Radio Programmes & Podcasts

This page includes details of radio programmes and podcasts about Queen and solo projects. Due to the number of radio appearances which members of Queen have made over the years, this page will only include those which have been officially released, or those which have particular significance.

Details on separate pages:
1975 - The Year Of Queen (2015)
Desert Island Discs (Brian May, 2002)
My Planet Rocks (Brian May, 2014)
'On Air' Interviews, Disc 4 (five interviews with Freddie, Queen and Roger, recorded between 1976 and 1980)
'On Air' Interviews, Disc 5 (eight interviews with John, Brian and Freddie, recorded between 1981 and 1986)
'On Air' Interviews, Disc 6 (four interviews with Roger, Queen and Brian, recorded between 1986 and 1992)
Queen At The BBC (2014)
Taylor Made (Roger Taylor, 2014)

Details on this page:
I Will Not Let You Go (2005 documentary)
Live Aid 25 Podcasts (Brian May and Roger Taylor, 2009)
The Mysterious Mr Mercury (2011 documentary)
The Official Queen Podcast (2014 onwards)
The Queen Podcast By Absolute Radio (2009-11)


I Will Not Let You Go
Broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in the UK on 26 November 2005 to mark the 30th anniversary of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' reaching no. 1. It was later repeated on 24 November 2015, also on Radio 2, to mark it's 40th anniversary. Length 50 minutes.

This documentary tells the history of the track, the recording, the impact, meaning and legend. Narrated by Steve Wright, it features interviews with Brian and Roger, archive interviews with Freddie, his mum Jer Bulsara and sister Kashmira Cooke, producer Roy Thomas Baker, video director Bruce Gowers, archivist Greg Brooks, 'We Will Rock You' collaborators Ben Elton, Hannah Jane Fox (Scaramouche) and Peter Johansson (Galileo), Slade vocalist Noddy Holder, ex-manager John Reid, journalist Paul Leicester and newsreader Fiona Bruce.

Many of the interviews with Brian and Roger appear to be specially recorded for this documentary. It also features archive interviews with Brian, Roger and Freddie himself, many of which have not been heard before.

It features excerpts of the track from the various multitrack tapes, a live version from Wembley 1986, the track from the 'We Will Rock You' cast album and various cover versions. It also features excerpts of 'Killer Queen', 'You're My Best Friend', 'Death On Two Legs', 'Seaside Rendezvous', 'The Prophet's Song', 'The Fairy Feller's Masterstroke', and also 'We Will Rock You' from the cast album.

A general overview is as follows:


Live Aid 25 Podcasts
These five podcasts were made available for free via Absolute Radio and iTunes from 6 July 2009 onwards to mark the 25th anniversary of the legendary Live Aid concert. Total length 54:19.

They tell the story of Live Aid, from the initial news reports, the fundraising idea, and the concert itself, to it's legacy. Three of the five podcasts feature straight interviews with, in turn, Bono, Brian May and Roger Taylor. The first podcast is more of a documentary, with interviews from numerous performers and organisers to tell the story of the concert. The fifth podcast features separate interviews with Bob Geldof and Michael Buerk, and excerpts from the initial news reports.

The times below refer to the length of each interview, ignoring promotional adverts. Each one includes a brief introduction by Midge Ure at the start. Roger's interview was later released as part of 'The Queen Podcast By Absolute Radio'.

01. Live Aid 25 (22:19)
02. Bono Interview (6:23)
03. Roger Taylor Interview (6:05)
04. Brian May Interview (9:24)
05. Michael Buerk and Bob Geldof Interviews (9:18)


The Mysterious Mr Mercury
Broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in the UK on 12 November 2011. Length 28 minutes.

Narrated by Ultravox frontman and Live Aid organiser Midge Ure, this documentary tells the story of Freddie's life, including his early life in Zanzibar, the formation of Queen, 'Bohemian Rhapsody', live shows, the 'Mr Bad Guy' album, working with Montserrat Caballe, song meanings, his sexuality, illness, last recording sessions, and death.

It features brief archive interviews with Freddie and Brian May, and new interviews with Mary Austin, Peter Hince, Peter Freestone, Mack, Mike Moran, journalists David Wigg, Rosie Horide and Paul Gambuccini, and a former art college friend of Freddie's. It also features excerpts from news reports about his death, and short excerpts from a number of Queen and solo songs and live performances.


The Official Queen Podcast
These podcasts were available for free via iTunes (and later Youtube) and are a series of interviews, hosted by Queenonline webmaster Nick Weymouth.

Podcasts 1 to 16 feature excerpts of 'Battle Theme' and 'Tear It Up' at the start, and 'Seaside Rendezvous' at the end.
Podcasts 17 onwards feature excerpts of 'Dead On Time' and 'Back Chat' at the start, and 'Good Company' at the end.
Two Greg Brooks interviews, issued between podcasts 9 and 10, were removed from iTunes in 2015, and were not available via Youtube, for unknown reasons.

01. Roger Taylor Interview (part 1) (28 April 2014) (25:30)
This interview was recorded in June 2013, and covers playing with Adam Lambert, starting his solo career with 'I Wanna Testify', 'The Unblinking Eye', the 'Fun On Earth' album (at the time un-named), 'The Lot' boxed set, writing 'Be With You' with his son, his early solo albums, and influences including Jeff Beck, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan.

02. Roger Taylor Interview (part 2) (21 May 2014) (23:32)
The second part of this interview covers working with The Cross, performing live, working with Paul Rodgers, the Queen Extravaganza, Freddie's biopic film, recent reissues, and the unreleased Michael Jackson tracks.

03. Greg Brooks Interview (30 May 2014) (28:36)
This interview with Queen's archivist covers his role, becoming involved with Queen, his career, musical interests, future projects and the 'Rare Share' Youtube channel.

04. Neil Fairclough Interview (28 July 2014) (32:04)
This interview with the Queen + Adam Lambert bassist was recorded backstage in Vancouver, Canada, in June 2014, and covers meeting Brian, first working with him, getting involved with the Queen shows, the 'A Day At The Races' album, influences, becoming a bass player, favourite songs to perform live, bass style, 'Love Kills' and setlists.

05. Rufus Taylor Interview (5 August 2014) (16:26)
This interview with Roger's son, and percussionist for the Queen + Adam Lambert tour, was also recorded backstage in Vancouver, Canada, in June 2014, and covers becoming involved with Queen and the tour, drumming, influences, working with Jeff Beck, and co-writing 'Be With You' with Roger.

06. Marc Martel Interview (11 August 2014) (15:33)
This interview with the Queen Extravaganza vocalist was recorded backstage at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, London, on 6 November 2013, and covers the tour, working with Roger, auditioning, his previous band, Freddie's style and performing.

07. Maureen Barclay Interview (19 August 2014) (24:53)
This interview with the Mercury Phoenix Trust fundraiser was recorded in London in May 2014, and covers Freddie's death, the tribute concert, launching the charity, and the various fundraising methods used.

08. Brandon Ethridge Interview (22 August 2014) (13:13)
This interview with the Queen Extravaganza pianist and musical director was recorded backstage at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, London, on 6 November 2013, and covers the show, his role in the band, the 'We Will Rock You' musical, working with Roger, auditioning, and the tour.

09. Peter Gibbon Hansen Interview (12 September 2014) (32:36)
This interview with the general manager of the Dominion Theatre in London was recorded in May 2014, shortly before the close of 'We Will Rock You', and covers his role at the theatre, his career, co-ordinating the show, early reviews, working with the producers, the 'Party At The Palace' show, the sequel, dismantling the set, the theatre's renovation, and future.

--. Greg Brooks Interview (part 1) (16 December 2014) (20:17)
This interview was recorded during the week of the 'Forever' album release, and concentrates on the origins of the three new tracks 'Let Me In Your Heart Again', 'Love Kills - The Ballad' and 'There Must Be More To Life Than This', and the remaining Michael Jackson tracks. This interview was removed from iTunes at some point in 2015, and not available via Youtube.

--. Greg Brooks Interview (part 2) (29 December 2014) (21:22)
In the second part of this interview, they discuss a number of the album tracks on 'Forever', namely 'Drowse', 'Long Away', 'Jealousy', 'Spread Your Wings', 'Bijou', 'Lily Of The Valley' and 'You Take My Breath Away', plus future projects and the Rare Share Youtube channel. This interview was removed from iTunes at some point in 2015, and not available via Youtube.

10. Brian May Interview (part 1) (12 January 2015) (26:48)
This interview was recorded in January 2015, shortly before the European tour, and covers the rehearsals, performing live rather than using backing tracks, the BBC New Year's Eve concert, working with Adam Lambert, and touring life.

11. Brian May Interview (part 2) (16 January 2015) (19:45)
The second part of this interview covers Brian's Youtube channel, animal cruelty, the government, corruption and the notion of 'common decency'.

12. Brian May Interview (part 3) (23 January 2015) (19:16)
The final part of this interview covers Brian's solo career, working with Kerry Ellis, the 'Live At The Rainbow '74' and 'Queen Forever' releases, Diableries, the 'Red Special' book, and future projects.

13. Andrew Daw Interview (3 June 2015) (49:46)
This interview is with one of the marketing team at Universal music, and was recorded in January 2015. It covers his career, signing Queen from EMI, the process of developing product ideas and getting them to the market, Queen + Adam Lambert concerts, the changing music industry, favourite albums and singles, and the 'Forever' album.

14. Steve Coles Interview (23 June 2015) (41:49)
This interview is with a long term Queen fan, who has collected Queen since their debut album, and covers collecting Queen, the live concerts he saw, favourite albums and singles, meeting Brian and Roger, Freddie's death, and their later career.

15. Rosie Horide Interview (part 1) (20 August 2015) (35:52)
This interview is with music journalist Rosie Horide, who worked for Disc magazine in the early 1970's. It covers the music industry at the time, first seeing Queen at the Marquee Club and Imperial College in 1973, her first reviews, the press hostility, the band's early image, and her relationship with them.

16. Rosie Horide Interview (part 2) (2 September 2015) (40:34)
This is the second part of the interview, and covers Brian, Roger and John, seeing the Rainbow footage for the first time, her relationship with the band and families now, and Freddie's death.

17. Tyler Warren Interview (19 October 2016) (16:39)
This interview is with the 'Queen Extravaganza' drummer and musical director, and covers the 'A Night At The Opera' album, playing it live, which album he would like to perform live next, the band, and solo projects. The interview mentions having just played in Edinburgh, so was probably recorded in November 2015.

18. Greg Brooks Interview (31 October 2016) (24:24)
This interview is with the Queen archivist, and covers the 'Queen On Air' release, putting the project together, song selection, the BBC sessions, live tracks, and radio interviews.

19. Marc Martel Interview (4 November 2016) (27:19)
This interview is with the 'Queen Extravaganza' vocalist, and was recorded at the Corn Exchange, Cambridge, on 1 November 2016. It covers the tour, song selection, the Montreux show, future shows, solo projects, and singing for Celine Dion.

20. Brian May & Kerry Ellis Interview (part 1) (13 April 2017) (26:57)
This interview was recorded at Brian's Allerton Hill studio just before the release of the 'Golden Days' album in early April 2017. It covers Kerry auditioning for the 'We Will Rock You' musical, the music industry, recording the album, songwriting, working together, and influences including Gary Moore and Chuck Berry.

21. Brian May & Kerry Ellis Interview (part 2) (19 April 2017) (24:23)
This is the second part of the interview, and covers tracks on the album, the contrast compared to 'Anthems', the musicians on the album, Brian and Kerry's favourite songs, the album title and artwork, and future plans.

22. Roger Taylor Interview (30 May 2017) (37:00)
This interview concentrates on Roger's 'Journey's End' track and short film, but also covers the deaths of David Bowie and George Michael, performing live with Adam Lambert, future projects, 'News Of The World', and Roger's son performing with The Darkness.

23. Simon Lupton 'News Of The World' Question & Answer Session (10 November 2017) (18:02)
This was recorded at the Freddie Mercury Birthday Party in Montreux, Switzerland, in September 2017, and rather than being an interview, it features a brief introduction from Peter Freestone, followed by a short speech from Simon Lupton about the 'The American Dream' documentary which he produced as part of the 'News Of The World' 40th anniversary boxed set, followed by a question and answer session with the audience.


The Queen Podcast By Absolute Radio
These podcasts were available for free via Absolute Radio and iTunes from August 2009 onwards. All podcasts (with the exception of the Tom Chaplin video) featured 1:10 of adverts at the start; the times below are for the actual interviews, so they are different to those shown on iTunes.

Roger Taylor Talks To Ben Jones (19 August 2009) (8:42)
This is a short interview, which was originally broadcast on Virgin Radio, and covers 'The Cosmos Rocks' album, working with Paul Rodgers, the (then) upcoming 46664 concert, the tour, and the sequel to 'We Will Rock You'. It was probably recorded in May or June 2008.

Brian May Talks To Ben Jones (9 September 2009) (31:49)
This interview was originally broadcast on Virgin Radio, at some point in 2004, and covers the 'We Will Rock You' musical, playing the guitar, future projects, Freddie's death and his influence, 'Mother Love' and the 'Made In Heaven' album, the 'Anthology' boxed set, advice for new bands, the 46664 concert and releases.

Tom Chaplin Talks About Singing With Queen (18 November 2010) (1:37)
This is a very brief video interview with Keane singer Tom Chaplin, recorded on 17 November 2010 (the night of the Prince's Trust concert), about the charity and singing with Queen.

Brian May and Roger Taylor Interview with Martyn Lee (23 March 2011) (9:24)
This interview was recorded shortly after the premiere of the 'We Will Rock You' musical in Denmark, in February 2011, and covers memorabilia, the 'Stormtrooper In Stilettos' exhibition, the early recording process, the planned film of Freddie's life, and bonus tracks on the 2011 reissues.

Roger Taylor Remembers Live Aid (8 July 2010) (6:05)
Roger talks about becoming involved with Live Aid, rehearsals and Queen's performance. This was previously released as part of the 'Live Aid 25 Podcasts' in 2009.

Killer Queen Documentary
Presented by Al Murray, this is a six part documentary focusing on the history of the band and specific songs. It features archive interviews with John and Freddie, and new interviews with Brian and Roger, Mack, comedians Rhys Thomas and Tim Minchin, musicians Adam Ant, Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Tom Chaplin (Keane) and Justin Hawkins (The Darkness), and authors Zoe Howe and Mark Blake.

Brian May with Leona Graham (6 October 2011) (7:04)
Recorded at the book launch of '40 Years Of Queen', this interview covers the book, Red Special guitar, performing on the roof of Buckingham Palace, the 'We Will Rock You' musical, and Brian's favourite album and song ('Made In Heaven' for both).