Freddie Mercury’s Queen is one of the great rock bands, but its musical style could swing from light pop to heavy metal. Now Brian May has spilt the beans on the band’s biggest influences, including The Beatles. Speaking with Guitar World last year, May said: “By that time I’d been exposed to Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, and that was life-changing.”
The 72-year-old continued: “To us, Hendrix was the great god.
“I still can’t understand where that stuff came from. It’s like he came from another planet.
“I mentioned harmonies — I came from Buddy Holly and the Crickets, the Everly Brothers, the Beatles.
“The Beatles built our bible as far as musical composition, arrangement and production went.”
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Freddie Mercury was ‘shocked and dumbfounded’ at John Lennon’s death
May added: “The White Album is a complete catalogue of how you should use a studio to build songs.
“Happiness Is a Warm Gun and Dear Prudence are blinding examples of how music can be like painting a picture on a canvas.
“In a sense, the Beatles were unburdened because they didn’t have to play the songs live.
“We became passionate about building stuff in the studio but also making it come to life on a stage.”
When John Lennon died in December 1980, Queen paid tribute by singing Imagine at a London concert the next day.
According to U Discover Music, Freddie said: “John Lennon was larger than life, and an absolute genius.
“Even at a very early stage when they were The Beatles, I always preferred John Lennon’s things. I don’t know why.
“He just had that magic… to be honest, I would never like to put myself on a par with John Lennon at all, because he was the greatest, as far as I’m concerned.”
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Freddie added: “It’s not a matter of having less talent, just that some people are capable of doing certain things better than anybody else, and I feel that I’m not equipped to do the things that Lennon did.
“I don’t think anybody should, because John Lennon was unique, a one-off, and that’s the way it is.
“I admire him very much and that’s as far as I want to go.
“When I heard that Lennon was dead, I was shocked and dumbfounded.”
Queen and Adam Lambert are currently on their Rhapsody tour.
Having played in Korea and Japan, the band are now in New Zealand, with their next showing taking place in Wellington on February 5.
After three concerts, they’ll head to Australia for seven gigs plus a set at the wildfire charity show.
The band won’t come to the UK until June, but there’s a string of dates here. Aside from 10 shows at London’s O2 and two at Manchester Arena, Queen and Adam Lambert have announced they will also perform at Arena Birmingham on June 14 and 15.
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