Queen\u2019s legendary song was released 50 years ago, on 31st October 1975. But how well do you know this immortal track? From “The Cowboy Song” to the original “Bohemian Rhapsody”, here’s the surprising story.<\/p>\n
What does the title “Bohemian Rhapsody” actually mean?<\/p>\n
Bohemia was once a kingdom within the Holy Roman Empire and later a province in the Austrian Empire. After World War I, it became the core of the new country, Czechoslovakia and later the Czech Republic.<\/p>\n
The word bohemian would later take on a new meaning: “a person who is interested in artistic and unusual things, for example art, music or literature, and lives in an informal way that ignores the usually accepted ways of behaving”, according to he Cambridge dictionary. <\/p>\n
A rhapsody is described as a free-flowing musical composition with a wide range of emotion. The term originated in Ancient Greece, where a rhapsode was a reciter of epic poems, and later came to describe any intense expression of feeling, whether in speech or writing. <\/p>\n
The song was almost called “Mongolian Rhapsody”<\/p>\n
In 2023, the original working lyrics for the classic Bohemian Rhapsody were sold at Sotheby’s for \u00a31,379,000.<\/p>\n
The drafts, which were snapped up by an online buyer, were jotted across fifteen pages of British Midland airways notepaper and revealed that the title of the iconic 1975 song could have been “Mongolian Rhapsody” and that one line read “Mama, There\u2019s a war began, I\u2019ve got to leave tonight”.<\/p>\n
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The handwritten lyrics to \u2018Bohemian Rhapsody\u2019 are seen during the \u2018Freddie Mercury: A World Of His Own\u2019, a free public exhibition of Freddie Mercury\u2019s personal collection at Sotheby\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Picture: Freddie Mercury was vague when asked about what the lyrics to Bohemian Rhapsody meant<\/p>\n The musician said that when people asked him about the song’s meaning: “I say I don\u2019t know. I think it ruins the mystique. I think people should listen to it, think about it, and then decide for themselves what it means to them.”<\/p>\n Freddie Mercury in 1975.<\/p>\n Picture: Freddie Mercury wasn’t the first person to use the title “Bohemian Rhapsody”<\/p>\n In 1963, Decca Records issued an album called “Bohemian Rhapsody: The Music Of Smetana & Dvorak” featuring the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Istvan Kertesz. The album was reissued by Decca in 1972 as part of their “World Of The Great Classics” series – could a young Freddie Bulsara have seen this LP somewhere along the way?<\/p>\n Decca Records’ 1963 album called “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Number of Galileos: unknown.<\/p>\n Picture: Mercury later revealed that Bohemian Rhapsody was three different songs that he\u2019d written, and compiled together into one epic.<\/p>\n John Deacon didn’t like the title “Bohemian Rhapsody”<\/p>\n The no-nonsense Queen bassist though that the track should have a simple, more direct title. He suggested calling the song “Mama”.<\/p>\n John Deacon performing live on the Night At The Opera tour in 1975.<\/p>\n Picture: The opening piano section of the track originally known as The Cowboy Song, according to Freddie Mercury\u2019s friend Chris Smith.<\/p>\n At a Sotheby’s auction of Freddie Mercury’s possessions in September 2023, the a Yamaha Baby Grand piano which was used by the musician to compose songs like Bo Rhap, Somebody To Love and Don’t Stop Me Now, went for a stunning \u00a31,742,000 – a record price for a composer’s piano. <\/p>\n Freddie Mercury’s Yamaha G2 Baby Grand Piano at the World of His Own exhibition at Sotheby\u2019s in August 2023.<\/p>\n Picture: Bismillah means \u201cIn the name of God!\u201d in Arabic.<\/p>\n The operatic section features 180 layers of overdubs!<\/p>\n The middle section took a week to record and by the end, all involved claimed you could see clear through the tape by the end of the session. Producer Roy Thomas Baker recalled: \u201cEvery time Freddie came up with another ‘Galileo’, I would add another piece of tape to the reel.\u201d<\/p>\n Queen in 1975 at the time of Bohemian Rhapsody: John Deacon, Brian May, Roger Taylor and Freddie Mercury.<\/p>\n Picture: Although he appears to sing in the video, John Deacon’s voice isn’t part of the operatic section<\/p>\n The bassist wasn’t confident in his own vocal abilities and left the theatrics to Mercury, May and Taylor. <\/p>\n Bohemian Rhapsody took three weeks to record – and at three different studios<\/p>\n According to the band, the more standard rock sections that open and close the song were laid down at Rockfield Studios in Wales, while the operatic section was at Scorpio Sound’s 24-track facility in the Euston Road in London. The final edit was put together at SARM studios in Brick Lane.<\/p>\n Despite being just under six minutes long, Bohemian Rhapsody isn\u2019t even the longest song on the album A Night At The Opera <\/p>\n That honour goes to the epic track The Prophet\u2019s Song; a similarly elaborate recording which clocks in at 8 minutes and 21 seconds.<\/p>\n Queen – The Prophets Song (Official Lyric Video)<\/p>\n The first person to play the song on the radio was Kenny Everett on Capital.<\/p>\n Cuddly Ken reportedly played it fourteen times in two days and was in many ways responsible for the success of the single in Britain.<\/p>\n Kenny Everett in 1973.<\/p>\n Picture: The famous video for Bohemian Rhapsody was shot in just four hours.<\/p>\n The clip was shot by director Bruce Gowers at Elstree studios in Borehamwood – soon to host George Lucas and the original Star Wars film and much later the home of EastEnders and Big Brother. <\/p>\n The band were concerned that trying to mime to the song on TV would be awkward, plus they were about to set off on a UK tour that would take them through to Christmas Eve. <\/p>\n Queen \u2013 Bohemian Rhapsody (Official Video Remastered)<\/p>\n The promo video was made on 10th November 1975 at the soundstage where Queen were rehearsing for their first date in Liverpool four days later. It wasn’t the first pop video ever made, but was certainly the most influential – the single’s nine week reign at No 1 was attributed to the effectiveness of the clip. From that point on, Queen would shoot a video for every single – and a lot of other artists followed suit.<\/p>\n Bohemian Rhapsody almost wasn’t released as a single at all!<\/p>\n Freddie Mercury once revealed that Queen had toyed with the idea of releasing Night At The Opera track The Prophet’s Song as a single – a composition even more complex and challenging than Bo Rhap. Ultimately, the other song issued as a 45 was the more radio-friendly You’re My Best Friend, which peaked at Number 7 in July 1976. <\/p>\n Queen – You’re My Best Friend (Official Video)<\/p>\n Bohemian Rhapsody spent nine weeks at Number 1<\/p>\n The single crept into the UK charts at Number 47 on 4th November 1975; the following week, it had climbed thirty places to Number 17 and the week after that it had broken into the Top 10 at Number 9. On 25th November, Bohemian Rhapsody topped the charts and remained there for nine weeks. <\/p>\n Queen replaced Billy Connolly with his country spoof D.I.V.O.R.C.E. – but spare a thought for Hot Chocolate whose You Sexy Thing was kept in second place for three weeks and Greg Lake, who missed out on a festive chart topper with I Believe In Father Christmas. Bohemian Rhapsody was ultimately knocked off Number 1 by ABBA’s Mamma Mia.<\/p>\n Queen at the Hammersmith Apollo on 29th November 1975, as Bohemian Rhapsody was enjoying its domination of the British charts.<\/p>\n Picture: Bohemian Rhapsody wasn’t as big a hit in the USA as it was in the UK<\/p>\n Despite reaching Number 1 twice in the UK charts, it only reached Number 9 on its initial release on the Billboard chart and Number 6 on the rival Cash Box chart. However, the single sold well enough to be certified Gold in America by June 1976.<\/p>\n Bohemian Rhapsody is the UK’s third best-selling single of all time at 2.6 million copies<\/p>\n The biggest is, of course, Elton John’s re-recording of Candle In The Wind in 1997 (4.9 million copies) and Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas in 1984 (3.8 million copies). Mercury is quoted as saying: “That is just outrageous. Imagine all those grandmothers grooving to it!”<\/p>\n The original 1975 vinyl copy of Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen – complete with picture sleeve.<\/p>\n
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\nStephen Chung \/ Alamy Live News
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