I’ve mentioned in the past that Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody was the first 45 I ever purchased with my own money – the first record that didn’t have the words “Disney” or “Cricket” on the label. I bought the 45 at Blue Note Record Shop in Albany; and 35 years later, that 45 is still in my downsized record collection.
Let’s be honest, Bohemian Rhapsody is arguably one of the ten greatest songs of the rock and roll era – in that list with Stairway to Heaven and A Day in the Life and the long version of Nights in White Satin. Where else can you get a song that starts out a cappella, then goes into an emotive ballad, then morphs into an operatic movement, and finishes off rocking out the joint – all in five minutes of compatible stereophonic sound?
Now here’s the original 1975 promotional video for Bohemian Rhapsody. If you haven’t seen it, watch and be amazed – and realize, of course, that this was created in 1975, and all the wizardry and gimmicks and special effects in this video were created in analogue.
Of course, for the younger generation, their first experience with Bohemian Rhapsody was when they saw Wayne and Garth sing along with it in Garth’s car in the film Wayne’s World. Party on… excellent…
You know this song was ripe for parody… when the Muppets did a version of Bohemian Rhapsody that went video-viral in 2009.
“Weird Al” Yankovic covered this song as well, doing it in a polka tempo. I think this is the only non-medley song that Al covered without changing the lyrics in any way.
Of course, once you have the “Weird Al” Yankovic version… you have to put a music video together of some sort… and that’s why some enterprising young soul created a mash-up of Weird Al’s version of Bohemian Rhapsody … soldered to clips from the TV show Lost. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!
And of course, we get this yokel who apparently had too many cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon, and while he’s on his way to the drunk tank, decides it’s as good a time as any to belt out Queen’s most famous recording. Especially when your audience is the cop who’s driving you to the police station … and the video camera that’s recording your painful performance. The singing starts at 0:30 of this video clip.
Comedian Rick Miller did a version of Bohemian Rhapsody in which he performs the song as if it were recorded by, as he put it, 25 of the most annoying voices in rock history. This is funny. You gotta see it.
Oh wait… did this guy do an impersonation of Axl Rose singing Bohemian Rhapsody? Why do an impersonation… when you can get Axl to do the song for reals??? This is a clip from the Freddie Mercury tribute concert… first you get Elton John on keyboards… and then Axl makes his entrance.
And after all this parody and tribute and the like… let’s bring back Freddie Mercury, Brian May, John Deacon and Roger Taylor and show EVERYBODY how this song is properly done!
So I hope you had some fun today…
And as for tomorrow…
 Please join Stephanie Snyder, Jason Purvis and me for the first ever Times Union Community Bloggers Minigolf Tournament. We’re golfing to raise money for various charities, and you can donate to our charities by visiting this page..
Then join us on May 12, when we take on the miniature golf course at FunPlex Fun Park in East Greenbush. We’re going to have a good time, and we encourage you to join us! FORE!!! |
Chuck The Writer 
Ah QUEEN, my favorite of all time!!! No one, and I mean NO ONE, will ever replace the amazing Freddie Mercury. (Of course, my fave song is Fat Bottomed Girls, but that’s just me!) 🙂
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ah… one of my favorites!
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Chuck – You forgot the one that was just all over the internet where the Father taking his kids to school all sing this. I think MaGuire may have had a post of it on his blog.
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OMG, thank you, Chuck, for this post. The first time I heard Bohemian Rhapsody, I said, “Holy @#$%, who is this??” I immediately made my mom take me to the mall so I could buy A Night at the Opera. This song changed the way I listened to music and made me a rabid Queen fan. At one time, I had all their albumns (yes, LPs). They’re all very talented writers and musicians, but Freddie was an awesome entertainer. What a voice! RIP, Freddie Mercury.
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I hear that Queen is going to do a reunion concert in Europe. They’re calling it a reunion because they are going to have a hologram Freddie.
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