Somebody to Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kijpcUv-b8M
Since I began this series in January I have often wondered to myself how many views the songs that I post actually get as a result of my sharing. I fully realize that it is likely only on rare occasions that a Ted Tock will speak to songs that people are not familiar. On the other hand, I hope that sometimes my posts will be somewhat nostalgic in that they remind the reader of a song that they love and with a little prompt from the story I share they feel compelled to read the article to find out more, and then listen to the song.]. With today’s post I suspect I could just post the video and people would watch it; and based on the immense talent on display I am confident that many of you will watch it more than once. That is the position I found myself in as I wrote. ‘Somebody to Love’ by Queen is yet another Freddie Mercury masterpiece that is only enhanced by the complimentary talents of his bandmates. The video only serves to emphasize this fact. The quality of the piece keeps you going back. The following is a brief story of the song’s history and then I will share another special moment in music history.
According to Queen’s drummer Roger Taylor, ‘Somebody to Love’ was inspired by the talents of another iconic singer; Aretha Franklin. It is this influence that opened the doors to what became a gospel oriented piece. True to this era of Queen, ‘Somebody to Love’ is a multi layered track that is an obvious evolution of the possibilities that Freddie Mercury perfected while creating ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ a year earlier. It appeared on their A Day at the Races album in 1976. As much as Queen notified the rock world that there was room for a combination of rock and opera, the combination of rock and gospel was still alive and kicking. ‘Somebody to Love’ went to #2 in the U.K and #13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
Featuring the soul searching lyrics of Freddie Mercury, ‘Somebody to Love’ is an existential piece that finds the singer questioning God’s role in a life without love. Readers who are familiar with Mercury’s biography will understand the struggles he was having on an individual basis. Despite Mercury’s outward confidence and the flamboyant outlet he enjoyed as a front man for Queen, he struggled with feelings of inadequacy and lack of belonging. At the time of this composition he had notified his wife and soul mate, Mary Austin of his sexuality. This ended their romantic relationship but their platonic relationship would last. Mercury often lamented that Mary was the ‘Love of My Life’ but he couldn’t hold onto her in the form of his marriage because of his homosexuality. Sadly, the world was not nearly so accepting in the ‘70s and ‘80s and this left Mercury very guarded and defensive about his personal life. He had a very carefully selected inner sanctum of people he could trust, and he rarely extended beyond that comfort zone in any deep sense. These thoughts come through loud and clear in this powerful song.
The introspective lyrics are only enhanced by Freddie Mercury’s vision. He created a studio environment where he and bandmates Roger Taylor and Brian May could multitrack their voice in order to make it sound like a one hundred member gospel choir. The intricate harmonies are something to behold. ‘Somebody to Love’ is yet another true testament to the brilliance of Queen and the true innovation of Freddie Mercury as an artist. While watching the song unfold in the video the listener can get a greater sense of the sections held within. Each section is amazing in their own right but as a whole it is an epic performance. Beyond the vocal brilliance you get one of Brian May’s distinctive guitar solos which would ordinarily be a showstopper on its own. At about the 2/3 point you think the song is finishing and you get Roger Taylor leading you through the ‘Need Somebody to Love’ chant before the song concludes with the plaintive Mercury pleading for ‘somebody’ while Taylor and May continue in the background.
The promotional video that I shared has been viewed over 144 million times. I suspect many have done what I have done and watched it over and over again. It was filmed during a staged recording session at the band’s studio and then at a renowned Hyde Park live performance while they toured A Day at the Races. The in studio footage added bassist Brian Deacon to the scene of all four members working on the harmonies but evidently this was just for aesthetic balance. Deacon was not comfortable with his voice and didn’t feel that he could contribute in this way. He just laid down the bottom end of the rhythm section for this song in his own quiet way. A constant trait for Deacon throughout Queen’s career. Deacon did do some backing vocals on stage but based on an agreement with his techs, the faders were turned very low. Those bassists are always the quiet ones. J
This musical interlude is brought to you by…Bassists:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF7vghzj6pk
Now getting back to the reason for today’s post. Sadly, it was on this day on 1991 that the world lost Freddie Mercury. He had been diagnosed with AIDS in 1987 (not in early 1985 as inexplicably depicted in the Queen bio pic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody…don’t get me started). For years the British press and by extension the world press had been hounding Freddie with questions about his sexuality. Throughout the late ‘80s the Mercury was questioned about his deteriorating appearance and the fact that the band seemed to be on an extended hiatus. Freddie Mercury and Queen made their last public appearance as a band in February of 1990 when they accepted a Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In November of that year a British tabloid stalked Mercury and published a front page expose with a series of photos depicting the gaunt and failing singer along with the headline “It’s official-Freddie is seriously ill”. True to his character Freddie chose to remain within himself and among his closest and trusted friends. They all continued to deny the rumours to protect Freddie and those within his circle. Behind the scenes Queen was spending some time preparing a video for their final group performance ‘These Are the Days of Our Lives’. He was able to go to the studio to work for a couple of hours each day for this project in the spring of 1991. People close to the project report Freddie as being very happy and positive during this process. His mission was to do his part and let the band finish it when he was gone. I get a lump in my throat just thinking about it. In Freddie’s words “I’m not going to think about it, I’m going to do this.” From about June through to his death Mercury retired to his home in Kensington surrounded by his closest friends. His condition deteriorated horrifically. He was beginning to lose his sight and at the end he was unable to get out of bed. He bravely chose to hasten the condition by not taking his medication; only painkillers. On November 22nd at the behest of Mercury, Queen’s manager; Jim Beach, issued a statement:
“Following the enormous conjecture in the press over the last two weeks, I wish to confirm that I have been tested HIV positive and have AIDS. I felt it correct to keep this information private to date to protect the privacy of those around me. However, the time has come now for my friends and fans around the world to know the truth and I hope that everyone will join with me, my doctors and all those worldwide in the fight against this terrible disease. My privacy has always been very special to me and I am famous for my lack of interviews. Please understand this policy will continue.”
Take that British press…Two days later Mercury died of complications resulting from AIDS. His funeral was held three days later with his family and 35 of his closest friends. In death as in life Mercury kept things within his inner circle. Freddie Mercury charged his beautiful friend and soulmate Mary Austin with the honour of spreading his ashes in an undisclosed place. This location has never been revealed. A true testament to their special relationship.
For today’s cover version I want to share a special moment that could only be done for a handful of artists. The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert was held in April of 1992 and broadcast worldwide from the scene of many a Queen conquest; Wembley Stadium in London. Proceeds from the show were allocated to launch The Mercury Phoenix Trust – an AIDS charity organization. The concert put on a display of Queen’s diverse contribution to the music world and featured many of the eras finest musicians. It was a true celebration of Freddie Mercury’s life. The live performance was witnessed by 72,000 fans and the live feed was broadcast to 76 countries around the world and seen by an estimated one billion people. Staggering! One of the finest performances of the day was ‘Somebody to Love’ by George Michael; accompanied of course by the surviving members of Queen. Just beautiful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvM2Cmi-YRU
Sadly, George Michael died way to young, at the age of only 53, in 2016.
And finally; for a glimpse into what Freddie Mercury’s friends meant to him read this account from Elton John:
I suspect many of his closest friends have similar stories.
Even the little creatures love Freddie. J
https://www.facebook.com/AmazingMusiciansPage/videos/301278477262331/?t=3
R.I.P. Freddie. You changed music foreve