QueenZone discussion #1503112

The Real Wizard wrote: Pretty easy. Prenter burned all of their bridges in one shot. Every phone call that came in, he said "Freddie doesn't want to talk to you." And there went a decade of building up relationships in the US. There is no shortage of people who worked with Queen who will unequivocally state that Prenter is the worst thing that ever happened to that band. But of course that isn't the only reason Queen had troubles in the US after 1982.

RadioDaDa wrote: I just find it hard that 1 man ( even tho he was a piece of crap ) would be responsible for that. If every album after the game was hotter than the next in America, it would be impossible for 1 guy to keep the band away from a continent.

Daniel Nester wrote: This is a letter from Brian May, which originally appeared in News of the World: The Newsletter for Queen Fans. He is attempting to answer the question of whether Queen “gave up” on American fans after the 1982 tour behind the Hot Space album, which failed to go gold. He is addressing the newsletter’s editor, Cola Todd. 26th March 1997 Dear Cola: Now I would like to answer the Big Question that you ask. America was our great pride and joy as we grew of age as a band. Throughout the late 70s we worked very hard, touring many months of every year, and a large proportion of that time was spent in the States. I guess we took pride in the fact that every time we came back, usually with another album on the shelves, the response got bigger and bigger. We felt that we were earning our wings, as it were, and that the following we had was a genuine word-of-mouth thing, based on the uniqueness of the Queen shows, etc. We also put in time at Radio when we were passing through, particularly Roger and I, so that there was a continuing direct connection between us and the public. As far as I can tell, a number of things happened with the last Queen U.S. tour: 1) The Hot Space album was perceived by Radio as Queen forsaking Rock and Roll for Disco – out timing was perhaps a little premature, which was evident when you compare with material with what Michael Jackson was to be doing with Ed Van Halen and Slash in years to come. 2) Relations with Radio was not taken care of – we had a new man in charge of Promotion on the road, who, unknown to us at the time, was very high handed and rude with the media people and gave them the impression that we no longer cared. We only later discovered the huge extent of the damage much later, when trying to get Freddie’s solo record played. There was great resentment (radio people, like the rest of us, need to feel loved, and important!), and word of mouth on our tour was distorted by people who now wanted to see us fail. 3) We got caught in the crossfire of an attempt by Capital Records to withdraw from the Independent Promotion Circus (a.k.a. Payola) which dominated radio plays at that time. Capital dropped the man who was the lynch pin of their connection with the network of the radio station bribery, and the next week, 95 per cent of radio stations dropped our record, Radio Ga Ga. You can check this out in the record books. There was also the convenient rumours that the lyrics of the song were demeaning to Radio programmers, so there was a handy excuse available. Capital had been made an example of, by those in control, and we were the instrument. 4) We made a video in drag, as a spoof on a soap series, which was viewed as very funny, and something of an innovation, in Europe, but to the media in the U.S., it was seen as a threat to Morality. Yes, seriously – I was around to see the reaction of the TV people first-hand – they were horrified! Again, some of the media were looking for fuel for the fires of hatred (or at least distrust!), and a Homophobic undertone that further undermined Queen’s image in the U.S. The rest of the world did not seem to find this a problem. Which brings us to: 5) When the question of touring came up, we always looked at reactions to our latest album around the world. There was a massive explosion of interest in most of the countries of South America, in Africa, in the East, in Eastern Europe, and part of Western Europe which had been slow in the early days while were enjoying great recognition in North America. It made sense (and fun!) to go touring in the countries where there was growth and even hysteria, rather than flogging a Dead Horse in the US, where we felt there was a tide of something which for our interests and purposes was not dissimilar to McCarthyism which has driven the previous generation’s artists out. And there was a stubborn streak in Freddie, it has to be said, which was determined not to go back anywhere where we would be SMALLER then we had been before. Having toured football stadiums in most of the civilized world, it would have been depressing to go back to the U.S. and do theatres – or at least Freddie was adamant that this was so. To be honest, without this insistence we probably would have eaten humble pie and gone back, as Elton did, and with respect all over again. But in the event, the decision was to wait. For a renaissance that never came. I guess I was eager to show my feelings later; my blind faith in touring my own Brian May Band in the States, was a nice reaffirmation that we have loyal fans and great friends, but a disastrous demonstration of how little the word spread, and how-to-lose-a-lot-of-money-very-quickly! It was also very hard for me to keep up morale of my band, playing a show designed for fair-sized arenas to audiences in tiny clubs. So you see, we did not really give up the U.S.A. without a fight – we just postponed it, in hopes that the Right Time would come. We certainly dreamed, the quality of Made in Heaven being acclaimed so highly, and sales around the world being so phenomenal, that America would respond after Freddie’s death if not before. But it was not meant to be. I guess we just didn’t play the necessary games. Or maybe it’s in the Future…! But I doubt it. Music becomes a huge part of people’s emotional life, but always at the moment when it is ringing in the ears everywhere. There is a huge chunk of Queen music which rang from Budapest to Buenos Aires to Beijing, but was silent in America. That can never be changed now. But there are people like yourselves who tuned in regardless, and all I can say is “Thanks Folks!” - Brian May

runner_70 wrote: How can Brians statement be compared to Trumps drivel????

RadioDaDa wrote: Happystar— we all know how most felt about Preter. In all honest if he didn’t run to the tabloids with the hurtful stories for $$$ I don’t think he would be as hated. The forum was mostly on explaining Brian’s comments about Prenter being almost the sole reason queen lost America.

FunLovinCriminal wrote: Regarding Paul Prenter: Freddie was intelligent enough to have Prenter get in the way of him communicating with the band and its management.

The Real Wizard wrote:

FunLovinCriminal wrote: Regarding Paul Prenter: Freddie was intelligent enough to have Prenter get in the way of him communicating with the band and its management.

Plenty of people who were there would say otherwise. Prenter had Mercury in the palm of his hand. He introduced Mercury to the gay club scene, giving him the freedom he so deeply craved. Even the band came second place to it. It tore them apart for years. The band finally had an intervention with him after Live Aid, saying "it's him or us", and we all know which one he picked.

Panchgani wrote:

The Real Wizard wrote:

FunLovinCriminal wrote: Regarding Paul Prenter: Freddie was intelligent enough to have Prenter get in the way of him communicating with the band and its management.

Plenty of people who were there would say otherwise. Prenter had Mercury in the palm of his hand. He introduced Mercury to the gay club scene, giving him the freedom he so deeply craved. Even the band came second place to it. It tore them apart for years. The band finally had an intervention with him after Live Aid, saying "it's him or us", and we all know which one he picked.

Can you please elaborate on this and provide a reference? I have wondered whether the fear of AIDs or a positive HIV test had helped prod Freddie to suddenly abandon Munich and settle down with Jim at the Garden Lodge.

whoman89 wrote: I've never really understood America reacting badly to the drag in I want to Break Free. They loved Monty Python and they were dressing up in womens clothing long before Queen were even a thing.

FunLovinCriminal wrote: They simply should have continued touring, but Freddies HIV-status just simply did not allow him to travel to and in the US.

9kat5 wrote: @Martin Packer - Yes, he did and the Heaven t-shirt as well :) Not hiding anything, and no need to hide anything. @FunLovinCriminal - Yes, your description of America in the 80's and 90's regarding the growing acceptance, empathy due to AIDS, and then even greater acceptance, of the gay community gets it precisely right. I don't know if you, like me, were around back then, but as a now 59 yo grandma, I can say that, as I did in my earlier post, Freddie's gayness would have been a non-issue. And I was then a college student in the *Dallas area - aka the "buckle" of the Bible Belt. Some of my friends didn't like the mustache/short haircut look Freddie adopted. But we loved, LOVED the music. Lots of metal, lots of rock fans in the Texas college crowd. Millions of Texas rock and metal fans. Queen could have filled Reunion Arena or the Convention Center in Dallas throughout the 80's. I didn't hear that Queen supposedly "lost" America until this new movie came out. My reaction remains, "Huh?" At no time, including after Freddie changed his look which was pretty much equivalent to announcing "I am gay," was there a backlash against Queen, at least not among my crowd. We were mildly surprised to discover Freddie Mercury was gay, wished he would grow his hair back and lose the moustache, then cranked their music up and wanted more Queen. This is my memory of my reaction and my friends' reactions. We just didn't care, though had Freddie asked us lol, we wld have said "shave the moustache off please Freddie" but since Freddie liked it, and, most importantly, since he continued to be Freddie, with all the gloriousness of Freddie, and since Queen continued to be Queen, Freddie being gay barely registered. We assumed rock stars slept around - Mick Jagger, Aerosmith, David Bowie - androgyny was in! I hope somehow Brian, Roger, and John read these forums. I really want them to know - there were plenty, millions and millions and millions, of American fans who never turned their backs on Queen. Ever. We would have gone to concerts. We never heard Radio GaGa or I Want to Break Free on our American radio when those songs were released. I don't know why they were not played on Amerucan radio stations. We would have loved those songs. Something else happened, it was not American youth rejecting Queen. The American college crowd never rejected Queen. And if I can say that from my college vantage point in 80's Texas, I think my experience was pretty much repeated throughout the land, not just on the coasts. Had Queen toured, the arenas would have been full throughout America.

9kat5 wrote: Queen could have filled Reunion Arena or the Convention Center in Dallas throughout the 80's. I didn't hear that Queen supposedly "lost" America until this new movie came out.

We never heard Radio Ga Ga or I Want to Break Free on our American radio when those songs were released. I don't know why they were not played on Amerucan radio stations.