On September the 6th in Zanzibar, Jer and Bomi Bulsara have their first child, a son they call Frederick. His father Bomi is a civil servant working as a high court cashier for the British government.
Of Persian extraction, Freddie is to have one sister, Kashmira, who is six years younger than he is. In the next year, the family move to India.
Freddie:
I was a very insecure young boy, probably because I was a bit sheltered.
1947
July 19th 1947 and Brian is born at Glouster House Nursing Home to Harold and Ruth May. The family home is in Feltham, Middlesex. Harold May was an electronics engineer and worked at the Ministry of Aviation. He was a practical handyman as well as a competent musician
Frederick gets his first taste of fame by winning a local baby contest.
1948
Roger Meddows-Taylor makes his first appearance at West Norfolk and Kings Lynn Hospital - to a standing ovation no doubt! His parents are Michael and Winifred. Michael was an inspector for the potato marketing board. Meddows was an old family name that had been passed down the generations of Taylor's.
1951
August 19, and John Richard Deacon is born at St. Francis Private Hospital, son of Arthur and Lilian. Arthur works in insurance at Norwich Union is Leicester.
1952
Due to his fathers work related travel, Frederick is sent to St Peter's English Boarding School near Bombay to give him some sort of stability. It is hear where he is given the name Freddie by friends - a name that he and his family were to adopt. It is hear where Freddie's teachers noticed his aptitude for music and persuaded his parents to pay extra school fee's so that Freddie could learn the piano.
Brian starts school at Hanworth Road Primary, aged five.
1953
Roger's sister Clare is born.
1954
Harold May starts to teach Brian how to play the ukulele. Brian also begins to learn the piano. Brian shows great aptitude for the Ukulele and soon wants a guitar, and gets a Spanish Acoustic for his seventh birthday. He begins to teach himself how to play it.
1955
Brian is showing interest in other musical instruments such as the Jew's Harp and the tin whistle. He also shows interest in astronomy and photography. His father was a keen photographer and would often involve Brian in his hobby.
1956
John Deacon starts his education at Oadby Infants School. He later moves to Gartree High School.
By the age of nine, Brian had become a competent pianist having passed his Grade IV exams. After these exams though he stopped taking piano lessons. Instead he practised by himself on the upright piano he had at home.
1957
Roger and his family move to Truro in Cornwall. Now aged eight he attends Cathedral school and becomes a member of the choir. After seeing his cousin play the guitar Roger decides that he wants one as well.
1958
In September Brian wins a scholarship to Hampton Grammar School. This was keeping with family tradition as his father had also gone there - in years to come Brian's own son would also become a student. At this school Brian made lots of other friends who were also keen on music and they were always swapping ideas of how best to play the guitar.
Freddie is awarded the school trophy as Junior All-rounder.
John Deacon is given his first guitar on his eighth birthday - a red plastic Tommy special.
1960
An eleven year old Roger enrols in Truro public school. Truro public school was academically the best in the area. Roger won a scholarship to go their, the only pupil from Cathedral to do so.
1961
Roger's interest in the guitar had begun to wain a little and he had become increasingly interested in percussion. For Christmas he gets a drum kit from his father - much to his mothers relief as he had been pretending her saucepans were drums in the mean time!
1962
John Deacon moves to Beuchamp Grammar School. Later in the year John's father dies.
1963
Inspired by Lonnie Donegan and Buddy Holly to name a few, a sixteen year old Brian May is
keen to start his own band. His interest in guitar playing is serious,
and he persuades his father to help him build one as he can’t afford the a
decent commercial one. Brian is now a star physics student, and he and his
father are both experienced in wood and metal work. They carve the body of the
guitar from a mahogany fireplace, and the spring from the tremolo unit from an old motor bike.
The arm of the tremolo is made from an old knitting needle.
The fret board is marked by ‘mother-of-perl- buttons.
The now legendary ‘Red Special’ cost just eight pounds and took eighteen months to make.
The guitar possessed its own unique sound and was able to hold its head up high
against Brian's friends commercially made guitar. Brian was keen in developing different
sounds with his guitar, and was constantly trying out different plectrums to get a different
sound. Brian eventually settled on a six penny piece.
Brian:
When I was a boy, we used to paly a lot in the lunch hour in the cycle sheds.
We weren’t allowed to play in the school ‘cos rock music was unacceptable, not cultural,
so it was kind of underground.
We’d go and see bands around Richmond and Twickenham, and I saw people like The Yardbirds,
The Stones and Clapton at the local club - they were really hot news!
After playing with various local bands, Brian meets vocalist Tim Staffell at Hampton Grammar
School, and with fellow school friends Dave Dilloway and John Garnham, and
local drummer Richard Thompson they start their own band “1984” - a name that
at that time sounded futuristic. They play their first gig at St.
Mary’s Church Hall, Twickenham on the 28 October 1964.
In order to make an impression they all wore what looked like army uniforms...
Meanwhile, in Truro, Roger Taylor has formed a band with some friends called the "Cousin Jacks".
Roger was initially the rhythm guitarist but didn't particularly like it, and later took
over the drums. They played quite a few gigs - but within a year the band broke up.
Roger:
I remember when I was a really young kid, I was inspired by Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, all the really early rockers.
I didn’t even have a record player at the time! My cousin had one though.
Later on my big all-time heroes became Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon and Bob Dylan.
Archetypal influences I suppose, but why not?
1964
Due to civil unrest in Zanzibar, Freddie and his family move to the UK with only a
few suitcases and little else.
In September that year Freddie enrolled in Islesworth Polytechnic to study for
an A level in Art.
1965
John Deacon aged fourteen plays his first gig with local outfit Opposition,
at Enderby Youth Club. The band play a mixture of pop, soul and Tamla Motown songs -
all cover songs except "Heat Full Of Soul" the one song they wrote themselves.
Brian left Hampton Grammar School with ten O levels and four A levels,
and applied for Astronomy at Imperial College in London.
In the Autumn of 1965 he entered the college and embarked on a degree course.
Brian:
Astronomy’s much more fun when you’re not an astronomer.
Most of the time while I was studying was spent either making equipment, setting it up
of else typing away at computers trying to analyse the results.
The amount of time actually looking at the stars is minimal. So now in my spare
time, I love to peer through telescopes.
Even though the members of 1984 had been separated due to leaving school they
still managed to get together for gigs.
Roger joins another band called "Johnny Quale and the Reaction".
On March the 15 they enter the "Rock and Rhythm Championship" in Truro, where bands
from all over the region attended. They end up coming fourth.
The band eventually become quite well established in the region, playing regularly.
September sees Johnny leave, just before they are to play a gig.
Roger was the only one that could sing and so steps in to take his place.
Roger amazes everyone by singing and drumming at the same time.
They subsequently drop the name "Johnny Quale" and become simply known at "Reaction".
1966
Roger and his band Reaction enter the "Rock and Rhythm Championship" again.
This time though they win, receiving a special trophy.
They also are invited back for next years contest as special guests.
The year is spent playing - with three to four gigs a week.
As part of the show Roger's old piano would be hauled onto the stage,
micorphoned and then hit with a sledge hammer and get paint thrown on it.
Freddie gets his A level in Art and begins a course in graphic art and design at Ealing College
of Art.
1967
1984 play support to Jimi Hendrix at Imperial college. After being on stage, they wanted
to go out into the crowd to watch Jimi Hendrix - but without paying.
In order to do this they had to sneak past everyone.
As they were going past Jimi Hendrix's dressing room he came out to them
and asked "Which ways the stage, man?"
September saw 1984 enter best amateur band competition at the "Top Rank Club".
Brian left that night with a Barbara Streisand album - which was the first prize.
A little while afterwards and ‘1984’ split up. They had been conflicting a lot over
the way the music was going and the amount of time Brian was having to spend on his
eduction was also a bone of contention.
Tim Staffell joins the Ealing College Of Art, where such promising musicians as Pete
Townsend and Ron Wood are studying. There he meets Freddie Mercury Studying in
the same class.
It turns out that Freddie has recently changed his
name from ‘Bulsara’, choosing ‘Mercury’ after the gods mythological messenger.
Roger has left Truro School with seven O-levels and three A-levels
(in biology, chemistry and physics). Bowing to family pressure,
he starts a dentistry course at the London Hospital Medical School,
later moving to the Hospital College in Whitechapel.
Roger:
I was going to be a dentist once, but that was just
a way of getting to London ad gaining the means of support from
a student grant. Being a student was cool then.
1968
Brian receives honours degrees in Physics and Maths.
Professor Bernard Lovell is so impressed by the twenty one year olds qualifications
that he personally invites him to work on an astronomy research at
Jodrell Bank Laboratory.
However, Brian politely declines the offer.
Instead, he decides to start a thesis to obtain a doctorate in philosophy
(which he never finishes), enabling him to stay at Imperial.
Roger, meanwhile, has had enough of teeth to last him a lifetime, and switches
to Biology at Imperial. During his summer holiday Roger returns to Truro and
plays on a specially erected Marquee at the beach with "Reaction.
Eager to continue with his drumming whilst at university, Roger answers a
hand-written ad on the Imperial College noticeboard.
The ad had been written by Brian and requests musicians, including a
‘Ginger Baker type drummer to join him in forming a band.
Old Hampton Grammar buddie Tim Staffell answers the ad as well,
joining Roger and Brian as bassist/vocalist. The bans is called Smile.
Smile spends the Autumn rehearsing.
They play quite a few cover number, but Brian and Tim also begin to write
their own songs.
Smiles first public appearance was in support of Pink Floyd at Imperial
College on 26 October.
At around this time Brian meets Cristine Mullen, whom eventually becomes
his girlfriend, and much later, become his wife.
Smile play so many dates at Imperial College that they eventually become
known as the ‘Imperial College Band’ - an ambitious trio
of hard rock musicians gigging around the student union bars
and pub/club circuit of London.
They play covers of If I Were A Carpenter and
Mony Mony, but utilise every tempo change they can muster.
Some songs last in excess of twenty minutes. Smile describe themselves as a
progressive rock band.
Roger also uses his contacts in Truro to get Smile gigs their - and
many weekends were spent travelling down their to play either Pa's or
the Fleming Ballroom.
John Deacon at this time is still in the band The New Opposition -
they changed the name due to line-up changes.
The band had become quite popular and had bookings every week end.
1969
On the 27th of February Smile play at the concert in aid of the council
for the unmarried mother and her child, which was organised by Imperial College.
Other artists features were Free, Joe Cocker and the Bonzo Dog Band.
In his haist, Tim ran to the front of a fifty foot stage - but with only
a thirty foot guitar lead and pulled the plug out from the socket.
After that gig Smile were given their first ever review - a journalist
called them the "loudest group in the western world".
The beginning of 1969 saw Tim bring a friend to many of the Smile gigs - Freddie Bulsara.
He loved the Smile sound and got on well with Roger and Brian.
He became a supporter of the band and was a regular fixture in their touring entourage.
Smile meet American producer Lou Reizner at the Revolution Club, after one
of their gigs their. He’s responsible for running the British branch
of the US record company ‘Mercury’ and persuades the band to record a single.
With no experience of the music business and its subtleties,
Brian Roger and Tim jump at this seemingly incredible offer.
Smile and Reizner exchange contracts, and soon the band are ensconced in Trident Studio’s,
London, with producer John Anthony.
The result is a single called ‘Earth’ written by Tim Staffell
with the B-side ‘Step On Me’ which is written by Brian and Tim.
It is released only in the US in August where it fails to sell,
and Mercury’s UK division refuse to have anything to do with it.
Mercury propose that Smile record some more material, with a view to releasing an album.
The deal is short-lived - Smile are signed of, leaving
them nothing but one pound in royalties each and a set of shattered illusions.
The band are understandably depressed.
No further than one step up the ladder, and they’re back at the bottom again.
In summer, while Jimi Hendrix is busy making history at Woodstock,
Roger takes up a second-hand clothes stall in Kensington with Freddie Mercury.
Brian takes a job teaching maths at a comprehensive school in London in the
autumn, uncertain whether or not to pursue his academic studies.
The mood is one of disillusionment, but nevertheless, Smile carry on gigging.
Freddie has become a staunch supporter of the band.
He joins local band wreckage as vocalist/keyboard player.
The band often appear on the same show as Smile, and Freddie is always willing
to give advice.
Freddie himself is in a band called Ibex, that
later evolved into a band called Wreckage.
John Deacon is unaware of the fortunes and misfortunes of Smile.
Leaving Beuachamp he enrols at Chelsea College for and electronics degree.
Still harbouring aspirations of ‘being a rock star’ he keeps up his bass playing in various small London bands.
