Adam Lambert has just confirmed to Planet Rock that he will not record a new album with Brian and Roger because it is not Queen without Freddie Mercury.
For once Adam has said something sensible. Hoooooooooray !
In a way, this sounds like a qualified "sour grapes" statement ;)
I really wish they would record, but it seems like Brian and Roger don't have plans for it. I hope they change their mind.
Cheers,
Ogre-
With a horse in neither the 'Queen is Freddie' or 'Queen with new singers' race, I'm not bothered if they do record. I'm sure it would sound fantastic. However my sticking point is them collaborating on new stuff. Do they have the chops / hunger? Probably not - add to that redoing old stuff is a no no.
That leaves a live album. Which I think I'd be up for providing it included the more unusual stuff they have done and isn't just a greatest hits. They dug deep occasionally which was admirable.
Pure clickbait, they've taken his words and twisted them for the headline as have a lot of other articles.
His actual words - “People always ask if we want to record together and I’m not sure it makes total sense because it wouldn’t really be Queen because to me Queen is Freddie (Mercury)".
That doesn't rule out making new music and calling themselves something else or even just Queen + Adam Lambert the same way they did with Paul.
The real truth is he's concentrating on his solo career alongside the live collaboration and they don't see any need to be recording new music, at least not up to now, they haven't ruled it out completely but I can't see it happening anytime soon. A live DVD from the tour would be great though.
I can't decide if this was a genius publicity stunt to get everyone off the subject of Adam replacing Freddie. I think this because even though they TRIED to dispel these rumors and the hatred because of them with the documentary, it didn't work completely.
Over the years, Roger and Brian have become less vocal about Freddie and missing him and I think with their enthusiasm with Adam , some died hard Freddie fans are getting a little worried about the Queen legacy with Freddie being replaced in the minds of new fans.
I know that my mom who isn't really a Queen person and has barely heard of them, as far as she knows Adam is the lead singer. She has only ever seen them on the Oscars. I am quick to make sure to correct her being a Freddie fan myself.
I think this article was another attempt and honestly (a much better one) to prove that Freddie is still the heart of Queen and that Adam isn't trying to replace him. I honestly don't think there was ever any plans to record new music with Brian and Roger. I do know that after the Queen+ Paul Rodgers album completely tanked that at least Roger was over it. He realized Queen material without Freddie and John just wasn't going to sell and honestly when the hell would they have time to record.
Adam has a solo career to pick up when this current tour is over, as we all know for a solo career and singles to be successful you have to tour them. I haven't been to a current concert, but people don't go there to hear AL they go to hear Queen songs.
Also the tour they have recently undertaken is extensive and again when would they have the time. Not to mention, even in the songs written by the others most of the time Freddie had a ton of input into the production because he had unparralled "ears". He had an almost eerie sense for what would sound best and I'm positive his stamp is on EVERY single song Queen produced.
Also, John Deacon still has a say in what they do. I highly doubt he would allow them to record with AL under the Queen name and logo I mean a "plus" album is one thing but the way Adam makes it sound it would be "Queen" As much as I love the music is enduring, and new generations are becoming fans, it also comforts me that when they go to listen to Queen albums they hear Freddie. It's always been a "controversial" move for Roger and Brian to use Queen as their name while touring because they are literally only half. I don't know why but I can at times be intuitive and I have the feeling that John not only handled the finances and still does, but that when Freddie was alive handled the copyrighting of the Queen brand. So it just stands to reason that Freddie would have kept it that way until his death and even after. As the creator of the official logo and the name itself I'm sure that the copyright is held or was held by Freddie.for both. He wasn't big on the "business" side of things. It stands to reason that he would let John handle a lot of stuff both when he was alive and when he died. I don't think we will ever know but my point is, I really don't think that without John Deacon's input and approval they could do much of anything.
From what I gather, even from recluse status is John doesn't at least TOLERATE someone (Robbie Williams) He will let people know about it. I have always said as a die-hard fan I am okay with Adam touring as singer as long as they are singing Queen original songs. Even if John didn't control Freddie's copyright, he does control the ones to his songs, if there was something he didn't like he could refuse to let them play his songs. Some of which are the most popular of all the catalog. Also, any song that had his name on it would be open for him to refuse to be used. So that means the entire Miracle and Innuendo albums.
so this is a REALLY LONG way of saying I don't think that was ever in the cards anyway so those articles are a publicity stunt and honestly an effective one. I have a degree in PR and journalism so I have some understanding of marketing techniques and tricks and that was a brilliant one.
Marketing tricks or not lets just hope Adam does not get his screeching voice on a CD under the name Queen. May & Taylor never officially said Adam was the permanent lead singer of Queen now they just sneaked him in which was very coy and sly. Lambert seems to make his solo career second best now as he knows he makes more money with Queen, so i doubt his solo career will take off now he is in Queen.
If May and Taylor have new material they want to record with Lambert they oughta just do it, they clearly want to and it would make a lot of people happy, but...like, don't call it 'Queen' cuz it ain't. "The Cosmos Rocks" should've never had the name Queen anywhere on it. Bri and Rog alone aren't Queen, and the whole "Queen +" on a CD is disingenuous because it's not making it clear enough that only 50% of Queen is on the album. 50% of Queen is not Queen, it's Bri and Rog. Live gigs with the title are fine as its more of a legacy thing at this point but recording anything and releasing it with Queen anywhere in the band name just feels wrong.
But by all means if they wanna record with Lambert, again, they should...but don't call it Queen.
Maybe "Lambert and the Geriatrics".
Yes i agree the name should not be used after all if BrIan went solo he would not call his band Queen even though he is a band member from Queen.
Paul McCartney does not go around calling himself The Beatles does he!