The highly accurate body of work that is Bohemian Rhapsody has us believe that Roger was flabbergasted that John wanted to do something a little more funky and discoey.
So Roger has indeed gone on record stating his disdain for recording Another One Bites The Dust.
But... but... but what about the disco silliness that was 'Fun It' from the previous album?
Plus... why the hell does no-one even talk about 'Fun It'? Barely heard it in any public discourse.
Roger was the one who introduced funk into the band I'd say (I'd even say Fight from the Inside is slightly funk, but Fun It - definitely - it is 100% the most Hot Space track Queen ever did pre-Hot Space).... So to me it's weird if he was truly against Hot Space.... and I have to wonder how much doing the Flash Gordon soundtrack might have influenced the instruments they decided to play with in the future & Queen starting to use synths more...?
I think you'll find Roger bought the first synth, and drum machine and introduced them into the band, I don't think he was against the experimentation it was more that he wasn't keen on some of the tracks themselves
Fun It does not use drum loops, just live drums and syn drums. Maybe the fact that John was preferring a drum loop was the issue. However, Roger's earlier excursion into electronica was the 'electric rhythm' in Drowse back in '76, so who knows?
Cruella de Vil wrote:
Roger's earlier excursion into electronica was the 'electric rhythm' in Drowse back in '76, so who knows?
As far as I know, 'electric rhythm' on that song refers to Roger playing six-string guitar on it, that's all.
Dim wrote:
Does anyone know which songs on the Miracle besides of My baby does me have programmed drums? And in what amount?
Based on my obviously fallible ears and obviously perpetually incomplete research:
- Party: Mostly programmed, but they switch to Roger just before the guitar solo (if I remember correctly).
- Khashoggi's Ship: Mostly human, but of course I could be wrong.
- The Miracle: It's been debated... I've heard experts arguing for both options.
- I Want It All: Mostly Roger, but the double-time section is chiefly programmed.
- Breakthru': Chiefly programmed, probably with some fills and stuff.
- Rain Must Fall: Chiefly programmed, Roger mostly played additional percussion and that was it.
- Scandal: Chiefly Roger as far as I can hear (and, of course, I could be wrong).
- My Baby Does Me: Chiefly programmed.
- Was It All Worth It: Chiefly, or perhaps (probably) entirely, Roger.
Togg wrote:
I think you'll find Roger bought the first synth, and drum machine and introduced them into the band, I don't think he was against the experimentation it was more that he wasn't keen on some of the tracks themselves
Yup I believe you're right.
On the subject of loops in an interview in International Musician ( I lost the copy years ago) Roger says that on Fun In Space the drum tracks on six or seven of the songs were loops he made up of usually 16 bars of playing which was enough to give a bit of swing and human feel, he went on to say it was a process used in Queen too and he defied anyone to here or spot which songs they were.
If I remember correctly from Barcelona album afterwords Freddie and Queen used some programmed drums with samples of Roger's drum sound. Exception of I can't live with you where the programmed drums are from a PC programmed by Brian.