04-11-1999 – Virgin Radio Breakfast Show

Interviewer: Chris Evans
CE: On the telephone this morning from his beautiful home, Roger Taylor.

RMT: Morning Chris, what kind of a time do you call this?

CE: Well I’d like you to tell the time so people understand this is live and you’ve just had to slap yourself in the face.

RMT: Yea, it’s some horrendous time in the morning.

CE: Do you have your watch on? You have to give the right time, other wise they’ll think it’s a radio trick.

RMT: Seven Twenty four – something like that?

CE: No that’s wrong, Rog.

RMT: Oh Dear.

CE: You’re gonna have to give the proper time.

RMT: I haven’t got a watch on.

CE:Is there a clock in the house?

RMT: In the house, yea.

CE: Where are you now?

RMT: I’m sitting in my office.

CE: OK, is that downstairs in the basement?

RMT: No, it’s on the ground floor.

CE:I should know!

RMT: You should know, shouldn’t you?

CE: I’ve been round there.

RMT: You have indeed.

CE: What’s going on with you at the moment? What’s this GH3 all about?

RMT: Well, I’m just thumbing through it, I’ve just got my first copy here on my desk.

CE: Is it any good?

RMT: (cough) It’s absolutely brilliant, I’m gonna rush out and order another one (Laughs). It’s exactly what it says it is, in a way, it’s got a few solo hits, but its mainly band hits, and it’s called Queen + because its got a few sort of guest vocalists on it, George Michael, Elton and David Bowie.

CE: Are these all songs we’ve heard before?

RMT: Oh yea, there all hits, literally, we wouldn’t have called it that otherwise.

CE: And are they all remixes?

RMT: No, the one you just played is (Under Pressure). And we’ve been working on it for a while, and we hope you like it. You know, people get a bit funny about old songs being re-done.

CE: No, we love it. Were dead against old songs being remixed, this came in and we thought Oh no, but we put it on and we love it.

RMT: Oh, I’m so pleased because you’re never sure how it’s gonna go down, but I think it really works, there’s some new vocals from Freddie on there, that haven’t been heard.

CE: Where do you keep finding these, I think you’ve got a huge stock pile of them!

RMT: Ha ha, no I wish. No, we haven’t. No. That’s it, we haven’t got anything else.

CE: No more secret Freddie songs to be remixed and put together?

RMT: No, if anybody’s got any out there, they’d be willingly accepted.

CE: And how are the other boys?

RT: Good good good, John’s very quiet lately. Brian’s in good form. He’s going round the world doing all sorts of different things at the moment.

CE: You’re gonna know what I mean when I say this, have you talked to Freddie lately?

RMT: Ha ha, only mentally.

CE: Yea, how do you think he is?

RT: I think he’s fine actually.

CE: Looking down on you. What do you think he thinks of the world today?

RT: Hmm, well, better of out of actually

CE: (laughs) And how’s you’re beautiful wife, Debbie?

RT: Oh she’s great. She’s still tall. She’s still blonde.

CE: (laughs) And she’s still beautiful?

RT: Yea.

CE: Now listen Roger, I was gonna buy your house off you, what happened to that?

RT: Yea, you were.

CE: Because now you’ve got this 7000 sq ft extension, now what the hell is that? I mean thats a big extension.

RT: Ha ha, how did you find out about that?

CE: I’ve been in it, you architect had me over while you were away. We love the library, and the pool room, and the pool! It’s great!! Who has a 7000 ft extension??!

RT: (Laughs)

CE: It scares the life out of me!!

RT: Ah, you see, that’s what the new records about!!

CE: Oh I see, to pay for the extension!!

RT: You gotta pay somehow!!

CE: And by the way, he showed us round the pool. Is it true you had the pool dug a certain depth, and then you had it dug even deeper??

RT: Yea, something to do with the diving so people wouldn’t hit their heads, it’s a bit too complicated for me.

CE: Ah, rock stars and diving. Well, have a great Christmas, as it’s nearly upon us.

RT: You too.

CE: All the best for the new year.

RT: And thanks for the record of the week.

CE: No problem at all. Roger Taylor from Queen. A fine man from a fine band.