Freddie Mercury's black silk velvet jacket, worn in the 'Bohemian Rhapsody' promotional video, 1975

Freddie Mercury's black silk velvet jacket, worn in the 'Bohemian Rhapsody' promotional video, 1975

also worn on Top Of The Pops, 1974

a loose-fitting vintage jacket of black silk velvet embellished with straight and wavy vertical strips of black sequins, padded shoulders and slightly flared sleeves, with matching thin tie belt, lined in ivory satin, small label to lower right interior side seam ‘National Recovery Board / Coat And Suit Industry / Consumers Protection Label / Manufactured Under Labor Standards’ – worn by Freddie in the mid-1970s on numerous occasions, most notably for the 'Bohemian Rhapsody' promo video, for performances of 'Killer Queen' on the British TV chart show Top Of The Pops (24 October, 7 November [repeat of the previous show] and 21 November 1974), and for an appearance on a Dutch television show TopPop, 22 November, 1974. 

Freddie wore this jacket with a favourite black and white zig zag scarf (lot 126) and silver bangle (lot 28) at a press conference in late 1974, during the Sheer Heart Attack Tour in the U.S., and at an unidentified award ceremony (a photograph of which is included in lot 159).

The ground-breaking 'Bohemian Rhapsody' video was, according to Brian May, produced to avoid miming on Top Of The Pops, as it would have been difficult to mime such a complex song. Directed by Bruce Gowers and shot at Elstree Studios on 10 November, 1975, 'Bohemian Rhapsody' is widely considered to be the earliest significant promotional video for a single release. Following its success it became common practice for record companies to produce promotional videos for artists' single releases. In an article for ‘The Guardian’ newspaper, ‘Queen Herald The Age Of The Music Video’, journalist Michael Hann stated that it "ensured videos would henceforth be a mandatory tool in the marketing of music". According to Universal Music, the official video on YouTube has over one billion views to date, making history as the first pre-1990s music video to reach this landmark viewing figure.

LITERATURE

Killer Queen: Limited Edition, Genesis Publications, pp.75 & 88 (illus.)

Jacky Smith and Jim Jenkins, Queen As It Began, Omnibus Press, 2022 Revised Edition, illus. between pp.198-199

Phil Sutcliffe with Peter Hince, Mick Rock, Reinhold Mack and Billy Squier, Queen: The Ultimate Illustrated History of The Crown Kings of Rock, Voyageur Press, 2009, p. 45 (illus.)

SPECIAL NOTICE

No right to reproduce or commercially exploit the copyright or other intellectual property

or image rights in any lot is included with the sale of the lot (including but not limited to

song lyrics, sketches, drawings and garment designs). Queen Productions Limited, Queen

Music Limited and other rights holders reserve all their rights.

No right to exhibit in public or reproduce this lot is included with the sale of this lot

without the prior written consent of Queen Productions Limited, who shall act in good faith

to consider any such requests.