| MusicWoman 20.01.2019 21:46 |
Hello everyone! I am trying to clarify how the amazing song "We Are The Champions" came about... In the book "Freddie Mercury: His Life in His Own Words", it says; ...When we performed it at a private concert in London, the fans actually broke into a football chant between numbers. But I read that the song was made after the "incident" happened in a gig at Bingley Hall in Stafford on 29 May 1977. link Did Freddie simply forget where it happened? Or does anyone know which "private concert" it was?? THANK YOU! |
| NastyQueenie74 20.01.2019 22:47 |
We Will Rock You came from the incident at Stafford. IIRC We Are The Champions was written in late 1975. Maybe it was about bo rhap |
| Thrill Yeti 20.01.2019 23:39 |
Heard many times that Freddie wrote WATC in 1975ish and then pulled it out for News of The World, but not sure I've seen it confirmed. Does anyone have an actual quote? |
| Ale Solan 21.01.2019 00:29 |
Thrill Yeti wrote: Heard many times that Freddie wrote WATC in 1975ish and then pulled it out for News of The World, but not sure I've seen it confirmed. Does anyone have an actual quote?Both, WATC and Under Pressure were written in 1975 link |
| Sebastian 21.01.2019 00:59 |
Thrill Yeti wrote: Heard many times that Freddie wrote WATC in 1975ish and then pulled it out for News of The World, but not sure I've seen it confirmed. Does anyone have an actual quote?ANATO 30th anniversary DVD, Audio Commentary, you can hear Frederick himself saying it. IIRC, the interview in question was also released a few years back for that 'On Air' compilation. |
| stevelondon20 21.01.2019 07:20 |
Frederick! You're a legend Seb. |
| Ale Solan 21.01.2019 10:10 |
stevelondon20 wrote: Frederick! You're a legend Seb.Wee all luv Federico! |
| stevelondon20 21.01.2019 12:42 |
Haha!! |
| vin221 21.01.2019 15:51 |
I remember watching a documentary years ago where David Minns stated that he bought Freddie a book of Japanese Haiku's (perhaps during their 1974 tour?) and one of the poems was called "You Are My Champion". I remember David stating that this may have been the inspiration for writing the song in 1975 before shelving it for 2 years. Anyone else remember seeing this clip? |
| stevelondon20 21.01.2019 17:53 |
Don't remember seeing that mate. Great if it's true though! |
| Thrill Yeti 21.01.2019 22:02 |
Thanks Sebastian. I don't have that DVD, so I'd be interested to know the specific quote if anyone has it. Does he actually say 1975, or does he just say he generally had the song knocking around for a bit before he recorded it? Also worth noting that the song was to some extent changed (and thus, in a sense, written) in the NOTW sessions, as we've got the rough mix from the anniversary edition which ends with four choruses and solo. |
| Ale Solan 21.01.2019 22:38 |
Thrill Yeti wrote: Thanks Sebastian. I don't have that DVD, so I'd be interested to know the specific quote if anyone has it. Does he actually say 1975, or does he just say he generally had the song knocking around for a bit before he recorded it?Yes, Freddie says clearly he wrote it in 1975 for the ANATO album. |
| MusicWoman 22.01.2019 10:01 |
Thank you everyone! So interesting that Freddie wrote all those amazing songs year before the release. Wonder how many more he had in his brain. Love the episode of the Japanese Haiku... would love to know if it's true! So, does anyone know at which private London concert the crowd sang "a football chant between numbers"? |
| *goodco* 22.01.2019 10:09 |
Ale, refreshing to visit this site again (with the mods doing their jobs), and then be able to see and enjoy some cleverness. Thanks for the article:-) |
| Sebastian 22.01.2019 15:07 |
Here's the source: Frederick Mercury speaking to Graham Neale on the BBC Radio One programme 'Saturday Live'. The interview was first broadcast in September 1984 and is commercially available on Queen On Air, CD 5, Track 6. And here's the transcript: 'I mean, I remember when I was writing "Bohemian Rhapsody", I had a song called "We Are the Champions", but I just think feel that it fitted at the time and I just kept it aside and it’s, virtually, I think, about two or three years later that I sort of pulled it out of the bag again and there you are, so you... you can never tell.' |
| Ale Solan 22.01.2019 16:26 |
vin221 wrote: I remember watching a documentary years ago where David Minns stated that he bought Freddie a book of Japanese Haiku's (perhaps during their 1974 tour?) and one of the poems was called "You Are My Champion". I remember David stating that this may have been the inspiration for writing the song in 1975 before shelving it for 2 years. Anyone else remember seeing this clip?Freddie said in another interview about looking for his own "My Way" ballad-type for Queen... maybe that was his main inspiration to write WATC. Fred: "I was thinking about football when I wrote it. I wanted a participation song, something that the fans could latch on to. Of course, I've given it more theatrical subtlety than an ordinary football chant. I suppose it could also be construed as my version of 'My Way.' We have made it, and it certainly wasn't easy. No bed of roses as the song says. And it's still not easy." |
| Ale Solan 22.01.2019 16:27 |
*goodco* wrote: Ale, refreshing to visit this site again (with the mods doing their jobs), and then be able to see and enjoy some cleverness. Thanks for the article:-)Glad you liked the article LOL ;) |
| Thrill Yeti 22.01.2019 21:13 |
So if Fred wrote WATC in 1975, NOTW was a pretty bad album for him, writing-wise, wasn't it? Only two songs, and one of them was Get Down Make Love! Christ. |
| Sebastian 22.01.2019 21:26 |
Yes. Frederick seemed to have reached a plateau in 1975 and then gradually declined. His songs on the 'Races' album are great, but there were 'only' four of them (compared to five on 'Opera', six and a half on 'Heart', six on 'II' and five on the debut, though those figures may change slightly depending on a number of factors). Frederick used to write more songs than Brian for the first four albums, then they were tied, and then on 'News' Brian surpassed him. By 'Jazz', things reverted back to Frederick being more prolific. |
| The Circle of Eidolon 22.01.2019 23:52 |
Sebastian wrote: Yes. Frederick seemed to have reached a plateau in 1975 and then gradually declined. His songs on the 'Races' album are great, but there were 'only' four of them (compared to five on 'Opera', six and a half on 'Heart', six on 'II' and five on the debut, though those figures may change slightly depending on a number of factors). Frederick used to write more songs than Brian for the first four albums, then they were tied, and then on 'News' Brian surpassed him. By 'Jazz', things reverted back to Frederick being more prolific.The Circle of Eidolon agrees with this post |
| FunLovinCriminal 23.01.2019 01:13 |
Please, people! WATC was conceived by FM when he became friends with the future Queen of Hearts, Lady Diana Spencer. Paul Gambaccini was there when the two ladies had met for the first time. Their friendship was ignited on the spot. And Paul, as you can guess, had „that sinking feeling“ instantaneously. But then trouble came in the statue of Barbara Valentin, who felt very let down by Freddie, when he went out clubbing with Diana (Windsor, by that time) a lot. They even went out jogging together in Hyde Park, while they were living quite close to each other. Barbara tried to stop Freddie from seeing the princess, but Freddie, the ever loyal, caring man he was, asked Mary Austin instead to get rid of Barbara. Austin did as he wished and Freddie went on to become a regular guest at Kensington Palace. In fact, The Miracle was co-composed by Freddie and Diana while they were on a roll in Charles's bedroom. David Wigg, who was there as well, remembers a man and a woman being at one with themselves. Diana also often found refuge in the mews-building attached to Garden Lodge. Yes, people, the real truth had never been revealed before. But I found the time had come for all my friends around the world to know the truth. |
| The Real Wizard 23.01.2019 20:38 |
Ale Solan wrote: Fred: "I was thinking about football when I wrote it. I wanted a participation song, something that the fans could latch on to. Of course, I've given it more theatrical subtlety than an ordinary football chant. I suppose it could also be construed as my version of 'My Way.' We have made it, and it certainly wasn't easy. No bed of roses as the song says. And it's still not easy."Was this audio or in print? |
| Ale Solan 23.01.2019 22:55 |
The Real Wizard wrote:In print, maybe there is audio around. I also remember seeing this quote at an article on Rolling Stone years ago.Ale Solan wrote: Fred: "I was thinking about football when I wrote it. I wanted a participation song, something that the fans could latch on to. Of course, I've given it more theatrical subtlety than an ordinary football chant. I suppose it could also be construed as my version of 'My Way.' We have made it, and it certainly wasn't easy. No bed of roses as the song says. And it's still not easy."Was this audio or in print? |
| liam 24.01.2019 03:38 |
What would WATC have sounded like on ANATO? Much more pompous? Larger, bigger harmonies? More guitar orchestration? Interesting thought. |
| bucsateflon 24.01.2019 21:43 |
Depends how Brian would have reacted to the song in 1975. |
| ForFreddie 25.01.2019 06:13 |
Brian said, in an interview I just read, WATC, was about everyone...the band and the fans, Freddie was saying, they're all champions. |
| bucsateflon 25.01.2019 09:38 |
Brian said he was not happy with the first guitars he laid on the track and asked Freddie to delay the completion of the song until he came up with something better. |
