Queen Fansite - Biography

The album was, at the time, one of the most expensive ever recorded, but when A NIGHT AT THE OPERA was released in November 1975, it was a massive hit and gave them their first platinum album award. Freddie had designed a logo for the first Queen album which was reworked and used as a cover for Night At The Opera.The now famous CREST features the band's starsigns; two fairies for Virgo, a Crab for Cancer and two lions for the two Leos. The launch party for the album was held at the exclusive Opera Bar in London's Colosseum Theatre.

In January 1976 Freddie was presented with another Ivor Novello award for Bohemian Rhapsody. Also in January the band set off on their third American tour, which took them all over America and continued until the end of March. They then flew directly to Japan, arriving yet again to a riotous reception. By this time all four Queen albums were in the UK top Twenty, which was an unheard of teat. They undertook an extensive tour of Japan and then flew to Australia. Their tour Down Under began at the Perth Entertainment Centre.

They flew back into the UK to begin work on their next album, A Day At The Races. But recording was halted while the band undertook a short UK tour. On September 18th 1976 Queen decided they wanted to say thank you to their dedicated fans and so in true extravagant style they staged a huge, free concert in London's Hyde Park. The crowds were estimated at between 150 and 200 thousand people, the largest audience Queen had played to at that time, and to date still the highest ever attendance record for a concert in Hyde Park.

A DAY AT THE RACES was released in December 1976. The band all attended a special horse race at Kempton Park to promote the album, and in the "Day At The Races Stakes" a special race sponsored by EMI, they all backed the same horse without telling each other, and it won! Five days before it's release, the advance orders for Day At The Races were in excess of half a million. the highest orders EMI had received for any album.

Four days into 1977 and Queen were jetting off to America to rehearse for their forthcoming USA tour. They were on the road constantly through January, February and most of March, in the USA and Canada. Roger decided, at the end of all that, to record a solo single, which he paid for out of his own pocket. "I Wanna Testify" was released in August. In May of 1977 Queen flew out to Stockholm to begin an extensive European tour. Their concert at London's Earls Court featured the famous "Crown" lighting rig. It was 54ft wide, 26ft tall and weighed 5,000 pounds. It cost the band �50,000.

In October 1977 fan club members were asked, for the first time, to take part in one of the bands videos. We Are The Champions was filmed at the New London Theatre. After initial filming was finished the band remained on stage and played an impromptu gig to say thanks to all the fans who had turned up and worked so hard. In October 1977 the band were presented with a Britannia Award for the Top British Single, Bohemian Rhapsody of course.

Queen released NEWS OF THE WORLD on October 28th 1977. The cover was a drawing that Roger had seen by science fiction artist Kelly Frees. Roger had asked him if he would mind adapting his illustration for the cover and Frees readily agreed.

In November they were off to the USA again for rehearsals for their forthcoming our. For the first time,their finances enabled them to charter a private plane for the tour - it made life on the road that much more comfortable. The tour began on November 11th, their second American tour in this year. They all arrived back in the UK just in time to spend Christmas with their families. That Christmas, We Will Rock You was knocked off the French number one slot after 12 weeks, by We Are The Champions!

In February 1978 Queen decided they should set up their own management structure. They parted company with John Reid - more amicably than their split with Trident; this severance agreement was actually signed in the back of Freddie's Rolls Royce during a break in filming the video for We Will Rock You in the back garden of Roger's Surrey house! A short tour of Europe began in April 1978, again in Stockholm. In July the band started work on their new album, they recorded it in Montreux and France - the first time they had recorded outside of Great Britain.

As publicity for the forthcoming single - Bicycle Race - the band hired Wimbledon Stadium and fifty naked girls had their own Bicycle Race! The original cover of the single featured the naked rear of one of the girls, but due to public outcry in some countries, panties had to be drawn on! More touring in the USA and Canada began in October. November 10th saw the release of JAZZ. The sleeve was packaged lo contain a fold out poster of the naked bike race, but the Americans banned it from the actual sleeve and instead inserted an application form so tans could send away for it! The launch party for Jazz was hold in New Orleans, and has since gone down in history.