Queen’s producer Roy Thomas Baker has died aged 78.
The studio wizard was best known for his lengthy working relationship with the British rock legends, having produced five of their albums, including 1975’s ‘A Night at the Opera’, which featured the timeless classic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.
He died in Lake Havasu City, Arizona on April 12, per his publicist. No cause of death was given.
Queen’s drummer Roger Taylor previously recalled how “strict” Baker was in the studio, noting how much of a perfectionist he was.
He said: “I think he brought a certain amount of discipline and a lot of cynicism [laughs], and a passion for fattening desserts. But no, he was very disciplined and very strict in the beginning.
But he would always get it right. The take had to be right. We would do a lot of takes sometimes before it was right. Because things were very different then, you know, you had to get it all right, all at once.”
Baker always knew ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ would be a hit, despite some skepticism that it was too long at nearly six minutes.
He told the New York Times: “I thought it was going to be a hit. We didn’t know it was going to be quite that big. I didn’t realise it was still going to be talked about 30 years later.”
‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ proved critics wrong and remained at the top of the UK Singles Chart for nine weeks, and later re-entered the chart following the death of late great frontman Freddie Mercury in 1991.
Baker notably produced The Cars’ albums, Mötley Crüe’s debut studio album ‘Too Fast for Love’, and worked with David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Guns N’ Roses, and Ozzy Osbourne.
He is survived by his wife, Tere Livrano Baker, and brother, Alan Baker.