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lonelyasawhisper · 2 years

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A Report Of Music Life’s 1976 Panel about Queen

Written by 走路带风的Mia (1) (2) (3) (4). Translated by me.

1976. After the second Japanese tour, Music Life held a special panel and invited several people who worked closely with the band during their visit to Japan to share all kinds of anecdotes about Queen. The panel was chaired by Kaoruko Togo. The attendees included the accompanying translator Kazuko Teramura, the head of security Hisao Itami, and Queen’s publicity person Masafumi Kato. The text version was published in the magazine's temporary supplement in 1976. I will not follow the original word by word. I will write as I go:

During this visit to Japan, apart from Freddie, several people bought parts for cameras and lenses. Brian and John are especially proficient in mechanics. Brian understands lenses better, and John is more familiar with tape recorders. Roger is responsible for asking them both about all kinds of things. Freddie: not interested in mechanical things whatsoever.

John was very excited during their visit at the Sony factory in Shinagawa. They have very good memory and even remembered the clerk of the camera shop they visited last year, and it seemed that the clerk also remembered them. On the second day in Japan, John first proposed to the translator Teramura that he wanted to go to the camera shop they visited last year. After going there, John found the clerk and asked him if he could give them the same discount as last year. Teramura emphasized that the discount is 30% off, which is a very good bargain, and there are several camera shops in the city. If they had not gone to the same shop they visited last time, they would not have gotten that discount. At the time, Roger also wanted to shop, and Brian was considering if he should get a fisheye lens. They went on to discuss various cameras, lenses, and prices.

When I read this passage, I thought to myself, no wonder John is the one in charge of business in the band. He remembers faces well and has a good memory. He must have better learning ability than the average person. Being able to remember details, he would easily have the upper hand in striking business deals, although he also could exhibit some confusing behaviour.

After the show, the band would stay backstage for an hour or so, and they would talk about the day's performance on the way back. Everyone would express their opinions frankly and openly. From the perspective of the translator Teramura, sometimes it would amount to arguments, but at the end, the four would go back to normal. Teramura believes that although Roger is typically recognized as a rock star, it is surprising that he is very careful about his physical condition. He is always said to be fun-loving, but at a party, he ended up as the first one to leave.

It is difficult to organize everyone to leave for the next destination. For example, someone would be washing their hair right before leaving, and someone else would be taking their sweet time. Brian and John usually got ready quite early, and the latest always seemed to be Roger, who would take his time in his room, and sometimes he would forget his keys. John would put his luggage neatly aside, as if signalling some kind of determination, a look of eagerness to go home, muttering: I hope my kid hasn’t forgotten what I look like. Or repeating "I'm not homesick" while always saying "it’d be nice to go home, it‘d be nice to go home."

I'm curious: who is the one still washing their hair when it’s time to leave!

I have to say that there really are crazy fans at any point in time, although it also shows that Queen has always been very popular from the flip side. Brian is the kind of person who is obviously the most cordial and friendly, as well as gentle and pleasant. But he also has the most explosive temper that could be triggered by one single thing.

Speaking of this tour, the fans as a strong offensive were quite astonishing. At the airport, Brian was very excited in the face of crazy fans at first, but he was quickly provoked, as he was mobbed by the besieging fans in the aisle and lost one of his shoes in the process. After returning to the hotel from the airport, he was so angry that he gave up on the other shoe. The bodyguard Itami said with amusement: "He probably kicked it away." Later, a fan returned his shoes. At this point, he had regained his composure and thanked the other party.

Brian has an impatient temperament, and the translator Teramura said that once his fuse is lit, he would very quickly return to normal. After the performance, he went to the hotel bar. The bar would be open until 1:00am. It was about 1:15am or somewhere between 1:15 and 1:20am. He suggested that everyone should go for a beer together, but they were refused reception with the reason being the bar closes before 1:15am. Of course, the bar manager’s English choice of words was also very rude and especially condescending. Brian was so angry that he couldn't go out, that he yelled at the manager to get out. Later, in front of everyone, he explained that he was actually so ashamed of yelling just now that he wanted to cry, making himself sound very lowly and despicable.

But when he really couldn't tolerate something anymore, he would still explode. In the returning journey to Tokyo from Fukuoka, some fans called at 5 or 6 in the morning, and later even went to his door and rang the doorbell, which finally made Brian so furious that he kicked the door. Teramura said she was resting in the next room and was just wondering if something had happened. She happened to see Brian at breakfast the next day. When she asked him, she realized that Brian had rejected the fans several times. As a result, they went over, and all arrived at his door. In the end, he had to berate them as a last resort.

In addition, my guess is (I’m almost certain but I have no evidence), 80% chance that what Brian was wearing when he got off the plane were his clogs, and that’s why he so easily lost them being mobbed.

Masafumi Kato, in charge of publicity for Queen: "Freddie is very friendly and can be said to be the most adult-like, mature and cultivated, with the ability to be like a commander, and he really feels like a leader. He also seems a little bit vain.”

Bodyguard Kyuo Itami: "I was born in the same month as him (Freddie). I am a week younger, his birthday is on the 5th, and I'm on the 12th. I'm not in the circle, and I don't know what he is like as a musician. But in terms of personal contact, I feel like he's a lot more mature than me.

“In regards to him being a leader, his leadership as a musician is very good, and it feels like he always keeps himself in an optimal state. Others, such as Roger or John, are a little bit more open about their emotions, or would stay out very late. Only Freddie always seems like he makes sure to adjust himself in his own headspace.

“He had a masculine kind of tenderness and was very caring to us. I felt a camaraderie that goes beyond a work relationship in the second year [as Freddie's bodyguard]."

Kaoruko Togo: "So far we have come into contact with many rock musicians, but Queen still feels a little different. Among them, only Roger has the characteristics that rock musicians we are familiar with usually possess, and the other members, especially Freddie, stand out a lot. They’re an interesting band in that sense."

Some of my personal opinions: I did not choose to translate these paragraphs to promote the idea that Freddie was the leader of the band, but similar statements have been said in ML magazines plenty, especially during the first two Japanese tours, so I think it is a topic worth discussing. In fact, both the Japanese world and the English world have remarked on the equality and democracy in the band. All matters are always decided by the four of them, and that is a fact. Freddie himself has emphasized it many times. I remember clearly in an interview in Brazil in 1985 where he said "I'm not the leader, everyone says I'm the leader, but I'm just the lead singer". I think he does have strong leadership skills and coordination ability, or as the above passage discussed: he was the oldest and the most mature. He knew what he wanted from a young age, he was also good at motivating others to help him achieve his goals. In his interviews, when talking about his bandmates, as long as he was not joking, he undoubtedly fully showed his respect for his bandmates. I think he is a great cohesive force, a coordinator, a catalyst of charisma in the band. But a band is like a table; to be stable, all four legs have to be equal in length and strength.

Personal opinions are temporarily written here, and everyone is welcome to express their own opinions.

#@bye-bye-miss-american-pie here you go bastard #excuse the grammar and tenses I did this pretty quickly on a train #four aging queens #anecdote #music life #1976 #queen band #brian may #freddie mercury #roger taylor #John deacon

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natromanxoff · 3 years

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An Exclusive Interview With Queen!

Music Life September 1975 issue

By Kaoruko Togo and Keiko Miyasaka

[Original text in Japanese, translation by deathtoming]

Around noon on July 14th, we left the hotel by car, and around two hours later we arrived at the beautiful Ridge Farm, surrounded by trees. We were blessed with clear skies on this day, and the blue sky and the greenery of the farm were almost blindingly beautiful. It was a bit past 2 o’clock. When we arrived in the main building, we were first greeted by a large dog, followed by a familiar voice from a room in the back. It was a large food hall, with Freddie, Brian, Roger, and John present.

When they see us, the four of them say, “Hello! You’re from Music Life, right? Welcome!” and greet us with handshakes. The four of them rented this Ridge Farm to focus solely on rehearsing for their next album. “We’re about to have lunch. Want to join us?” We knew we couldn’t work while hungry, so we accepted their offer with thanks. When the meal finished, we could begin our interview at last….

Music Life (ML): Are you in the middle of recording now?

Roger: No, we’re not recording yet. We’re all practising our new songs together. Once we practise them, we get an idea of how we should record them, I think.

ML: When do you think you’ll start recording?

Roger Maybe in about 3 weeks…

John: We might use Rockfield Studios in Wales.

ML: Do you always record there?

Roger: No, not really, although we did a bit of recording there for our third album, Sheer Heart Attack.

Freddie. We used around five studios to record that one. We’ll probably use several studios this time around, too.

ML: You’ll do a bit of recording in London, too, right?

Roger: Probably a little bit, yeah. We usually do our mixing in London.

Brian: But when we first record the backing track, it’s better to do it somewhere where we’re nice and settled, so it’s good to do it while we’re holed out in the studio. By doing that, we’re able to relax and do the recording.

ML: Can you tell us something about your upcoming album?

Freddie: Yeah, well we only have the rough framework at this point, but I think it will be our best work so far. We’re in the middle of creating the songs now.

Roger: Nothing has really come together yet, so it’s difficult to explain.

John: When we first came here we presented what songs we had written so far to each other, and we had about two albums’ worth, haha.

ML: I hear you’re heading to the US on tour soon.

John: Probably. Our manager is in the US now, and he’s apparently in talks with a bunch of people.

Freddie: We have to decide whether to record the album or go on tour in the US like we had decided during our previous tour.

ML: How long have you been working with your producer?

Freddie: His name is Roy Thomas Baker, and he’s been with us since our debut album.

Roger: We’re co-producing the album with him. Our next album will be with him, too.

ML: This Ridge Farm is such a beautiful place. How did you find it?

Roger: Our mixer, John Harris, found it. The owner often rents out this place to rock groups, apparently.

ML: When you write your songs, do you do it individually?

Freddie: Yes, that’s right. Everyone writes their own songs in their own homes, and then brings it to places like this and we all work on it.

ML: How many songs will be on this album?

Freddie: I don’t know yet. Maybe around 12.

ML: When will it be released?

Freddie: That depends on a lot of things. But I want it out some time this year. It will probably be by the end of this year.

ML: What have you been up to since you came back from Japan?

Freddie: For several weeks, we kept on talking about our time in Japan, haha. We’d unwrap the presents we got from Japan. Please pass along our thanks to our fans in Japan, because we were really treated so kindly.

ML: Is there anything that stands out in particular from your time in Japan?

Roger: Aside from the people we met, probably our final show in Tokyo. Something felt special. It was also our final show in Japan. The atmosphere was wonderful.

John: I also remember appearing in a kimono on stage for the first time in that concert.

ML: What about Japanese food?

Freddie: Like, tempura, haha. We went to a Japanese restaurant with our bodyguards in Japan. Oh that’s right, please send our regards to those bodyguards; we owe them a lot.

ML: What do you want to do the most the next time you’re in Japan?

Roger: I’m going to go shopping for sure, haha! Things like tape recorders and other things. Last time, Freddie bought lots of ceramics, and Brian and John bought cameras.

ML: Brian, you like cameras, don’t you?

Brian: Yeah, I do photography sometimes, and I have lots of other hobbies. Right now I’m really into audio.

ML: Since when have you been taking pictures?

Brian: Since quite a long time ago. But I only recently got a good camera. In England, cameras are so expensive.

ML: This is especially the case in Japan, but you have a lot of young girls for fans. What do you think about that?

Roger: It’s outstanding, haha! Japanese fans in particular give us lots of presents. We don’t get too many gifts from other countries, but it seems to be a part of the Japanese tradition.

ML: Among your young, female Japanese fans, there are some who say that Queen is their first encounter with rock music.

Roger: Great!

Freddie: That’s a good thing. It was really exciting when we were in Japan, and I think it was probably the same kind of atmosphere as it was for the Beatles in the ‘60s.

ML: Were there any interesting gifts from Japan?

Brian: I received a lot of birthday gifts, so thank you very much to all of you for those presents. I received many works of art, and also things like dolls and traditional balls wrapped with beautiful string. We got lots of toys, too.

Roger: That ball with the string was hand-made, right? I got one, too.

ML: In your free time, what kind of music do you listen to?

Roger: I’ve been listening to Led Zeppelin's first album.

Freddie: Lately, classical. Like, Chopin. Also things like Led Zeppelin and John Lennon.

ML: Freddie, you have a broad range of interests.

Freddie: Of course. I’ll listen to anything that I like. That said, there’s no artist whose album I’d buy as soon as it was released.

ML: Brian, what about you?

Brian: Pretty much the same as everyone else. I often listen to Led Zeppelin.

ML: There’s a place called “Rhye” in the lyrics for Lily of the Valley, but is that a real place in England?

Freddie: No, it’s a land from my imagination. It’s also mentioned in Seven Seas of Rhye, and I guess it’s like a fairy tale.

Roger: There is a place called “Rye” in England, although the spelling is different.

ML: Your songs’ lyrics seem to be influenced by classical poets.

Freddie: You’re referring to lyric poetry. I don’t think we’re influenced by that too much. Truthfully, I don’t have time to read. I just like expressing myself in that way. Those kinds of expressions are easier.

ML: Do the really passionate lyrics for love songs come from your personal experiences?

Roger: Ahhhh--!! Haha, yeah right! But I guess there’s, uh, a little bit of something in there.<Grinning> But Brian sometimes writes really passionate ones.

ML: She Makes Me is quite the song, isn’t it?

Brian: No, it’s not like that at all. <Acting quite bashfully> Although there are times when my personal experiences are expressed in song lyrics.

ML: The band does a good job recreating the sound from your records live on stage, don’t you?

Roger: We’re not trying to reproduce what you hear on the record exactly, though. Of course we want to produce a good sound, but on stage we also need to add an exciting mood to the quality of the sound. So that’s why it needs to be a little different from the album.

ML: Which do you like better, recording or performing live?

Freddie: I like both. They’re both interesting in their own ways.

ML: Do you use any special equipment on stage?

Roger: No, although Brian uses echo machines and such.

ML: Do you have a lighting technician?

Freddie: We do have one, but the band comes up with the idea, and our lighting guy -- his name is James Dann -- takes care of the rest. We’ve already come up with our next stage design and it’s going to be interesting.

ML: Killer Queen was a big hit single; are hit singles important to you?

Roger: It’s not absolutely necessary. But we’ll keep on releasing singles. Of course we’ll only release ones we like, though.

ML: Which do you like better, singles or albums?

Freddie: Definitely albums! I think our music is geared more towards albums rather than singles.

Roger: Rather than releasing single after single, it’s better if there happens to be a song in the album that works well as a single, and we release it if the timing is right. It’s not good if we start thinking we need to release a single every 3 months.

John: On this upcoming album as well, we will record everything first, and then release something if it works well as a single. But we don’t particularly record only songs that would work as singles.

ML: Does it seem like you’ll have another song like Killer Queen?

Freddie: No, when Seven Seas of Rhye became a hit in England, the people at the record company wanted our next song to be like that, but we couldn’t do it. We go in the studio and record what we’re feeling at that time, and only after everything is finished do we decide as a group what to release as a single.

ML: So, you’re always looking for a new sound?

Freddie: It’s more interesting that way.

Roger: That’s why we come to places like this, and while we’re rehearsing we make a bunch of noise and form songs from that.

ML: Did someone serve as an inspiration for Killer Queen?

Roger: Freddie’s mom.

ML: Do you have plans for a British tour?

Roger: Yeah. Probably by the end of this year.

John: But first we need to record our album, and we don’t know what will come after.

ML: Which country’s fans do you like?

John: Japan’s, of course, haha!

Brian: <Speaking seriously> We were really surprised by the reaction of our Japanese fans. Honestly speaking, we didn’t realize it was at that level.

Roger: We thought there would be difficulties because of the language difference, but rock fans are the same around the world, in the end.

ML: Did you have a break after you came back from Japan?

John: Just a little. But we had lots of preparation to do, so it’s like we didn’t have a break.

ML: And uhh… now I’d like to ask about things outside of the music. It’s something Japanese fans want to know: when did you fall in love for the first time? What kind of person were they?

Freddie: Err… our first love is, of course, music, haha.

ML: Do you have any memories from when you were going to school?

Roger: I haaaaated school!

ML: What about you, Brian?

Brian: I went to an all boys school. I had no idea what girls were like, right up to when I graduated when I was 18. It was really a shock when I first got to know girls. But that’s the British school system for you. I was raised away from girls for so long that I was afraid to meet them.

Freddie: You’re still afraid of them, aren’t you? Haha. <This was a tough joke>

ML: Freddie, what subjects did you like in school?

Roger Oh, I know! ”Needlework”! <Everyone bursts out laughing>

Freddie: Art. I studied graphics and illustration at an art school for 3 years.

ML: What about sports?

Freddie: I did everything. Cricket, tennis…

ML: Do you still meet up with your friends from school?

Freddie: I often meet with around two of them.

ML: And, finally, are you married?

Roger: Japanese fans often want to know things like that, but I won’t say. <Roger winks mischievously.>

Freddie: We’re all single! But the Japanese girls have to find that out for themselves.

ML: Let’s get a message from each one of you to our readers…

And with that, the friendly interview came to an end. We were fortunate that the band talked to us in a relaxed mood while bathing in the bright sun.

#queen #queen band #roger taylor #freddie mercury #brian may #john deacon

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doctorqueensanatomy · 4 years

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Someone translated some interviews done on Queen’s 1976 tour of Japan and I think that they're the bees knees

Brian: By the way, what did you guys think about our tour this year compared to last year’s?

Music Life: I thought you would play more songs from A Night at the Opera, but you only played three, right? And the stage actions and stage show were pretty much the same as last year, so to tell you the truth, I was a bit disappointed.

Brian: What? You’re saying you found it boring. Wow, that’s harsh. The reason why we don’t play our new songs is because after we finished recording we toured England immediately and the tours continued after that. We just didn’t have time to rehearse. Also, this tour isn’t necessarily meant to be a promotional tour, so if you were expecting a bunch of new songs, you may have been mistaken.

Music Life: But, usually, concerts are basically used to promote the musician’s latest album, aren’t they?

Brian: There may be bands like that. I’m not doing live shows for the album; rather, we aim to have equal representation from all of our albums.

John: At the very least, we hope to be changing things up more than Deep Purple, haha!

Music Life: That’s right, if you guys are putting together your shows with that frame of mind, then there’s not much point in us arbitrarily expecting so much. But the fact that big hits like Killer Queen and Bohemian Rhapsody were only performed in medleys is still disappointing, I gotta say.

Brian: We’ve been told that a lot. But everyone is telling us that our stage show is a lot better than last year’s. Maybe it’s just flattery, haha.

Music Life: I don’t think so. Japanese people are honest, so they probably truly felt that.

[Interview carries on for a bit, as they talked for a total of 2 hours. John mentions they’re going to Australia, and will be away from home for three months.]

Music Life: You miss your wife, right?

John: Wait, we’re not supposed to talk about that, remember?

Music Life: But other Japanese magazines and radio shows have already brought it up.

Brian: So, you guys found out that John has four kids? Hahaha…

John: That’s not true, Brian!

Music Life: In reality you have one kid, right? His name..?

John: He’s called Robert.

Music Life: You gave him an unexpectedly common name.

John: It’s a bit better than John, haha.

^^^^^

[The Music Life interview was with journalists Haruko Minakami and Kaoruko Togo, who would later become editor-in-chief.]

Ongaku Senka: [asks about the stage show, use of dry ice, etc.]

Roger and Freddie: [answers question, says some things weren’t allowed in Japan due to the fire code (apparently magnesium-based explosives)]

(...silence…)

Roger: Last year, you asked us more questions, but this year you’re pretty quiet. You can go ahead and ask some personal questions.

Ongaku Senka: John, why do you lick your fingers when you play the bass?

John: Because I’m hungry. Actually, it’s just easier to play.

(...silence…)

Roger: You’re really quiet, aren’t you? Why don’t we turn off the lights and do a rock’n’roll party? Ah, that must be why there’s alcohol in the next room.

Ongaku Senka: Everyone, your fans are very keen to find out if any of you are married, and that sort of stuff. For example, whether John has 3 kids, or whether Freddie is about to be a dad. We know you’ve all declared yourself single, but what’s the actual truth? Please tell the public.

Roger: According to the British magazines, Brian and I are in a relationship. Aside from John, we’re all unmarried and single. John has 10 kids.

Freddie: Apparently he’s about to have his 11th.

Roger: Actually, John has one kid. A little boy.

John: His nickname is Frog. His real name is Robert.

[According to Queen’s Japanese interpreter, John was not homesick but at the same time, was very eager to go back home. He was worried that his son would forget what he looked like.]

#queen #queen band #queen tour #queen live #70s freddie #freddie mercury #roger meddows taylor #roger taylor #brian harold may #brian may #john richard deacon #john deacon #john deacy #deaky #70s deaky #t/japan #t/queen interview #t/deak and geek

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lonelyasawhisper · 2 years

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A chronological account of Music Life's visit to Queen at Ridge Farm, 14/07/1975 (accompanied by photos)

Written in Chinese by 走路带风的Mia, then translated to English by the very amateur yours truly

Music Life’s visit to Ridge Farm

Date: 14/07/1975

Writers: Kaoruko Togo, Keiko Miyasaka

Photographer: Watal Asanuma

The following piece of writing is a first-person compendium of Kaoruko Togo’s reports in the September 1975 issue of Music Life. The author’s notes will be indicated in the bracketed, italicized text.

Queen was rehearsing their new album A Night At The Opera at Ridge Farm, which is in Dorking, a town that's two hours drive away from London. We arrived at around 2pm. Surrounded by trees, the beautiful farm has a main building, a swimming pool, a tennis court, a small storage unit, a soundproofed rehearsal hall, and a lawn with well-maintained roses. Into the main house, we were led to a dining hall, with a huge dining table and dignified paintings on the walls. It was easy to spot the band amongst the seven or eight people in the house. Freddie first came forward and shook our hands, then the other three also greeted us.

(This photo illustrates the band’s outfits on this day.) When we saw Brian in Tokyo (a few months ago when Queen first toured Japan), he tanned to a light brown colour. He was shockingly pale on this day.

We then gave the band our June issue with Queen on the cover. Everyone gathered around and started talking about their visit to Japan.

At this point, Freddie took out a jacket embroidered with gold and silver threads. He told us he received it as a gift in Japan.

Roger made us cups of tea. With his back to us, the perverse Miss Kaoruko (Kaoruko Togo referring to herself) saw a 15cm tear in Roger’s jeans near his bottom. (The split trousers can be seen in the photo of Roger sitting on the diving board by the swimming pool.)

The band was staying at Ridge Farm together, preparing to record the next album. A maid at the farm and producer Roy Thomas Baker’s wife Barbara cooked for them. We were treated to a late lunch, and Brian was kind enough to serve us soup.

Next, everyone walked to the tennis court. Freddie was the most energetic and adept at tennis. He looked particularly impressive and striking serving shots left and right with agility. Concerned with his appearance, he naturally tidied his hair whenever it got unkempt.

John chuckled as he chased after shots. To everyone’s surprise, he made a stunning stroke which earned him a round of applause and cheers.

(The clogs Freddie was wearing were technically sandals + heels, the heels on John’s boots were quite high. I’m honestly shocked at the fact that they could still play tennis.)

Roger was very energetic as usual, he seemed to have well-developed motor skills. In the match where Roger and Freddie were playing opposite each other, Freddie seemed to take it much more seriously, he insisted the ball Roger served was out. Roger stood firm: “It’s definitely not out this time.” John just delightfully looked on with a blasé attitude.

What about Brian? He’s taking everyone’s pictures with the camera he bought in Japan. When Freddie noticed, he shouted: “Brian! Why aren’t you playing?”

After a stretch of hand-wringing, Brian awkwardly walked onto the tennis court with a racquet in hand. He looked on and prepared to receive with hesitation as Freddie made a stroke, but ended up missing multiple serves. We cheered him on from the sidelines, but producer Roy Thomas Baker did not hesitate to cackle every time Brian missed. Brian tried to defend himself: “This racquet is strange, and I’m wearing a scoop neck top, I’m worried.” All in all, it was a loud animated scene.

After a few intense tennis matches, we came to a spacious courtyard and conducted our interview on chairs. Before the interview, we gave the band traditional Japanese masks on behalf of Music Life.

Brian, Roger, Freddie and John respectively received the masks of Hyottoko, Hannya, Tengu and Okame.

Each of their personalities are evident at a glance. Roger has a clear idea of right and wrong. He is frank and straightforward, talkative, a mischievous prankster with a lot of charisma. Freddie is tidy and organized, he tends to do a bit posturing and is extremely meticulous about his appearance. Although John is quiet, he speaks with earnestness on important topics when necessary. Brian is sensitive, considerate and attentive.

After the interview, we went back to the dining hall to play billiards. We used the dining hall, because the dining table was so big that it could serve as a pool table. Freddie, John and Roy Thomas Baker first started playing; Freddie was very good at it, Brian and Roger soon joined the game.

After billiards, they finally started rehearsing.

A smaller house with a complete set of soundproofing equipment is just a short distance away from the main building. The band and the producer started rehearsing new songs here. Their innocent ingenuousness gave way for a sober working attitude.

Freddie stepped into the leadership role. He sat at the white piano, intensively listening to the band’s playing, seeming poles apart from himself moments ago.

After the rehearsal, we came to a vast lawn. The band sat down and started talking about new ideas and concepts for the new album and their memories in Japan.

(The first photo of them sitting on the grass looks like it was taken either before or after the tennis playing, so I think what Kaoruko was referring to is the photo on the bottom.)

(According to the report, Kaoruko and her fellow reporters left after 7pm. The photos used here more or less describe the itinerary of that day. The placement of the rest of the photos in the timeline could be deduced from the band’s outfits. Finally, I’ll conclude with a group photo of everyone at the tennis court.)

#translating is hard aksjkldaf kudos to all translators out there #please forgive me if i got the tennis terminology wrong :/#the image of brian missing every shot freddie serves and then blaming it on the racquet and his shirt is GOLD #it's okay bri i don't care for tennis we still love you #also the fact that kaoruko togo singled out roy thomas baker laughing? meaning the band DIDN'T laugh? SUPPORTIVE FAMILY #how many of you can relate to kaoruko togo staring at roger's bare ass #four aging queens #queen #queen band #freddie mercury #brian may #john deacon #roger taylor #ridge farm #music life #kaoruko togo #keiko miyasaka #1975 #anecdote

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