Queen are the 5th highest selling recording artists of all time. They played their first concert in Truro, Cornwall, and made many visits in the late sixties (as 'Smile') and early 70's (as 'Queen'). Prior to joining 'Smile' and forming 'Queen' Roger Taylor gigged all over Cornwall with his band 'The Reaction'. This blog is an attempt to document these musicians and concerts in preparation for a book and fan club event.
Pages
▼
Wednesday, 6 October 2010
Pete and Wendy Edmonds
I think this was the first biography of Queen. It came out in '76. Dont know if the book's any good, but I've posted the cover here because it features a classic Mick Rock photo of Freddies 'Mercury Suit', as used in the Bohemian Rhapsody video.
Last night I spoke to Pete Edmonds who has been involved with Queen's live concerts since their earliest incarnation as Smile in 1968. Before that he knew Brian and Tim at Hampton Grammar School. He had some great recollections of that period, and mentioned a couple of Smile gigs in Cornwall that have n't been recorded elsewhere. His wife, Wendy, who also visited Cornwall with Smile and Queen and described the arduous journey down the A303 to me, not only designed but actually made the Mercury Suits that Freddie used in the mid-seventies.
Fantastic. (Literally! The stuff of fantasy...)
If you can find a copy of the Larry Pryce book in a second hand store somewhere, I'd recommend it. It doesn't try to be especially insightful, I suppose, but it's a good read. Some nice interviews with a pretty good range of people, for example. It's pretty short - understandably, I guess, since it was still the early days, and there's not much pre-Queen detail. Better than a lot of the stuff that was to follow it, though.
ReplyDeleteI have this book! Very interesting stuff, it ends with Freddie being very apprehensive about his nodules!
ReplyDeleteGood to know, thank you :)
Delete