Roy Thomas Baker, a music producer for Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” has died. He was 78.
According to a press statement, Baker died on April 12 at his home in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The reason for death was not disclosed.
Baker’s career included collaborations with Foreigner, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick, Devo, Ozzy Osbourne, Sammy Hagar, Guns N’ Roses, and the Smashing Pumpkins, in addition to the most-streamed song of the twentieth century.
Some of his most well-known productions, inspired by his life, include The Cars’ “Just What I Needed,” “My Best Friend’s Girl,” and “Good Times Roll”. Baker also worked on Free’s “Alright Now” and T. Rex’s “Bang a Gong.”
Baker was born in Hampstead, London, on November 10, 1946. His music career began when he worked as a second engineer for producers Gus Dudgeon and Tony Visconti at Decca Studios.
During his time with them, he worked on music by Yes, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Dusty Springfield, and others. Baker worked with Trident Studios throughout his time with Queen, producing their first four albums in the 1970s.
In 1999, he commented about working on “Bohemian Rhapsody,” calling it “basically a joke, but a successful joke,” according to Mix Online. “We needed to record it in three distinct pieces. We completed the entire beginning, middle, and end. “It was absolute madness,” he said.
“The middle section started out as a couple of seconds, but Freddie [Mercury] kept coming in with more ‘Galileos,’ and we kept adding to the opera section, and it just got bigger and bigger”.” We never stopped laughing.
He later relocated to the United States and began working for Elektra Records, where he collaborated with Lindsey Buckingham, Journey, Mötley Crüe, Joe Lynn Turner, and The Cars.
Baker was nominated for two Grammy Awards over his career and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004.
Throughout his successful career, the musicians with whom he collaborated acknowledged his brilliance. Roger Taylor of Queen claimed that he “brought a certain amount of discipline and a lot of cynicism,” as well as “a passion for fattening desserts.” ” He enjoyed his meal, Roy. He was quite rigid and strict in the beginning, and he always got it right. “The take had to be correct.”
Journey’s Neal Schon stated that he “learned a lot from Roy.” “We did Infinity with the infamous Roy Thomas Baker, and we did so many different things on that record that I’d never tried or even thought about doing.”
Cars guitarist Elliot Easton also expressed his enjoyment of working with Baker. “Roy was one of the pieces of the puzzle that made The Cars what they became,” he told me. “He didn’t overdo anything or take things too seriously. He was a charming guy with a Monty Python-esque demeanor who also happened to be a wonderful cook.
Baker is survived by his wife, Tere Livrano Baker.