Somebody to Love: Freddie Mercury's Role as the Performer

Freddie Mercury was born in 1946 on the island of Zanzibar. He was the lead singer of the world-renowned rock band Queen. He "studied piano at boarding school in India" (biography.com). In 1969, Freddie joined instrumentalists Brian May (guitar), John Deacon (bass guitar), and Roger Taylor (drums), and together, the four of them created Queen.

It wasn't until Queen's third album, Sheer Heart Attack, that the group received any recognition, but the following album, A Night at the Opera, proved to be a smashing success. The group continued to release music until Mercury died in 1995 at the age of 45 from AIDS-related bronchial pneumonia. In 2001, Queen was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 

 

Mercury was known for much more than his vocals and his songwriting skills. He was also a wonderful performer. Mercury had the unique ability to rope in the audience and entertain them for hours on end. He would encourage the audience to interact with the music, often wearing skin-tight spandex in his live shows to promote engagement. Mercury was also known to set up the entire style and art for many of the group's albums.

Instead of simply reading about Mercury's performances, however, it is best to see them for yourself. Here is "Somebody to Love" off of Queen's 1976 album A Day at the Races. This album was written and released in the United Kingdom. 

This song easily showcases Mercury's wide range of vocals, and thus his incredible vocal talent. The piano accompaniment highlights the highs and the lows of Mercury's steady and rich vibrato. "Somebody to Love" follows a 3/4 time signature. In the video, you can clearly see Mercury interacting with the audience and trying to engage them with the music. This is an example of why Mercury was well-known for his performances as well as his music.

Another example of Freddie Mercury's incredible and diverse performances is the song "Killer Queen", off of Queen's 1974 album Sheer Heart Attack. Like "Somebody to Love", this song was recorded and released in the United Kingdom.

This song is perhaps my personal favorite of Queen's music. The swinging sound of the vocals is incredibly interesting to listen to, and I think it is rich and full of life. "Killer Queen" follows a unique time signature: 12/8. This time signature is interesting because there are more beats than normal in each section ("normal" would be 4, whereas there are 12 in each section). Personally, I don't see many examples of songs in 12/8 in modern-day music, so this is an interesting thing to note.

In this video, it is clear to see that Mercury actively attempts to engage the audience. This isn't something that is unique the two songs I presented to you; Freddie Mercury was known to do this in every single performance. Though he had basically withdrawn from the public eye by 1989, he was still known for his wonderful dancing, energy, and performance. 

Performance in music is possibly one of the most important aspects of success in the music industry, especially in the 1970s-1990s. As I stated in my post about bringing theater to music, music was meant to be experienced, rather than listened to. Mercury made sure to include the entire audience in this experience he was trying to deliver, and more often than not, he was outrageously successful. Is it any wonder why Queen was so successful and renowned?

Sources

"Freddie Mercury." Biography.com. A&E Networks Television, 29 Mar. 2021. Web. 05 July 2021.

"Killer Queen." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 May 2021. Web. 05 July 2021.

"Somebody to Love (Queen Song)." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 03 July 2021. Web. 05 July 2021.