Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody And The Beatles' Hey Jude Share An Extraordinary Connection
It would be difficult to find someone who has not heard "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen or "Hey Jude" by The Beatles. Both of these songs have reached far beyond each band's respective fanbases. "Bohemian Rhapsody" made for a memorable singalong scene in the film "Wayne's World," a film based on the popular "Saturday Night Live" sketch of the same name. Then in 2018, the life story of Queen's lead singer Freddie Mercury hit the big screen with the biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" and won four Oscars at the Academy Awards, including best actor for Rami Malek's portrayal of Mercury.
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song unlike any other, combining operatic verses with heavy guitars and making references to Renaissance history. It hit the charts in 1975, but their record company did not have much confidence in the song, believing it wouldn't get much airplay. However, it quickly hit No. 1 (per UDiscoverMusic).
Both bands used Trident Studios
"Hey Jude" was the longest charting song for The Beatles, spending nine weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1968. It has stood the test of time as well. At the London 2012 Olympics, Paul McCartney performed the song at the opening ceremony with the massive crowd singing along. McCartney's inspiration for the song is also fairly well-known. The song was originally called "Hey Jules," a nickname for John Lennon's son Julian Lennon (per WWD).
Queen released "Bohemian Rhapsody" nearly 10 years after The Beatles released "Hey Jude," but these songs share a big connection. According to Audacy, Freddie Mercury used the same piano for "Bohemian Rhapsody" that Paul McCartney used for "Hey Jude." It was a Bechstein Grand Piano at Trident Studios in London. It was nearly 100 years old when McCartney and Mercury played it. The piano became a mainstay for Trident Studios, but was only a rental until 1986 when the studio finally purchased it.
Paul McCartney and Freddie mercury performed together in 1985
Trident Studios was one of very few studios that The Beatles used other than Abbey Road Studios. Trident had only been in operation for a few months, but it had the first and only 8 track recording machine in the United Kingdom at the time. It quickly became popular. By the time Queen began using it for their albums, David Bowie and Elton John recorded there as well (per Beatles in London).
Freddie Mercury and Paul McCartney performed together at the iconic Live Aid benefit concert at Wembley Stadium in 1985. The concert was to raise funds to help alleviate the Ethiopian famine of the 1980s. They both participated in a cover of "Do They Know It's Christmas?" along with U2 front man Bono. The Live Aid concert was recreated for the film "Bohemian Rhapsody." Express explains that Queen band member Brian May visited the set that day to watch Rami Malek's lauded performance as Mercury in the film.