Lesley-Ann Jones’s new biography Mercury: An Intimate Biography Of Freddie Mercury arrived on July 3, 2012, with a number of interesting musical revelations about the late former Queen frontman — including new details on his lost 1983 collaborations with Michael Jackson.
At one point, Mercury and Jackson (then living in a pre-Neverland mock-Tudor manse in Encino, California) actually had a trio of finished songs, Jones reports in the book. But busy schedules prevented the two superstars from getting any further, and soon both were on to other projects in 1984 — Jackson to a celebrated reunion with his brothers for the album Victory; and Mercury with Queen, who would release The Works and the No. 16 U.S. hit “Radio Ga Ga.”
Each of the tunes eventually appeared — though in different forms. “Victory” became the title track for the Jacksons LP, and “State of Shock” evolved into a No. 3 U.S. hit duet from Michael Jackson with Mick Jagger, also included on Victory. Meanwhile, “There Must Be More to Life Than This” would later finds a home on 1985’s Mr. Bad Guy, Mercury’s first solo album.
“We had three tracks in the can,” Mercury says in the book, “but unfortunately they were never finished. They were great songs, but the problem was time — as we were both very busy at that period. We never seemed to be in the same country long enough to actually finish anything completely.”
Mercury reveals that Jackson even contacted him about completing “State of Shock” for the Victory album, “but I couldn’t because I had commitments with Queen. Mick Jagger took over instead. It was a shame, but ultimately a song is a song. As long as the friendship is there, that’s what matters.”
Mercury said he met Jackson when the late King of Pop was still a youthful fan. “He used to come and see our shows all the time, and that is how the friendship grew … just think, I could have been on Thriller. Think of the royalties I’ve missed out on!”
AIDS-related illness claimed Mercury in 1991. Jackson died in 2009, having suffered a heart attack in the wake of acute propofol and benzodiazepine intoxication.
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