22 March 1984 – Queen started filming portions of their extravagant video, “I Want To Break Free”, directed by David Mallet. This John Deacon penned hit was enormous throughout Europe and became an anthem in oppressed areas in the word.
The first day of filming took place at a new studio called Limehouse in London’s newly refurbished Docklands. On short notice, the fan club provided four hundred extras, who wore black boiler suits and miners’ helmets. The shoot took place in a massive warehouse next to the main studios, which was freezing cold inside! The extras played their parts well, surrounding the band and moving down steps en masse on cue.
Not surprisingly, however, the fan club members didn’t complain at all – most were so in awe at being in the presence of their heroes that only a small number actually plucked up the courage to ask for autographs.
The next day (March 23) the band will go into a smaller studio in Battersea to film the main part of the video, the guys in drag! Lol.
“I Want To Break Free” was Queen’s most outrageous video they had ever made, and the most expensive (£100,000) topping the cost of “Radio Ga Ga’.
The filming of this fabulous video would take about three weeks
This video would become one of Queen’s most controversial, especially in America (they just didn’t get it) and it’s also one of their most beloved by fans!
Freddie Mercury is pictured signing autographs for the “Miners” on the set
Gallery link
