete list of QUEEN's performances in The Netherlands and more. A cd with a selection of QUEEN songs by Dutch artists is included. On November 12th Jimi Hendrix' drummer Mitch Mitchell dies. In 1968 Brian May and Tim Staffell placed an add saying they were forming a new band and were looking for a Ginger Baker/Mitch Mitchell type of drummer. Roger Taylor replied and the rest is history. |
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2009 |
In January Roger Taylor performed with the SAS Band. His son Rufus played drums. In a poll 4000 rock fans voted Freddie Mercury as Ultimate Rock God. (Brian May ended as no. 17) In February a second cast of the WWRY musical (besides the one that resides in the Dominion Theatre London) started a UK tour in Manchester. The first of 4 QUEEN singles boxes was released in March, containing 13 cd-singles. QUEEN's LIVE AT WEMBLEY has been voted best live album. Brian May joined Rick Wakeman's tv-show Face to Face for a one hour interview. In April the first set of 4 QUEEN albums are re-released on heavy weight vinyl. On April 14th it was Record Store Day in the USA and this year they (re-)released QUEEN's FIRST EP on cd-single format. The cd itself had a remarkable print of a real black vinyl single. This month also sees the release of a free Queen cd packed with live tracks, distributed through the newspaper Mail on Sunday, called QUEEN ROCK YOU. (2 million cd's were distributed). Freddie Mercury was voted numer 1 in the poll 50 Greatest singers in Rock, by journalists, musicians and public. In May the second batch of QUEEN albums on heavy weight vinyl is released. The second of 4 QUEEN singles boxes was released in June, containing 13 cd-singles. Bohemian Rhapsody came second in most played songs in public places in the last 75 years. Procol Harum's A Whiter Shade Of Pale is number one. During their recent tour Boyzone did a QUEEN medley, all dressed up as Freddie, including a set with all wearing the crown and robe. At the Dominion Theatre in London the 7th anniversary of the WWRY Musical is celebrated. Paul Rodgers confirms he and QUEEN ends their collaboration. In May Michael Jackson died. This renews the wondering of Queen fans if the tracks recorded by Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson will be released. The cd and dvd of QUEEN + PAUL RODGERS LIVE IN UKRAINE is released. In July The film Queen + Paul Rodgers – Live In Ukraine won the ‘Grand Prix of Styria’ at the Austrian Music Film Festival “ROCKIN’ MOVIES”. After 5 years existance of UK I-Tunes the Queen song Don't Stop Me Now proves to be the most downloaded '70's track. In July QUEEN was rewarded the Silver Clef Award Ambassadors in Rock. In October a large sized book (288 pages) was released called The Ultimate History Of Queen. Brian May releases (with co-writer Elena Vidal) another book called A Village Lost And Found, telling the history of stereoscopic photography based on the series of stereoscopic pictures Scenes in our village by TR Williams. After years of research and Brian May's lifetime interest on this subject. Brian May succeeded in discovering the village those early pictures were made. Brian May also designs a unique viewer for the stereoscopic pictures called The Owl. Brian reveales that on the back cover of the very first Queen album (released 36 years ago) a stereoscopic picture can be found (a puppet of a drummer). Both Brian May and Freddie Mercury were interested by stereoscopic pictures. In November another QUEEN compilation album is released on several formats (one including a book) called ABSOLUTE GREATEST containing 20 songs covering each Queen album. Logitech release the Squeezebox Radio Wi-Fi Music Player. The first album available on this player is QUEEN's ABSOLUTE GREATEST. (Another FIRST for QUEEN) In three decades the QUEEN song WE WILL ROCK YOU is ranked as the most played song during sporting events in the USA. Brian May performs together with female group WOMAN at Pinktober at the Albert Hall. In November after three years of negotiating a recital by Montserrat Caballé was planned in Montreux including a private meeting (including Peter Freestone) for fans the next day. Due to lack of interest (not enough tickets were sold) the whole event was cancelled. The Bejart Ballet for Life (including music of Queen and Mozart) was performed in Theatre Carré - Amsterdam - The Netherlands. Brian May collaborated on the UK Children in Need charity single All You Need Is Love. Roger Taylor joins the BBC Breakfast programme to talk about the release of the Queen cd Absolute Greatest. In November in the UK BPI announced that during the 50-year existence of the UK album chart QUEEN's first GREATEST HITS album is UK's all time best selling album. In addition, Queen have overtaken The Beatles in UK album history, having spent more weeks in the UK charts than The Beatles. On November 23rd Roger Taylor released (download only) a solo single called The Unblinking Eye (Everything Is Broken), a song in which he protests against the war in Afghanistan. |
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Children
in Need
charity single All
You Need Is Love.
Roger Taylor
joins the BBC Breakfast programme to talk about the release of the Queen
cd Absolute
Greatest. |
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