Barry Mitchell wrote an autobiography in 1998 entitled "I'm Not Bitter" published by Orion Books. You can still find the odd copy gathering dust at remainder fairs and cancer research shops. The following extracts should give you an insight into the kind of guy he is.
"I have nothing against John personally but when it comes to playing bass guitar, he's shite compared to me."
"We had been in the studio all night laying down a few demos then we went for a meal. Freddie looks up from his mutton vindaloo and says 'I hope you never leave the band Barry, you're the best bassist in the world.' Freddie would often say things that were true."
"I remember a blazing row between Freddie and Brian after a gig one night. Freddie quite rightly wanted to drop Brian's guitar solo in favour of puting me in the spotlight. I have heard from several reliable sources since, that Freddie liked me better than Brian."
"The first time I heard Bohemian Rhapsody on the radio, I could hear bits of another song that Freddie and I had been working on. The ballad part at the beggining was all mine as was the opera section in the middle. Come to think of it so was the heavy metal part at the end. Of course in those days there was no such thing as contracts so I never received a penny in royalties. I don't mind though, if Freddie wanted the world to beleive that the song was all his own work then that's fine. I know the truth and now so do you."
"Freddie tried to get in touch with me in 1985 to ask if I wanted to join them onstage a Live Aid. Unforunately I was out at the time and my mum forgot to tell me about the call until the day after the concert. I thought the guys played well at Live Aid but had I been there we would probably have raised a lot more money for those poor kids in Africa."
"The last time I saw Queen perform was at Knebworth in 1986. I remember at the end of the show Freddie saw me in the crowd and pointed at me. He dedicated the entire tour to me but there must have been problems with his microphone as nobody else heard it."
"Not long after Freddie died, I was going through some old papers I kept in a suitcase under the bed when I found a letter that Freddie had written to me back in the seventies. In the letter he admits that I co-wrote Bohemian Rhapsody and in the event of his death he wanted me to get my share of the royalties. I took the letter to EMI but they just laughed at me. When this book is published I hope to have enough money to take EMI to court and get back what's owed me."
"A lot of fans beleive that Queen died with Freddie. That's bullshit, Queen died in 1971 when I left to on to bigger and better things. Of course Queen could be great again if Brian and Roger would swallow their pride and get in touch."
fatty.
"The last time I saw Queen perform was at Knebworth in 1986. I remember at the end of the show Freddie saw me in the crowd and pointed at me. He dedicated the entire tour to me but there must have been problems with his microphone as nobody else heard it."
So that solves the mystery of why John threw his bass ...
fatty wrote:
"We had been in the studio all night laying down a few demos then we went for a meal. Freddie looks up from his mutton vindaloo and says 'I hope you never leave the band Barry, you're the best bassist in the world.' Freddie would often say things that were true."
Queen in the studio with Barry... are you sure? In other thread he say that never going in studio with Queen!!!!
"I remember a blazing row between Freddie and Brian after a gig one night. Freddie quite rightly wanted to drop Brian's guitar solo in favour of puting me in the spotlight. I have heard from several reliable sources since, that Freddie liked me better than Brian."
Boogie Douglas was "deleted" because he put himself to the spotlight with a bass solo...
"The first time I heard Bohemian Rhapsody on the radio, I could hear bits of another song that Freddie and I had been working on. The ballad part at the beggining was all mine as was the opera section in the middle. Come to think of it so was the heavy metal part at the end. Of course in those days there was no such thing as contracts so I never received a penny in royalties. I don't mind though, if Freddie wanted the world to beleive that the song was all his own work then that's fine. I know the truth and now so do you."
Really? Why they accredited Tim Staffel in Doing Allright and not Barry in Bo Rhap? Can we read the letter? Remember that Bo Rhap came a big hit more after it's recording!
"Freddie tried to get in touch with me in 1985 to ask if I wanted to join them onstage a Live Aid. Unforunately I was out at the time and my mum forgot to tell me about the call until the day after the concert. I thought the guys played well at Live Aid but had I been there we would probably have raised a lot more money for those poor kids in Africa."
Freddie do this? But if he don't want to play live aid because was so tired after a big world tour!
"The last time I saw Queen perform was at Knebworth in 1986. I remember at the end of the show Freddie saw me in the crowd and pointed at me. He dedicated the entire tour to me but there must have been problems with his microphone as nobody else heard it."
Are you sure? Why only you heard Freddie? I hear Freddie said "This show is dedicated to Ale_Pisa", but for some mic problems, nobody else have heard this.
"Not long after Freddie died, I was going through some old papers I kept in a suitcase under the bed when I found a letter that Freddie had written to me back in the seventies. In the letter he admits that I co-wrote Bohemian Rhapsody and in the event of his death he wanted me to get my share of the royalties. I took the letter to EMI but they just laughed at me. When this book is published I hope to have enough money to take EMI to court and get back what's owed me."
I have a same letter were Freddie leaves all the royalties for WATC!
"A lot of fans beleive that Queen died with Freddie. That's bullshit, Queen died in 1971 when I left to on to bigger and better things.
....
Of course Queen could be great again if Brian and Roger would swallow their pride and get in touch."
The only true thing that I read in this "article"!
But this is the Barry who answering our question in this forum? You believe this thing?
SORRY FOR MY ENGLISH!