| Sebastian 09.10.2009 12:06 |
This has been a very nice topic on QOL, so I though I'd bring it here: Big hits have loads of grey and coloured areas, and IMO the only things we can be sure about CLTCL are: * It was written on guitar, not upright piano as the old legend stated. * At least a part of it was done in (at least) one loo, which was definitely located in a posh facility in Western Europe. * Freddie didn't go overboard with it, and instead kept it simple, which is part of its beauty - and part of the reason why he liked it. * It was recorded in June / July 1979 at Musicland Studios, Munich, (then West) Germany, owned at the time by Mr Moroder. Mack produced. * Brian was absent during most of the sessions, which included a backing track of bass, drums and guitar, the latter recorded by Freddie. * Backing track was recorded while they were at least a bit tipsy. * Both the style and the concert performances were influenced by Elvis (e.g. the three-chord comment). * It was the band's first #1 hit in the States. Things that could probably be true, but could also be false and a result of either Chinese whispers or gossip or good old human misremembered stuff after several years: * It was their first recording with Mack (still in a no-synth phase for the band, though it could simply reflect the style of the song). * Fred recorded the original solo, then Dr May replaced it. * Brian came in later on and recorded both the guitar bit and some backing vocals. * Instead of being double-tracked per se, the acoustic guitar is stereo-panned from a single take (not necessarily a first). * It inspired Lennon to record again. * It was the last song Fred wrote on guitar (at least until 1984). It was, however, NOT the only song where he played guitar on the record. Things that could easily be false: * John Deacon recorded the acoustic guitar (in spite of such thing having been commented a couple of times by close sources). He could have, theoretically, patched up some things in the case Fred made a mistake or two - according to Mack, they started editing backing tracks when he came along. Things that are completely false: * Elvis wrote it (he was already dead and any way, he was a performer, not a songwriter, unlike Freddie who was both). * Fred wrote it on upright piano. I should add this stuff to my website… for some reason, I feel my best stuff goes always to on-line discussions while what I keep in ‘Bechstein Debauchery’ is way too basic and ‘cold’, for lack of a better word. |
| Dusta 10.10.2009 01:01 |
I have nothing intellectual to add to this, but, wanted to comment that these are my favorite types of threads, and, the chief reason I keep returning to Queenzone. Very interesting, and, I admit, I'd probably knock over a few folks to get to the real story on some of the suggestions you posted! |
| john bodega 10.10.2009 04:13 |
You've reminded me of a topic I've wanted to start for a while ... "How many songs started Lennon off?". I've heard people suggest CLTCL, Rock Lobster, Coming Up by Paul McCartney .... and a few more ... Cool post though. I have to say I've never heard the upright piano thing. |
| 4 x Vision 10.10.2009 12:44 |
Sebastian wrote: * Both the style and the concert performances were influenced by Elvis (e.g. the three-chord comment). Hi Sebastian, great topics you've started... very interesting. Freddie was a big Elvis fan, but is the three chord comment able to put down as truth... it would mean Freddie would HAVE to have seen Elvis' last ever live performance (Elvis In Concert... which possibly he did)... it was only shown once 2 months before Elvis dies on CBS in America. Never released properly, only bootleg. I asked this a long while ago as I'm a fan of both Freddie and Elvis and was really curious, but it wasn't confirmed. Do we know if Freddie EVER seen Elvis live in the 70's??? |
| john bodega 10.10.2009 13:52 |
I dunno, it's possible (I won't argue the probability of it though) that Freddie thought up the 3 chord comment himself. I've seen them both say it and it's not identical. But if it was a slightly older "Elvis-ism" then Freddie might've aped it. Who knows! |
| 4 x Vision 10.10.2009 15:20 |
Zebonka12 wrote: I dunno, it's possible (I won't argue the probability of it though) that Freddie thought up the 3 chord comment himself. I've seen them both say it and it's not identical. But if it was a slightly older "Elvis-ism" then Freddie might've aped it. Who knows! Zeb, do we know what concerts Freddie did attend, either before or during Queen??? |
| Sebastian 10.10.2009 16:11 |
Van Basten 9 wrote:Sebastian wrote: * Both the style and the concert performances were influenced by Elvis (e.g. the three-chord comment).Hi Sebastian, great topics you've started... very interesting. Freddie was a big Elvis fan, but is the three chord comment able to put down as truth... it would mean Freddie would HAVE to have seen Elvis' last ever live performance (Elvis In Concert... which possibly he did)... it was only shown once 2 months before Elvis dies on CBS in America. Never released properly, only bootleg. I asked this a long while ago as I'm a fan of both Freddie and Elvis and was really curious, but it wasn't confirmed. Do we know if Freddie EVER seen Elvis live in the 70's??? Fred wouldn't HAVE to have seen Elvis on stage to learn about that comment. Keep in mind that: * You're assuming Elvis only said that thing on that concert and never before or after, and never privately. When you assume you make an... and BTW, judging by The King's personality, he probably 'tried' the three-chord joke many times in his life, so many people close to him (and that includes managers, fans, people who worked on his jet, etc) could know about it. * Fred could've learnt about it from a manager, a bellboy, common celebrity hearsay, etc. I of course can't ensure he deliberately based his remark on Elvis but, seeing that it's an Elvis-like song and he even emulated his accent, having him saying a similar comment about his guitar skills would be way too rare for a coincidence. BTW, Elvis was indeed one of the many singers Freddie (and people close to him before 2004) mentioned as one of his idols. Others were Robert Plant, Aretha Franklin, Paul Young, Michael Jackson, etc... but d'you know who was never in any of those lists? Paul Rodgers! |
| mooghead 10.10.2009 16:30 |
Sebastian wrote:Van Basten 9 wrote:Others were Robert Plant, Aretha Franklin, Paul Young, Michael Jackson,Sebastian wrote: * Both the style and the concert performances were influenced by Elvis (e.g. the three-chord comment).Hi Sebastian, great topics you've started... very interesting. Freddie was a big Elvis fan, but is the three chord comment able to put down as truth... it would mean Freddie would HAVE to have seen Elvis' last ever live performance (Elvis In Concert... which possibly he did)... it was only shown once 2 months before Elvis dies on CBS in America. Never released properly, only bootleg. I asked this a long while ago as I'm a fan of both Freddie and Elvis and was really curious, but it wasn't confirmed. Do we know if Freddie EVER seen Elvis live in the 70's??? Love the way you bunch 80's chancer Paul Young with those others. You forgot Gareth Gates, Right Said Fred and Blue... lol |
| john bodega 10.10.2009 17:02 |
Sebastian wrote: too rare for a coincidence.Technically that's impossible, but in this case for sure - Freddie almost certainly had the chance to hear Elvis crack the joke first. Err... what I mean by impossible is that coincidences aren't governed by their probability. That's semantics though, just pretend I didn't say anything! |
| john bodega 10.10.2009 17:02 |
Double post wooooo! |
| 4 x Vision 10.10.2009 17:47 |
Sebastian wrote:Van Basten 9 wrote:* You're assuming Elvis only said that thing on that concert and never before or after, and never privately. When you assume you make an... and BTW, judging by The King's personality, he probably 'tried' the three-chord joke many times in his life, soSebastian wrote: * Both the style and the concert performances were influenced by Elvis (e.g. the three-chord comment).Hi Sebastian, great topics you've started... very interesting. Freddie was a big Elvis fan, but is the three chord comment able to put down as truth... it would mean Freddie would HAVE to have seen Elvis' last ever live performance (Elvis In Concert... which possibly he did)... it was only shown once 2 months before Elvis dies on CBS in America. Never released properly, only bootleg. I asked this a long while ago as I'm a fan of both Freddie and Elvis and was really curious, but it wasn't confirmed. Do we know if Freddie EVER seen Elvis live in the 70's??? Sorry Seb, but I didn't assume any such thing, in fact it is you who instead assumes that he mentioned it in other concerts or to acquaintances without knowing for fact that he had, is this not true? When you assume you make an... Unless you can give a reputable reference to when he made the "3 chord" quip? I doubt you can, but will gladly retract if you can. I've as many Elvis bootlegs as I have Queen, and have been as much a fan of both for the last 17 years. I listen and enjoy Elvis' concerts as much as Queen's. Not once did he ever mention the 3 chord comment, apart from the Rapid City gig that I mentioned. I don't doubt for a minute that he sang and wrote it with Elvis in mind as you have mentioned though, that is obvious after all. Elvis did speak a lot through some 70s gigs, mainly due to being high as a kite sadly and through severe exhaustion... playing sometimes 3 gigs a day! (Not a big deal though... I only reply as you jumped the gun and in turn contradicted yourself in the process). |
| Sebastian 10.10.2009 20:35 |
Before the acquaintances thing I added PROBABLY, which clears that I wasn't ASSUMING. You, however, said that Fred MUST HAVE been at Elvis' gig, otherwise he wouldn't know the quote... that's indeed ASSUMING. |
| Crisstti 10.10.2009 22:34 |
No one has answered Van Basten's questions about whether Freddie saw Elvis live and who did he see live... I'd love to know as well!. I know someone who warked for him said they saw Aretha Franklin live. |
| YourValentine 11.10.2009 04:50 |
I think the "3 chords" is a very old Rock'n Roll cliché, it does not matter if Freddie heard it from Elvis or someone else. I always thought that his comment on stage was rather a joke about his very basic skills playing the guitar than a historical Elvis quote. It's interesting what you, Seb, said about the start of "myths" in the BoRhap thread. Freddie himself added much to the myths by joking in interviews - remember the "car company" joke. Later many people tend to "mis-remember" and they do not tell what actually happened but they tell what they read or heard somewhere else but they think it's their own recollection. Various people have claimed to have been the only person around when Freddie wrote the song in "the bathroom" which was apparently not a loo but the bathroom in Freddie's Hilton suite in Munich. |
| Sebastian 11.10.2009 07:11 |
Speaking of which... Dr May recently said JH drove a TR3, while Roger had said he drove a TR4. Not that it's a very big mistake (by either one, or both... for all we know it could've been a 3A), but worth mentioning, If by the time I mention Harris' TR4 on my website, I start to get all sorts of insults and death threats from fans thinking it was a 3, I must clear up that I trust Roger's memory way more than I trust Brian's (Rog at least knows My Fairy King's on the first album). |
| 4 x Vision 12.10.2009 15:51 |
Sebastian wrote: Before the acquaintances thing I added PROBABLY, which clears that I wasn't ASSUMING. You, however, said that Fred MUST HAVE been at Elvis' gig, otherwise he wouldn't know the quote... that's indeed ASSUMING. Adding PROBABLY does make you out to be assuming btw. I also didn't say he MUST have seen Elvis... Van Basten 9 (My first comment) Hi Sebastian, great topics you've started... very interesting. Freddie was a big Elvis fan, but is the three chord comment able to put down as truth... it would mean Freddie would HAVE to have seen Elvis' last ever live performance (Elvis In Concert... which possibly he did)... it was only shown once 2 months before Elvis dies on CBS in America. Never released properly, only bootleg. I asked this along while ago as I'm a fan of both Freddie and Elvis and was really curious, but it wasn't confirmed. Do we know if Freddie EVER seen Elvis live in the 70's??? - I asked if he ever saw an Elvis' gig so clearly I wouldn't claim he MUST HAVE been at an Elvis' show. No??? I repeat, only if Freddie had watched the CBS special or had been at an Elvis gig in the 70s (which I doubt as there touring schedule never crossed paths... and anyway it would have been mentioned in one of the many books... especially Freestone's) would he have heard Elvis say this line. I don't normally get to correct one of the Queen authorities on this site so please just give me this one Sebastian lol |