Miscellaneous Radio Documentaries & Podcasts

This page includes details of radio documentaries and podcasts about Queen and solo projects. Due to the number of radio appearances which members of Queen have made over the years, this page will only include those which have been officially released, or those which have particular significance.

1977 Radio 1 Interview (whole band) (on separate page)
Queen For An Hour (whole band 1989 Radio 1 interview) (on separate page)
Desert Island Discs (Brian May, 2002) (on separate page)
I Will Not Let You Go (2005 Radio Documentary)
Live Aid 25 Podcasts (Brian May and Roger Taylor, 2009)

I Will Not Let You Go
Broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in the UK on 26 November 2005 to mark the 30th anniversary of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' reaching no. 1. Length 50 minutes.

This documentary tells the history of the track, the recording, the impact, meaning and legend. Narrated by Steve Wright, it features interviews with Brian and Roger, archive interviews with Freddie, his mum Jer Bulsara and sister Kashmira Cooke, producer Roy Thomas Baker, video director Bruce Gowers, archivist Greg Brooks, 'We Will Rock You' collaborators Ben Elton, Hannah Jane Fox (Scaramouche) and Peter Johansson (Galileo), Slade vocalist Noddy Holder, ex-manager John Reid, journalist Paul Leicester and newsreader Fiona Bruce.

Many of the interviews with Brian and Roger appear to be specially recorded for this documentary. It also features archive interviews with Brian, Roger and Freddie himself, many of which have not been heard before.

It features excerpts of the track from the various multitrack tapes, a live version from Wembley 1986, the track from the 'We Will Rock You' cast album and various cover versions. It also features excerpts of 'Killer Queen', 'You're My Best Friend', 'Death On Two Legs', 'Seaside Rendezvous', 'The Prophet's Song', 'The Fairy Feller's Masterstroke', and also 'We Will Rock You' from the cast album.

A general overview is as follows:

• Introduction, brief history, and excerpts from many cover versions
• The musical fashions of the time and Queen's perception by the press
• The recording of the album and it's varying styles
• The group's musical progression, inspirations and influences, and how the album got it's name
• The recording of the track, and how it was recorded in pieces, including numerous excerpts from the multitrack tapes
• Getting the single released and Kenny Everett's involvement
• The impact of the song and people hearing it for the first time
• The reasons behind the video being recorded and it's impact
• The meaning of the track
• What Freddie was like offstage and his rising fame
• Freddie's death and the reissue of the track
• Excerpts from various cover versions
• The track as performed in the 'We Will Rock You' musical and by newsreaders for Children In Need
• Why the track lives on and remains so popular

Live Aid 25 Podcasts
These five podcasts were made available for free via Absolute Radio and iTunes from 6 July 2009 onwards to mark the 25th anniversary of the legendary Live Aid concert. Total length 54:19.

They tell the story of Live Aid, from the initial news reports, the fundraising idea, and the concert itself, to it's legacy. Three of the five podcasts feature straight interviews with, in turn, Bono, Brian May and Roger Taylor. The first podcast is more of a documentary, with interviews from numerous performers and organisers to tell the story of the concert. The fifth podcast features separate interviews with Bob Geldof and Michael Buerk, and footage of the initial news reports.

The times below refer to the length of each podcast, although upto 20 seconds of each is taken by a promotional advert and brief introduction by Midge Ure at the start.

01. Live Aid 25 (22:19)
02. Bono Interview (6:36)
03. Roger Taylor Interview (6:18)
04. Brian May Interview (9:37)
05. Michael Buerk and Bob Geldof Interviews (9:30)

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