Have you already seen the movie Bohemian Rhapsody, which is filling cinemas these days? If you haven't already, we advise you to finish reading this post, as it will reveal quite a bit of the film's content. Contrary to claims in the film, the band did not break up before Live Aid, John Deacon was not the original bassist, and they never fought Ray Foster, one of the executives at EMI Records.
No one goes to the movies expecting to have a flawless history lesson. That the whole saga of the cast as they were Queen, can be presented as best as possible in a two-hour film, quite a few difficult decisions have to be made. During the time when it is necessary undoubtedly show big events, as their Live Aid concert was, there just isn't much room (or any) left for other albums, tours, and everything else they've been through in a two-decade-long career. It is also difficult to avoid fast and loose presentation of the facts for the sake of it dramatic effect or simply to save time. Nevertheless, the new Hollywood blockbuster has not escaped scrutiny, and here it is eight things from the movie that do not match reality.
The formation of Queen was not so simple.
The movie Bohemian Rhapsody shows how Freddie Mercury stumbles upon the band's concert in 1970 Smile, which they make up Brian May and Roger Taylor, after washing at home with his parents. He meets the band after the concert perfectly just a few minutes after the bass player and the singer Tim Staffell decides to leave the band. The drummer and guitarist are initially skeptical of the big-toothed stranger, but when he opens his mouth and sings a stunning a cappella version of their song Doing Alright, they welcome him with open arms. In fact he was Mercury has been friends with Tim Shafell for many years and a huge fan of the band even before he joined it. Brian May recalls how Freddie kept "begging" them to join the band, but they didn't give in until 1970, when Staffell left the band.
John Deacon was not the original bass player for Queen.
Bohemian Rhapsody features John Deacon playing bass at Queen's first concert in 1970, but he was actually only the fourth bass player, who auditioned for him, and he wasn't part of the band until 1971.
Freddie didn't meet Mary Austin the same night he joined the band.
In the film, Freddie meets his future girlfriend Mary Austin 30 seconds before he first meets the band and becomes a member. In reality, the matter is more complicated. It was Austin's Brian May's girlfriend for a short time, but she didn't enter Freddie's life until Freddie became a member of the band.
Ray Foster, one of the executives at EMI Records, never existed.
One of the more interesting choices in casting is almost unrecognizable Mike Myers, portraying one of the executives at EMI Records Ray Foster. His main job is to tell Queen to start making more commercial music. He also hates Bohemian Rhapsody the first time he hears it and refuses to release a single. Character loosely based on EMI director Roy Featherstone, but this one was actually big a fan of the band. It's true that he thought Bohemian Rhapsody was too long to be a single. Everything else is made up.
Freddie's partner Jim Hutton didn't start out as his employee.
In the film, a drunken and agitated Freddie tries to win over an employee Jim Hutton. Hutton turns him down, but they spend the night talking anyway, and a few years later, Mercury looks him up in the phone book, and soon after they start dating. In real life he was Hutton a hairdresser who worked at the Savoy Hotel. She and Freddi met in a nightclub.
The group never actually fought.
There is a dramatic scene in the film where Freddie reveals that he has secretly signed a solo album deal worth US$4 million and wants to take a long break from the band. Others are completely furious and so go their separate ways. In fact, they were all band members in 1983 quite tired, having been on the road for a good decade. Everyone wanted a break. The film gives the impression that the band hasn't spoken to Freddie in years, but in fact they have started working on the album The Works in 1983 and they were never alienated.
Live Aid was not a reunion.
In Bohemian Rhapsody, the band members do not speak to each other until 1985, when they get an offer to participate in Live Aid, and they have not performed in concert for several years. It is never mentioned that he was album The Works released in early 1984 and that they went with him on tour around the world. The last concert of the tour was actually just eight weeks before Live Aid. They were at the time of the event perfectly prepared for concerts, while the film shows that they first had to make amends and then rehearse to be able to perform again. It's true that it makes the whole thing more dramatic, but it didn't actually happen.
Freddie was unaware of his HIV infection during the preparations for Live Aid.
In the film, during preparations for Live Aid, Freddie reveals to the band that he is HIV-positive, but wants to keep this news between them and keep the music at the forefront. The exact time Mercury found out he was HIV-positive is still unknown, but almost everyone is positing it between 1986 and 1987. He almost certainly did not know about the HIV infection during the preparations for Live Aid.
