Just a curious question, did John, Freddie and Roger ever get to play Brian's Red Special...? have there been any quotes tongue in cheek comments etc made by insiders or the band members themselves... in regards to this question?
Roger played the RS on A Kind of Magic, he played a small part in the solo while Brian was in in the studio, when Brian came back he wasn't that happy as it wasn't how he would have played it and Roger didnt ask to use it...
Saw that clip for the first time just before, in that 70th Freddie video thing.That's what got me asking this question, as it was quite cool watching it and was wondering if that was a rare, once in a blue moon thing, was Brian like one of those mates that I had with a Megadrive, where I would spend 99% watching rather than playing!!! or did he quite often share his most prized possession around the group. Could just imaging what John looked like and how he sounded on that hunk of wood!!
Roger also used it while doing an improv jam at Shepperton during rehearsals for the NOTW tour (during that bit where you see Freddie behind the drums before 0:49 at the link Biggus Dickus posted)
Ben Matthews - keys and guitar player with Thunder - tells a story that he was engineering on sessions with Brian and Anita back in the day; Brian went to lunch leaving the RS there, all rigged up....yup, he did what any of us would have done!!!
Ashley Alexander, who was an assistant engineer on 'Made in Heaven', has also told the story about Brian leaving his guitar in the studio and then driving home. Ashley barely opened the lid but was too frightened to touch the guitar, let alone play it.
There's also a story, told by the doctor himself, that he had to record the solo at the end of 'The Hero' using a guitar that happened to be in the studio, because the one he and his dad had made was in Munich - which confirms he would occasionally be away from it.
I shot a couple of screenshots from the footage at Shepperton Studios during NOTW rehearsal footage of Freddie sitting on the drum riser with the guitar around him and also Roger from those same rehearsals. Nothing from Deacy that I've seen. The shot of Freddie is very quick as the scene dissolves into another one but I had to freeze frame.
I once read story about a fan who was hanging with Brian on the grass during soundcheck at one of the outdoor shows in Mexico 1981. They were chatting away, and they heard Roger playing and singing Start Me Up by the Stones. Brian suddenly jumped up saying "that's my fucking guitar!" and off he went running to the stage. Roger probably thought Brian had already left. Hilarious.
Also Malmsteen back in '85... in fact it'd be interesting to put up a photo gallery (here or elsewhere) of people other than BHM playing the BHM, as well as a comprehensive gallery (here or elsewhere) of BHM playing guitars other than the BHM (and its various replicas).
Sebastian wrote:
Also Malmsteen back in '85... in fact it'd be interesting to put up a photo gallery (here or elsewhere) of people other than BHM playing the BHM....
Not exactly THE BHM, but I guess I'd start off with this...
I think Brian is pretty cool about others playing his guitar so long as he knows about it, he loned it to a Red Special meet up, Pete brought is along and allowed everyone there to play it through an identical rig brought in by Mike Ryde. I suspect when Roger picks it up he is fine so long as he is there, when it;s borrowed without his permission I think he gets pissed and righly so frankly
I feel the same if I leave my Kit or guitars in a studio or on stage and come back and find people playing them.
I suspect all of Queen have played the RS at somepoint, I'm sure Deacy would of being a guitarist but with the neck size it takes some getting used to so most find it difficult at first until they are used to it.
Paul Rodgers played it, so has Meatloaf's guitarist, I suspect dozens of famous players have tried it when they have been around Brian, I bet Dave Gilmore tried it during the smoke on the water session, and probably loads of people at the Freddie Tribute rehearsals
Sebastian wrote:
Also Malmsteen back in '85... in fact it'd be interesting to put up a photo gallery (here or elsewhere) of people other than BHM playing the BHM....
Not exactly THE BHM, but I guess I'd start off with this...
Fascinating picture, Can you provide more info? Where and when was it taken, for example?