Freddie's Millions
(also known as 'Mercury's Millions')
Broadcast on the digital channel BBC 3 many
times during 2004.
This programme is part of the 'Liquid Assets' series, which
looked at the financial status of numerous celebrities.
Length 56 minutes.
Written and presented by Max Flint
Executive producer Emma Worthington
Produced and directed by Mark Jones
This documentary, as the title suggests, looks at Freddie's
financial status throughout his career. It also contains footage
of numerous promo videos, which help to highlight Queen and
Freddie's career. The content is as follows, with one rare clip
highlighted in red:
- An introduction to the program, featuring an audio
excerpt of 'A Kind Of Magic' and short clips from
numerous videos, whilst outlining the content of the
program
- Clip of 'Radio Ga Ga' from Live Aid, interview with Trip
Khalaf (sound engineer) about Live Aid, clip of the 'One
Vision' video, and footage of the outside of Freddie's
home, Garden Lodge, and Montreux
- Footage of 'Living On My Own', and interviews with Trip
Khalaf and David Wigg (journalist) about Queen's parties
- Footage of 'Good Old Fashioned Loverboy' on Top Of The
Pops, photographs of Freddie, and general narration about
Freddie's early life, Zoroastrianism faith and education,
with footage of Ealing College of Art
- Clip of 'Spread Your Wings' and interviews with former
college friends Josephine Marston and Alan Hill
- Narration about Freddie's first job at Heathrow Airport,
continued footage of 'Good Old Fashioned Loverboy', and
interview with Alan Mair who employed Freddie in
Kensington Market
- Footage of 'We Are The Champions', and interview with
Ibex manager Ken Testi, a rare excerpt of Ibex performing
'Jailhouse Rock', and dialogue about the formation of
Queen
- Excerpt of 'God Save The Queen', footage of how the Queen
crest was formed, and general short clips from videos
- Footage of 'Somebody To Love', followed by interview with
Terry Yeadon (Queen's first studio engineer at De Lane
Lea), and excerpt of 'The Night Comes Down'
- Footage of 'Fat Bottomed Girls' and interview with Ken
Testi about trying to get a recording contract
- Footage of 'We Will Rock You' and interviews with Ken
Testi and Norman Sheffield (Queen's first manager) about
their first recording contract
- Narration about Larry Lurex 'I Can Hear Music' and short
excerpt from the track
- Opening titles of 'Old Grey Whistle Test' and interview
with Bob Harris about first hearing Queen, and clip of
the animated footage they used
- Excerpt of 'Seven Seas Of Rhye' and interview with
financial journalist Patrick Collinson about the
royalties from records
- Footage of 'Killer Queen', and narration about Queen's
success but lack of funds, footage of 'I Want It All',
interview with Norman Sheffield, and excerpt of 'Death On
Two Legs'
- Footage of 'Bohemian Rhapsody', interview with Patrick
Collinson about 'Bohemian Rhapsody' sales, and interview
with Paul Gambaccini
- Footage of 'I Want To Break Free', interview with David
Mallet (video director), and short clips of numerous
videos
- Interview with Patrick Collinson about royalties from
radio, film and TV
- Footage of 'Hammer To Fall', narration about Queen's live
career, and interviews with Bob Harris, Trip Khalaf and
Patrick Collinson
- Audio excerpt of 'Tie Your Mother Down', footage of
Japan, interview with Paul Gambaccini and a karaoke
session
- Audio excerpt of 'Play The Game', narration about
'Jewels', footage of tribute band Kween, and interview
with their lead singer about impersonating Freddie
- Footage of 'Don't Stop Me Now', narration about drugs,
and interviews with Paul Gambaccini and Peter Freestone
- Footage of 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love', narration
about punk music, a clip of The Sex Pistols on TV,
interview with Paul Gambaccini and archive interview with
Freddie
- Excerpt of 'Las Palabras De Amor' and narration about
Queen being the highest paid executives in Britain, and
their subsequent tax exile status, with footage of
Montreux
- Excerpt of 'Under Pressure', footage of hotels in
Montreux and New York, and footage of Garden Lodge
- Footage of 'Radio Ga Ga', narration about Freddie's
garden, an interview with his garden architect, and
narration about Freddie's Koi Carp
- Footage of 'It's A Hard Life', footage of numerous shops,
and interview with Peter Freestone about shopping
- Footage of 'The Great Pretender', interviews with David
Wigg and Paul Gambaccini about Freddie's sexuality, and
narration about Mary Austin
- Footage of 'Body Language', footage of New York, and
interviews with Peter Freestone and Paul Gambaccini
- Footage of 'Barcelona', interview with co-composer Mike
Moran and archive interview with Freddie
- Footage of an AIDS awareness video, narration about AIDS,
footage of 'Scandal', and interviews with Paul Gambaccini
and Mike Moran
- Footage of 'The Miracle' and 'These Are The Days Of Our
Lives', and interview with Paul Gambaccini
- Excerpt of 'Too Much Love Will Kill You', and footage
from Freddie's funeral
- Footage of 'In My Defence', and narration about Freddie's
will and Queen's continued popularity, and interview with
Patrick Collinson about record sales and royalties
- Excerpt of 'It's A Beautiful Day', footage of Montreux,
narration about his estate's current finances, closing
interview excerpts with David Mallet, Trip Khalaf, Paul
Gambaccini and David Wigg, and a final selection of clips
from videos
The program claims the following financial incomes and outgoings:
- Parties : £4,600,000
- Part time job : £20
- Working in Kensington Market : £1,300
- Wages from first year signed to Trident : £1,000
- Sale of Queen records : £50,000,000
- Split with Trident : £25,000
- Royalties : £8,400,000
- Concerts and merchandising : £12,000,000
- Income from Japan : £14,000,000
- Drugs : £500,000
- Property investments : £4,000,000
- The death of 89 Koi Carp in 2002 : £890,000
- Art investments : £3,500,000
- 'Barcelona' : £330,000
- Other solo activities : £10,000,000
The final total given for Freddie's estate was around £82
million, although the totals given add up to £96 million.
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| File last modified: 05 March 2011