| MakingStarWars.net 02.09.2014 17:12 |
Hi, my name is Jason Ward. I used to post here a long time ago, but I've since changed emails and lost my log in. I'm currently writing a piece for my Star Wars blog but it maybe used in a more professional wayif it works well. I'm writing a piece right now on Freddie Mercury riding atop Darth Vader's shoulders. I was hoping I could appeal to Queen historians on a few facts. - Freddie was on Vader's shoulders for We Will Rock You. - Vader was used from 1978 to 1980 all around the world. - Vader was always during the encore. - The costume changed because Queen bought their props in every country they landed in to avoid customs issues (thinking of Freddie's boobs for I Want to Break Free too). - Wally Versen played Darth Vader. Did Wally Versen also play Superman? I also seem to remember a Queen Fan Club Magazine shipping with Darth Vader on the cover, but Vader was covered by a sticker after Lucasfilm ordered them to cease using the character without permission. I appreciate any help and or fun facts you can contribute to this piece. Thank you! |
| The Real Wizard 02.09.2014 21:00 |
Indeed, it was only for the second encore of We Will Rock You. Earlier he did it on the shoulders of a band bodyguard dressed as Superman for much of 1979, and a Santa at one show in 1977. The Dark Vader gag was just done in 1980 for a few months. I can't give you exact dates since we don't have photos or video of every moment of every show, but to cut a long story short, it was from August to November 1980. It came to a grinding halt when Queen heard from George Lucas' lawyers with a cease and desist order. You'd think he'd be pleased with the free publicity, but alas, that was that. I doubt the customs issue you mentioned had anything to do with it. Can you elaborate on that? |
| Doga 02.09.2014 22:24 |
Wow, i found this picture in Queenlive, reamarkably not noly for the Darth Vader thing, but Freddie wearing just a shirt and a jeans onstage, i thought Queen always had custom clothes for their shows. link |
| GERRYISADICK 02.09.2014 22:52 |
In Montreal '81 he is just wearing jeans the super man logo shirt and a leather jacket . He also wore out fits similar to that in South America |
| The Real Wizard 02.09.2014 23:14 |
Doga wrote: Wow, i found this picture in Queenlive, reamarkably not noly for the Darth Vader thing, but Freddie wearing just a shirt and a jeans onstage, i thought Queen always had custom clothes for their shows. linkThe one and only documented time he dressed that simply. Maybe he left his garb at the hotel? |
| Penetration_Guru 03.09.2014 02:08 |
RE: Fan club mags. No Vader on the cover, and I checked Winter 78 to Spring 82. There's one Superman pic inside one of '79, but no vader anywhere. I also doubt that they'd have been sufficiently confident of getting a decent Vader costume in every country - it would have sat in the wardrobe box and been on the manifest as "mask", a lot less controversial than "fake breasts" |
| ITSM 03.09.2014 02:48 |
In the song "Bicycle Race," Freddie Mercury sings "...and I don't like Star Wars." |
| Doga 03.09.2014 02:53 |
ITSM wrote: In the song "Bicycle Race," Freddie Mercury sings "...and I don't like Star Wars."Good point. Knowing Brian is fan of the series it had been dissapointing for him that tense relations with George Lucas. Wonder what the owners of the Superman rights think about Hammy 79. |
| Vali 03.09.2014 03:31 |
glad to read you here, Jason; I check your site almost daily so to be informed about any Episode VII production update / rumours. Great job you're doing there! re the Freddie / Vader affair, cannot add much more to what's been already said here. The Real Wizard is one of our top-top-top players concerning Queen live and any information he'll provide will be accurate at maximum level ! |
| The Real Wizard 03.09.2014 09:24 |
Doga wrote: Knowing Brian is fan of the series it had been dissapointing for him that tense relations with George Lucas.Yeah, perhaps. But I'd say it was a valuable life lesson of "your heroes can sometimes be dickheads." |
| The Real Wizard 03.09.2014 09:28 |
Vali, you flatter me. What's great is - I'm still learning too ! |
| Vali 03.09.2014 09:48 |
The Real Wizard wrote:indeed !Doga wrote: Knowing Brian is fan of the series it had been dissapointing for him that tense relations with George Lucas.Yeah, perhaps. But I'd say it was a valuable life lesson of "your heroes can sometimes be dickheads." now I recall reading Brian somewhere (soapbox, most likely), telling the (bad) experience he had the first time he crossed paths with George Lucas and how bad he felt when GL practically ignored him, after Brian's approach as a pure StarWars/GL fan. Since then, Brian said he's always tried to bear in mind that horrible moment for him when he's met any of his fans. |
| Chief Mouse 03.09.2014 10:04 |
Vali wrote:The Real Wizard wrote:indeed ! now I recall reading Brian somewhere (soapbox, most likely), telling the (bad) experience he had the first time he crossed paths with George Lucas and how bad he felt when GL practically ignored him, after Brian's approach as a pure StarWars/GL fan. Since then, Brian said he's always tried to bear in mind that horrible moment for him when he's met any of his fans.Doga wrote: Knowing Brian is fan of the series it had been dissapointing for him that tense relations with George Lucas.Yeah, perhaps. But I'd say it was a valuable life lesson of "your heroes can sometimes be dickheads." **Thu 16 Jul 04** NOW I FEEL GUILTY OK - I feel guilty now. Jen just sent me a few very well-expressed letters from some of you who found my ranting confusing. I apologise. I really do. This stuff is hard, and I'm gonna stop ranting about it in future! Gunter, Matt, Sean, Stewart, James, Brian, Emma, Joyce..... you are all right, and I don't know how, even in a perfect world, I would set rules for these things. You're right - it isn't possible. I guess all we can ALL do is use our noddles as much as possible. Yes, I DO know what it's like to stand near someone I respected and admired for years, and not know what to do! So I empathise with what you say, and I don't have the answers. Once, at a screening of one of the Star Wars films, I noticed George Lucas passing close by, maybe on his way home from the reception. My kids and I had shared so much joy from his work I couldn't stop myself turning and saying something like ..." excuse me Mr Lucas, I just want to thank you for the joy you've brought me and my kids..."... He kind of glanced up, but not so far as to meet my eyes, and muttered something like ... "Oh, Yeah, great... where were we headed...?" and walked on. I felt completely squashed and pathetic. It was a lesson. I know he was tired and I was probably the ten thousanth person to say this, in that evening alone, but I also know how I felt. I TRY never to do that to people who say hello to me.... but Lord knows there are times when I just don't have the energy or there's pressure from other quarters, or I'm simply out of patience. So from the bottom of my heart I apologise to anyone who ever got disappointed by me, whilst they were behaving perfectly reasonably. And to those who WEREN'T behaving reasonably ....well..... since it's Thursday, I forgive you!! ha ha!! Anyway all YOU guys reading this on BM.com are great - I'm continually amazed at the kindness and courtesy you extend to me THANKYOU !!! Love Bri http://www.brianmay.com/brian/brianssb/brianssbjul04.html |
| Vali 03.09.2014 17:14 |
Thanks Chief !!! :) |
| The Real Wizard 03.09.2014 20:49 |
Ahhh, Poor Bri. But eloquently explained, as always. |
| noorie 03.09.2014 21:28 |
I remember in one of Brian's interviews he mentioned that when Bicycle Race was released, they got many letters from fans asking if Freddie really did not like Star Wars, and why? |
| GERRYISADICK 03.09.2014 21:32 |
Its ok to hate star wars if its the Prequels you hate |
| Apocalipsis_Darko 03.09.2014 21:56 |
Well, Brian is also sometimes rude with fans so, not poor Brian to me... And they did a tribute to the first George Lucas film in Calling all girls video, so... |
| k-m 04.09.2014 07:27 |
Oh dear, never thought Brian would subscribe into this pish. "Seen and I don't like Star Wars". |
| pittrek 04.09.2014 07:47 |
George can be a real prick, lots of his former employees say various stories :-) I've seen Brian on a documentary about UK premiere of Episode 1 and he seemed to be very happy that he's there. And then he saw the movie ... |
| GERRYISADICK 04.09.2014 08:19 |
Yes he saw Jar Jar and realized star wars was dead like everyone else did |
| MakingStarWars.net 04.09.2014 15:49 |
Thank you for the help! Now the quest pertains to the images. Are the images of Freddie atop Vader's shoulders in the public domain? Were they taken by fans or does someone own them? |
| Penetration_Guru 04.09.2014 16:30 |
Are fans not capable of owning copyright in their own photographs? |
| MakingStarWars.net 04.09.2014 16:51 |
I'm sure fans can. If fans took the photos and gave them away, submitted them to Queen Zone and so on, I think they might be public domain at that point. So that's my question. Do we know how owns them or are they public domain? I've written Queen Zone requesting permission to use their copies of the photos in which they would be cited. |
| musicland munich 05.09.2014 00:19 |
The best way would be to make contact to queenlive.ca / The Real Wizard...the original uploader was Fabio Minero. |
| Penetration_Guru 05.09.2014 17:00 |
MakingStarWars.net wrote: I'm sure fans can. If fans took the photos and gave them away, submitted them to Queen Zone and so on, I think they might be public domain at that point. So that's my question. Do we know how owns them or are they public domain? I've written Queen Zone requesting permission to use their copies of the photos in which they would be cited.Submitted to QZ doesn't give up copyright! To be clear, whatever thesis you're writing could probably get away with using whatever pics you can find on the net anyway, so you should be commended for trying to find the originators, not mocked for not understanding copyright. On which basis, "writing to Queenzone" is definitely not the solution. For a start I doubt you'll get a response in time, and secondly this site cannot claim any copyright in any image a user uploads to it - in fact from the site's point of view it's probably "users post at their own risk" and "if we are contacted by holders of copyright, we'll take down their material". |
| Doga 06.09.2014 03:59 |
musicland munich wrote: The best way would be to make contact to queenlive.ca / The Real Wizard...the original uploader was Fabio Minero.This. That site is awesome. Write to the owner and ask what pictures can you use or who are the original owners of the pictures you want. |
| The Real Wizard 08.09.2014 00:46 |
Doga wrote:Thanks guys !musicland munich wrote: The best way would be to make contact to queenlive.ca / The Real Wizard...the original uploader was Fabio Minero.This. That site is awesome. Write to the owner and ask what pictures can you use or who are the original owners of the pictures you want. I think this is public domain. If so, it's definitely the best one I've got: link |
| jdh226 02.10.2018 15:06 |
Hi all. I know this is an old thread, but I have six unpublished images of Freddie on Darth's shoulders, taken 9/2/80 in Detroit. |
| dysan 03.10.2018 08:15 |
Ooo lets see a couple |
| JomaDuckSoup 03.10.2018 13:48 |
The Real Wizard wrote: Ahhh, Poor Bri. But eloquently explained, as always.That's true. Brian can be a real poet with what he's saying and writing. Very well-educated! |
| Chopin1995 03.10.2018 15:51 |
jdh226 wrote: Hi all. I know this is an old thread, but I have six unpublished images of Freddie on Darth's shoulders, taken 9/2/80 in Detroit.Any news on this? Would it be possible to upload them here? |
| jdh226 08.10.2018 00:21 |
Hi. Sorry for the nasty watermarks but because it’s not yet in the public domain, I need to keep the clean copies close. Lemme know what you think! |
| Chopin1995 15.10.2018 16:17 |
Well, this image looks great, from what I can see. |
