MovieChat Forums > Bohemian Rhapsody (2018) Discussion > A question for Queen fans:

A question for Queen fans:

posted 6 years ago by Otter (24464)
5 replies | jump to latest

Can I ask someone who knows about the history of the band, since everyone knows this film wasn't all that historically accurate?

My question is: Is Freddie the one who really pushed the band into the big time?

Because the film made it look like Freddie was the one who pushed them to record and dress up and do what it took to hit the big time, like sell the van for studio time, and that without him they'd have been just another bar band that broke up with the members got real jobs. Which certainly seems likely enough, May and Taylor sure look like they'd planned on other professions. So can anyone tell me how much truth there is in that part of the story?

Thanks!

[–] hoosiergirl (222) 6 years ago

I honestly don't know the answer to that, but I do remember seeing one of those biography type shows some years back and John Deacon (the real John Deacon) was speaking about how they came up with ideas for music videos, etc. He said that often Freddie was the one to come up with outrageous ideas and "for lack of a better idea, we just went with it".

[–] TandyMan (11349) 6 years ago

Queen as we know it was probably Freddie's vision. But they may well have evolved into a solid rock band without him.

[–] QueenFanUSA (3379) 6 years ago

They all had college degrees which is rare in a rock band so they did know they could have good careers if the band didn't work out. As far as ambition for "stardom", John Deacon seemed to have the least and wasn't confident in the band's future until the third album(Sheer Heart Attack) took off in the U.S. and spawned the hit single Killer Queen.

May and Taylor had always been ambitious and actually had a short-lived contract with Mercury(ironic, eh?) Records with Smile. Having said that, Freddie"s ambition and vision was on a whole other level. He was the driving force that never questioned their ultimate success and pushed their music and image in directions in ways they definitely would not have done without him.

[–] Otter (24464) 6 years ago

Was Mercury really working as a baggage handler when he joined the band? Because if so then he was the only one without another outlet for his ambition and talent, and would want to go all-or-nothing, while the others were wondering whether to go back to grad school.

They had to have been the most highly educated top forty band ever.

[–] QueenFanUSA (3379) 6 years ago

I don't know if he was working at British Airlines at the time he joined the band bit I do know that his joining the band was much more gradual than the film portrays
He had been friends with Brian and Roger for a while before joining. He even shared a stall with Roger selling clothes.