BOSS expands Legends series with Freddie Mercury collection

BOSS has launched a unique capsule collection celebrating the attitude, vision and spirit of iconic singer, songwriter and performer Freddie Mercury. 

Inspired by icons past and present, the BOSS Legends series launched recently with a collection inspired by Muhammad Ali and will continue over the coming months. Each collection is inspired by an iconic individual, with a portion of profits donated to a charity close to their heart.

This June during Pride Month, BOSS presents a limited collection that pays tribute to game-changing performer Freddie Mercury. The capsule contains statement essentials printed with black and white photos of some of his renowned performances, each accompanied by his autograph or a specially created combined BOSS logo and autograph motif. A standout item from the collection is a T-shirt printed with a quote from Freddie that perfectly captures the spirit of the BOSS Legends series: “I’m not going to be a star. I’m going to be a legend!”

The exclusive designs are available in black, white, or a bright yellow inspired by the jacket worn by Mercury during his last tour with Queen in 1986.

The collaboration was made possible by Bravado, Universal Music Group’s brand management division, in partnership with Mercury Songs Ltd. The Freddie Mercury capsule collection is available online and in BOSS Stores globally now, with a portion of all proceeds going to the Mercury Phoenix Trust.

 

Rock legends Queen partner with Johnny Hoxton for bespoke jewellery range

Legendary rock band Queen have partnered with Hatton Garden-based jewellery designer Johnny Hoxton to create two limited-edition, bespoke pieces. A 9-carat gold ring and a solid sterling silver chain and ‘Q’ pendant will be available to purchase exclusive to pop-up store Queen – The Greatest on Carnaby Street, which celebrates the band’s historic five decades of music.

Renowned jeweller Johnny Hoxton is known for his cool, fresh and disruptive designs. Drawing inspiration from underground pop culture iconography, his jewellery blends genuine craftsmanship and nods to street culture, so partnering with one of the world’s most visually iconic bands seemed a perfect fit.

This limited-edition Johnny Hoxton collaboration is the latest ‘Queen – The Greatest’ drop, as part of November’s Art & Design Month in store. Merging well recognised Queen iconography with Hoxton’s craftsmanship and aesthetic, each of the made to order pieces in the collection are true statement pieces. Made up of a solid sterling silver chain and ‘Q’ pendant of the Queen The Greatest emblem and a solid 9 carat gold ring engraved with the word ‘QUEEN’- the pieces retail at £145 and £245 respectively and are available now.

“I’m very privileged to have had the opportunity to be involved as a creative contributor to the celebration of one of the most influential bands of my generation,” says Johnny Hoxton. “I can only hope that my humble input does some justice to this beautiful legacy.”

Queen – The Greatest was launched to celebrate the band’s historic five decades of music. Created in partnership with Bravado, Universal Music Group’s merchandise and brand management company, the pop-up store is designed to take you on a visual journey through one of the world’s most iconic bands’ contributions to music, culture and fashion. The shop features limited-edition music releases, new product drops and exciting fashion collaborations, with each month of its three-month stint having a different theme: Music, Art & Design and Magic.

Queen The Greatest’  is at 57 Carnaby Street, London, W1 until January 2022.

The Who becomes latest rockers to join The Royal Mint’s Music Legends series of commemorative coins

The iconic British band, The Who has become the latest to join The Royal Mint’s ‘Music Legends’ series with the launch of a new range of collectable coins, joining an esteemed list that features Queen, Elton John, and David Bowie.

The mark the launch, co-founding member and lead singer of The Who, Roger Daltrey visited The Royal Mint to strike on of the very first coins, giving the band’s seal of approval on the new coin and its design.

The coin’s dynamic design includes some of the most iconic symbols from the band’s live and loud performances, including a union flag, Mod logo and speaker-smashing Rickenbacker guitar. Together, the symbols on the coin form a pinball table, a nod to the single Pinball Wizard and album Tommy, one of the band’s most famous creations.

With the latest colour printing technology, elements of the coin have been digitally printed to showcase the vibrant red, white and blue of the band’s emblem. Meanwhile, using the latest innovative technology and manufacturing techniques, a number of coins will feature a special ‘shockwave’ effect, radiating from the speaker – elevating the detail of the coin.

Designers and craftspeople at the Mint have developed this effect in honour of The Who’s record-breaking loud concert – a record that was held for a decade.

Clare Maclennan, divisional director of Commemorative Coin at The Royal Mint, said: “The Who are an iconic British band with an incredible musical legacy, so it felt right to honour them with an official UK coin. The Who coin is the latest in our show stopping Music Legends series, which celebrates legendary British artists through original new designs.

“It was a privilege to have Roger Daltrey visit the Mint to strike one of the first coins and meet the team of makers that have created this wonderful design. Our Music Legends series is engaging new generations of coin collectors, and we hope this design will become a cherished part of fan’s memorabilia.”

Daltrey said: “It’s an honour to have a coin produced to celebrate The Who’s musical legacy. The coin’s design captures the true essence of the band and what we represent. It was a fantastic moment being able to strike one of the very first pieces in the collection and see the range of technologies and processes involved in the making of the coin.”

Pete Townshend, lead guitarist of The Who, added: “I am delighted that the band’s work is being recognised by this fantastic range of coins from The Royal Mint.”

The Who began with three schoolboys who all shared a love of music, from jazz and skiffle, to rock and rhythm & blues. The band was initially made up of John Entwistle, Pete Townshend, Roger Daltrey and later joined by Keith Moon. With a musical legacy spanning more than 50 years, the band boasts an impressive record of a 100 million albums sold worldwide, and over a billion global streams, while it’s also a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the UK Music Hall of Fame.

Brought together by The Royal Mint and Bravado, Universal Music Group’s leading merchandise and brand management company, The Who coin is available as limited-edition precious metal proof editions as well as a Brilliant Uncirculated edition.

Universal Music and Gameloft launch first Queen mobile game Queen: Rock Tour

The iconic rock group, Queen, is making its mobile gaming debut with the launch of Queen: Rock Tour, an official game for Android and iOS devices delivered to coincide with the band’s celebration of 50 years since its recruitment of John Deacon this year. Well, any reason for a party…

2021 was planned to be the year of the Queen Golden Jubilee, with a massive 29-date European stadium and arena tour for the band to share its milestone year with the fans. However, with live music still in lockdown and the tour shelved until 2022, the rock group was forced into rethinking its celebratory strategy.

Queen: Rock Tour gives players a chance to experience the might of the Queen experience on their phones supported by extensive attention to detail contributed by the official Queen archives and experts. User can hit the stage and perform with the entire band as they unleash their music talents to play thrilling guitar riffs, heart-pounding drum solos and more.

“Be a Lockdown Rock Star! No turning back!” said Queen’s Brian May on the game launch.

The game allows users to immerse themselves into the world of Queen – progress and score points by playing along to 20 of their most popular hits including: Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You, Radio Ga Ga, I Want to Break Free and We Are The Champions, whilst performing at 10 historic concert venues from around the world.

Players can then style their performances with over 40 official costumes from the band’s history and help unlock fun trivia facts and exclusive images from the official Queen archives, by scoring highly in the game.

Queen: Rock Tour was created in association with Universal Music Group, Hollywood Records and developed by Gameloft for brands, leader in the creation of gaming experiences for brands.

Cedric Ratajczak, creative director at Gameloft for brands, said: “Our ambition was to push the boundaries of music and gaming with a fun and rewarding experience that would put players in Queen shoes at pivotal points in their career and make them perform in real-time Queen’s live music unlike ever before.

“The creative challenge was to modernize the traditional rhythm-game genre with innovative and mobile-friendly twists inheriting from hyper-casual gaming, and with a unique and happy visual style that offers a timeless look to the band, appealing to the new generation of players.

“We devoted enormous attention to the details of Queen’s history, authenticity and artistry to craft a fitting tribute to one of the most significant bands in rock history and aim at setting new standards for how band-focused music games could be executed on mobile today.”

Andrew Kronfeld, executive vice president, marketing at Universal Music Group, added: “Today, Queen are globally recognized as one of the most iconic and important bands in history. Decades after their first live shows together and following on from the huge worldwide box office success of the Bohemian Rhapsody biopic, their popularity continues to grow every year.

“We hope the launch of Rock Tour will introduce their inimitable rock legacy and catalogue to a new generation of fans, through this unique new gaming experience.”

Universal Music and Gameloft launch first Queen mobile game Queen: Rock Tour

The iconic rock group, Queen, is making its mobile gaming debut with the launch of Queen: Rock Tour, an official game for Android and iOS devices delivered to coincide with the band’s celebration of 50 years since its recruitment of John Deacon this year. Well, any reason for a party…

2021 was planned to be the year of the Queen Golden Jubilee, with a massive 29-date European stadium and arena tour for the band to share its milestone year with the fans. However, with live music still in lockdown and the tour shelved until 2022, the rock group was forced into rethinking its celebratory strategy.

Queen: Rock Tour gives players a chance to experience the might of the Queen experience on their phones supported by extensive attention to detail contributed by the official Queen archives and experts. User can hit the stage and perform with the entire band as they unleash their music talents to play thrilling guitar riffs, heart-pounding drum solos and more.

“Be a Lockdown Rock Star! No turning back!” said Queen’s Brian May on the game launch.

The game allows users to immerse themselves into the world of Queen – progress and score points by playing along to 20 of their most popular hits including: Bohemian Rhapsody, We Will Rock You, Radio Ga Ga, I Want to Break Free and We Are The Champions, whilst performing at 10 historic concert venues from around the world.

Players can then style their performances with over 40 official costumes from the band’s history and help unlock fun trivia facts and exclusive images from the official Queen archives, by scoring highly in the game.

Queen: Rock Tour was created in association with Universal Music Group, Hollywood Records and developed by Gameloft for brands, leader in the creation of gaming experiences for brands.

Cedric Ratajczak, creative director at Gameloft for brands, said: “Our ambition was to push the boundaries of music and gaming with a fun and rewarding experience that would put players in Queen shoes at pivotal points in their career and make them perform in real-time Queen’s live music unlike ever before.

“The creative challenge was to modernize the traditional rhythm-game genre with innovative and mobile-friendly twists inheriting from hyper-casual gaming, and with a unique and happy visual style that offers a timeless look to the band, appealing to the new generation of players.

“We devoted enormous attention to the details of Queen’s history, authenticity and artistry to craft a fitting tribute to one of the most significant bands in rock history and aim at setting new standards for how band-focused music games could be executed on mobile today.”

Andrew Kronfeld, executive vice president, marketing at Universal Music Group, added: “Today, Queen are globally recognized as one of the most iconic and important bands in history. Decades after their first live shows together and following on from the huge worldwide box office success of the Bohemian Rhapsody biopic, their popularity continues to grow every year.

“We hope the launch of Rock Tour will introduce their inimitable rock legacy and catalogue to a new generation of fans, through this unique new gaming experience.”

Royal Mail celebrates five decades of the iconic rock group Queen with new stamp collection

The Royal Mail is issuing a set of 13 special stamps to celebrate one of the UK’s most influential rock groups, Queen, the iconic rock group who has managed to sell more 300 million records across five decades.

Eight of the new stamps will feature images of some of the band’s most iconic album covers, including Queen II (1974), Sheer Heart Attack (1974), A Night at the Opera (1975), News of the World (1977), The Game (1980), Greatest Hits (1981), The Works (1984), and Innuendo (1991).

Completing the set is miniature-sheet celebrating Queen’s live performances with images of Freddie Mercury at Wembley Stadium in 1986, Roger Taylor at Hyde Park in 1976, John Deacon at Hammersmith Odeon in 1975, and Brian May in Budapest in 1986.

The centrepiece of the miniature-sheet is the iconic photograph taken by Johnny Dewe Mathews at the group’s first studio photoshoot in a Primrose Hill studio.

Roger Taylor said of the stamps: “Wow….stamps featuring our albums! What an honour. We must be really part of the furniture now. Thanks Royal Mail for stamping on us ! In gratitude.”

Brian May added: “It’s hard to put into words what I feel when looking at these beautiful stamps. Since we four precocious boys started out on our quest 50 years ago, our lives have been devoted to making our impossible dream come true. Sometimes it’s strange to wake up and realise the position in which we are now held – we have become a national institution. And nothing brings this home more than this incredible tribute from Royal Mail.

“It’s particularly poignant to look at this collection of images now – now that we are all in a world dominated by a coronavirus, in which none of this could have happened. I just know that I feel an overwhelming desire to own one of these sets. Somehow it will be a way of persuading myself that it really did all happen.”

Queen were only in their formative stages when they were hired to play their first gig: a charity event at Truro City Hall, in June 1970, while still performing under the name Smile. By the time John Deacon joined the following year, the group had changed their name; the four-piece line-up that would remain together for the next two decades made their first live appearance at Surrey College on July, 2, 1971.

The band’s list of musical achievements is rivalled by few: countless platinum, multi-platinum and gold albums; numerous Ivor Novello and BRITS awards; induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Queen also holds the record for the biggest selling album of all time on the Official UK charts with sales of over six million copies of the band’s Greatest Hits album.

The 2018 feature film Bohemian Rhapsody reinvigorated a base of core fans and generated a whole new audience the world over. The film became the biggest music biopic in history and swept the Golden Globes and Oscars with the soundtrack topping the charts the world over.

Celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2021, Queen becomes only the third music group to have a dedicated stamp issue – following on from the Beatles in 2007 and Pink Floyd in 2016.

Philip Parker, Royal Mail, said: “With their truly original, theatrical sound and effortless ability to mix musical styles, Queen are rock royalty. We pay tribute to one of the most loved bands of all time with these stunning stamps.”

The full set of 13 stamps, available in a Presentation Pack, retails at £16.00 and are available to purchase and be delivered worldwide.

The stamps and a wide range of collectible products are available now to pre-order at www.royalmail.com/queen
The stamps will go on general sale from July, 9, 2020.

Album covers – stamp by stamp

Queen II, 1973, gave the band their first top ten hit, ‘Seven Seas of Rhye’.

Sheer Heart Attack, 1974, featured the single ‘Killer Queen’ which was their first global hit and they made their first Top of the Pops appearance

A Night at the Opera, 1975, was their first number one album and featured the ground-breaking song ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ which, in the era of digital music, has become the most streamed song from the 20th century.

New of the World, 1977, featured two stadium-filling anthems ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘We Are the Champions’.

The Game, 1980, included their hit ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ which drew in new audiences.

Greatest Hits, 1981, is the biggest selling album in the UK of all time.

The Works, 1984, featured hit singles including their love letter to the old-fashioned wireless, ‘Radio Ga Ga’.

Innuendo, 1991, was the final Queen album to be released in Mercury’s lifetime, and featured the poignant ‘These Are the Days of Our Lives’.

Queen becomes first rock band to receive The Royal Mint commemorative coin

Rock band Queen is to be celebrated with the launch of a commemorative coin collection, marking the first time that The Royal Mint has brought the likeness of a British rock outfit to the UK’s coinage.

Available from today, the design is the first in The Royal Mint’s new ‘Music Legends’ collection.

Queen is now being celebrated for pushing the boundaries with its own unique style and approach to music throughout its year. Notably, it is Queen’s layered sound and flamboyant anthems that continue to influence a new generation of musicians’ decades after it was formed.

Perhaps the most striking example of the band’s determination was in its decision to release a six-minute quasi-operatic single, Bohemian Rhapsody, in 1975.

Before the release of the song, the label was determined to cut the length of the single significantly. However, the foursome refused and the risk paid off, with the single spending nine consecutive weeks at the top of the charts.

In 2002, 27 years later, the single was voted as Britain’s favourite song of all time. Today, the opening notes of Bohemian Rhapsody are so well recognised, that The Royal Mint’s coin designer, Chris Facey, decided it was a fitting tribute to showcase these by featuring the keys on the piano pressed down.

The coin commemorates all four members of Queen, in recognition of their contributions to the band’s success. This is done through the portrayal of each member’s instrument. The Bechstein grand piano – which Freddie Mercury played for Bohemian Rhapsody – features at the top of the coin, while the group’s logo is placed at the centre of the design and is underscored by the singer’s signature mic stick.

Brian May’s ‘Red Special’ guitar – which he still plays using an old sixpence to give his unique sound – features alongside John Deacon’s Fender Precision Bass, while finally, Roger Taylor’s Ludwig bass drum is decorated with the Queen crest, as it appeared in the band’s early days.

Brian May from Queen said: “This is a big ‘Who could have imagined it?’ moment for us. When we began as Queen, even the first rung of the ladder to recognition seemed remote and unreachable.  To have our band recognised and our music celebrated in this way is very touching – a real honour.”

Queen’s Roger Taylor, added: “Marvellous, all this fuss over our band. I feel entirely spent.”

The release marks the first in a line of coins celebrating other British Music Legends, more of which will be launched later this year.

Nicola Howell, chief commercial officer at The Royal Mint, commented: “Queen was one of the most influential bands of their generation, and its timeless classics are still enjoyed by millions of fans around the world. That’s why we’re so pleased to be honouring their great contribution to British music with their very own coin, which will be the first time a British band has been celebrated on UK coinage.

“British music is one of our greatest contributions to culture around the world, and its musicians like Queen who are at the forefront of this. We’re looking forward to announcing other coins in our new ‘Music Legends’ collection later this year, marking the work of other exceptional British musicians.”

The collaboration was brought together and facilitated by Bravado, Universal Music Group’s leading merchandise and brand management company.

The first in an exciting new series celebrating innovation and success of British music, the commemorative coins will be available in Gold proof, Silver proof, and Brilliant Uncirculated and will be available to purchase from www.royalmint.com.

Prices range from £13 for the Brilliant Uncirculated coin up to £2,100 for the Gold proof coin. The Brilliant Uncirculated coin will also be available in limited numbers in three exclusive packs which includes a poster and will only be available to purchase from The Royal Mint.

Chris Facey, designer of the Queen coin, concluded: “My first memory of Queen was hearing Bohemian Rhapsody in the film Wayne’s World, and I’ve been a big fan ever since. It’s therefore such an honour to be asked to commemorate such an extraordinary band on a UK coin, and even more exciting as it’s the first coin I’ve designed.

“All four members of Queen were vital for their bravery in the music they created and the boundaries they pushed, and I hope that fans will enjoy seeing each of their contributions paid tribute to on this coin.”