QUEEN interview to POPCORN Magazine, Germany, 1984, founded Twitter’s freddieandhisc2, translated by Instagram’s yesterdays_freedom
First of all I want to let you know that the Popcorn magazine which published this article is a typical teen magazine and often their translation of the interview is kinda terrible because they translate interviews in a way that it will sound young and cool to the readers (like they use some light “teen slang”) and thus there are times when it’s not a 100% clear what they actually want to say + you can’t be sure if the celebrity really said and meant it like that or if the author of the article changed things to their own liking.
•Why did it take so long for Queen to perform live again?
Freddie: We have been touring nonstop for almost 10 years before. All of us needed a break from the music and some time away from the others.
Two years ago I’ve bought myself a flat in New York and wanted to finally spend some time there. Most of the time best friends like David Hodo from the Village People live in New York.
• You recently admitted to being gay in interviews..
I’m gay, so what? I admit that, just as I also admit the fact that I’m not a particularly happy person. I’m actually a very sensitive, romantic guy, but I was often disappointed, my heart has many scars. Nowadays I only have casual sex without emotions.
•Your voice is Queen’s signature feature/trademark. Is there something you do about that? And who do you admire?
Freddie: No, it all comes naturally. And I don’t really consider myself to be that good. Aretha Franklin for example has a much better voice than me. But you have to be black for that.
•Do you enjoy being a superstar?
Freddie: Yes! A great thing about it is that you can score with all the girls (laughs).
•What’s your secret for 12 years of success?
Freddie: It’s been 12 years already… almost unbelievable. I think we’re a good team. We have the same idea of variety and change but at the same time we’re all aware of tradition.
•For how long do you want to continue?
Freddie: Oh I’m still going to be a macho sex symbol when I’m 50 years old. Just wait for it! I will even go on stage in a wheelchair. (Laughs)
•How do you split your money?
Freddie: We split it equally between the four of us. But because I’ve written the most songs I also get royalties on top of that. I mean I’m the queen bee. (Laughs)
•Once you’ve recorded a single with David Bowie. Are you planning to record songs with other people as well?
Freddie: Yes, I’m currently working on a song with Michael Jackson. But we’re both too busy to ever finish it. Also I’ve recorded something with Rod Stewart but it isn’t finished either.
•Are they going to be on your upcoming solo album?
Freddie: Yes and I hope that more guests are going to join in. It’s supposed to be a mixed bag of all kinds of styles. I want to start the recording in April and in Summer everything is supposed to be finished.
•You’ve met Boy George yesterday. Do you like him?
Freddie: Yes I appreciate him. I adore his intelligence and courage. Boy George has a shining personality and a lot of sexual tolerance.
•Roger, you’ve written Radio Gaga. What where you thinking when you chose that title?
Roger: Originally I wanted to more cynically call it “Radio Ca Ca”. It’s an anti video song. Music actually should be something for your ears but it’s becoming more and more of an optical thing. Whoever has a good video, also has a hit song. I think that’s perverse.
•How come that Queen’s new single wasn’t written by Freddie or Brian but by you?
Roger: It’s a weird story. When we were in Los Angeles to work on the new album The Works I had rented a studio next door to work on my solo album. There I had been experimenting with Radio GaGa for three days when the others overheard it. Brian joined with his guitar and John had a good bass line for it. And Freddie also liked it a lot. So it became a Queen song.
•What do you think of the new Queen album?
Roger: I like it. There’s not that much funk stuff on it like Another One Bites The Dust which I still completely loathe. I’m glad that The Works is more to our fans’ liking again/is more like our fans expect it from Queen again: Heavy rock, melodic, power, harmony and choral movements.
•When is your solo album going to be out?
Roger: in April. It’s going to be called Strange Frontiers. Like the title already connotes there’s going to be few love songs. There’s going to be a lot against nuclear power and missiles. I’m an active member of one group that is part of the anti-nuclear movement.
•What to expect musically?
Roger: It’s going to be a lot more modern than my first solo album. Also there are going to be two cover versions on there: “Racing in the Streets” by Bruce Springsteen and “Masters of War” a classic by Bob Dylan which is very relevant again today.
•By the way are you satisfied with being ‘only’ the drummer?
Roger: No, completely not. It can get kind of boring behind the drums. I’m burning to go on tour with my own stuff. Me on guitar, jumping all around and be as energetic as superman. (Laughs) But Queen comes first of course. So the solo tour has to wait some longer.
• Do you like being famous?
Roger: After years you become accustomed to everything. You become more mature and older. What i really enjoy is the fact that I have enough money to get everything I want. Travelling, laying in the sun, skiing.
•Brian, why is new album called The Works?
Brian: the title is ambiguous. On the one hand it can mean machines and technology but it can also mean works as in the collected works of a writer. I think with this album we got closer to the original style of Queen again, like A Night At the Opera / News of the World. It’s heavier, not easy to listen to and full of surprises.
•While the music business focuses more and more on electronic sounds you are still using guitars.
Brian: Yes, the guitar has a great comeback on this album. We’re aware of the new Technologies but the guitar will always stay with us although it may be used differently. We talk about this conflict in the song Machines World in which the guitar battles with the synthesiser.
•First you worked in LA but returned to the “Musicland Studio” in Munich. Why?
Brian: We’ve never recorded in America before and wanted to try it. But Munich is our home. There we know every corner, every sound and every device. Especially during the final stage of recording that is very important because every studio sounds a bit different. We love “Musicland” because we know it so well.
•How long did it take to make this album?
Brian: Much longer than originally planned. We should have finished everything weeks ago in america but while listening to it we thought about leaving out two songs and instead record two new ones. So all in all the recording took us three to four months.
•What do you think about music videos?
Brian: With BoRhap we were the first band to ever produce a real music video. Nowadays you always need a video and sometimes you can actually catch yourself writing songs with a video for it already in mind. It’s an ambiguous thing.
•What about your tour?
Brian: This time we want to see first how the album sells. We will definitely go on a tour but the details like where, when and how long aren’t planned yet. But we already have the new stage and effects planned and it’s supposed to be better than everything we’ve done before. We’re going to use motives of Fritz Lang’s movie Metropolis like we also did in the music video for Radio Gaga.
•Some people say you want to break up as a band. Is it true?
Brian: Yes, there were a few times during recording sessions when we thought about breaking up. But that happens every time. If it wasn’t like that, something would be missing. After all we’re committed musicians.
•John, you’re the quietest member of Queen. Please tell us who of you is in charge?
John: Well, Freddie is in a way pretty dominant, strong and convincing. Brian has a lot to say, too, since he is one of the best musicians ever. Roger puts in his two pennies worth as well while i rather take a backseat. I’m actually the quiet guy who approaches things more systematically.
•What about Queen is remarkable in your opinion?
John: That we could manage to be accepted as four individuals with quite different styles. All of our competitors have their specific image which each member is subject to. In our band everyone can do as he pleases - and we are still Queen!
•Do you feel more like a businessman?
John: In the first place I’m a musician although I’m the one of us who keeps an eye on financial matters the most. You must never forget that everything we do involves a lot of money. I see my main task as having the other’s back to provide them all the freedom they need to work on their music
•Is Queen going to be a group that can only perform in huge stadiums because of all the group’s efforts?
John: No, we don’t like stadiums because we’d have to use videowalls then and the audience would automatically look at the screens rather than at the actual stage. That’s not the idea of it. We feel the most comfortable in stadiums with a capacity of 10,000 to 15,000 people.
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