| ds9294 06.07.2015 18:01 |
Hi! does anyone know (im not even sure if this information is even out there) the exact model piano it was that piano wrote Bohemian Rhapsody on? I know he plays a Bechstein in the official video but I'm wondering if theres information/a clear picture of the one he used while writing it. Thanks! |
| Sebastian 06.07.2015 18:17 |
According to Peter Freestone, he wrote it on the 5 ft Yamaha he had at home, which is reportedly still in Garden Lodge (now owned by Mary Austin, of course). To be fair, Peter wasn't around when Fred wrote that song so that comment could easily be true and could just as easily be false. Some photos from around May/June 1975 show Freddie in his flat on Holland Road with an upright piano. There's still the possibility that he changed it for the baby grand a few weeks later and then composed Bo Rhap on it, but it's slim at best. The white Bechstein is apparently a model V (6' 7" long), built in the late 19th century in Prussia, before they introduced the models A to E (later A to D) and before Prussia became part of Germany. That's the one on the videos for both 'Bo Rhap' and 'Best Friend' and on the two most famous concerts of the era (Hammersmith Xmas Eve '75 and Hyde Park '76). It is *not* the same piano that The Beatles used on 'Hey Jude' (that's another Bechstein, a IV model, in black finish). Most of the studio photos from 1975 are actually from the rehearsals at the Ridge Farm. Back then, the Ridge Farm was just ... a farm, and it didn't have equipment to host bands, so Queen hired their gear and part of that was the famous white piano, presumably the same as on the video, etc. Whether they actually took it to the different studios where they recorded or not is open to debate: the liner notes ('Freddie Mercury: Vocals, vocals, Bechstein Debauchery and more vocals') suggest they did, so it's relatively safe to assume or at least hypothesise that some, most or perhaps even all of the (acoustic grand) piano parts on the album were on a Bechstein (though, to be fair, there's nothing to confirm or deny it was the white one used on rehearsals, gigs and videos). The only photo that has leaked of Freddie playing piano in the studio in 1975 (as in, on a recording session rather than a rehearsal) shows him playing a black Yamaha at Scorpio Studios, but he's not really recording, he's just giving himself the key (the photos were taken by some journalists invited by the band to document some of the backing vocal sessions for their lead single). For the actual album, it depends on where they were recording each particular song. 'Bo Rhap''s piano was at Rockfield in South Wales. There, they had a Bösendorfer and a Yamaha; did Freddie play either one of them, or did they take the Bechstein they'd use for rehearsals? Not being a piano expert, I can only rely on the word of those who are. The multi-tracks are available and you can hear the isolated piano. Someone with better ears and better knowledge can instantly tell if it's a Bechstein or not. Bechstein pianos were in fact used often by Queen in the 70's: there was a black one at Trident (the 'Hey Jude' one), a brown one at Wessex until 1976 (used on five songs on 'Sheer Heart Attack', possibly bits of Races as well), one at Super Bear (probably not used for recordings as they'd done most backing tracks at Mountain), one at the Music Centre. They were also used for some concerts. |
| BETA215 07.07.2015 01:57 |
Oh my gosh! I was about to post the same question!!! Thanks for the answer! :-) Well, anyway: Sebastian, it's true this thing that people says that the piano in the last part of the song was out of tune? Maybe your ear gets it better than mine. Also, I remember reading in some online news that a Bechstein was used in Bo Rhap as in Hey Jude!, and in the comments I read experiences of some students who went in a travel to that studio and played that piano (I hope my mind works fine). |
| miraclesteinway 07.07.2015 03:45 |
I thought the Bechstein used in the video was the same one used on stage, which was a full concert model E, from about 1890, owned by Jacques Samuels pianos in London. In fact, if we really wanted to know, we could probably ask Terry Lewis who is the CEO of Jacques Samuels pianos (they now sell Fazioli instead of Bechstein, but the records will still be there I'm sure). The piano on the record I am absolutely certain is a Bechstein and I say that because of the very warm sounding middle and bass sections, and the slightly bell-like treble that has a shorter sustain than other makes. I would almost bet my Blüthner on the fact that it isn't a Yamaha used, the Yamaha sound is so distinctive in its lack of character (i know, doesn't make sense to say....) that it stands out. Now, I thought that on Hey Jude, the Beatles used a Blüthner model 1 from 1930, owned by Whelpdale, Maxwell and Codd (Blüthner UK) and kept in Perivale. This particular piano I'm talking about was maintained by Colin Leverett of Blüthner, who is still alive and kicking and rebuilt my piano for me with his son last year. I could have the song wrong though - it might have been Let it Be.... |
| Sebastian 07.07.2015 04:03 |
miraclesteinway wrote: I thought the Bechstein used in the video was the same one used on stage, which was a full concert model E, from about 1890As far as I know, models A to E were introduced in 1915. So either the piano's younger than what you've said, or it's not a model E. miraclesteinway wrote: Now, I thought that on Hey Jude, the Beatles used a BlüthnerNo, they didn't. A Bluthner was used for 'Let It Be' (the film) but 'Hey Jude' was recorded at Trident, where they had a Bechstein IV. Of course loads of websites and articles are gonna say that the same piano was used for 'Hey Jude' and 'Bo Rhap' but that doesn't make it true. Those are just stories spread to impress masses and/or generated by people not doing their research correctly. Trident obviously used to claim 'Bo Rhap' had been recorded there despite the fact Queen had split up with them by then and were tracking elsewhere. |
| miraclesteinway 07.07.2015 09:04 |
It seems the E was introduced in 1902 (according to Courtney Pianos, which doesn't make it right), but the model I was introduced earlier. Sometimes when a maker introduces a new model numbering system, they refer to the previous models by their new designations. For instance, Blüthner will sometimes describe their pre-WW2 6'3 instrument as a 'Model 6', which is a post-war numbering system. It is actually either a Style-VIII or Style-VII depending on whether it has the 4th string in the treble. Anyway I'm guessing if it's the Bechstein IV that was in the studio, it probably was that piano on the record. There were so many Bechsteins in the UK at that time (there are still many) because Bechstein were not only a major producer (I mean, at one stage they really knocked them out very quickly), but the UK was their main importer. |
| Oscar J 07.07.2015 11:44 |
BETA: I remember Brian mentioning, in an interview somewhere, that he got excited and used a bit too much vibrato on some of his guitar leads, which made the piano sound slightly flat in comparison. |
| Vocal harmony 08.07.2015 09:45 |
miraclesteinway wrote: The piano on the record I am absolutely certain is a Bechstein and I say that because of the very warm sounding middle and bass sections, and the slightly bell-like treble that has a shorter sustain than other makes. I would almost bet my Blüthner on the fact that it isn't a Yamaha used, the Yamaha sound is so distinctive in its lack of character (i know, doesn't make sense to say....) that it stands out. ....Very true. Funny though that I was shot down by someone on the forum , in another Piano thread for saying that the differences between a Bechstein, Steinway and Bosendorfer were audibly clear to hear. |
| Sebastian 08.07.2015 09:52 |
Vocal harmony wrote: Very true. Funny though that I was shot down by someone on the forum , in another Piano thread for saying that the differences between a Bechstein, Steinway and Bosendorfer were audibly clear to hear.No, you weren't. You were shot down for failing to have some extremely basic reading comprehension. So there's no need to victimise yourself for something that didn't happen. |
| Vocal harmony 08.07.2015 10:14 |
^^^^ if you care to go back to that thread I mentioned that different piano's had different acoustics and one make and type could be distinguished from another. YOU claimed I was wrong, then later went on to cover yourself by saying that studio production could colour the sound, which while sticking by what I had said I also agreed that in that context you had a point. So I'm not victimising myself, or anyone else, for that matter. The fact still stands that different pianos sound and feel different to each other. |
| Sebastian 08.07.2015 10:41 |
Vocal harmony wrote: if you care to go back to that thread I mentioned that different piano's had different acoustics and one make and type could be distinguished from another.Yes, you did. But you also misunderstood my words and twisted them and made it seem like I was saying two different makes sounded the same when I didn't say that at all. Vocal harmony wrote: YOU claimed I was wrongBecause you were. Not to say two makes produce a different sound, but to say I'd said otherwise when I hadn't. Vocal harmony wrote: So I'm not victimising myself, or anyone else, for that matter.The fact you're bringing that up after a while on an unrelated topic is indeed quite whiney to say the least. Vocal harmony wrote: The fact still stands that different pianos sound and feel different to each other.Of course, and I'm not debating that. What I said was that considering all the multi-tracking, etc., and considering many of us are not experts on that topic, the most accurate conclusion a lot of us could arrive at was 'that's a piano' rather than 'that's a 5 ft Yamaha played via a Neumann U-67 and mixed on a Neve.' In that sense, as I made it clear then and am making it clear now, a lot of people won't be too successful telling a Tele from a Strat if there are 20+ instruments, or a Bechstein from a Steinway under similar conditions, or Brian's voice from Freddie's on the third part of a fourth-part multi-tracked harmony. That doesn't mean *at all* that I claimed that Bechsteins and Steinways are the same or that Teles and Strats are the same or that Freddie's and Brian's voices are identical. |
| Vocal harmony 09.07.2015 09:06 |
Sebastian wrote: The fact you're bringing that up after a while on an unrelated topic is indeed quite whiney .......I wouldn't view this topic as unrelated as the original thread was about the different pianos used on different sessions and this one is about which piano was used on a particular song. During this thread mention was made of the sound of a certain piano so there is a connection between this and the older topic. |
| Gregsynth 09.07.2015 09:17 |
Going off the topic title: Yes - there is a piano used in Bohemian Rhapsody. |
| Costa86 09.07.2015 10:17 |
Gregsynth wrote: Going off the topic title: Yes - there is a piano used in Bohemian Rhapsody.:D |
| Sebastian 09.07.2015 15:21 |
Vocal harmony wrote: During this thread mention was made of the sound of a certain piano so there is a connection between this and the older topic.Fair enough, so I'll use this opportunity to clear up that I did not, at any point, state or imply two pianos would ever sound the same. |