After watching 'The Great Pretender' is apparent according to Jim Beach's side of the story that Freddie got freaked out about collaborating with Michael Jackson because he insisted on bringing his pet llama to the studio.
Another version I remember hearing about their fall-out is that MJ caught Freddie snorting coke when he was staying at his place.
So which one of these is true?
Well I've heard the coke story long time before the lama story... which is much more imaginable while the lama story is a little more suitable for the public! Freddie was on a permanent party trip that time in the early 80's and I can't imagine it was difficult to buy coke in Hollywood as a rock star - or for Paul Prenter :-)
'Freddie was going to be on the Thriller album but Michael sacked him because he found him snorting coke' isn't really appropriate for a documentary about Freddie.
I've seen two Rush documentaries. I remember the first one they said their original drummer (sorry I don't know his name) stopped touring with them because he wanted to be with his family or something light-hearted. Then in the second one they said he was an alcoholic and that he couldn't handle another tour...
I get why they would want to keep it positive towards Freddie's image. I don't think too many people would be shocked to find out he did coke as a rockstar in the 70's/80's. The llama thing is funny. And the coke story could very well be another rumor... So I guess I don't really care.
Those cover stories about John Rutsey were only put out there because the truth was pretty embarrassing. He had to stop playing when his drumsticks got lodged up his nose when he fell off an alpaca named Thriller he used to ride to concerts. Or I might be mixing that up with elements of other rock lore. Maybe never mind.
According to Peter Freestone's book Freddie was taken on a tour of Jackson's home and was showing him around when they came upon the little zoo Jackson had and that's when he was introduced to the llama. Fred of course was wearing white jeans and complained afterwards that he was covered in llama shit. As for the coke? I'm not sure if he was caught doing it in the presence of MJ but I read that he looked down upon the drug and Freddie's usage.I doubt he would flaunt a drug like that in front of him. He was so discreet and private he must have just wanted to keep that kind of thing within his inner circle.
Well coke or lama. This was queen making a documentary and clearing the point why
the fm/mj colaberation ended.
Rhys didn't have to make this point clear he could left the reason out.the same point why there is no explaination why the queen + gib or queen + bowie coloberation ended.
So for me mj disapproved fm his use if drugs. And fm got fed up by mj because he was behaving like 4 year old child. But imagine what would/ could have bern when they made a full album together.,,
A total flop/ or total succes.,. Both were talents but fm wasn't in his most creative period (prenter)...
In hinsight I wish the Lama was a coke
addict and fm and mj made a duet album..
I have a hard time believing anyone in the music business wouldn't work with someone because of drugs. I know Michael Jackson was sheltered from reality but surely not THAT sheltered. The equivalent would be to say that a Hollywood actor refused to be on set with any actress who's had botox. It simply wouldn't happen.
Maybe the two didn't really click. Tried to record a few songs together and it wasn't there and the reason why they never finished the project was because there wasn't really the inclination on the part of one or both of them. Essentially it was a combination of a man used to getting his own way entirely and a guy who was a bit temperamental and used to having blazing rows over every tiny aspect of recording. It's no real surprise they didn't 'get on', is it?
what, with those nice people at Pepsi doing their best to turn poor Michael into a human fireball, you'd think he'd have been more inclined towards Coke :-)
Why? Would the universe implode? Is it a law of physics?
It'd certainly be a rare occurrence but not impossible. Maybe that sort of thing happens in 0.001% of the cases and the Jackury collab was one of them.