Techniques for Freddie Mercury/Queen high vocals?

[boingoman]

They didn't even bother TRYING. They just played the tape for a couple of minutes, and then Freddie and co. came back on and finished off part 3 ("...nothing really matters...") of the song live.

G.

I remember reading an article with Brian May talking about that- they tried for months to work something out, and weren't satisfied, and also refused to sing or play along with any kind of backing tracks. Which I thought was fine until I saw a local cover band play a quite excellent version of the song, complete with middle part. And of course, I didn't pay to see the real concert with the taped middle part.

 

[lostsound]

So would this also include the Flash Gordon theme song, particularly the opening "Flash, aahhhhhhhhaaahhhhhhh saviour of the universe"

Nothing super special effects wise, just chorusing and perhaps the effect of backing synths?

Sorry that I didn't have this in mind earlier.

I just want to make sure I get it right that I have to rely more on talent than just overlooking something else with my novice experience.

 

[notsocoolguy]

Heres a useful bit of info copyed fro wikipedia

Brian May, Mercury and Roger Taylor sang their vocal parts continually for ten to twelve hours a day, resulting in 200 separate overdubs.[2] Since the studios of the time only offered 24-track analogue tape, it was necessary for May, Mercury and Taylor to overdub themselves many times, and "bounce" these down to successive sub mixes. In the end, eighth generation tapes were being used.[1] The tapes had passed over the recording heads so many times the normally opaque tapes could be seen through, as the oxide layer was beginning to wear off.[3] The various sections of tape containing the desired sub mixes would have to be cut with razor blades and reassembled together in the correct sequence using adhesive tape, a process known as splicing.

 

[BushmasterM4]

Run your vocal track through the free vst Camel Crusher. You will get some cool vocals out of that.

 

[Nakatira]

I know there are some intresting stuff on youtube regarding this song.

From the recording sessions, interviews and so on.


I think one of Queens trademarks (as mentioned) was the Massivly dubbed Choirs and The same went with the Guitars.

I think Freddie was the main part to why queens choirs sound so good, he was very into it.
Listen to the backing vox on Love of My life, and you can easily hear that he`s classicly trained, or at least with lots of knowlegde on the matter.

He also did most of the voices himself, Roger the the highest stuff, but other than that freddie did the most overdubs.


I remember when I first got the album Night at the opera, it was long after I heard Bohemian Rhapsody to death on the Best of album.

One of the songs that really caught my attention on that album was the tune The Prophet's Song.

After a while into that tune Freddie starts on an acapella piece wich lasts for a minute or so.
It sounds great, really great.

I remember playing this for a girlfriend of mine and she was no musican but I`ll never forget what she said, when I played her the acapella piece.

His voice is just music alone, he`s just got that special voice.

Very few things I`ve heard said about Freddie Mercury (Farouk Bulsara), have been more accurate.


Btw did either of you know that Freddie was a Boxer at young age, apparntly a quite good one

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

Btw did either of you know that Freddie was a Boxer at young age

He was just a poor boy
Though his story's seldom told
Lye lee lye [boom]
Lye lee lye lye lye lee lye...



G.

 

[Farview]

Btw did either of you know that Freddie was a Boxer at young age, apparntly a quite good one

He must have been very good, or else someone would have knocked his two front teeth back into place.