A million thanks Holly - I'd left out the second most obvious!
> but I always understood the meaning to be that it was one of the first of what we would understand as a 'modern video,'
Yes but that's largely arbitrary. It's the same when people claim Hendrix invented or was the first to use feedback: when they're shown a pre-Hendrix usage of it, they make up excuses such as 'yes but that's only a couple seconds.' It's like saying the first World Cup was in 1970 because it was the first one with yellow/red cards, or because it had (relatively) global television coverage... The fact of the matter is, Bo Rhap's not even Queen's first video.
> Either way, it wasn't the "first video," but it certainly helped solidify the modern format.
I think that point is not debated. But again, not the same thing. All in all, most of those 'legends' (or whatever we may call them) have some truth in them... for instance, Brian DID co-write Bijou, but he was more involved in composing the vocal parts, while Fred wrote the guitar parts (that Brian played magnificently).
> It's never really bothered me not knowing who wrote a particular song.
And you're entitled not to be bothered by it. People are different. You're right that it's not hard science and it's got some thin borderlines sometimes. The example I like to use is Knocking on Heaven's Door: when GnR covered it, they created new guitar parts, a new bass-line, new drum bits, new piano lines, even made modifications to the melody and added previously unexisting harmonies, etc.... but the song is still Bob Dylan's - they arranged a new version, but they didn't write or co-write the piece.
According to that, if Brian wrote the Days of Our Lives solo, he's still not a co-writer of the song, as the solo's based on the chord progression already created by Roger. Rog built the house, Brian helped painting it: not the same thing. A counterexample would be those where one person writes the lyrics and another composes the music, or songs coming from different sections by different people (e.g. Blink-182's Feeling This).
> I think it's presumptuous to assume EVERY Queen-credited song has a single writer.
Not all, but most. Exceptions are the cases mentioned above: lyrics + music written separately, or song coming from different sections put together.
> Stone Cold Crazy = Queen
Minus John, as they already played it long before he joined.
> Under Pressure = Queen & David Bowie
Minus John (he didn't even write the bass-line), minus Brian (he did collaborate on the arrangement), minus Roger (he loved the song and all, but he was barely involved in inventing it). Music's basically Freddie's and lyrics + melody are Fred + David.
> Soul Brother = Queen
Actually, it's Freddie, both lyrics and music.
> One Vision = Queen
Minus John (he admitted so). IMO, Fred's involvement was more of a copy-writer (lyric-wise) and an arranger/producer (music-wise). But then again, it's subjective.
> Party = FM
Musically, yes. But lyrics were written by the three of them: Brian, John and Fred.
> Khashoggi's Ship = FM
Musically, yes. But lyrics were a four-way split.
> The Miracle = FM
Musically, yes. But lyrics were a four-way split.
> Rain Must Fall =FM (or JD?)
Actually it's 'and' rather than 'or'. John composed the music, Freddie wrote the lyrics.
> Scandal = BM
Yes, at least chiefly. But I've always wondered about something: on GVHII the rule was reversed for IWIA and not for this one. Suspicious...
> My Baby Does Me = FM
And JD.
> Was It All Worth It = Queen
Lyrically, yes. Musically, it's Freddie's.
> Hang On In There = Queen
AFAIK, that one's Fred's too.
> My Life Has Been Saved = FM or JD
Just JD. Fred loved it and sang on it, but it was already written by the time he heard it.
> Innuendo = Queen
Minus John (he wasn't even present for most of the sessions), minus Brian (he did work on the arrangement [painted the house but didn't co-build it]). Lyrics were started off by Fred and finished by Roger, music is Freddie's.
> Don't Try So Hard = FM or JD (or FM + JD)
No JD involvement at all.
> The Hitman = FM
Yes but not exclusively. That one's probably the most debatable.
> The Show Must Go On = BM (or BM + FM, or Queen)
That's the one which is the closest to being a Queen creation: the sequence (which represents ca 80% of the functional harmony) was by John and Roger, lyrics were started off by Freddie and Brian and finished by the latter, melody was by Brian. So it's a four-way split but not 25-25-25-25.
> Mother Love = FM + BM
Yes but that one was never credited to Queen in the first place.
> You Don't Fool Me = DR
Another grey area.
> No One But You = BM
Yes but that one was never credited to Queen in the first place.
> Songs like One Vision we've seen the whole band working on.
Minus John.
> WIAWI sounds like a band collaboration, even if one person penned most or all of the lyrics...
Actually, it's the other way around: lyrics are by the four of them, music's by one.
I always thought that Bo Rhap was the first ever music clip distributed on the video format (vhs?), whereas earlier music clips were distributed on film.