QUEEN & ELO

As a feature for the Classic Rock Newswire and to mark what would have been he 60th birthday of Freddie Mercury and the re-release of three classic ELO albums it would be great if you could give a few words (or lots if you wish) on the following...

Favourate piece(s) of Queen music and why...

Fondest memory of Freddie Mercury & Queen and gig/live if you were lucky enough to see them live...

Favourate piece(s) of ELO music and why...

PETE FEENSTRA (Blues promoter/reviewer) –

Seven Seas of Rye
fine early slice of Prog rock, that suggested there was many more fine songs to come

Re Freddy
didnt really like Queen initial album, but became totally convinced after their/his Live Aid performance - a real stadium band at their best with a charismatic front man par excellence.

ELO
Love lots of their stuff but I’d go back to the 10538 Overture (hope that is correct) which was the perfect meeting of Jeff Lynn/Roy Wood together with their Beatles influences.
Loved ELO because of their post Beatles mix of bomabastic rock, tempered by Jeff's commercial muse. Jeff Lynn was a talent waiting in the wings since The Idle Race, When Roy left and the Electric Light Orchestra became ELO, he fulfilled his potential, though I drew the line when he embraced a later career Bee Gees style disco format.

SEBBE ROSS (vocalist with SHINE)

I love their "JAZZ" album. Excellent songs and with good sense of humour. Awesome!!!!!!!
Anders gave it to me on vinyl for my birthday a couple of years ago, good bandmate.

Favourate piece(s) of ELO music and why...
The song "Twilight". Don't need to tell you why, do I?

PHIL SOUSSAN (OZZY/BEGGERS & THIEVES)

It HAS to be "Bohemian Rhapsody"... this created such an impression on me as far as the production and it was also the same time as I got my first stereo vinyl record player! Hearing things flying across the room from one side to another and the changes, the sounds and the vocals... Not many tracks like that in existence!

Fondest memory of Freddie Mercury & Queen and gig/live if you were lucky enough to see them live...

Seeing them on Top of the Pops in the UK in 1974. They had transitioned from a regular teen glam band to the seriously cool rock band that they were to become...

"A New World Record" "Mr Blue Sky" These are things that remind me of a great time in my life! A time of discovering what I loved about music and production. I was already getting into the idea of what I really loved about record production!

MARTY DODGE (GROWING OLD DISGRACEFULLY/reviewer)

Favourate piece(s) of Queen music and why...
My favourite has to be "I'm going slightly mad' because its one of the few Queen's songs I can sing. Like the gist of the lyrics as well.

Favourate piece(s) of ELO music and why...
'Evil woman' because I have had to deal with a few of those in my lifetime.

STUART A HAMILTON
Head honcho - www.metal4life.co.uk / www.zeitgeist-scot.co.uk

Favourate piece(s) of Queen music and why...

"Now I'm Here" - the only rock track we could get the DJ at school discos to play in 1977. He wasn't exactly up to date with his selections.

Fondest memory of Freddie Mercury & Queen and gig/live if you were lucky enough to see them live...

Going to see them live for the first time on the "Hot Space" tour and having the joyous delight of catching the J Geils Band as one of the support acts. They rocked my world, unlike Queen who were lamentable.

Favourate piece(s) of ELO music and why...

"Mr Blue Sky" - cos I'd heard it on the radio and went along to Jeffreys Furnishing Stores (who for no obvious reason sold records) and buying the 12" picture version for a friends 13th birthday, in the full knowledge that he had no record player, which meant he had to leave it in my house!

Please feel free to contribute, either add a comment below or e-mail papa_bear70@hotmail.com