For every British musician who came to prominence after the 1960s, The Beatles were a North Star of sorts. They showed all the British dreamers that there was room for them and their music in the United Kingdom, the United States, and the rest of the world. All that being said, performing alongside one of The Beatles was seemingly a sort of rite of passage for British musicians, including Brian May. Unfortunately, May never got the opportunity to perform with John Lennon, and he once explained that missed opportunity as a “regret.”
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The same year The Beatles broke up, Queen formed. Subsequently, Queen went on to garner major notoriety thanks to their 1975 album, Night At The Opera, and their iconic hit single, “Bohemian Rhapsody”. After that, Queen became not only rock and roll royalty, but also British royalty, as they were one of the most celebrated bands from the UK. Consequently, they were fighting at the same weight as Pink Floyd, The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Kings, The Rolling Stones, and, of course, The Beatles.
Why Brian May Calls the Missed Opportunity a “Regret”
In an interview with The Guardian, Brian May explained why he called the missed opportunity a “regret,” as well as why he believed he and John Lennon would have gotten along swimmingly. Regarding the non-existent collaboration, May stated, “I very seldom turn down a collaboration. A regret is that I didn’t get the chance to work with John Lennon.”
Concerning the latter, he added, “The Beatles didn’t always agree, they were always pulling and pushing—a bit like us and Queen—and I think John would be such a stronger pusher and puller. You’d have to work really hard to keep up, to believe in your instincts. I could imagine us hitting it off.”
It is an incredible shame that May didn’t collaborate with Lennon, and not just for him, but also for us fans, because who wouldn’t have wanted to listen to that track? Also, it is especially unfortunate when you realize just how many people May has collaborated with. Other than the plethora of pop and rock stars, May has also made music both live and in the studio with George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Paul McCartney.
It certainly doesn’t help that Lennon’s death transpired in the thick of Queen’s career. Regardless, for us classic rock fans, the only question we can now ask ourselves is: what could have been?
Photo by Andre Csillag/Shutterstock
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