How Freddie Mercury missed the chance to perform at the Olympics

1 August 2024, 15:59

It's a moment when the whole world watches.

It's estimated that over a billion people watched this year's spectacular Olympics Opening Ceremony which kicked off the Paris games with style and sophistication.

With references to the French Revolution, a Dionysian feast, the can-can, and numerous other facets of iconic French culture, the four-hour ceremony was a hit.

That's despite the torrential rain pouring down as the event unfolded in the streets of Paris, though it didn't dampen the crowd's enthusiasm at all.

No wonder, especially when the likes of Lady Gaga were entertaining along the Seine, as did Céline Dion having made an epic comeback performing for the first time since her stiff person syndrome diagnosis, on the Eiffel Tower no less.

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But over thirty years ago, we could have been telling a similar story with Queen's legendary frontman Freddie Mercury.

His spectacular operatic duet with Montserrat Caballé, 'Barcelona', was played during the 1992 Olympics Opening Ceremony in Barcelona.

Tragically however, Freddie wouldn't live longer enough to perform his beloved song in the flesh.

Freddie had been a long-time admirer of opera - which is evident when you listen to any of Queen's operatic rock songs.

Singer Montserrat Caballé was also his musical idol, and he got the shock of his life when she found out and requested to work with Freddie.

Freddie said in 1987: "She just called up a few weeks ago and said she’d love to work with me. I fell flat on the floor. I thought, ‘My God!’ But I’ve loved her for years."

"I went to Barcelona on a TV show and I said she’s the best singer in the world and I’d love to sing with her and she must have seen it."

"She called up the office and said she likes to do things," he continued, gushing like an excited schoolboy.

"It’s amazing. I’m into opera now. Forget rock 'n' roll. It’s such a challenge, I’ve never thought of writing songs like that. I’m sure the opera critics will slam it but it’s a good challenge at this time in life."

Caballé set Freddie the challenge of writing a song about her hometown, and he did. That year, 'Barcelona' was born, co-written by songwriter Mike Moran.

Freddie Mercury ft. Montserrat Caballe - Barcelona (Live in Olimpiada Cultural)

Against Freddie's better judgement, 'Barcelona' was a huge hit, reaching number eight in the UK charts.

But the Olympic Games organisers also had the song in their sights, given the historic competition was heading to Barcelona just four years later.

It was officially selected to be the theme song for the Olympic Games that in 1992, but that wouldn't be the case by the time the games came around.

In 1990, Freddie knew his health was failing having contracted the devastating AIDS disease, and confided in Caballé.

She later revealed their emotional interview: "He said, 'I won’t make, I won’t make it.' We were in the recording studio, recording some final things, which was the last thing he recorded, and he said to me, 'I can’t do the Barcelona (performance)'."

"And I totally stopped and said, 'Why?' I thought he didn’t want to. It was true that he had lost a lot of weight and deteriorated a lot and he said, 'With AIDS, I can’t think about two years from now, anymore'."

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It must've been a heartbreaking admission for Freddie to make - he grabbed the opportunity to work with his hero in Caballé, yet they were enable to perform the song on the stage it was intended for.

Montserrat expanded on hers and Freddie's conversation in another interview, adding: "He said, 'It is my duty to tell you this.'"

"And I said, 'No, it is not a duty, but I am very thankful that you told me because it means I have your friendship and this is most important as anything to me."

The pair clearly struck up a close bond, with the soprano singer going on to make a unique personal recording just for Freddie.

"He told me he would have liked to have sung the aria from the Phantom of the Opera and I told him I would record it - and I recorded it in the studio for him."

Sadly, Freddie died the year before the 1992 Olympic Games so wasn't able to sing 'Barcelona' in Barcelona.

The organisers eventually changed the official theme for the games too, to Sarah Brightman and Jose Carreras' duet 'Amigos Para Siempre' featuring music by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Nevertheless, Montserrat Caballé still performed 'Barcelona' with a host of Spain's leading opera singers, a moment Freddie would've been immensely proud of despite not making it himself.