Brian May Teases New Queen Music: “I could have a new song in the works”

‘t going to say: Freddie, this is about you. But at the same time, it’s a song about a clown who’s suffering and has to paint his smile on. We only wrote one verse together — that was all we managed that afternoon — but it was enough to push me forward with the song. A few weeks later, Freddie came back to record the vocal. He could hardly stand, but he’s propping himself up, knocking back the vodka and saying, ‘Play the tape! I’ll get it’ — and he was stupendous.”

Known for his flamboyant stage presence, Freddie Mercury had a more reserved side that many may not have seen.

“Deep down Freddie was one of the shyest people I’ve ever met, but he was so full of bluster you’d forget,” recalls May. “Freddie would always be excited, and his excitement would take over… He’d be so full of excitement he could hardly speak. Freddie’s ideas were off the wall and cheeky and different — and we tended to encourage them. Sometimes the idea he brought in was brilliant, and sometimes not brilliant.”

May also recalls a time when one of Mercury’s ideas didn’t quite hit the mark: “He came in one day and announced, ‘I’ve got this amazing idea. You know Michael Jackson has just put out this album called Bad? … Well, listen… What do you think about us calling our next album Good?’ We all looked at each other and said, ‘Well, maybe we should think about it, Freddie.’ It wasn’t one of his world-shattering ideas, but looking back, maybe we were wrong.”

Despite his playful antics, Freddie Mercury’s talent was unmatched.

“People talk about Freddie’s antics, but he was fantastically gifted, a really unique, irreplaceable talent,” May reflects.

With the possibility of new Queen music on the horizon, fans can look forward to more of the timeless music that made the band legendary. May and Taylor continue to create, ensuring that the spirit of Queen lives on through their music. The collaborative effort within the band, fueled by each member’s unique contributions, remains a key element in the creative process that has defined Queen’s sound. Through their stories and anecdotes, May and Taylor offer a glimpse into the inner workings of one of the greatest bands in music history.