Why a Llama Stopped Freddie Mercury from Finishing Duets with Michael Jackson
After Queen went on hiatus in 1983, the "We Will Rock You" hitmaker — who died from complications from AIDS at the age of 45 — connected with the King of Pop, who died of apparent cardiac arrest at the age of 50.
The pair were fans of one another and, as Mercury wanted to pursue a dancier sound on his solo record, they decided to collaborate.
Related: Prince's Feud with Michael Jackson: Clues into Why He Skipped the 'We Are the World' Recording 40 Years Ago
They ended up heading to Jackson's studio in Encino, Calif. and working on three tracks — Victory,' 'State of Shock' and 'There Must Be More to Life Than This.
However, none of them ever made the cut for Mercury's 1985 solo album Mr. Bad Guy.
Instead, a solo rendition of 'There Must Be More to Life Than This' appeared on Mr Bad Guy, while 'State of Shock' ended up being a collaboration with Mick Jagger on the Jackson 5's 1984 album Victory.
'I think the last straw was when Michael brought his pet llama into the studio,' Jo Burt — who played bass on Mr. Bad Guy — told the New York Post.
He added: 'I think Freddie sort of took umbrage to that.'
According to the publication, Mercury tapped Queen's manager Jim 'Miami' Beach to get out of the situation.
'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 said in the 2012 documentary Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender, per the New York Post.
Mercury's album Mr. Bad Guy came at a time when he was looking for creative autonomy.
Prior to his debut album, Mercury had recorded solo music under the pseudonym Larry Lurex in 1973 and later for the 1984 'Metropolis' soundtrack.
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Related: The Unseen Freddie Mercury: Exploring the Private Man Behind the 'Bohemian Rhapsody' Character
Mercury only released one solo album — Mr. Bad Guy — however, he did release a 1988 collaborative album with opera singer Montserrat Caballé called Barcelona.'There Must Be More to Life Than This,' which he initially collaborated on with Jackson, was eventually featured on the 2014 compilation album Queen Forever.
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