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'Mr Robot' Star Rami Malek To Portray Freddie Mercury In Queen Biopic


Rami Malek Queen Freddie Mercury Sacha Baron Cohen

American actor Rami Malek has become the latest star to sign up to portray Freddie Mercury in the much-disrupted Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody.

The 35 year old star, who won an Emmy for his role as the troubled hacker Elliot Alderson in ‘Mr. Robot’, is to play the late rock icon in a biopic movie that’s set to be directed by X-Men’s Bryan Singer, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Singer himself confirmed the news of his and Malek’s involvement via his own Instagram account on Friday night (November 4th), sharing a photo of the four Queen members’ faces as they appear in the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ video.

Continue reading: 'Mr Robot' Star Rami Malek To Portray Freddie Mercury In Queen Biopic

Brian May Cancels December Concerts Due To 'Persistent Illness'


Brian May Queen

Brian May has cancelled his Christmas Candlelight Tour dates with West End star Kerry Ellis.

The Queen guitarist was scheduled to perform 11 dates across the UK, but has been forced to pull out due to a ‘persistent illness’, which he says is ‘destroying my energy and my will’.

Brian MayBrian May has cancelled his Christmas Candlelight Tour

Continue reading: Brian May Cancels December Concerts Due To 'Persistent Illness'

Blue Plaque Unveiled Outside Freddie Mercury's Childhood Home In West London


Freddie Mercury Queen Brian May

A blue plaque commemorating the first house that the iconic Queen frontman Freddie Mercury lived in when his family arrived in Britain has been unveiled in Feltham, West London.

Mercury – birth name Farrokh Bulsara – lived in the pebble-dash semi at 22 Gladstone Avenue from the age of 17, when his family emigrated from Zanzibar in the autumn of 1964. While he was living there, he met his future Queen band-mates Brian May and Roger Taylor.

Continue reading: Blue Plaque Unveiled Outside Freddie Mercury's Childhood Home In West London

Brian May Says Sacha Baron Cohen Won't Be Playing Freddie Mercury In Queen Biopic


Sacha Baron Cohen Brian May Ben Whishaw Queen Freddie Mercury Roger Taylor

Well it was a good idea while it lasted, but it appears Sacha Baron Cohen will not be playing Freddie Mercury in the upcoming Queen biopic after all, guitarist Brian May has confirmed. Queen’s long time manager Jim Beach was said to have announced Cohen’s involvement in the film on Thursday, while accepting an award at the Artist & Management Awards at London's Troxy venue.

Sacha Baron CohenSadly we will not get to see Sacha Baron Cohen sing 'Bohemian Rhapsody'

According to the Daily Mail, Beach had told the audience “You have probably followed the saga of the famous Queen-Freddie Mercury biopic which has been developing in Hollywood for the last seven years. An important breakthrough is that we have now managed to persuade Sacha Baron Cohen to write, produce and direct this movie, and he has also agreed to star.”

Continue reading: Brian May Says Sacha Baron Cohen Won't Be Playing Freddie Mercury In Queen Biopic

Sacha Baron Cohen Will Play Freddie Mercury In Upcoming Queen Biopic


Sacha Baron Cohen Freddie Mercury Queen Brian May

Sacha Baron Cohen has been confirmed as playing Freddie Mercury in a upcoming Queen biopic, according to the band’s manager Jim Beach. Beach, who has managed the band since 1978, made the announcement on Thursday night at the Artist & Management Awards at London's Troxy.

Sacha Baron Cohen Sacha Baron Cohen will play Freddie Mercury.

Along with starring as the band’s iconic frontman, Cohen will reportedly also be producing, writing and directing the film, according to the Daily Mail.

Continue reading: Sacha Baron Cohen Will Play Freddie Mercury In Upcoming Queen Biopic

5 Things You Need To Know About Liza Minnelli


Liza Minnelli Judy Garland Rock Hudson Freddie Mercury Queen Vincente Minnelli Elizabeth Taylor

Liza Minnelli has recently been admitted into rehab so she can get help with substance abuse problems. The 69-year-old reportedly checked herself in early this week and is already showing signs of "excellent progress". Just in case you're struggling with the Minnelli trivia, here are five things you need to know about the Cabaret actress:

Liza MinnelliLiza Minnelli has checked herself in to rehab.

Read More: Liza Minnelli Making "Excellent Progress" After Entering Rehab For Substance Abuse.

Continue reading: 5 Things You Need To Know About Liza Minnelli

Queen And Adam Lambert World Tour In Progress Following Birmingham Barclaycard Arena Show! [Photos]


Queen Adam Lambert Brian May Birmingham Arena

Queen are by far one of the most recognisable and celebrated bands of all time. Yet, after the tragic passing of lead singer Freddie Mercury, the two remaining members of band (Brian May and Roger Taylor) teamed up with American Idol season eight runner-up Adam Lambert in 2011. But wait, there's more! Queen + Adam Lambert are currently part way through a world tour that they began back in June 2014. 

Adam Lambert and Brian May perform at the Barclaycard Arena as part of Queen + Adam Lambert's 2015 European tour.
Adam Lambert and Brian May perform at the Barclaycard Arena as part of Queen + Adam Lambert's 2015 European tour.

The band will be heading off for a European tour on 29th January, and making the rounds at Cologne's Lanxess Arena, Amsterdam's Ziggo Dome, Vienna's Stadhalle, Munich's Olympiahalle, Belin and Hamburg's O2s, Frankfurt's Festhalle, Brussels' Palais 12, Milan's Forum, Stuttgart's Schleyerhalle, Herning's Jyske Bank Boxen, Prague's O2, Zurich's Hallenstadion and Krakow's Arena. Then the group are heading back to the UK in late February to perform at the Wembley SSE Arena, the Liverpool Echo Arena, before finishing off at the Sheffield Motorpoint Arena on 27th February, and have just finished a show at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham.

Continue reading: Queen And Adam Lambert World Tour In Progress Following Birmingham Barclaycard Arena Show! [Photos]

Queen And Adam Lambert - First Direct Arena, Leeds - January 20th 2015 Live Review


Sceptics were silenced when Adam Lambert took to the stage with Queen in Leeds on Tuesday evening (20th January). They may be over halfway through their worldwide tour, but the group were still going strong when they performed at the First Direct Arena.

Queen And Adam Lambert - First Direct Arena, Leeds - January 20th 2015 Live Review

Lambert, although a relatively new face in the UK, is well known in the US as a solo artist following his 'American Idol' breakthrough in 2009. His suitability as Queen's lead singer has frequently been called into question but, after numerous performances with the band since 2011, there is little doubt that Lambert is a highly talented addition to the group and one both guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor wholeheartedly approve of.

As with any performer who appears alongside Queen, Lambert is living in the shadow of Freddie Mercury. Mercury is renowned as one of the greatest frontmen of all time. With his showmanship and often brash humour, he has remained prominent in the public imagination as someone who exhibited true talent and joie de vivre but tragically died too young. Purists argue that Queen died with Mercury but, with Lambert at the helm supported by the experience of May and Taylor, it is evident this belief is unfounded.  

Continue reading: Queen And Adam Lambert - First Direct Arena, Leeds - January 20th 2015 Live Review

Queen And Adam Lambert Announce 2015 European Arena Tour


Queen Adam Lambert

Queen and Adam Lambert will be hitting the road next year, playing a massive 21 date arena tour across Europe. The shows mark the first time the band and singer have played together in Europe since a six date tour in 2012.

Queen and Adam Lambert

Beginning in the UK at Newcastle Arena on January 13, the band will then play a total of seven shows across the UK including London's O2 Arena. They’ll then move on to France before hitting Germany, Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, Italy, Denmark, Czech Republic and ending on February 19th at Zurich's Hallenstadion.

Continue reading: Queen And Adam Lambert Announce 2015 European Arena Tour

Queen And Adam Lambert Announce 2015 Uk And European Tour Dates

Posted on29 September 2014

Queen And Adam Lambert Announce 2015 UK And European Tour Dates

Queen, Adam Lambert Blast Off With Bombastic Tour Opener


Queen Brian May Adam Lambert Roger Taylor

Queen and Adam Lambert have managed to ace the nerve-wracking first night of their tour in North America, rocking Chicago's United Center to its foundations with a bombastic rock show to surpass all others. Combining theatrical flair with jaw-dropping vocal abilities, Queen's adopted singer, Adam Lambert proved his worth as the successor to Freddie Mercury once more.

Adam Lambert Brian May
A Stormingly Successful Opening Night Left Queen & Adam Lambert Fans Hungry For More.

"We've played to some of your mothers and fathers," guitarist Brian May remarked to the full-house crowd during last night's show. "And some of your grandchildren, I'm sure." Noughties Queen singer Paul Rodgers may have had the ability to pull of the power rock group's more challenging numbers, but it is Idol alum Lambert who truly embodies the spirit of the late flamboyant frontman.

Continue reading: Queen, Adam Lambert Blast Off With Bombastic Tour Opener

Queen & Adam Lambert - Tour Teaser Video


The teaser video for Queen featuring Adam Lambert's upcoming tour has now been unveiled, upping the already intense excitement for the show series which they have now added even more dates to.

The teaser begins with old footage of Queen performing with former frontman Freddie Mercury alongside the intro to their smash hit 'We Will Rock You'. Then we see a few highlights from Queen and Adam Lambert's highly praised gig at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas last year where they formed several major hits including 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and 'We Are The Champions'. Slices from newscasts can also be seen in the video, with a clip of Brian May telling reporters, 'I wish Freddie was around to see him because Freddie would be awestruck.'

Further dates have been added to their upcoming North American tour due to huge demand following their iHeartRadio venture, leaving the schedule now adding up to 24 dates - beginning in Chicago on June 19th 2014 and closing in Toronto on July 28th. 'I'm completely in awe of the Queen phenomenon', Adam has insisted. 'The thought of sharing the stage for a full set in North America is so beautifully surreal. I'm honored to be able to pay my respects to Freddie's memory.'

Queen Bee: The Top Five Biggest Selling British Albums


Queen Adele

With Queen's 'Greatest Hits' album now reaching the landmark 6 million sales in Britain, the album is now the biggest selling album of all time in the UK. It leads the top five by 900,000 copies, however the rest of the list is also very interesting.

Queen's Brian MayBrian May, the guitarist with Queen.

Queen ‘Greatest Hits’ (1981) 6 million
Now reaching the 6 million sales mark, the 1981 compilation includes the hits, ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. It is now said that one in three British families owns a copy of the album. Upon hearing the news guitarist Brian May thanked fans for their support over the years, The band, whose singer Freddie Mercury died in 1991, have continued to perform usually using different guest singers.

Abba ‘Gold’ (1992) 5.1 million
Released in 1992, this greatest hits compilation has sold over 5 million copies in the UK. The album includes some of the band's best known hits including, ‘Waterloo’, ‘Dancing Queen’ and ‘Money Money Money’. The album now holds the record of the longest time spent in the album charts with 933 weeks in the UK Top 100 as of February 2014.

The Beatles ‘Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) 5.1 million
The fab four's eighth ablum is the biggest selling studio album of all time in the UK. At the time it was nominated for seven Grammys and won four, becoming the first rock album to win Album of the Year. The album includes many classic Beatles hits such as ‘With a Little Help from My Friends’, and ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’, it has now sold over 5 million copies in the UK.

Adele21 (2011) 4.7 million
The most recent entry, Adele’s second album, is the biggest selling album of the 21st century so far and the fourth of all time in the UK. Led by single ‘Rolling in the Deep’ the album won 7 Grammys including album of the year. So far it has sold 4.7 million copies and is also the most downloaded album in UK history

Continue reading: Queen Bee: The Top Five Biggest Selling British Albums

Queen's 'Greatest Hit' Is First Ever Album To Sell 6 Million Copies In UK


Queen

Queen have made history in the UK this past week.

The British rock band have reached a milestone that no other musical act has before.

Queen have become the first act to reach 6 million sales for an individual album in the UK, the Official Charts Company reports.

Continue reading: Queen's 'Greatest Hit' Is First Ever Album To Sell 6 Million Copies In UK

John Deacon Rules Out Any Involvement In Freddie Mercury Biopic


Queen Freddie Mercury Ben Whishaw Sacha Baron Cohen Brian May

Former Queen bassist John Deacon is apparently having nothing to do with the upcoming biopic of the group's late singer Freddie Mercury as he continues to maintain his exile from the surviving group member's work under the Queen name. According to the group's guitarist Brian May, Deacon has given the script for the film his approval, but wants nothing more to do with the upcoming movie project, or the potential new Queen album rumoured to be in the works.

Freddie Mercury
Mercury will be remembered in the upcoming biopic

"We kinda mourn for John as well as Freddie in a sense," May recently told Rolling Stone. "I do know John's read the script and he's in approval...[But] he just doesn't want to be walking those roads ... He's in his own space and we respect that. It's a shame, because we would love to have him around but he doesn't want to be in that arena anymore."

Continue reading: John Deacon Rules Out Any Involvement In Freddie Mercury Biopic

Brian May Teases Possible 'New' Queen Album After New Demos Are Found


Queen Freddie Mercury Brian May

Its been more than two decades since the passing of Freddie Mercury, but before his tragic passing, the powerful Queen vocalist may have spent more time in the recording booth than was initially anticipated. In addition to the recently unearthed duets with Michael Jackson, it turns out that Mercury also spent a good amount of solo time in the studio, as the treasure trove of recently unearthed demos suggests.

Freddie Mercury
Mercury was prolific in the recording booth

Speaking with Mojo (via The Guardian) for their December/January issue, guitarist Brian May revealed that he and the rest of the band have been scanning their archives for any unused material featuring the late Mercury, telling the magazine that they might have hit the jackpot. Comparing the project to Queen's fifteenth and final studio album, Made In Heaven, which was released nearly four years after Mercury's death in November 1995, May stated that the newly found tracks are being polished off and prepared for release. He went on to say that the hunt proved more fruitful than was initially planned and that there may be enough material for a full-length release.

Continue reading: Brian May Teases Possible 'New' Queen Album After New Demos Are Found

Brian May - Nothing Really Has Changed


Queen guitarist Brian May and West End star Kerry Ellis collaborate once again on a cover of wildlife activist Virginia McKenna's song 'Nothing Really Has Changed'. They performed the track during their 'Acoustic By Candlelight' tour.

The video features the duo on a candle-lit stage with Brian on guitar and Kerry on vocals at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Brian opens the track by explaining that he wants to remind people that 'we too have wild animals all around us which, perhaps, need a little respect' before presenting a video of badgers and foxes playing which is projected onto a screen behind them. The track is a mournful, minor-infused tune which Kerry portrays with intense emotion behind her resonant voice.

The song has been unveiled as part of their campaign against the proposed badger culling which the government have put in place to reduce the spread of bovine tuberculosis in cattle, as many badgers carry the deadly disease. However, this controlled killing of the creatures naturally means that thousands of uninfected badgers are also being slaughtered which is something that animal rights activists are in uproar about. Brian May is part of a campaign that insists that vaccinations should be given to prevent the spread of TB instead. 'The cull is a disaster as was predicted; it was never on the cards that culling could eradicate bTB - only vaccination can do that', he has stated.

Continue: Brian May - Nothing Really Has Changed

Brian May Explains Why Sasha Baron Cohen Was Wrong For Freddie Mercury Biopic


Queen Freddie Mercury Brian May Roger Taylor Sacha Baron Cohen Ben Whishaw

The planned biopic of Queen frontman Freddie Mercury's life has been in discussion for three years now, with comic actor Sacha Baron Cohen in line to star as the late singer since the very beginning of the project. The biopic was thrown into disarray in the summer however, when it was reported that Cohen had been booted from the project, with little explanation for his exit. This week, Queen guitarist Brian May looked to shed some light on what happened.

Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury is revered as one of the finest rock frontmen of all time

"It's quite difficult to talk about because we owe Sacha a lot," May told Classic Rock in it's latest issue. He went on to say, "He had so much enthusiasm for the project and it really helped us kick it into the start position. But in the end we felt that his presence in the movie would be very distracting."

Continue reading: Brian May Explains Why Sasha Baron Cohen Was Wrong For Freddie Mercury Biopic

IHeartRadio Music Festival Hits Las Vegas With The Best Line-Up Yet


Elton John Queen Adam Lambert Robin Thicke

The iHeartRadio Music Festival hit the MGM Grand Garden for the 3rd consecutive year on Friday (Sept 20th) to kick-off the 2 day extravaganza.

elton john
Elton John received the biggest cheer from the Las vegas crowd

The action-packed first day saw performers such as Chris Brown, Katy Perry and Robin Thicke take to the stage, but the most anticipated performances came from British rock legends ‘Queen’ and another British pop culture icon Elton John.

Continue reading: IHeartRadio Music Festival Hits Las Vegas With The Best Line-Up Yet

Unheard Michael Jackson & Freddie Mercury Duets Set For Release 30 Years Later


Brian May Freddie Mercury Queen Michael Jackson

Queen guitarist Brian May has revealed that he's working on and plans to release previously unheard material from Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury and pop star Michael Jackson. The surfacing of the dead icons' collaboration will mark 30 years since they were originally recorded in 1983, but May and pop producer supremo William Orbit have worked together to tweak and remaster the songs - one would assume - for digital age optimisation.

Michael Jackson
We Will Hear New Jackson Material In A Freddie Mercury Collaboration.

The tracks in question were reportedly recorded three decades ago at Jackson's home studio in Encino, California, before the pair fell out after Jackson decided to bring a llama into the studio. Yup, the duet tracks could well be llama-inspired, after Freddie's manager Jim "Miami" Beach reportedly got a call from the British star, having said; "Mercury rang me and said: 'Miami, dear, can you get over here? You've got to get me out of here; I'm recording with a llama.'"

Continue reading: Unheard Michael Jackson & Freddie Mercury Duets Set For Release 30 Years Later

Sacha Baron Cohen Booted Off Unnamed Freddie Mercury Biopic Due To Disagreements With Queen


Sacha Baron Cohen Freddie Mercury Queen

Sacha Baron Cohen has been rumored to play Freddie Mercury in an upcoming biopic for a while now, but unfortunately, the plans have fallen through. While the movie appears to be something of a pet project for Cohen, he had to make a graceful exit, due to “creative differences” with the remaining members of Queen.

Sacha Baron Cohen, Les Miserables Premiere
Cohen won't be adding the biopic to his long list of achievements after all.

According to Deadline, the band wanted more of a PG-13 documentary about the entirety of Queen, while Cohen was hoping to get down and dirty in a tell-all documentary about the iconic singer’s troubled history. He had reportedly brought in Peter Morgan to write and various directors including David Fincher and Tom Hooper to develop the project for himself. Unfortunately, the band did not greenlight any of them for the film. Film is set at Sony Pictures and GK Films and it will be produced by Graham King, Tom Headington, Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal for Queen Films.

Continue reading: Sacha Baron Cohen Booted Off Unnamed Freddie Mercury Biopic Due To Disagreements With Queen

Sacha Baron Cohen Steps Out Of Freddie Mercury Biopic: Who'll Play The Queen Frontman Now?


Sacha Baron Cohen Freddie Mercury Queen Jared Leto Eric Bana Ezra Miller Johnny Depp

Sacha Baron Cohen AKA Ali G AKA Borat AKA... you get it, was an example of a truly fitting casting decision when it was announced he'd be playing Freddie Mercury in a biopic about the late Queen lead singer's life, with even Brian May and Roger Taylor on board to contribute a few tunes and make sure the film was headed in the right direction.

Brian May
Strong-Willed Guitarist Brian May Is On Board For Queen Movie.

It's true, there's few more perfect to play iconic Queen frontman Freddie Mercury than British comic Sacha Baron Cohen: the looks, the eccentricity, the infectious energy and the unquestionably self-confident flair. However, the 41 year-old actor has pulled out of the planned biopic due to "creative differences," confirms Baron Cohen's manager via Variety. According to Deadline, the band were after a more PG-ready film whilst Baron Cohen pushed for a grittier tell-all R-rated version that would take a deeper look at the talented singer's life both on and off the stage.

Continue reading: Sacha Baron Cohen Steps Out Of Freddie Mercury Biopic: Who'll Play The Queen Frontman Now?

I’m Out: Sacha Baron Cohen Bails On Freddie Mercury Film


Sacha Baron Cohen Queen

Sacha Baron Cohen has reportedly pulled out of playing Freddie Mercury in a film about the Queen frontman due to creative differences with the existing band members, Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor.

Cohen – who found fame with his Ali G character before going global with Borat – wanted to depict Mercury in a more scandalous, adult light, while May and Taylor were more interested in a family friendly picture. And given that the pair are on-board as musical consultants - with script and director approval over the biopic – it was Cohen who had to walk.

“That film had Cohen circling the role,” say Deadline, who first reported the news, “but I’ve just learned he’s now pulled out. The reason is that the band wanted to make more of a PG movie about Queen while Cohen was counting on a gritty R-rated tell-all centered around the gifted gay singer. Given the astonishing physical resemblance, it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing Freddie but Sacha.”

Continue reading: I’m Out: Sacha Baron Cohen Bails On Freddie Mercury Film

Sacha Baron Cohen Leaves Freddie Mercury Movie As Attention Turns To Depp


Sacha Baron Cohen Johnny Depp Brian May Queen Robert De Niro David Fincher Tom Hooper

Sacha Baron Cohen has left the movie biopic of iconic Queen frontman Freddie Mercury after a disagreement over the direction of the project. Cohen - who bears a dramatic resemblance to the singer - had wanted to make a gritty R-rated drama about the star's life, enlisting David Fincher and Tom Hooper to develop the project.

However - as is always the case with approval of Queen projects - the remaining members of the band were concerned about the movie's potential effect on Mercury's legacy and seemingly wanted to make a sugar-coated PG movie. 

According to Deadline.com, the living members of Queen, including Brian May, rejected British writer Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon) as the writer, as well as both Fincher (The Social Network) and Hooper (The King's Speech) as directors. 

Continue reading: Sacha Baron Cohen Leaves Freddie Mercury Movie As Attention Turns To Depp

New Skylar Grey Video ‘C’mon Let Me Ride’ Stars Eminem Doing Auto-Tuned Queen Chorus


Eminem Skylar Grey Queen Rihanna Dr Dre Lupe Fiasco Fort Minor

The new Skylar Grey video of ‘C’mon Let Me Ride’ featuring Eminem is a crash course in a total lack of subtlety. “If you got a sweet tooth/ you can taste my watermelon,” she sings in the opening line… whilst cupping her breast, just in case you didn’t get the joke. Luckily, Skylar’s tongue is well and truly situated in her cheek. Which is pretty much what you’d expect for a song featuring an auto-tuned Eminem singing Queen’s ‘I Like To Ride My Bicycle.’

In fact, if this video was not intended to be comical, we’d all be in trouble: featuring bikini clad girls with three breasts and over-inflated collagen lips, a ridiculously daft but catchy chorus, and footage of Skylar cycling around in a pair of denim cut-offs, on a bicycle adorned with antlers. It's entertainment in its gaudiest, most glorious form.

If you’re wondering who Skylar Grey is, she’s the 26 year-old artist who co-wrote three different versions of ‘Love The Way You Lie,’ made famous by Rihanna and Eminem. She’s also got previous form as a vocalist for Dr Dre, Lupe Fiasco and Fort Minor. She released her debut solo album Like Blood Like Honey back in 2006 and her second Don’t Look Down, is scheduled for a 2013 release. If this latest video’s anything to go by, we reckon Skylar’s going to be one to watch. She certainly seems to have bundles of humour and personality, not to mention talent. Oh and she’s clearly good mates with Eminem. What’s not to like!? 

Continue reading: New Skylar Grey Video ‘C’mon Let Me Ride’ Stars Eminem Doing Auto-Tuned Queen Chorus

One In A Million: Elton John Tops List Of Million-Selling Singles In Britain


Elton John Diana Princess Of Wales Queen

Elton John has topped a list of 123 songs to have sold over a million copies in Britain, AFP reports. The list was compiled to mark the 60th anniversary of the existence of the singles charts and Elton John’s double A side ‘Something About The Way You Look Tonight’ and ‘Candle In The Wind 1997’ triumphed. The double a-side single was released in 1997, after John re-wrote Candle in the Wind for Princess Diana’s funeral. The release spent five weeks at number one in Britain, selling 4.9 million copies.

In second place was the 1984 charity Band Aid single, ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ which shifted 3.69 million copies. In 1975, Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ sold 2.36 million. A statement from the Official Charts Company read “It is apt that, as we prepare to celebrate 60 years of the official singles chart in the UK, we do so at a time of unprecedented demand for the single, with this year set to be the biggest year on record for sales of this format.” the company’s managing director Martin Talbot then added “This demand is also translating in to the largest number of million-sellers we have seen -- this is truly the era of the super hit.”

The current decade is on course to become the most successful in history, in terms of breaking the million-seller mark, with 10 tracks already having broken a million, in less than three years.

TV Review: 'Freddie Mercury - The Great Pretender', BBC1


Freddie Mercury Queen

How many times do we need to see a documentary on Freddie Mercury? That seemed to be the question on most critics lips as BBC1 aired 'Freddie Mercury - The Great Pretender' last night (October 16, 2012) little more than a year after their excellent Queen documentary. There is no doubting that Mercury is one of the great front man of all time, and you can never get tired of watching footage of him performing live, those great concerts at Wembley and in Rio etched into to the brain of music fans the world over.

Yet, there's only so many times Brian May and Roger Taylor can repeat their incredulity at Mercury's mental strength in the face of deteriorating physical condition. To be clear, there's absolutely no denying that Mercury's battle to the bitter end is something hugely admirable, and there's no way you can doubt May and Taylor's love and admiration for their old band mate; but they're sentiments they've uttered countless times elsewhere. Likewise, Paul Gambaccini is known as a massive Queen and Mercury fan, theire is very little he hasn't said on the band, yet there he was again, doling out the same sentiments. Interview clips of Mercury talking fly by and exhibit his cocky, self-assured personality and a lot of the time that's all you get. The documentary claims to find the contrast between his public and private persona, but we get little further knowledge about that difference apart from the - again - already well told information that he was prone to quiet and private moments.

One pleasant addition was an interview with the opera singer Montserrat Caballe, who is a relatively new voice in documentaries such as these. She revealed surprising little moments like how he stopped kissing her on the cheek after he contracted HIV, his shyness on meeting her, her revelations showing that she was one of the few collaborators Mercury met who he was totally in awe of. It was the best section of a documentary that otherwise ploughed over all-too-familiar ground. There is no doubting Freddie Mercury's legend, but the footage and angles that can be had on it are starting to be recycled.


Hungarian Rhapsody: Queen - Live In Budapest Review


Excellent

Shot in 1986 and only just now remastered for release in the West, this documentary captures Queen in all their glory both on stage and behind the scenes. The film is divided into two parts, opening with a 27-minute exploration of the band in the "magic year" after its triumphant Live Aid performance, during which they recorded an album, scored the adventure movie The Highlander and planned a massive European tour.

Then we cut to their concert in Budapest, their first performance in Hungary, which drew 80,000 fans from throughout the Eastern Bloc. When Freddie Mercury takes the stage, the crowd goes wild, and he holds them in rapturous attention all the way through. He even performs some Hungarian folk music along the way, but they're far more interested in the band's big hits like Radio Gaga and Bohemian Rhapsody, which they sing along with loudly.

Queen rarely gave interviews, so the backstage material in this film is a fascinating glimpse into these musicians, who are all self-effacing and rather cheeky. Mercury even starts flirting with the interviewer, noting that he's not worried about struggling to connect with the foreign crowd. "I always win an audience," he says with a mischievous grin. And during the concert section of the film, we also get to see them getting out and about in Budapest, seeing the sites, meeting locals and generally clowning around.

Continue reading: Hungarian Rhapsody: Queen - Live In Budapest Review

Queen, Greatest Hits (2011 Remaster) Album Review


Queen's back catalogue is like an old sweater lost at the back of a wardrobe. It's comfortable, familiar, brings back happy memories and is a bit tatty round the edges. You may not have listened to it in some time, but odds are you probably own a copy of Greatest Hits. This is, after all the best selling UK album of all time, with 5.6 million copies sold in the this country alone, it's gone platinum 18 times. With that success under its belt already, is there any need for a reissued version? Well the answer isn't really that clear cut.

Continue reading: Queen, Greatest Hits (2011 Remaster) Album Review

American Idol Edit Brian May To Undermine Contestant


Brian May Queen American Idol

Brain May, the legendary guitarist from the equally legendary rock band Queen, has revealed that he may have been used by producers of 'American Idol' in order to undermine the potential of one of the contestants. In an entry on his personal blog on Thursday, May explained how on Tuesday night's show, his encounter with the contestant Ace Young was entirely misrepresented. 

Brian May maintains that his conversation was edited to sound more negative.
Brian May maintains that his conversation was edited to sound more negative.

As part of the show, a conversation between May and Young was recorded, but according to May, "it was edited in such a way that it looked as if I was purely negative." Furthermore, May suggests that his thoughts and comments were made at a completely different time. As part of the editing process, the section appeared to show the two discussing the new composition of 'We Will Rock You', "after we had played together, which was not the way it happened, making me look like I was against the whole thing."

Continue reading: American Idol Edit Brian May To Undermine Contestant

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Hungarian Rhapsody: Queen - Live in Budapest Movie Review

Hungarian Rhapsody: Queen - Live in Budapest Movie Review

Shot in 1986 and only just now remastered for release in the West, this documentary...

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