Queen’s Roger Taylor has revealed that the band have been working on unreleased Queen material, including tracks Freddie Mercury recorded with Michael Jackson.
In conversation with Nicky Horne for tomorrow’s Classic Rock Magazine Show (Oct 24), 6-9pm on www.teamrockradio.com, Taylor comments:
“Brian especially has been active working on old tracks. A couple of tracks that Freddie did with Michael Jackson… They’ve been hanging around for years and years and Michael’s estate haven’t really been able to make their mind up about what to do with them. So we suggested we finish them and see. They’re pretty good – one of them is great.”
The tracks were recorded at Jackson’s home studio in 1983.
Hear a clip of the interview below. The full interview is broadcast on tonight’s (Oct 24) Classic Rock Magazine Show, from 7.30pm on www.teamrockradio.com.
The surviving Queen bandmates are hoping Whishaw will take on the role which was originally to be played by Borat star Sacha Baron Cohen, until he pulled out after reported creative differences.
Various actors - including Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe - were tipped to take on the starring role.
But on Friday, Queen drummer Roger Taylor told Chris Evans and Alex Jones on the One Show on BBC1 that the actor they hoped would replace Baron Cohen has the initials BW.
When Jones suggested Whishaw's name, Taylor said: "Well, we hope so."
Whishaw is probably best known for his portrayal of Q in last year's James Bond film Skyfall.
His other film roles include Rolling Stones star Keith Richards in Stoned, musician Bob Dylan in I’m Not There, and poet John Keats in Bright Star.
The Mercury biopic is backed by Robert De Niro's production company Tribeca, which co-financed the stage musical We Will Rock You.
The film, with a script prepared by Frost/Nixon writer Peter Morgan, is said to focus on the period leading up to the group's performance at Live Aid in 1985.
It could be the closest music fans get to stepping into a time machine to meet their idols.
A new London museum plans to offer visitors the chance to jam on stage with Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock, be the fifth Beatle or duet with Freddie Mercury at Live Aid.
Fans will play along on instruments or sing as a high definition video image of the artist is beamed beside them.
The same technology enabled Tupac Shakur, who was killed in 1996, to be digitally reincarnated to share the stage with fellow rappers Snoop Dogg, Dr Dre and Eminem at last year’s Coachella festival in California. It also allowed Pixie Lott to play a gig in hologram form.
Curators of the Music Hall of Fame say visitors to Camden’s Stables Market will be able to enjoy a “4D” experience.
The man behind the project, music entrepreneur Lee Bennett, said: “You could be transported back to a specific moment of music or play with artists who are no longer alive, even playing back-to-back with a hologram.” He added: “I was at Coachella watching Tupac and it blew people’s minds.”
Ian O’Connell, who has designed the hologram technology, said stars will be brought to life using a 21st-century take on an “old Victorian parlour trick” called Pepper’s Ghost. The illusion will be created by beaming high definition video images into a “3D space” created with glass panes and mirrors and fibre optic cabling.
Mayor of Camden Jonathan Simpson said: “You can go and perform with your favourite bands — you can be up there with Nirvana, you can be up there with Morrissey on stage.”
Visitors can also take away a DVD of themselves performing.
The Music Hall of Fame is planned to open within the next 18 months. Mr Bennett also created Camden’s Music Walk of Fame, which will run from Mornington Crescent to Chalk Farm honouring Britain’s rock ‘n’ roll legends.
