Scott introduced “Radio 2’s unofficial Queen correspondent”, Bill Bailey, calling him “a man who can play Bohemian Rhapsody on a doorbell.”
Early hour – Freddie Mercury memories and listener nostalgia 🎤
Scott opened Thursday’s show celebrating 50 years since Queen released Bohemian Rhapsody. He told listeners, “It’s the song that everyone thinks they can sing, but almost nobody can.” Tina Daheley agreed, saying, “Everyone goes for the high bit, and it’s chaos.”
Messages flooded in from fans sharing where they were the first time they heard it. Lisa from Plymouth said, “My dad used to play it on cassette in the car and make us do all the parts.” David from Brighton added, “I saw Queen live in ’79 and it’s still the best thing I’ve ever heard.” Scott replied, “That’s why it’s untouchable – it’s more than a song; it’s theatre.”
Bill Bailey joins the studio 🎸
Scott introduced “Radio 2’s unofficial Queen correspondent”, Bill Bailey, calling him “a man who can play Bohemian Rhapsody on a doorbell.” Bill laughed and said, “That’s true – it’s all in the timing.”
He described first hearing the song as a teenager: “I was transfixed – it was like hearing an opera, a rock anthem and a comedy sketch all at once.” Bill explained that he still analyses Freddie Mercury’s compositions: “He made music that sounded impossible but somehow felt natural. That’s genius.”
Scott asked whether the track could be written today. Bill replied, “Not in the same way. You’d never get six minutes past a record label meeting. But that’s what makes it brilliant – it didn’t ask permission.”
The pair talked about the song’s recording techniques. Bill said, “Forty-eight tracks layered, recorded on tape – all those harmonies! They had to bounce it between machines. It was pure graft.” He joked that if Queen had Pro Tools, “it’d still take them months – Brian May’s solo alone would melt the laptop.”
Scott played a short clip of the original, and Bill hummed along to the guitar solo. “Still gives me chills,” he said. “It’s like a mini-symphony that’s somehow funny, sad and heroic at the same time.” Scott ended the segment saying, “If anyone deserves to be our Queen correspondent, it’s Bill Bailey.”
The quiz and listener chaos 🧩
The Easiest Quiz on the Radio featured Paula from Dunstable, who said she’d celebrated the anniversary by “blasting Queen in the shower.” Her answer to “Who sang Radio Ga Ga?” drew laughter when she hesitated and replied, “Is it… The Beatles?” Scott joked, “Imagine Ringo doing the clap bits!”
She recovered to finish with four points, and Scott played Don’t Stop Me Now to close out the round. Tina said, “That’s how you do a Thursday morning.”
Bill Bailey on Freddie’s legacy 🎶
After 8:30, Bill returned to talk about Freddie Mercury’s influence. “He had humour in his performance,” he said. “He knew exactly when to wink at the audience. That’s what separates the greats – it’s joy as much as power.”
Scott asked what Freddie might think of Queen’s continuing legacy. Bill answered, “I think he’d be proud that people still belt it out – even badly. It’s the best tribute there is.”
Bill then demonstrated snippets of Bohemian Rhapsody on his keyboard, showing how the chord changes work. “It keeps moving,” he said. “Every time you think it’s finished, it takes another turn. It’s like a musical rollercoaster.” Scott summed it up: “That’s why we never get tired of it – it’s a surprise that still works 50 years later.”
Closing half-hour – listener sing-alongs and final reflections 🎧
In the final part of the show, Scott invited listeners to send in videos of their families singing along to Bohemian Rhapsody in the car. “We’ll call it the Mamma Mia challenge,” he said. Tina warned, “Seatbelts on – falsetto optional.”
Messages came in quickly: “My seven-year-old nails the Galileo bit,” wrote Claire from Leeds. Another said, “We do it every Christmas morning while making bacon sandwiches.”
Scott ended the show by thanking Bill Bailey: “You’ve given us a musical masterclass and some real nostalgia.” Bill replied: “It’s just nice to talk about joy in music again.”
As the opening piano line of Bohemian Rhapsody played them out, Scott said softly, “Fifty years on, and still nothing comes close.”
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