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Say Its Not True - RT BBC Interview

30/11/07
Say Its Not True - RT BBC Interview

ROGER TAYLOR ON BBC BREAKFAST TODAY – PREMIERE OF ‘SAY IT’S NOT TRUE’ VIDEO

Click HERE to download ‘Say It’s Not True’

Click HERE to watch the video of ‘Say It’s Not True’ (edited back stage at 46664 Jo’burg by Jan Potgieter).

08:38 – 08:44 this morning on the BBC Breakfast programme, our own Roger Taylor was on the sofa with Bill Turnbull and Susannah Reid, for a chat and premiered part of the new video for ‘Say It’s Not True’... talked about 46664, the MPT, and making the new album… and that Roger might have been in another supergroup!!

BILL TURNBULL: And now on Breakfast, a World Exclusive – the first studio recording by Queen for 10 years. ‘Say It’s True’ was written as a gift to Nelson Mandela back in 2003, and now Roger Taylor, Brian May and Paul Rodgers have been back into the studio and recorded it for a benefit concert in Johannesburg for World AIDS Day tomorrow.

SUSANNAH REID: Now the track will be available to download FREE, from tomorrow, but we’re very pleased to say that Roger Taylor has joined us this morning to tell us about it. A very good morning to you.

ROGER TAYLOR: Good morning.

SR: And I think we’re going to talk to you in just a moment but first we’re all going to have an exclusive at the video?

RT: Yes. I haven’t seen this yet, so… It was put together in Johannesburg yesterday. We finished the record the night before, so this is all new to me.

BT: Here we go…

VIDEO PLAYS

BT: Well there we are Roger. First look. What do you think?

RT: It looks interesting.. you know. Shots there from the concert in Capetown, which was about 3 years ago now.

BT: It’s got a very distinctive Queen sound. It couldn’t be anybody else, could it, really.

RT: Yeah. Hopefully we’ve been doing a new album with Paul Rodgers in the studio and it does still sound like us. Yes. (laughs)

SR: Now that’s an exclusive look at the video and an exclusive listen to the song as well, but you’re making this available to download for NOTHING. This isn’t a money spinner for you.

RT: No, it’s certainly not. It’s available I think on Queenonline [sic], and the 46664 website from tomorrow, World AIDS Day, onwards. The song was written for that. You know, it’s about that.

BT: Just tell me. 46664, what’s that name come from?

RT: It’s Nelson Mandela’s prison number when he was in prison and he has got this, his Foundation are very concerned with AIDS and obviously in South Africa, one in four people have it and you know, and it’s a tremendous problem there, and that’s what it’s about.

SR: And how did you get involved with that campaign.

RT: By accident really. With Dave Stewart we came in and helped organise the concert in South Africa for that, and I think in June – 27th – we’ll be helping to organise his [Nelson Mandela’s] 90th birthday celebration, Hyde Park, which should be quite fun, I think.

BT: .... (indistinct) has become a situation in South Africa, very particular problem, big problem, but at the same time they have the denial problem up to a Government level.

RT: Well the problem is, yeah, it’s at that level as well. I mean it’s a sort of educational problem and a sort of problem of ignorance really and you know the drugs not freely available enough and it’s just a tremendous problem there and several other countries, but you know, we’ve got it more under control here but…

SR: Yeah, I mean, do you do a lot of travelling around meeting people involved, trying, sort of you know finding out how this is affecting people.

RT: Well I mean, the figures are sort of there for you. I mean I don’t actually. I mean we’re better off doing what we sort of do, which is things like this, make a piece of music, you know, about it, but…

BT: You’re going back into the studio then for the new album…

RT: Yeah.

BT: ... what was that like. Do you feel a bit rusty?

RT: It’s fantastic actually. It’s been a magical experience. We seemed to have a tremendous rapport with Paul Rodgers, Brian and myself, and the three of us have done everything, and it’s been fantastic….

BT: Enjoyed it?

RT: ... and look forward to finishing it.

SR: And of course all of you were affected by the results of AIDS?

RT: Well of course you know we are sort of inextricably involved with that after losing Freddie, you know, and that’s something which will never go away and so you know we have our AIDS Mercury Phoenix Trust and so that’s our sort of cause really.

BT: Gotta ask you one other question. You know we’ve got Genesis coming on later in the programme.

RT: Yes, yes, yes.

BT: ...(indistinct) the book, I was looking at it last night, and apparently, when they were casting around for a drummer before they landed with Phil Collins, your name had come up. Were you aware of it at the time?

RT: I was sort of vaguely aware of it at the time, yeah, and you know history is a strange…

BT: You never actually auditioned for them, did you?

RT: No – no, no, but I knew them personally then and even stranger I had dinner with Mike last night at somebody’s birthday party.

BT: How was it?

RT: ... Nick, Nick’s birthday party and I just saw him this morning.

BT: So, had things turned out differently, you might you might have ended up being drummer for another supergroup.

RT: Yeah but they’ve got a good drummer there. (laughs) No, he’s all right.

BT: He’s all right.

RT: (indistinct) You haven’t seen him drumming. (laughter)

BT: OK.

LP: Lovely to see you.

BT: Thank you very much.

LP: Thank you very much for coming indeed.

RT: Thanks a lot. My pleasure.

RT: Thanks a lot.

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