¡Eeeeo, eo, eo!
At home there was always music playing every day, but especially on weekends. My father bought a stereo system and took advantage of it: he played music all the time and, since there were many of us, the musical genre was also very varied. From classical to pasodobles; a French conductor named Frank Pourcel -of which he even bought his albums abroad, since they didn’t come out much here-; Spanish music, from The Lightning until Victor Manuel; the instrumental of The Tabajara Indians; discs The Beatles, Police and the same Kano who became famous with Italo Disco.
I had a small nightclub at home that I later expanded and it had everything: singles, albums and compact disc; There were rare ones, colored ones, with factory defects, signed by their authors… and among them There was one who stood out above all.
That single It was different from the rest in its broadest meaning: Bohemian Rhapsody, of Queen, of whose launch Today marks 50 years.
For some it was even the best song of the 20th century. And if it really was the one that sold the most records at its time, I am also convinced that if this song had been released today It would be the most listened to, sold and shared of all.
Let’s start the story of this album. I already had the idea in mind Freddie Mercury for years, and took advantage of the fact that they changed representatives to create what would be their fourth LP. John Reid, who was also the artistic representative of Elton John, He asked the band to just focus on creating the best album, and so they did. It would be called A night at the opera and it took them 12 weeks just to record Bohemian Rhapsody. The title was already revealing of what its content includes, since one of the meanings of “rhapsody” is a musical work made up of independent thematic sections loosely united. It usually alternates slow and dramatic parts with fast and dynamic ones, creating a unique envelope.
And as for the word “bohemian”, There can be two possible meanings. The first is bohemian, associated with an alternative, free and artistic lifestyle, moving away from social conventions. And the second, to the Czech city of Bohemia, where he lived Fausto, the character of Goethe. It becomes a modern opera where the protagonist’s soul, like Faust’s, is sold after a fatal crime. The devil lurks between chords, and the operatic section is his musical judgment. It is the tragedy of a soul trapped between remorse and redemption, sung with fury and beauty.
Most people think it’s about Freddie Mercury’s personal life, how he killed his other straight self and came out of the closet, and even some of his peers. He even stated that he was talking about his relationships.
Production in the recording studio also had its pluses and minuses. They did the choir part themselves on several tracks to create the multi-coral effect What Freddie wanted. Since they had to record on so many audio tracks to achieve that effect, they realized that they could not sing this song live and have it sound the same, so they decided to create a video with the production of all the tracks already recorded and use it at the concerts.
The only one who did not want to sing in those choirs was the bassist, John Deacon, although it did appear in the video clip which, by the way, was filmed on 35 mm film and gave the idea to the future creator of the MTV about how effective it would be to have a television specialized in music videos.
Another issue that bothered its reception among the public was its duration, 5:55. And it was also a song without a chorus, completely crazy for its time. The number 555 can have different meanings depending on the context. In numerology, it symbolizes profound changes and freedom; Spiritually, it is a sign that it is time to let go of the past and open to the new.
But its long duration and lack of chorus had an ally in Freddie’s friend DJ Kenny Everett, who helped a lot at the radio station where he worked, playing the song up to 14 times the same day. This led, logically, to listeners beginning to request it and make it viral.
It was a total success and remained in the number 1 on the British charts many weeks. Coincidentally, the song that dethroned her from the podium of the European charts was Oh mama, from the swedish group ABBA (between mothers there was the issue: Oh my goodness / my goodness / my goodness let me go…). Then the song returned to number 1 when Freddie Mercury died and also when the film was released in 2018. Bohemian Rhapsody.
They said that when Freddie, being at home, had an idea come to mind, he would immediately start writing it down. If he was lying in bed, It had a piano as a headboard and he began to play the notes, raising his arms above his head. In fact, in the videos, Freddie is seen performing the song on the piano and crossing his hands while playing, exactly as he must have done when he was in bed.
I was lucky enough to go to the Queen concert in Madrid on Sunday August 3, 1986 in the field of Rayo Vallecano and there they played that song, which was mine and that of thousands of spectators. The following week, they played at Knebworth Park, England, where Queen’s last concert with Freddie would be held. will always be remembered “Hey, there!” their war cry on stage, making us complicit in their performances.
I met the most special person in my life (and still is), listening to this song. She was a telephone receptionist and between calls she played videos of Youtube background. When I first saw her, I was watching Freddie and his Bohemian. Shortly after, I gave him the entire Queen discography. Thanks to that gift I got a great “Victory”.
Today, October 31, 50 years ago it went on sale Bohemian Rhapsody and, as the theme says, the wind will blow carrying it everywhere and for many years, and whatever happens it will always be eternal.