| MagicTourUS 27.11.2019 21:26 |
I’ve thought about this previously but still am wondering why Queen didn’t get a bigger boost in the US from Live Aid. From what I can gather, A Kind of Magic sold even less in the US than The Miracle. The US comeback started slowly with Innuendo than exploded when Bohemian Rhapsody was featured in Wayne’s World. This, Freddie’s death and the tribute concert made me a fan for life. So why didn’t they get more of a pick up in the States in 1985? I’m guessing it was maybe because they went one of the “cool” bands at the time. They weren’t U2 in the public consciousness. Heck, they weren’t even Dire Straits at that time. I still feel like the Internet was the great equalizer with Queen. When one looks at the video, their talent is blindingly obvious. In the ‘80s, maybe too-cool radio DJs could look away from that. Now we all know how great they were. Curious at to your theories. I was only 9 at the time so maybe people have a better memory of what the show’s effect was Stateside. |
| mooghead 27.11.2019 21:42 |
The I Want to Break Free video killed Queen. |
| brENsKi 27.11.2019 22:31 |
mooghead wrote: The I Want to Break Free video killed Queen.this ^ - in a nutshell it wasn't about being one of the "cool bands of the time" while, an extremely uncool Dire Straits marketed their LP with an MTV-ready "Money For Nothing" video, the usually very visually-savvy Queen misfired horribly. Break free and Hard Life just were not suitable visually for the US rock video market. Coronation St was unheard of in the States and the sequence from "The Faun" was more camp than Christmas. This at a time, when artists like Prince (Purple Rain), and others had seen what MTV could do as a promotional tool. Queen burned their US bridges in 84, so by Live Aid, the chance was long-gone. |
| reesefallon 28.11.2019 06:30 |
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| Dim 28.11.2019 06:30 |
There is an answering letter to a fan from Brian in mid 90s for the reasons why they lost US in mid 80s. If I remember correctly he stated than there was a payola Scandal in US record industry with independent retailers. When this happened record sales and airplay were dropped. First Queen "victim" was Radio Ga Ga which was climbing steady to from top 30 to top 20 and was going for top 10. Then it was the PR problems Paul had alienated Freddie and the band from radio - TV producers, without the ba d knowing. Also it was the I want to break free. But most of all it was as Brian mentioned that they didn't eat a humble pie and tour US in smaller venues, he mentioned than Elton John did this and slowly he regained US. During AKOM the movie Highlander flopped in US so this did help. Also they were asked to do few big gigs after the European tour in 1986, but they didn't agree. The Miracle could have them come back, it had good sales, but the for obvious reasons they couldn't tour. It is interestingtthat despite the lack of tour and big sales the had way bigger success than the Iron Maiden, Judas Priest who were at their peak in US. |
| Dim 28.11.2019 08:11 |
All the above factors lead them to be unpopular and some kind of uncool, Live Aid didn't improved the situation. |
| master marathon runner 28.11.2019 09:07 |
- and 'coz their live aid slot was barely shown on the US broadcast. It was nothing more than a few minutes before switching back to the studio for ads, promotion, inane interviews and crap, with their set half audible over the cacophony. |
| MiracleTour1989 28.11.2019 13:38 |
Then that’s it. Most of America didn’t see the full set in all its majesty. And back then, it was on once and into the ether. Too bad they hadn’t played the exact same show in Philadelphia. That would have brought on the US comeback. But why mess with the perfection in London that day... |
| SweetCarolina 28.11.2019 15:02 |
Fuck that overrated US... If I was an artist, i would never go to that country brrr.. |
| brENsKi 28.11.2019 16:02 |
MiracleTour1989 wrote: Then that’s it. Most of America didn’t see the full set in all its majesty. And back then, it was on once and into the ether. Too bad they hadn’t played the exact same show in Philadelphia. That would have brought on the US comeback. But why mess with the perfection in London that day...the only way to have a real impact in America would've been to play BOTH venues...and where would you fit them into the Philly "bill"? Queen - to have the same impact would've needed the same "early Saturday Evening" TV slot in the US. time difference makes it impossible for any band to do BOTH teatime slots. so, thinking it through: 18:40 - wembley 19:00 - depart wembley 20:00 - arrive Heathrow 20:30 - depart Heathrow 21:30 - arrive Phiily (local time) 22:00 - arrive JFK earliest (onstage) would be approx 22:30 this would've (more or less) had Queen (at that time not exactly popular in the US) as US headliners. not possible. the other alternative was to do a "Phill Collins" and depart much earlier, to appear @ Philly "lower down the bill" - maybe getting that teatime slot. Problem with this is, Queen would've missed that huge "Saturday Teatime" slot in their home country - and effectively not had the opportunity for maximum exposure and, by consequence - wouldn't have stolen the show. |
| mooghead 28.11.2019 20:20 |
I refer to my previous response. |
| matt z 29.11.2019 05:13 |
When responding to a topic like this that requires first hand knowledge: it'd be HELPFUL for people to post their age before each response. Hell. I wasn't around to throw an opinion around I like MASTER MARATHON RUNNERS answer because it reinforces a suspicion I'd had. Nobody of that era that I'd asked (over 17 years ago when my fandom was stronger) could ever tell me about seeing QUEEN STEAL THE SHOW from everybody else. Didn't seem to happen that way in the states |
| master marathon runner 29.11.2019 12:08 |
/\ That's right Matt , I was 27 and watched for most of the day. I remember during Ga Ga, at a point when they momentarily switched back over to the stage, a fair portion of the Philly crowd did the regulation clap, but it lasted merely a minute before cutting back to the studio. Now I am in the U.K. so they showed the Philly footage here, minutes AFTER their set had finished, but you got the idea of what was happening. |
| emrabt 29.11.2019 12:16 |
Queen also had a lot of bad press over playing Sun City, their live aid performance was seen as somewhat hypocritical at the time. |
| brENsKi 29.11.2019 16:03 |
master marathon runner wrote:/\ That's right Matt , I was 27 and watched for most of the day. I remember during Ga Ga, at a point when they momentarily switched back over to the stage, a fair portion of the Philly crowd did the regulation clap, but it lasted merely a minute before cutting back to the studio. Now I am in the U.K. so they showed the Philly footage here, minutes AFTER their set had finished, but you got the idea of what was happening.I agree. I was 22, and in the UK. It was a hot sunny day here in Worcestershire, and we spent time going from our garden back to the TV as acts changed. Much of the early stuff just didn't work for me - so the suntan was topped up quite nicely that Saturday. By the time Queen arrived on stage, our garden was in shade, and we watched the evening stuff without interruption. I personally, think there were TWO huge contributing factors to the "stole the show" idiom being coined. ¦ U2 and Dire Straits (good as they were - and onstage immediately before Queen) performed only two songs each - filling their 18 minute slots with long meandering tracks you'd usually hear during the (going to fetch a drink) mid-section of a two-hour gig ¦ Queen, on the other hand, were the first band that day to take the "Global Jukebox" tag literally: 6 hits in 18 minutes. The idea that Queen stole the show, wasn't really heard until later that night, and it wasn't until Sunday's newspapers that Queen's performance was being discussed about in that way. I think that Bob Geldof - as the organiser, and face of Live Aid actually contributed most to the "stole the show" tag when he said: “They played the best, had the best sound, used their time to the full. They understood the idea exactly, that it was a global jukebox. They just went and smashed one hit after another. It was the perfect stage for Freddie.” |
| jrd1951 29.11.2019 18:35 |
I had friends who were big fans there.It seems Capitol put very little promotion into A Kind Of Magic,the coverage for Live Aid was woeful compared to the UK,and at the time there were numerous reports that Freddie might actually be gay which in middle America I am afraid was considered unacceptable for a macho Rock Star at the time,The break free incident meant a lot of stations were not playing their music,and a certain Paul Prenter hardly helped matters either.At least The Miracle bought them back again,featured on classic Rock stations with Aerosmith and Deep Purple.... |
| master marathon runner 29.11.2019 18:39 |
emrabt. The general public couldn't give a monkey's about the sun city shows. The only criticism came from the establishment line and the odd celeb - and that was miniscule and trickled through over time breENski. That's about right. One tabloid on the Monday morning had full page Freddie on the front with the headline : 'Queen are King' |
| brENsKi 30.11.2019 10:45 |
master marathon runner wrote:breENski. That's about right. One tabloid on the Monday morning had full page Freddie on the front with the headline : 'Queen are King'can you imagine if EVERY band appearing had done the same thing? - 18 minutes, 6 hits ? just think about what some bands could've done with their time slots: |
| AlbaNo1 30.11.2019 12:33 |
I guess Queen had a history of doing segues and medleys from the early days which they used to advantage along with a bit of previous stadium experience. The music suits that. They also seemed to only nominally buy into the purpose of the event and just went out to kill it in performance. Which was the remit Geldof gave. |
| AlbaNo1 30.11.2019 12:40 |
Basically they had it in their locker , knew they had it in their locker and knew how and when to use it. That’s what top performers in any field of music, sport or business do. |
| brENsKi 30.11.2019 23:05 |
AlbaNo1 wrote:Basically they had it in their locker , knew they had it in their locker and knew how and when to use it. That’s what top performers in any field of music, sport or business do.that they most certainly did. From what i recall, many of those bands (at that time) also had it in their locker too. I just think others didn't see the potential of the vast record-buying audience they were performing to. Bizarre, i know, but there you go. |
| kosimodo 01.12.2019 16:00 |
It was the normal slot of their works tour. They played it many times.. it worked allready and they practiced. nothing special about the line up. |
| brENsKi 01.12.2019 16:43 |
kosimodo wrote:It was the normal slot of their works tour. They played it many times.. it worked allready and they practiced. nothing special about the line up.Yes, admittedly. However to go from the Works running order (including removing a couple of songs) these full songs:- 26 minutes Hammer to Fall > Crazy Little Thing Called Love > Bohemian Rhapsody > Radio Ga Ga > We Will Rock You > We Are the Champions required a lot of chopping and changing to fit into 18 minutes: Bohemian Rhapsody > Radio Ga Ga.> Hammer To Fall > Crazy Little Thing Called Love > We Will Rock You > We Are The Champions. ..and make it all segue/flow |
| richrich 02.12.2019 13:27 |
@brENski: Imagine an incredibly downsyndromed man plummeting down concrete steps in a rickety wheelchair; his stupid and enlarged head thrashing from side to side, as he shouts: "UHHHH NURR!" in a not to shabby impersonation of Bela Lugosi's Dracula voice. |
| brENsKi 02.12.2019 15:59 |
richrich wrote:@brENski: Imagine an incredibly downsyndromed man plummeting down concrete steps in a rickety wheelchair; his stupid and enlarged head thrashing from side to side, as he shouts: "UHHHH NURR!" in a not to shabby impersonation of Bela Lugosi's Dracula voice.is there a point you're trying to make? |