Why Freddie Mercury never finished 3 duets with Michael Jackson — it involves a llama
The two late music legends were mutual fans — Jackson even suggested that Queen release 'Another One Bites the Dust' as a single — and MJ was hot off of releasing his 'Thriller' blockbuster in 1982. Mercury wanted to move more in a dance direction, so they collaborated on three tracks at Jackson's home studio in Encino, California.
But none of this dynamic duo's duets — 'Victory,' 'State of Shock,' and 'There Must Be More to Life Than This' — were completed to make Mercury's debut solo album, 'Mr. Bad Guy,' which came out 40 years ago on April 29, 1985.
7 Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson collaborated on three tracks that were never finished for 'Mr. Bad Guy.'
Getty Images
Blame it on Jackson's pet llama, Louie, who made a miffed Mercury bolt from their sessions.
'I think the last straw was when Michael brought his pet llama into the studio,' Jo Burt — who played fretless bass on 'Mr. Bad Guy' — exclusively told The Post. 'I think Freddie sort of took umbrage to that.'
Mercury called Queen manager Jim 'Miami' Beach to make his escape from the studio. '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,'' Beach recalled in the 2012 documentary 'Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender.'
Mercury would go on to release a solo version of 'There Must Be More to Life Than This' on 'Mr. Bad Guy,' and Jackson ended up recording 'State of Shock' with Mick Jagger for 1984's 'Victory,' his last album with his brothers.
It was all part of the creative freedom that Mercury was enjoying and experiencing for the first time on his debut solo project apart from Queen — with no compromises.
'He just did something he liked from the bottom of his heart … what he wanted it to be, without being talked into maybe a bit more guitars, or a bit more of this or more that,' said Reinhold Mack, who produced 'Mr. Bad Guy.' 'It was just like, 'This is it, this is how I want it.''
7 Freddie Mercury dedicated 'Mr. Bad Guy' to 'my cat Jerry — also Tom, Oscar and Tiffany, and all the cat lovers across the universe'
Getty Images
Although Mercury had previously recorded two songs under the pseudonym Larry Lurex that were released in 1973 and contributed 'Love Kills' to the 1984 'Metropolis' soundtrack, 'Mr. Bad Guy' was his first true solo statement after taking Queen to killer heights with classics such as 'Somebody to Love,' 'We Are the Champions' and, of course, 'Bohemian Rhapsody.'
The LP was born out of a time when a splintered and squabbling Queen was on hiatus after 1982's 'Hot Space.'
'I think he just wanted to stretch his wings a little because there are a lot of compromises you have to make when you're with a band,' said Fred Mandel, who played keyboards on 'Mr. Bad Guy' after previously touring with Queen and working on 1984's 'The Works.' 'And I think he just wanted to do something where he could make his own decisions.'
7 Freddie Mercury was ready to take it to the dance floor on his debut solo album, 1985's 'Mr. Bad Guy.'
Getty Images
Mercury wanted to explore more of the disco-rock groove of 1980's 'Another One Bites the Dust,' which continued on 'Hot Space,' but the rest of Queen wasn't having it.
'They didn't like that as a band too much,' said Mack, who first started working with Queen on 1980's 'The Game.'
'I think the 'Hot Space' album had started to take on this dance thing that he loved, and between him and Brian [May, Queen guitarist], the tension had stretched,' said Burt, who played on 'Man Made Paradise.'
7 'Leaving Queen was never really in the cards,' said Reinhold Mack, who produced Freddie Mercury's debut solo album.
Getty Images
But living in Munich, Germany — where he was in a relationship with restauranteur Winnie Kirchberger — and exploring the gay club scene there, Mercury was ready to take it to the dance floor.
'I think that's pretty well documented that he was very much clubbing, hanging out in bars a lot,' said Burt, who was in a relationship with Mercury's former fiancée, Mary Austin, at the time.
'I mean, the whole dance scene, he liked a lot,' said Mack. 'He liked grooves and, you know, Michael Jackson. And he said, 'I hate him. I hate Prince, too. Because they are so good.' '
Curt Cress — who played drums on 'Mr. Bad Guy' — recalls that Mercury was insistent on making a clean break from Queen, so much so that he had him re-record Roger Taylor's part on the title track.
7 Freddie Mercury performed with Queen at the Rock in Rio festival in Brazil in 1985.
Getty Images
'It was a funny situation because I was playing on the song 'Mr. Bad Guy' because Roger Taylor played it already, and so they asked to wipe it off,' said Cress, who was recruited by Mack to work on the album.
'And so I played it again because Freddie didn't want to have a Queen album, so he didn't want to have the Queen guys on his record, but I said, 'I can't wipe it off, you know, because we have to ask Roger before.' But Roger said, 'No problem, just wipe it.''
Meanwhile, 'Made in Heaven' was a dedication to Mercury's godson, Mack's son John Frederick. The song would go on to become the title of the 1995 Queen album released after Mercury's 1991 death.
'I think the band, or the remaining people of the band, adopted it as their track,' said Mack.
7 Freddie Mercury rocked Live Aid with Queen just three months after releasing his debut solo album, 'Mr. Bad Guy.'
Redferns
Mercury also worked with Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck on 'Another Piece of My Heart,' another track that was never released on 'Mr. Bad Guy.' 'But it was great fun doing it,' said Mack.
Although Mercury would go on to release a collaborative album with opera singer Montserrat Caballé, 'Barcelona,' 'Mr. Bad Guy' would be his one and only solo LP.
One of his duets with Jackson, 'There Must Be More to Life Than This,' was eventually released on 2014's 'Queen Forever.'
7 Freddie Mercury dedicated the 'Mr. Bad Guy' track 'Made in Heaven' to his godson John Frederick Mack.
Redferns
While 'Mr. Bad Guy,' which Mercury dedicated to 'my cat Jerry — also Tom, Oscar and Tiffany, and all the cat lovers across the universe' — found the singer stretching out beyond Queen, it was never meant for him to split from the group that had made him a rock god.
In fact, just three months after the album was released, the band gave its iconic performance at Live Aid.
'I felt they were like four brothers, really,' said Mandel, who was playing in Elton John's band at the time. 'I think they just wanted some time off.'
'Leaving Queen was never really in the cards,' added Mack. 'But I think 'Mr. Bad Guy' still holds up. The album is good.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Famous birthdays for July 26: Helen Mirren, Jeremy Piven
July 26 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Leo. They include: -- Writer George Bernard Shaw in 1856 -- Psychologist Carl Jung in 1875 -- Writer Aldous Huxley in 1894 -- Actor Vivian Vance in 1909 -- Baseball Hall of Fame member Hoyt Wilhelm in 1922 -- Writer Jan Berenstain in 1923 -- Filmmaker Stanley Kubrick in 1928 -- Musician Darlene Love (Blossoms/Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans) in 1941 (age 84) -- Musician Mick Jagger (Rolling Stones) in 1943 (age 82) -- Actor Helen Mirren in 1945 (age 80) -- Musician Roger Taylor (Queen) in 1949 (76) -- Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari in 1955 (age 70) -- U.S./World Figure Skating Hall of Fame member Dorothy Hamill in 1956 (age 69) -- Actor Kevin Spacey in 1959 (age 66) -- Musician Gary Cherone (Van Halen/Extreme) in 1961 (age 64) -- Actor Sandra Bullock in 1964 (age 61) -- Actor Danny Woodburn in 1964 (age 61) -- Actor Jeremy Piven in 1965 (age 60) -- Actor Jason Statham in 1967 (age 58) -- TV host Chris Harrison in 1971 (age 54) -- Actor Kate Beckinsale in 1973 (age 52) -- Musician Dan Konopka (OK Go) in 1974 (age 51) -- Actor Eve Myles in 1978 (age 47) -- Actor Juliet Rylance in 1979 (age 46) -- Actor Monica Raymund in 1986 (age 39) -- Actor Francia Raisa in 1988 (age 37) -- Actor Bianca Santos in 1990 (age 35) -- Singer/musician Taylor Momsen (Pretty Reckless) in 1993 (age 32) -- Actor Thomasin McKenzie in 2000 (age 25)
New York Post
10 hours ago
- New York Post
Hulk Hogan's former manager Jimmy Hart opens up about his last moments with wrestling icon
Jimmy Hart's still in shock at the death of his friend, Hulk Hogan. The transformative and controversial WWE legend Hogan died Thursday at the age of 71 at his home in Clearwater, Florida. Hulk Hogan with Jimmy Hart along side address the crowd during RAW at Intuit Dome on January 6, 2025 in Inglewood, California. WWE via Getty Images Advertisement Not long before Hogan's passing, Hart — a longtime manager and close friend — had publicly insisted the WWE Hall of Famer was doing better than had been reported. 'He was great,' The 'Mouth of the South' told People on Friday about seeing Hogan for the final time about a month ago. 'He had great food to eat that night. He was talking with the fans. He was just phenomenal.' Hart revealed his shock when he learned of the wrestling icon's passing. Advertisement 'I called [Hogan] on Wednesday night, and then Thursday morning is when everything took place,' Hart said Friday. 'So just…just overnight it all happened, but it was so positive the day before.' Hart added that when he called Hogan this week, he didn't get to speak to him. Wrestler Hulk Hogan (L) and wrestling manager Jimmy 'the Mouth of the South' Hart attend the Licensing Expo 2015 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on June 10, 2015 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Getty Images Instead, he spoke with Hogan's assistant, who merely sent a message saying that the former six-time WWE Champion was 'doing great.' Advertisement 'Well, tell him I love him,' Hart said he told Hogan's assistant. He indicated that he felt encouraged by the response, thinking 'this is great' news, People reported. 'It just hits so fast,' Hart said about his reaction upon learning of Hogan's death. 'It was like, 'Oh my God.' We thought he was doing so well, you know? We didn't go to see him at the house and didn't go to see him at the hospital, because we wanted to make sure that he didn't get any infections or anything else, like if anybody had a cold or brought anything in. So, that's what we all did.' Hart had a decades-long friendship with Hogan, going back to their early Memphis days through WWE and later WCW and TNA. Advertisement Hogan, a 12-time world champion — six in the WWE and six in WCE — was a two-time WWE Hall of Famer, being inducted in 2005 as an individual and in 2020 as a member of the New World Order. Hart was also inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005 and is regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestling managers of all time.
New York Post
10 hours ago
- New York Post
The beauty of Bill Joel? Unlike with so many stars, there's no myth-building
Normally, if you see someone's four wives all speaking about them on TV, it's a safe bet you're watching a 'Dateline' murder mystery. So it's astonishing to witness all three of Billy Joel's exes appear as well as his current wife in the documentary 'And So It Goes,' the second episode of which premieres Friday at 8 p.m. on HBO. Heck, even his former bandmate Jon Small is a frequent voice in the film. Small was married to Elizabeth Weber when the Piano Man and Weber fell in love. Advertisement The fallout from that triangle led Joel to attempt suicide, and he says he felt like a 'homewrecker.' But Small 'finally got over it' — and even went on to direct the music video for 'Uptown Girl.' 8 Last summer, Billy Joel ended his long running residency at Madison Square Garden. Getty Images I cannot account for his personal interactions and how he's still on good terms with all these people, but it says a lot about the man. Forgiveness is complicated. Advertisement And so is self-examination. But Joel, who has an inherent likability, seems to be well-practiced in the art. Not that he didn't give the women in his life agita. Much of his marital strife was fueled by alcohol abuse, and much of that was well documented in the press over the years. 'Some of the stupid stuff I did, that's painful to talk about,' the 76-year-old recently told People magazine, adding that directors Susan Lacy and Jessica Levin 'asked me for some thematic guidance. I said, 'Just tell the truth.'' 8 HBO's two-part documentary 'And So It Goes' explores the life and music of Billy Joel. Advertisement What's interesting is not just his story but the way he tells it, and the way he let the filmmakers have free rein. Lacy said they were given 'complete and utter independence' by the singer-songwriter. Unlike with so many stars, there's no myth-building at play. There's no artifice. As told in the documentary, his remarkable life can be summed up by the opening anecdote. Joel, who grew up in Hicksville, Long Island, recalls working on an oyster boat as a young man. He'd look up a sprawling mansion and sneer at the 'rich bastards' who lived there. 8 In the 1980s, Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley were the biggest celebrity power couple — and she was his muse. Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images Advertisement 'Well, I own that house now,' he said. It doesn't come off as an arrogant mic drop, but rather a 'pinch me' moment. And while he famously has a song called 'Angry Young Man,' it's the fact that he remained a man of the people that's been the key to his success. He is not, as Bruce Springsteen notes in the film, 'an angry activist man. He never directly goes there. Which is part of why the material hasn't dated.' 8 Billy Joel started taking piano lessons as a young boy in Hicksville, Long Island. Photograph by Billy Joel Archives/HBO 'Say Goodbye to Hollywood' was written when Joel and Weber were living in California — and he realized that the Empire State was a better personality fit. Relieved to be back, he literally wrote 'New York State of Mind' while on a Greyhound bus heading to Highland Falls, where Weber had found them a home. With 'Goodnight Saigon,' he wove a beautiful narrative through the tales of his friends who had returned from Vietnam. Advertisement 8 Billy Joel's first wife, Elizabeth Weber, was also his manager. She is interviewed in 'And So It Goes.' AFP via Getty Images 'Lullaby' was written for his daughter Alex Ray Joel as he was splitting with second wife Christie Brinkley. 'Piano Man' is rightfully praised in the documentary by rapper Nas as a 'mirror facing the mirror.' There's themes of love, loss and searching for his absentee father. Joel found him living in 'Vienna.' Advertisement But he has never truly told people how to think — a rarity these days. 8 Billy Joel performing in the 1970s. Photograph by Art Maillet/Sony Music Archives/HBO As critic Steven Hyden remarks in the film. 'He writes about people. Not causes or concepts.' Joel has said he knows people don't want to hear him on his soap box. Advertisement Appearing on 'Club Random,' he recently told Bill Maher he has no time for woke scolds. 8 In 2015, Joel married his fourth wife, Alexis Roderick, and the pair share two daughters, Della and Remy. Wireimage 'On the other hand, I'm always trying to find out the other point of view. What's, you know, not my point of view — somebody else's point of view,' Joel told Maher. 'OK, I'd like to understand why they think that way.' It's obvious why people connect with the guy. He's one of us, only with six Grammies and a spot in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. Advertisement The father-of-three was recently diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalus, a brain disorder that causes, among other things, issues with cognition and balance. This week, he told Maher that he 'feels good' save for his balance: 'It's like being on a boat.' 8 On a recent episode of 'Club Random' Billy Joel told Bill Maher that he 'feels good' despite his diagnosis of normal pressure hydrocephalus. Youtube / Club Random w/ Bill Maher He also promised that he isn't done yet. Music to my ears.
