Freddie's Millions
(also known as 'Mercury's Millions')
Broadcast on the digital channel BBC 3 many times during 2004.
This programme is part of the 'Liquid Assets' series, which looked at the financial status of numerous celebrities.
Length 56 minutes.
Written and presented by Max Flint
Executive producer Emma Worthington
Produced and directed by Mark Jones
This documentary, as the title suggests, looks at Freddie's financial status throughout his career. It also contains footage of numerous promo videos, which help to highlight Queen and Freddie's career. The content is as follows, with one rare clip highlighted in red:
- An introduction to the program, featuring an audio excerpt of 'A Kind Of Magic' and short clips from numerous videos, whilst outlining the content of the program
- Clip of 'Radio Ga Ga' from Live Aid, interview with Trip Khalaf (sound engineer) about Live Aid, clip of the 'One Vision' video, and footage of the outside of Freddie's home, Garden Lodge, and Montreux
- Footage of 'Living On My Own', and interviews with Trip Khalaf and David Wigg (journalist) about Queen's parties
- Footage of 'Good Old Fashioned Loverboy' on Top Of The Pops, photographs of Freddie, and general narration about Freddie's early life, Zoroastrianism faith and education, with footage of Ealing College of Art
- Clip of 'Spread Your Wings' and interviews with former college friends Josephine Marston and Alan Hill
- Narration about Freddie's first job at Heathrow Airport, continued footage of 'Good Old Fashioned Loverboy', and interview with Alan Mair who employed Freddie in Kensington Market
- Footage of 'We Are The Champions', and interview with Ibex manager Ken Testi, a rare excerpt of Ibex performing 'Jailhouse Rock', and dialogue about the formation of Queen
- Excerpt of 'God Save The Queen', footage of how the Queen crest was formed, and general short clips from videos
- Footage of 'Somebody To Love', followed by interview with Terry Yeadon (Queen's first studio engineer at De Lane Lea), and excerpt of 'The Night Comes Down'
- Footage of 'Fat Bottomed Girls' and interview with Ken Testi about trying to get a recording contract
- Footage of 'We Will Rock You' and interviews with Ken Testi and Norman Sheffield (Queen's first manager) about their first recording contract
- Narration about Larry Lurex 'I Can Hear Music' and short excerpt from the track
- Opening titles of 'Old Grey Whistle Test' and interview with Bob Harris about first hearing Queen, and clip of the animated footage they used
- Excerpt of 'Seven Seas Of Rhye' and interview with financial journalist Patrick Collinson about the royalties from records
- Footage of 'Killer Queen', and narration about Queen's success but lack of funds, footage of 'I Want It All', interview with Norman Sheffield, and excerpt of 'Death On Two Legs'
- Footage of 'Bohemian Rhapsody', interview with Patrick Collinson about 'Bohemian Rhapsody' sales, and interview with Paul Gambaccini
- Footage of 'I Want To Break Free', interview with David Mallet (video director), and short clips of numerous videos
- Interview with Patrick Collinson about royalties from radio, film and TV
- Footage of 'Hammer To Fall', narration about Queen's live career, and interviews with Bob Harris, Trip Khalaf and Patrick Collinson
- Audio excerpt of 'Tie Your Mother Down', footage of Japan, interview with Paul Gambaccini and a karaoke session
- Audio excerpt of 'Play The Game', narration about 'Jewels', footage of tribute band Kween, and interview with their lead singer about impersonating Freddie
- Footage of 'Don't Stop Me Now', narration about drugs, and interviews with Paul Gambaccini and Peter Freestone
- Footage of 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love', narration about punk music, a clip of The Sex Pistols on TV, interview with Paul Gambaccini and archive interview with Freddie
- Excerpt of 'Las Palabras De Amor' and narration about Queen being the highest paid executives in Britain, and their subsequent tax exile status, with footage of Montreux
- Excerpt of 'Under Pressure', footage of hotels in Montreux and New York, and footage of Garden Lodge
- Footage of 'Radio Ga Ga', narration about Freddie's garden, an interview with his garden architect, and narration about Freddie's Koi Carp
- Footage of 'It's A Hard Life', footage of numerous shops, and interview with Peter Freestone about shopping
- Footage of 'The Great Pretender', interviews with David Wigg and Paul Gambaccini about Freddie's sexuality, and narration about Mary Austin
- Footage of 'Body Language', footage of New York, and interviews with Peter Freestone and Paul Gambaccini
- Footage of 'Barcelona', interview with co-composer Mike Moran and archive interview with Freddie
- Footage of an AIDS awareness video, narration about AIDS, footage of 'Scandal', and interviews with Paul Gambaccini and Mike Moran
- Footage of 'The Miracle' and 'These Are The Days Of Our Lives', and interview with Paul Gambaccini
- Excerpt of 'Too Much Love Will Kill You', and footage from Freddie's funeral
- Footage of 'In My Defence', and narration about Freddie's will and Queen's continued popularity, and interview with Patrick Collinson about record sales and royalties
- Excerpt of 'It's A Beautiful Day', footage of Montreux, narration about his estate's current finances, closing interview excerpts with David Mallet, Trip Khalaf, Paul Gambaccini and David Wigg, and a final selection of clips from videos
The program claims the following financial incomes and outgoings:
- Parties : £4,600,000
- Part time job : £20
- Working in Kensington Market : £1,300
- Wages from first year signed to Trident : £1,000
- Sale of Queen records : £50,000,000
- Split with Trident : £25,000
- Royalties : £8,400,000
- Concerts and merchandising : £12,000,000
- Income from Japan : £14,000,000
- Drugs : £500,000
- Property investments : £4,000,000
- The death of 89 Koi Carp in 2002 : £890,000
- Art investments : £3,500,000
- 'Barcelona' : £330,000
- Other solo activities : £10,000,000
The final total given for Freddie's estate was around £82 million, although the totals given add up to £96 million.