Brian May: “I wanted my solo in” Don’t stop me now “”

Brian Mayin an interview with Total Guitar, he recalled an anecdote concerning the creation of the famous 1979 song (from the album “Jazz”) “Don’t Stop Me Now” of the Queenrevealing that he and the singer Freddie Mercury had different opinions on the insertion of a guitar solo in the song.

According to May, Freddie was convinced that the piece should remain focused on the piano and on the voice, claiming that it was a “piano song”, a little to Elton John.

Despite the initial resistance of Mercury, May showed himself determined and in the end he convinced the frontman to accept the solo: “” Well, he needs a solo. I need you to take the place of the voice, “said Freddie.

May described the creative process as the usual and lines between him and Freddie, where they both tried to find the right balance between the various tools and their parts.

“It’s the way we thought about things,” explains May. “I said: ‘Ok, give me a verse and let me see what I can do’.

“According to the studio and feeling how he evolved, I could hear the solo in my head before taking the guitar in his hand to do it. As often happens with me, it is a kind of small diversion. It is a counterpoint.”

This compositional process underlines the collaborative and creative dynamic within the band, which often led to discussions and compromises to achieve the desired final result.

Already a short time ago the Queen guitarist had spoken of the compositional intuitions of Mercury saying that “sometimes they were brilliant, other times not”. (Read here)