If you don't mind Gabby - I'll answer it now if only because I'm getting older and may forget later
BUT I probably will expand on it as I start reaching his songs....His first is on the third album!
John from everything I could find out as a kid was...boring. I don't necessarily mean that as an insult - it's just that everything points to a VERY unassuming, quiet, young boy who really didn't engage or interact with anyone....
He was very bright and into electronics and into his music but he was so quiet and unassuming that he could easily be overlooked.
At first he played guitar with his main youth band, The Opposition (later known as The New Opposition and Art) only taking over bass when the band had to let go of their bassist. He took to the bass with much aplomb though and really found his niche. Unlike most rockers he really gravitated towards soul and r 'n' b despite playing in rock bands.
Queen went through a few bassists and when John saw them, they didn't make that much of an impression on him. He eventually auditioned for them when they needed a new bassist and the band gravitated towards him particularly because of his low key personality. With over the top theatrical people like Freddie, Brian, and Roger his quietness would help the gel the band together.
For quite awhile he felt like an outsider within the band. Again not in a bad way but because he was the final member and someone who wasn't a part of that circle for awhile it took him longer to step up and be a part of the band. For example, his name. Freddie changed his name around for the first album calling him Deacon John as it sounded more interesting. John hated it but didn't say anything until the second album.
He gradually became the bands electronic whiz (creating the Deakey Amp that Brian uses to this day) and also helping with lal the equipment as well as basically took over the band's finances when they managed themselves. He was brilliant that way and basically eventually dictated what they should do financially.
He began writing more though and Freddie really encouraged it, getting the most out of him which is most likely where their close relationship came into play. He began writing more of the poppier songs but also really decided to add his rnb/soul influence. He was the driving force behind
Another One Bites The Dust. Roger for example wanted to dismiss it, but Freddie leaped on it and helped champion John's cause.
Interesting factoid and aside - He has always claimed that
Dragon Attack was his favorite Queen track.
John was VERY much a family man in during the late 70s and early 80s and that is when he did begin to withdraw if slightly. He would take more and more holidays and his songwriting would again decrease very much.
Let's look at it like this:
SONGS WITH JOHN WRITING CREDITS
(note - for The Miracle and Innuendo it is based on guesswork and speculation as everything was credited to 'Queen' but you'll have to trust me that it's GOOD guesswork and speculation)
Queen - 0
Queen II - 0
Sheer Heart Attack - 1 co-writing/1 sole
A Night At The Opera - 1 sole
A Day At The Races - 1 sole
News Of The World - 2 sole
Jazz - 2 sole
The Game - 2 sole
Flash Gordon - 2 sole
Hot Space - 1 sole, 2 co-writing
The Works - 1 sole
A Kind Of Magic - 1 sole, 3 co-writing (although one of those co-writing credits is a gift - more later)
The Miracle - 3 co-writing (though he did have a sole B-Side)
Innuendo - 1 co-writing
Made In Heaven - 1 co-writing (of newish material)
So sometime after Hot Space his writing just started lessening.
There is a famous story during the Magic sessions where the band showed up to a note from John that said - Went to Aruba.
No advanced warning, no telling when he would return. Things like that were more and more commonplace.
During the Magic tour there was some thoughts to him being unhappy - he was drinking a lot more and there is video of him at the end of the final concert throwing his bass through his amps.
It is unknown exactly why.
When Freddie became ill, John would work with the band but he became reclusive. It is thought that he took Freddie's news the hardest as Freddie had always been his "protector" within the band. After Freddie died, John was the first to say that's it there was no point in continuing without Freddie.
BUT in fact it seemed John had been slowly making his way out of the group for quite a while at that point which is why I'm not sure he wouldn't have left by now anyways even if the band had remained together and Freddie were still living. Again I'm not saying he absolutely WOULD have left but he would have been the most likely in my mind.
After Freddie died though he did get a small resurgence. At one point Roger and John became Queen for a small bit as they wanted to work on the final bits that Freddie left and turn them into an album as Freddie wanted it. Brian was too hurt still and threw himself into his solo work and his solo tour not wanting to even really talk much about Queen. It was his way of coping. Roger and John even made an appearance at a charity gig as "Queen". Roger was frustrated with Brian and let it be known that he and John were considering moving on whether Brian was ready or not...
NOW you may not be as aware of it as Queen fans are, but when Roger says something you have to take it with a large grain of salt. He often speaks off the cuff....and I would be FAR from surprised if John hadn't felt quite the same way but Roger was being a bit blustery about it. I think John just still was slowly leaving but a live gig at the time seemed okay and he wanted to work on the final album.
Now here it gets strange. John definitely was still there with Roger when Brian finally returned to work on Made In Heaven. At this point Brian took over declaring that Rog and John had done it all wrong and he deconstructed everything again to start from scratch.
There has been theories that this really pissed John off. I mean he obviously was going to stick around to see the album completed that his friend wanted but more and more I think he was happy to just leave.
With that being said he was drawn to the group on two more occasions.
The Bejart Ballet created a whole ballet based on Mozart and Freddie Mercury's life and it served to be an AIDS charity. It was full of Mozart and Freddie music. For the opening, Queen performed
The Show Must Go On with Elton John. I think John saw it again as a tribute to his friend so decided he would come out for that.
THEN
Brian had written a song, "No-One But You (Only The Good Die Young" - intended for a solo project but he thought it had a very Queen-like vibe. He gave a copy to Roger who proceeded to put it on his desk and forget about it for a few months (Oh Rog...) Then Rog did listen and loved it agreeing that it was important and should be done as Queen.
Somehow they decided to regroup and John came along again most likely as it seemed to be a tribute to his friend. It was said to be about Freddie and all those who have died young (at the time it was also about Princess Diana, etc.). Now Roger and Brian both had tribute songs on their respective solo works but John didn't have a solo career (minus one very forgettable song
).
So this worked for John.
They did the song and the video for it....and that's it. John has refused to come to anything ever again.
THere are theories that ever since Brian came back to MIH that he slowly took over the group more or less and became it's figurehead. Without Freddie to help champion John, John realized that the group would be far from a democracy and he didn't like the dynamic as much. That combined with the fact that he more and more was withdrawning anyways...well it was easier to retire.
Now all I know now is that Brian and Roger both say that everytime they do anything (QPR, new song, new concert) they always send a feeler John's way...but John is so reclusive that he doesn't even talk to his bandmembers anymore. Is there friction there? I don't know. Brian sang
You're My Best Friend at QAL London III and dedicated it to John. They've never said anything publicly negative (minus a swipe or two that John doesn't mind getting the royalty checks still) - BUT the fact that they don't really even talk anymore speaks of possible tension.
BUT at the same time that could be John. He was intensely private and really separated family from band life. Now that he's not in the band he may not want any facet of still in his life.
He may just want to remain completely and utterly out of the spot light.
And he's done so. Since 2000 or so he has been seen once...in a picture from his son's wedding. That's it. There's been claims of family problems every once in a while (John had a rash of public sightings at gentlemen's clubs) but beyond that? Nothing. And I think that's the way he wants it.
Some fans champion his as saying John has dignity and won't continue on as a farce...but I don't have an opinion on that because I don't really know WHAT the real situation is. ALl I know is that John never wanted the spotlight and more and more seemed to want to get out of it. Now he is and I hope he's happy.
I hope that there really isn't tension between them but I don't think we'll ever really know. I hope he has a happy life.
Hope that helps
BUT I probably will expand on it as I start reaching his songs....His first is on the third album!
... and as you said he changed everything much to JD's frustration. 