Surely not!

[johncorrigan]

I can't be alone among the fine folks of these pages to have been shocked to find that Bohemian Rhapsody is 40 years old this hallowe'en. Bloomin' 'eck!

Anyway only one way to mark the event in this household.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thyJOnasHVE

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Yep - creeps up on us, doesn't it! (A particularly vivid Christmas into New Year for me, '75/'76; Becky Bassenthwaite broke my heart: the first but not the last, and I have never trusted mistletoe since.) I remember seeing the video on TotP that first time - the parents had gone out and oldest brother and myself watched this ... this pantomime and were bowled over by it - and everybody was talking about it in school the next day.

[Lat-Literal]

I can't be alone among the fine folks of these pages to have been shocked to find that Bohemian Rhapsody is 40 years old this hallowe'en. Bloomin' 'eck!

Anyway only one way to mark the event in this household.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thyJOnasHVE

What a benignly dangerous thread, JC - I commend you - and what a wonderful film. The memory plays tricks but I have a feeling a group of us watched it with Ferris Bueller in a living room in Norwich. Earlier on, there had been a visit to Pedros, the place which became front page news this year because of a student ban on 'racist' hats. Is it right that the original film for 'Bohemian Rhapsody' was/is officially the first music video? If so, music video shares a birthday and, therefore, a very Happy 40th Birthday to the music video too.

I believe I was on High Holborn when the driver of the taxi I had taken informed me that Freddie had died. Probably heading via a pub to an indie music gig in Kentish Town or Kilburn and with the money not to have to go by tube. The announcement was relayed in a certain taxi driver way which meant that he should have been writing for the tabloids.

I suppose when the dust settled the question was quite where to place the band given that they only had an impact on one personally twenty odd years earlier although they rightly retained huge numbers of fans. It is a question that could be asked again now in a different way, given Elbow and others including ELO are adept at liaising with classical orchestra.

Fred was a remarkable showman and an individual. A Zoroastrian, of course, and unexpectedly I did bump into someone - I can't even remember who it was now - whose mother was also a Zoroastrian which led to an interesting conversation. The record was a stunning moment in popular history and has the solid prospect of never-ending life, not that it wasn't signalled by 'Killer Queen' earlier. I don't believe it convinces as classical music. That is essentially because all of the musicianship was 'in house' as in 'being in the band'.

Musical bombast was what quickly became the issue. That can be an especial problem in a wide range of rock music, irrespective of personality. 'We Are The Champions' is a great terrace anthem. There were poignant solo releases and the duet with Caballe. But this panel thinks that the greater simplicity of the next one enables it to be among their best:

Queen - You're My Best Friend - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaZpZQG2z10

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

First "official" Music Video, possibly - but what about Strawberry Fields Forever?

And, achingly sad reflection on life:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB4K0scMysc

[johncorrigan]

What a benignly dangerous thread, JC - I commend you - and what a wonderful film. The memory plays tricks but I have a feeling a group of us watched it with Ferris Bueller in a living room in Norwich. Earlier on, there had been a visit to Pedros, the place which became front page news this year because of a student ban on 'racist' hats. Is it right that the original film for 'Bohemian Rhapsody' was/is officially the first music video? If so, music video shares a birthday and, therefore, a very Happy 40th Birthday to the music video too.

Feelin' brave with Hallowe'en on the off, Lat. Strangely enough I went to see Queen at the Queen Margaret Union in Glasgow Uni - 1974 I think. 'Seven Seas of Rye' had just come out and I thought it was great. I certainly did not see anything that predicted World domination and didn't stay for the whole show. I liked Bohemian fine, loved it indeed when it came out as did my fraulein friend of the time, but this thread was as much an excuse for the Wayne's World Vid, which I do love (and the whole film actually). But Mercury will go down in history for his working of the crowd at Live Aid, so 'Radio Gaga's' probably the one for me.

[Lat-Literal]

Feelin' brave with Hallowe'en on the off, Lat. Strangely enough I went to see Queen at the Queen Margaret Union in Glasgow Uni - 1974 I think. 'Seven Seas of Rye' had just come out and I thought it was great. I certainly did not see anything that predicted World domination and didn't stay for the whole show. I liked Bohemian fine, loved it indeed when it came out as did my fraulein friend of the time, but this thread was as much an excuse for the Wayne's World Vid, which I do love (and the whole film actually). But Mercury will go down in history for his working of the crowd at Live Aid, so 'Radio Gaga's' probably the one for me.

And that has the Fritz Lang dimension which is interesting. I was probably supposed to be some sort of executive when I got 'Dumb and Dumber', 'Airplane' came early and as for 'Trains Planes and Automobiles', we would be here all night. The obscene masterpiece is 'Clerks' which is an incredible bit of independent film history. It always cheers me up!

First "official" Music Video, possibly - but what about Strawberry Fields Forever?

And, achingly sad reflection on life:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB4K0scMysc

That's a good question. I don't know how it is defined except that SFF - my favourite song of all time from the Top 30, actually - is film rather than video given its date. On the clip you posted, I think of it as solo but it isn't so. It may have been the main one at the time of his sad death. To try to link it up happily, Everett was close to him and a radio genius.

Talking about sunshine, one thing that is fascinating about the 1970s is that Lydon and Co had every right to protest about the culture and yet from the perspective of 2015 little right at all. My keenness for the Clash is well documented - one of my favourite bands - and they hated Capital Radio. They were right and wrong because Gillett and Rust and Digance and Scott were there to name just five if you include Ken too. JC likes the Wilsons etc as do I and may not be bowled over by MOR copyists but when Rainbow died I was generally sorry because if you are going to be jingly be jingly on these lines. Kenny Everett was largely responsible for it. It might be light but it is light too on modern cynicism.

Jingles with no Jangles - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i20_WdMnU0

[EdgeleyRob]

Scary stuff indeed.
I was potty about the band in the 70s and still listen to the early albums a lot.
I remember thinking how can they follow Bohemian Rhapsody and being underwhelmed by 'somebody to love' and 'you're my best freind'.
Went downhill a bit for me after that.

Off topic I was listening to Pink Floyd,Wish You Were Here,the other night,also 40 this year.

[Lat-Literal]

Scary stuff indeed.
I was potty about the band in the 70s and still listen to the early albums a lot.
I remember thinking how can they follow Bohemian Rhapsody and being underwhelmed by 'somebody to love' and 'you're my best freind'.
Went downhill a bit for me after that.

Off topic I was listening to Pink Floyd,Wish You Were Here,the other night,also 40 this year.

Thanks for your contribution Rob.

I am on record as saying that the worst year overall for singles between the early 1960s and the late 1990s was 1975 although to be fair I have posted a couple of great ones in the past week and circa 1986 it all got iffy. Consequently it is nice to hear that it was a good year for albums. My problem with that era of Floyd is that I was whisked off to London with best mate by his older brother and we were dumped at a pizza place so he could try his luck with McCartney's secretary in Hyde Park. No amount of compensatory visits to "The Aristocats" makes up for that kind of thing in my humble opinion, especially as he drove one handed with two fingers on his right hand waving from the wound down window.

Oh, I suppose I should explain that it was the Floyd on as we travelled inwards, especially past Battersea Bridge, and while prior to 1977 there should have been pigs flying over it.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

I don't know how it is defined except that SFF - my favourite song of all time from the Top 30, actually - is film rather than video given its date.

Aha! Which probably explains why SFF wasn't taken up by subsequent bands - too expensive until videotape came along!

On the clip you posted, I think of it as solo but it isn't so. It may have been the main one at the time of his sad death.

Yes - written by Roger Taylor, IIRC - hence the reference to "living through your kids".

To try to link it up happily, Everett was close to him and a radio genius.

At one time they were very close friends, and KE repeatedly played the longer-than-usual track repeatedly on his radio show.

[teamsaint]

Sad to say, because Queen mean and meant a lot to so many people,and obviously made some great records,when BR appeared, it just seemed to be another kind of music that I wanted to escape from, along with.....oh well ,who cares?

Turned out I and plenty of others didnt have too long to wait for that escape route..........

FWIW , Hammer to Fall is prolly my favourite Queen song, and I was rather won over to " The show must go on" , when watching some documentary about Freddie not so long ago.

Mrs TS's favourites Queen were, before she bumped into me, and I showed her the virtues of early New Order.
What a lucky girl........

[Lat-Literal]

Aha! Which probably explains why SFF wasn't taken up by subsequent bands - too expensive until videotape came along!


Yes - written by Roger Taylor, IIRC - hence the reference to "living through your kids".


At one time they were very close friends, and KE repeatedly played the longer-than-usual track repeatedly on his radio show.

You know on the first and I don't so I will bank that one as adding to my knowledge. There was that moment circa 1981-1982 when it was a case of employment for the first time and a half baked social on Friday evenings. Blimey, what is that bit of modernism in the corner? It turned out to be the short lived thing called a video jukebox. Duran Duran could have been regarded rightly as having produced one hell of a song in 'Save a Prayer' except that they were Duran Duran and also prancing around with loads of money on boats. Someone sensible should do it. Tabor, I think, to give it proper recognition. Every act should deliver one great moment. That was their one. It was lost in the right-on slipstream.

I was never a huge Queen fan because the May guitar is not my sort of guitar but I appreciate and value their significant contribution. If I'm going to "do" ELO, then I will accept it, just as I will accept Abba and the Bee Gees for their worth at the time. There was a period when I could say that they were all equally strong in songwriting terms but if I confess to an immediate pre 1977 sensibility it would have to be 10CC 'ish'. I think we might use the term 'art rock' which would also include Bowie and Roxy although the Mancs were less theatrical and to my mind that was a plus. The music does now seem a bit cold and calculated but I am still moved by 'I'm Mandy Fly Me' which was their moment rather than the obvious one. Anyhow, that was a part of 'my' new stuff in 1975-1976. Bear in mind I was, what, twelve? But the seven year old had started with a whole range of things in 1970. Much of it was more of roots and all of it was carried forward. I will probably try at some point to do a prog rock thing but it will be soft around the edges and not drawn out.

How Dare You!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv8N6zSzL7k

GT will hate me for this one but think of it in another setting - JT could take it out of its cultural context and turn it into wonderful. It would sit alongside 'Finisterre' on 'Ashore' and the Tawney. I am in no doubt. Don't rule out the Unthanks tackling it. Maybe I was in the wrong vocation or maybe I was in exactly the right one. Almost all of the rest is flotsam:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Uxc9eFcZyM

[teamsaint]

. Duran Duran would have been regarded rightly as having produced one hell of a song in 'Save a Prayer' except that they were Duran Duran and also prancing around with loads of money on boats. Someone sensible should do it. Tabor, I think, to give it proper recognition. Every act should deliver one great moment. That was theirs. .

you want to watch those Careless Memories, Lat, .... (actually THAT is a terrific song IMO)

anyway, back to to 10 CC er, sorry, Queen.....

[Bryn]

And that has the Fritz Lang dimension which is interesting. I was probably supposed to be some sort of executive when I got 'Dumb and Dumber', 'Airplane' came early and as for 'Trains Planes and Automobiles', we would be here all night. The obscene masterpiece is 'Clerks' which is an incredible bit of independent film history. It always cheers me up!


That's a good question. I don't know how it is defined except that SFF - my favourite song of all time from the Top 30, actually - is film rather than video given its date. On the clip you posted, I think of it as solo but it isn't so. It may have been the main one at the time of his sad death. To try to link it up happily, Everett was close to him and a radio genius.

Talking about sunshine, one thing that is fascinating about the 1970s is that Lydon and Co had every right to protest about the culture and yet from the perspective of 2015 little right at all. My keenness for the Clash is well documented - one of my favourite bands - and they hated Capital Radio. They were right and wrong because Gillett and Rust and Digance and Scott were there to name just five if you include Ken too. JC likes the Wilsons etc as do I and may not be bowled over by MOR copyists but when Rainbow died I was generally sorry because if you are going to be jingly be jingly on these lines. Kenny Everett was largely responsible for it. It might be light but it is light too on modern cynicism.

Jingles with no Jangles - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7i20_WdMnU0

Zappa's 200 Motels (made on video tape) dates for 1971.

[Lat-Literal]

Sad to say, because Queen mean and meant a lot to so many people,and obviously made some great records,when BR appeared, it just seemed to be another kind of music that I wanted to escape from, along with.....oh well ,who cares?

Turned out I and plenty of others didnt have too long to wait for that escape route..........

FWIW , Hammer to Fall is prolly my favourite Queen song, and I was rather won over to " The show must go on" , when watching some documentary about Freddie not so long ago.

Mrs TS's favourites Queen were, before she bumped into me, and I showed her the virtues of early New Order.
What a lucky girl........

I've spotted your two great posts and, ahem, JC started it. I will take 'Closer' by Joy Division, especially the last two tracks and mainly mid-term or later New Order. I remember not fully understanding the acute emotion around the early passing of Curtis - although what happened was sad - and being stunned by 'The Eternal'. And mainly on others' leads, I ended up seeing New Order live maybe three times and have picked out two I enjoy. The first as time-wise it is close to self-reference but not self-reference given that is not quite the year of my birth which I prefer. I like the slight obliqueness there and the watering down of 'me' plus it's a damn fine song that is often overlooked. Also, love 'World in Motion:

Joy Division - The Eternal - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcKGqgwLzjA
New Order - 1963 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBlxkdPPJ-c
New Order - Ruined In a Day - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oatYw2H7H_g

[Lat-Literal]

Zappa's 200 Motels (made on video tape) dates for 1971.

Excellent Bryn.

Genuinely informative and interesting.

This is a worthy successor - nothing questionable - so as on the can!

Negativland - An Actual Attack - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6gF-fwDdcc