Another interview with Roger in a rock/music oriented mag in Britain. Here are the Adam bits (and a few other future related bits that may or may not coincide:
First Roger confirms (the first Queen rep to do so that Sacha is out):
RT: Oh the film. God I thought the music business was slow but this has been like swimming in treacle. I don't want to talk about the Sacha thing..Ok I'm sorry I used a terrible phrase there. We felt Sacha probably wasn't right in the end. We didn't want it to be a joke. We want people to be moved. But we need to step back now.
Q: To musical matters what can we expect from your new solo album, Fun On Earth>
RT: It's very ahem eclectic as my stuff always is. It's a labour of love. But I'm sure when I play live again, which I will, we won't be booking big places (laughs) but it's nice to do.
Q: What did Freddie sound like when he first started singing?
RT: Like a sheep. Like a powerful bleating sheep. Not great. But he was a product of his own enormous energy, a tribute to the idea that if you believe in something hard enough , you can make it happen.
Q: What's happening with the songs Freddie Mercury recorded with Michael Jackson in 1983.
RT: Freddie and Michael never finished the songs because Queen had to leave L.A. to go on tour. Brian and I have worked on them, which means they'll come out as Queen and Michael Jackson - hopefully - if the Michael Jackson estate can get its arse into gear.
Q: Did you have mixed feeling about performing on The X-Factor in 2009?
RT: Very mixed feelings. I also felt old! I find the show noisy and horrible, but it is just a TV show, and I'm a pragmatists. We played live and we were seen by millions of people. So it was justified. If we'd mimed, it wouldn't have been justified. They also do a Queen night on American Idol and it's interesting to see some of these poor buggers having to sing our songs!
Q: You revived the Queen name to tour with Paul Rodgers in 2005 and made an LP, The Cosmos Rocks in 2008. Was it tough making a Queen album without Freddie Mercury?
RT: It was tough, Brian was having a fairly non-productive period. I think that album's got its good bits. But EMI were useless. THe album came and went. It was almost as if it was invisible. We got on fine with Paul. But I'm sure he got sick to death of being asked about Freddie Mercury in every interview.
Q: Is it easier having Adam Lambert singing with Queen?
RT: He slips into it more easily. Paul has a perfect blues and soul voice, but our songs are big and dare I say it theatrical, and Adam fits that more easily. We've not discussed making an album, no. But Adam is closer to Freddie. Paul was macho, but Adam is a diva. His range is staggering.
Q: So what comes next?
RT: My solo album is the priority. Then we're re-releasing all my solo work in a box set called The Lot. Then there's the Queen Extravaganza tour. I'm feeling very protective of that. We're not trying to recreate Queen with this but we are trying to create a Queen moment. I'm afraid the truth is Brian and I do what we do when we feel like doing it. We don't have an masterplan for Queen anymore. It just seems to happen.
