“`html
Half a century ago, the celebrated rock group Queen arrived at Rockfield Studios, the renowned recording facility nestled in the Monmouthshire countryside.
Having previously stayed there in 1974, the band returned the following summer, buoyed by the success of their hit song, “Killer Queen.”
“They weren’t particularly well-off financially in [1974], but upon their return in 1975, they were very famous and very well-off,” noted Kingsley Ward, co-founder of the studio.
During that subsequent visit, Ward recalled that the band had been at the studio for a week and “hadn’t done much,” a sentiment he shared with guitarist Brian May during a frisbee game outside.
May responded that frontman Freddie Mercury was inside “writing something.”
Ward then went back inside and approached the piano where Mercury was practicing what he described as a new song with the working title “Freddie’s Thing.”
“I had no idea… but it was Bohemian Rhapsody,” he revealed to BBC Radio Wales.
This week marks the 50th anniversary of the completion of the recording for the song – widely considered one of the most iconic of all time – in the Welsh countryside.
In celebration, May and fellow band member Roger Taylor performed alongside the BBC Symphony Orchestra at the Last Night of the Proms Finale.
The song has also recently gained traction on social media, sparked by a flash mob performance of the song by French pianist Julien Cohen and a collective of 30 musicians, which brought a Parisian street to a standstill and garnered over 11 million likes on Instagram.
Olly Pearson, an electric guitarist from Wrexham, participated in the video, delivering an energetic rendition of May’s celebrated guitar solo.
“It was just so amazing – I don’t even have words for it,” Pearson shared regarding the experience.
Rockfield Studios holds a distinguished place in rock history, established in the 1960s after Kingsley and his brother Charles decided to pursue their vision independently following a rejection of a recording opportunity by the legendary producer and “fifth Beatle,” George Martin.
In addition to Queen, Rockfield has also served as the creative space where Oasis crafted some of their biggest hits, and where Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness, arrived in 1970 with his new band, Black Sabbath.
“We were very loud, and Rockfield allowed us the freedom,” Osbourne once stated.
“No one would allow us to play as loud as that. The roof tiles were rattling.”
Among the countless musical memories created at Rockfield, Ward cites hearing Mercury’s solo during the recording of “Bohemian Rhapsody” as a particularly cherished moment.
“I remember that particular solo because it was so outstanding,” he recalled.
Even after Queen finished recording and departed from the studio, he had yet to experience the song – with its diverse stylistic elements, encompassing a ballad, operatic passages, and hard rock components – in its entirety.
“It was done [in the studio] in three sections, and when it left here I only ever heard the sections. They were never actually put together as a unit,” he explained.
Ward recounted first hearing the complete song on the radio while driving down the M4 motorway.
“I was amazed when I heard it. I thought it was fantastic,” he remembered.
Ward also expressed his admiration for the recent rendition of the song performed in Paris, describing Pearson’s solo as “fantastic.”
“He is brilliant,” he affirmed.
Pearson, for his part, conveyed his pride in contributing to such an iconic song, admitting to pre-performance jitters that were quickly superseded by “the adrenaline.”
Pearson revealed his aspiration to perform in a “big band” at Wembley Stadium, potentially alongside the legendary May.
When asked about facilitating such a meeting, Ward responded: “He’s such a nice person, I’m sure he’d be interested.”
Pascoal – famed for his blend of jazz and traditional music – wrote more than 2,000 instrumental pieces.
After being offered DJing opportunities on a Greek island, Tom Hall is thinking of a music future.
Birmingham’s Boxout Fest provides opportunities for DJs and artists pushing black music and culture.
The rock band play an orchestral version of Bohemian Rhapsody; while Bill Bailey plays a typewriter.
Swindon Brass are competing in the National Brass Band section three finals for the first time.
“`