Unlike the recent biopic Bohemian Rhapsody , Mr. Bad Guy did not cause the breakup of the legendary band Queen.
Freddie Mercury 's solo debut is often misunderstood. Released on April 29, 1985, Mr. Bad Guy was seen as a way for the singer to distance himself from the legacy he created with Queen , but the album never threatened that work.
Unlike what was shown in the recent biopic Bohemian Rhapsody – which grossed almost $1 billion at the box office – Mercury's decision to pursue a solo career was amicable. In the film, Freddie Mercury is portrayed as the villain who almost caused the band's breakup by deciding to record his solo work, but he was simply fulfilling desires that didn't fit within Queen, just like Roger Taylor , who released solo work before Mercury signed a solo contract – the drummer released Fun in Space in 1981 and Strange Frontier three years later.
The fight depicted in Bohemian Rhapsody appears as an incentive for the singer to leave the group, but that was never his intention. The dramatization was purely conceived to create the film's climax and not based on factual accuracy. According to sources close to the musician, including Brian May , the album stemmed from the vocalist's desire to work with more danceable tracks, something he had set aside in Queen, which focused on its rock and roll roots.
Mr. Bad Guy began recording in 1983, the year Queen decided to take a break from the big stages – which many interpreted as a hiatus in the band's career – and focus on the album The Works , released in January of the following year. While working on the albums, Mercury was experiencing both worlds: life with a band and life as a solo artist. "He used to get annoyed working with others," said the album's co-producer, Reinhold Mack , who revealed that this was due to May seeking a more rock-oriented sound, but according to Taylor, Mercury felt the loneliness of his new career. "He would call me during the recordings and I had to travel to Munich to do the backing vocals."
When the album recording was finished, the vocalist had already returned to the road and was promoting The Works . This tour brought the band to Brazil for two legendary performances at the first Rock in Rio – on January 11th and 18th, 1985 – bringing together more than 300,000 people each day and broadcast to almost 200 million viewers worldwide. Hypnotizing, lively, and legendary were words used to describe the band's presence at the festival.
Mercury, like his bandmates, was at the peak of his career, which was soon celebrated with another legendary performance, this time in London. Live Aid was a benefit concert to help the population of Ethiopia, which at the time was going through a crisis that caused the death of a million people. In both performances, Freddie Mercury and the band members were in top form, proving to be one of the greatest rock bands of all time.
Although it didn't achieve the success of Queen's albums, Mr. Bad Guy brought several tracks to the British and world charts. The danceable songs feature the singer on piano, synthesizer, and arrangements. He was also responsible for part of the sound engineering and all the composition. On the album, Freddie Mercury explored his talent and showed that he was a complete artist.
The lead singer was going through difficulties that many of us don't know about. Between addictions and weaknesses caused by the AIDS he contracted, Mercury delivered the best solo debut a great artist could, while honoring the group with iconic and extremely important performances for the history of rock.
