Voice Teacher Reacts to Queen - Radio Gaga (Live Aid : Wembley London 1985)

Voice teacher Sam Johnson's reaction and analysis of Queen performing Radio Gaga for Live Aid in 1985.

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I hope this observation on how he sings helps you figure out how the voice works better, so you can learn how to make smart choices in your own voice.

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[amandas]

Sam: *tries to explain Freddie's voice*
Also Sam: *sigh* "He's a magician."

Basically. <3

[diamondunicorn]

Nobody ever mentions how athletic freddie was in his performances....he runs all over the stage and makes grand gestures but still can produce such amazing vocals without seeming to be winded or straining. Vocalist superior

[aa-xibc]

''He's a magician'' I guess you can say his voice is a Kind of Magic…

[muttjeff]

I think you nailed it when you said Freddy had supreme confidence in his voice. He didn’t care what his voice was doing during the show, he was singing with passion and emotion, connecting with the audience. He knew the sounds would come out right, so he could focus on conveying the emotion to his audience, which in turn engages them more.

[MoniBahaa]

I'm a dentist who sang in a classical choir for five years and I'll try to explain the way his different anatomy (namely the overbite) could have possibly helped in his wide range/big sound. The middle part of the face is like a large echo chamber made of hollowed out bones called sinuses. The roof of the mouth is simultaneously the floor of those sinuses, and having an overbite significantly increases the area of those sinuses resulting in a larger echo chamber for the voice to resonate. Of course a strongly controlled vocal "instrument" is key, but I suppose this came with years and years of personal training, otherwise he would have simply been an amplified sheep (as Roger Taylor, drummer of Queen, once humorously called early Freddie vocals).
Another facet is his somewhat square, strong jaw, which could also aid in getting his vowels right by allowing the tongue out of the way from the back of his throat to the floor of his spacious mouth.

Something else you talked about was his use of his upper lip to control the "color" of his voice, which is actually the result of years of trying to cover his teeth and so increasing the tone of his lip muscles (mainly the orbicularis oris), it's normal that with age these muscles sag, but with constant use, they become more under control. If you watched early vs. late interviews with Freddie, you'll notice how he's constantly smacking them to keep his teeth in check, which is something we notice in kids with overbites all the time.

Hope that helped!

[caelanraegn]

I love how Freddie really controls the stage. He’s not just a singer but a really charismatic performer.

[paigeturner]

Freddie Mercury takes my breath away. He will always be one of my favorite musicians ever.

[lokikokesch]

All the queen lovers, who only watched this because it's queen raise your hands 👐

[thescowlingschnauzer]

You know what that dropped jaw, lip-covered teeth thing makes me think of? Indian vowels. I wonder how much of Freddie's sound came from the confluence of his native Parsi vowels, affecting London vowels, and affecting American vowels in imitation of Elvis (see Crazy Little Thing Called Love).

[jimenanonato]

I'm not a singer and I'm not interested in becoming one, but I learn a lot as a listener and as a music lover. Thank you Sam.

[backrolls]

PLEASE SAM. somebody to love live at montreal 1981. he really shows off his vocals there

you can appreciate roger taylor’s (drummer) amazing falsetto in that performance too!

[covidfeverdream]

Get you a man that looks at you like Sam looks at Freddie Mercury.

[Drew-hdhm]

"He's not concerned about what people think about it he is more concerned about just doing it."


and that fellow humans is just good damn life advice for anything.

[ikirsikas]

Freddie was without special voice training and was able to sing rock, blues, opera, etc.
He has a divine talent to be and remain a musician of the century. He is a LEGEND.

[evalikestea]

"He's a magician" bless this

[NostraFnDamus]

It would have been nice if you had included the "Ay Oh!" bit after this song where Freddie's leading the crowd in a series of vocal exercises.

[Lawyeris]

One additional fact, that makes even more to admire this performance of Freddie Mercury and his vocals - he had a throat infection only days before this performance. He was told by a doctor that he shouldn't do it, but Freddie did this anyway!!!

[VanessaFitzmaurice]

So we can all agree that Freddie Mercury is perfect, right? Right

[flip]

I was there. One of the best days of my life. YouTube suggested your channel. I love it and wish you all the best. You’re a nice soul and put a lot of passion in what you do.

[fernandoguadarrama]

Looks like he slowly falls in love with Freddie through the video