This week Sir Brian May launched his remastered Star Fleet Sessions album for its 40th anniversary from Abbey Road Studios.
Express.co.uk was in attendance as the guitar legend, who turns 76 tomorrow, spoke of inviting Eddie Van Halen and other musicians outside of Queen to record a mini-record together back in 1983.
The Queen guitarist told the audience: “I was very nervous in a nice kind of way… it was completely different from Roger, John and Freddie [because] we knew each other inside and out… with these guys it was a completely new canvas to paint on.”
It was only after a number of takes that Sir Brian locked in the tracks on Star Fleet, having gotten to know how the others played.
Interestingly, Freddie Mercury took a different approach when working on his solo material that he later regretted.
Producer Simon Lupton, who was interviewing Sir Brian pointed out: “It would have been very easy for you to hire some session musicians who will do exactly what you tell them to do. I’m sure that’s very tempting having fought in the studio with the rest of Queen. But you don’t seem to do that with your solo stuff, you like bringing in musicians who will bring something to it. Why is that important to you?”
The Queen guitarist replied: “It’s just the most incredible opportunity, isn’t it? One of the great perks of what happens if you become successful as a rock player is that you get the chance to play with the best people in the whole world.”
He then spoke of Freddie’s contrasting approach on his solo album, Mr. Bad Guy.
Sir Brian added: “Talking about hiring people who will do what you tell them, that’s the mistake that Freddie made, really.
“He knows it, he said it to me…he had someone in to play pretty much the way I play on his solo stuff and afterwards he regretted it and well… he probably should have phoned me! But Freddie was a cunning old bird.”
Brian May + Friends: Star Fleet Sessions is out now and can be purchased physically here.