The May 2005 Classic Rock Cover Story on Free, including interviews with all of the members of Free..and Paul Rodgers, as well as a Feature Interview with Brian & Paul discussing the Queen+Paul Rodgers Tour...has a small interview near the back of the magazine with Simon Kirke of Free.
The interview on page 89 with Simon Kirke discusses Free, but the very last question addresses Kirke's thoughts on a hypothetical scenario of Freddie fronting Free, and the actual scenario of Paul Rodgers fronting Queen on the Queen +Paul Rodgers Tour...and they are surprisingly blunt and unfavorable to say the least, but honest, which I respect.
Question Quote
"If by some miracle Free could reform with Freddie Mercury on vocals, would you be up for it?"
Simon Kirke answer Quote
"No. Freddie was a quasi-operatic/pop singer, and a very good one at that. But no way could he have interpreted Free's material and made it plausible. If you're referring to the Paul (Rodgers) Queen alliance, I find it curious to say the least."
Simon sounds (as proud or stubborn depending on YOUR viewpoints at QZ) of the original Free lineup in this interview...as John Deacon does in his interviews about Queen plus anybody but Freddie fronting Queen,...or as Brian's Permed Poodle would be! Just kidding.
Hmmm Freddie was a good singer and performer, but honestly I cannot picture him fronting many bands, he dodnt fit the style, Say I could picture him trying to sing some LZ or Van halen tunes but cannot picture him trying out Pink floyd or say Rush, same with Free.
Let's face it - Freddie would've just upstaged any outfit to the point where it would've been Freddie Mercury and the dimly lit so-and-so's in the background.
Look at The Who - outrageous performers that they were, but once upon a time they came on stage after Jimi Hendrix and no one was interested because no one - but no one, can follow a guy like Jimi. I think the same could be said for Fred, there's no point in pasting him on some other band. He'd just put a big fat Freddie-shaped silhouetto on them.
Wasn't Freddie's pre-Queen band Wreckage a bit of a blues-based outfit? If so, then it's not entirely implausible that Freddie could've been a blues rocker, but it's only because of the Freddie that we know and love that this would seem out of the question.
Excuse me...One is supposed in proper grammar to put another person's statement quote in quotation marks to show it is their words...and it has nothing to do with whether I do or do not agree with Simon's statement. I put everyone I quote, their qoutes in " marks.
The question/interviewer is also in quotation marks...anyhow.
Maybe Simon is a little bit jaded at Paul's solo success.
I've noticed it in Mick Ralph's interviews as well.
Sort of underhanded comments directed at Paul.
After all Paul did walk out on BadCo and leave them hanging in 1982. They didn't have kids so they couldn't understand him wanting to put BadCo on the backburner.
It sucks when you realize an old mate doesn't need you at all anymore. So I sense an undercurrent of jelousy. Paul's raking in the bucks right now while they may be having a hard time keeping the mortgage
payments up. That's just my opinion.
Knute wrote: Maybe Simon is a little bit jaded at Paul's solo success.
I've noticed it in Mick Ralph's interviews as well.
Sort of underhanded comments directed at Paul.
After all Paul did walk out on BadCo and leave them hanging in 1982. They didn't have kids so they couldn't understand him wanting to put BadCo on the backburner.
It sucks when you realize an old mate doesn't need you at all anymore. So I sense an undercurrent of jelousy. Paul's raking in the bucks right now while they may be having a hard time keeping the mortgage
payments up. That's just my opinion.
No disrespect to either Simon or John Deacon, but you make a good point. Amazing that the dissenters are always the ones whose careers go by the wayside or arent't the stars of the band so to speak.
Same thing with Rick Davies and Roger Hodgson in Supertramp. Once Roger had kids(daughter Heidi was born backstage at a show on the Breakfast in America tour in 1979 in the US and son Andrew was born in 1981), the relations between him and Rick became more strained.
Freddie could have fronted almost any band with talent....because he had range, flexibility and showmanship.....I disagree with the quasi-operatic/pop singer....because a pop singer won't also be able to pull off a song like Tie Your Mother Down, I Want It All and Show Must Go On (that's why George Michael wouldn't be right for Queen)....all you have to do is listen to Freddie belt out Queen 1 or songs like White Man (obviously Simon needs to listen to the catelogue and not just what made the top 10)...
Bottom line...and lets cut the shit...
Any band from blues to opera would be lucky as hell to score Freddie Mercury as their lead singer.
Brian May, John Deacon, and Roger Taylor's bank accounts all reflect this fact.
Arlene R. Weiss wrote: When did Paul have children, and how many does he have, their names...anybody know?
Arlene,
Paul had 3 kids. Two of them are in a band called Boa(really good band, they sound like a trippy Cranberries)
His one son was born in 72
His daughter(who is very pretty and has a nice voice IMO)in 76
don't know about the third kid.
Here is Boa's website with some nice pics(one with daddy) link
Arlene R. Weiss wrote: When did Paul have children, and how many does he have, their names...anybody know?
Arlene,
Paul had 3 kids. Two of them are in a band called Boa(really good band, they sound like a trippy Cranberries)
His one son was born in 72
His daughter(who is very pretty and has a nice voice IMO)in 76
don't know about the third kid.
Here is Boa's website with some nice pics(one with daddy)
link
Paul's son Steve looks exactly like Paul!
From the Boa website with photo
"Steve Rodgers
Born Feb 24 1972 in Guildford, while my dad was touring in the States, with my mum at home in a foreign land not knowing the language.
Went to schools in S.London then California- missed out on a lot of my earlier education due to dad's touring. Sent off to boarding school-then art college. Lived off the dole writing music-joined BOA then things went downhill really! Only jesting-I've had a blessed life!"
"Jasmine Rodgers
Born in 1976 in the UK, the youngest of the trio that is also Natalie and Steve.Can't speak Japanese, but is known to try. Interests lie in the martial arts/good film/good music/art areas.
Joined BOA at the sorry age of 17 and, after much in-fighting, has been allowed to remain. Ambition; going slightly in the direction of world peace but veering closer to the world domination category as well as viewing Alex's performance in the Bentalls Centre, Kingston."