Q&A - MORGAN FISHER
A cura di Andrea (Skizzo), Flavia (May-niac) e Rossella (Galileo).

Morgan Fisher è conosciuto dai fan dei Queen soprattutto grazie all'European Hot Space Tour, dove suonava la tastiera.

Memorabile la sua partecipazione al concerto al Milton Keynes Bowl del 05 giugno 1982, tutti ricorderanno come Freddie introduce Morgan, poco prima di "Crazy Little Thing Called Love":
Hey, about, about ten years ago I knew about three chords on the guitar. And now, now in 1982, I know three chords on the guitar. Before, ah, before this wonderful intro that I'm gonna give you, right now, I'd like to a, introduce to you Mr Morgan Fisher on the piano - in that wonderful pink. He's either AC or he's DC, I don't know

Non si conosce ancora bene il motivo per cui Morgan lasci le tastiere dei Queen durante quel tour, qualcuno afferma che and via perch aveva paura dei viaggi in aereo altri dicono che la band non gradiva il suo comportamento. Ma ovviamente sono solo rumors.

Questa Q&A però, dà qualche risposta in più sull'argomento, direttamente dalla voce del protagonista, Morgan Fisher.

Leggi qui la traduzione in italiano.

Where, when and how did you first meet Queen?
Probably when they joined the Mott the Hoople UK tour in '74. I had already met Brian and Freddie before that. Brian came to see my Morgan band play at the Marquee Club a few times in '72/'73. Tim Staffell introduced me to Freddie at his home, as "the new singer in Smile."

You worked with Mott from '73 to '80 and Queen, in the early years, Queen was one of your support-bands. Did you see them performing in that period? What do you remember?
I was with Mott from '73 to '77. Of course I saw Queen play on our UK/US tours. They were enormously energetic, almost frantic. And their clothes became more and more outrageous. Brian's guitar playing was unique - very impressive. They were trying to make it more than anyone else I had seen. And as we all know - they did.

How good were they, in your opinion?
Well at that time I was completely into rock as we played it in Mott. We were already successful so we could lay back sometimes and not try to impress all the time. By contrast, Queen seemed desperate to make it, and sometimes I felt that they were trying too hard. But we didn't feel any rivalry because they were quite different to us.

Can you tell us any anecdotes of that period?
Freddie was so hung over one morning on the US tour, that in the hotel cafe he fell forward with his face in his fried eggs - and stayed there!

There's an old story about Queen and Aerosmith in 1974. What do you remember about it?
(this is the link)
Don't remember that - but then I drank a lot in those days too! I can't remember Brian drinking heavily, he always seemed such a gentleman.

During the Morgan Band period one of your members was Tim Staffel: has he ever told you anything about his ex-band Smile and the new band, Queen, born just after he decided to leave Smile?
No he didn't say much about Smile. Perhaps he didn't feel good about leaving them - who knows? Many years after being in my Morgan band he said in an interview that he wished we had been playing R'n'B instead of progressive rock, which surprised me - he was so good at it!

Who asked you to work with Queen in the Hot Space tour?
Brian sent me a telegram, when I was living in Brussels. I had decided to get back into music after a couple of years' break, and had written to several friends (including Brian) asking if they knew of any work I could do. I never expected to receive such a big offer!

What were the band's indications about how to play their songs?
Very little. They just sent me all their albums and a list of songs for me to learn. I figured them out by myself, did the audition in Los Angeles (they had also asked Roger Powell to audition), got the job, then rehearsed with them for two weeks in Coppola's Zoetrope Studios in Hollywood. During one of the quieter songs Brian ran over to me and yelled "play more beautifully!" That's all I can remember!

What kind of keyboard did you play in their concerts?
A grand piano and an Oberheim synthesizer.

What do you remember about the two months you spent with Queen? Any anecdotes?
Freddie travelled with his boyfriend. At nearly every after-show meal he would insist that Freddie stopped smoking. Freddie would always tell him loudly to "shutup and leave me alone!"

During one of Brian's long guitar solos (when the rest of the band would go and sit in a little backstage tent) Freddie looked really bored, then raised his eyes to the ceiling and said "Ohhh, let's go shopping!"

After I had been on the tour for a while, the band and road crew all knew that I was involved in Indian spirituality and meditation. One night when I came on stage, I saw that one of the crew had written in chalk, on the floor by my stool, a big arrow pointing left, and the word "EAST!"

How would you describe Freddie, Brian, Roger and John?
Creative, hardworking, professional. As for their personalities, I am sure you all know them as well as I did...

Why didn't you go on working with them?
Well as I said earlier, I had been accustomed to rock the way Mott played it. It was rougher, wilder, more spontaneous than Queen, who were very perfectionist in their approach. Plus by that time I had changed my lifestyle and was not the funny hard-drinking guy Queen had known during their tours with Mott. I think the timing was wrong - I didn't feel so comfortable with Queen in 1982, and I think they sensed it. During a break between the Europe tour and the forthcoming US tour, they sent me a telegram to say that they had decided they didn't need a keyboard player any more. Perhaps they were a bit embarrassed to tell me that actually they didn't feel comfortable with me either - they soon found another keyboard player for their US tour.

Were you afraid to fly or were there problems with the band? Which is true? Are they only rumors?
I have no fear of flying and never did. See the answer above re possible "problems with the band."

Did you feel part of the band out of stage (did you eat with them or take part to their legendary after-concert parties)?
I usually went out for an after-show meal with the band. There weren't so many legendary parties, except for a huge album release party at Heaven in London

Links
- La Q&A sul nostro forum

QueenItalia & Morgan Fisher, Ottobre 2007.

Back To Specials