Ray Foster
[after listening to Bohemian Rhapsody; groans]
Christ. [Freddie stops music reel] Well, I'm not entirely sure that's the album you promised us.
Freddie Mercury
No, it's better than the album we promised you. It's better than any album anyone's ever promised you, darling. It is a bloody masterpiece.
Ray Foster
[under his breath]
Christ.
John Reid
It is a good album, Ray.
Roger Taylor
We prefer "masterpiece."
Ray Foster
It's expensive, and as for... Bohemian...
Brian May
[clears throat]
Rhapsody.
Ray Foster
...Rhapsody. What is that?
Freddie Mercury
It's an epic poem.
Ray Foster
It goes on forever; 6 bloody minutes.
Freddie Mercury
I pity your wife if you think 6 minutes is forever. [Paul scoffs] And you know what? We're going to release it as our single.
Ray Foster
[chortles]
Not possible. Anything over three minutes, and the radio stations won't program it, period. And what on Earth is it about, anyway? "Scaramouche"? "Galileo"? And all that "Ismillah" business? "Ishmillah"?
Freddie Mercury
[pause]
Bismillah.
Ray Foster
Oh, aye. Bismillah. What's it about anyway? Bloody Bismillah?
Freddie Mercury
True poetry is for the listener.
Brian May
It ruins the mystery if everything's explained.
Ray Foster
Seldom ruins sales. 3 minutes is the standard. John.
John Reid
Yeah, we need radio. Format is three minutes. I have to agree with Ray. I actually think the single's Love of my Life.
Brian May
No.
John Reid
Okay, how about John's song, You're My Best Friend? You know, "Ooh, you make me live." Catchy, stronger.
Ray Foster
What about I'm in Love with My Car?
Brian May
You're joking!
Roger Taylor
Huh.
Brian May
Oh, Jesus.
Ray Foster
I love it. [Freddie kicks Ray's desk] Well, that's the kind of songs teenagers can crank up the volume in their car and bang their heads to. Bohemian Rhapsody will never be that song.
Brian May
It's the band decision. Bohemian Rhapsody. That's it.
Ray Foster
You're My Best Friend. And it's my money.
Roger Taylor
Bo-Rhap. Period.
Freddie Mercury
[removes music reel]
Or we walk.
PP Paul Prenter
[pauses]
MacArthur Park was 7 minutes long. It was a hit.
Ray Foster
Look, I'm not arguing with Bohemian whatever's...
Freddie Mercury
Rhapsody.
Ray Foster
...musicianship, but there's no way in Hell, the station will play a six minute quasi-operatic dirge, comprised of nonsense words! "Bismillah"? Bullshit! I paid for this record, so I say what goes!
Roger Taylor
Have we no legal recourse on this?
JM Jim "Miami" Beach
Ray, you did Dark Side of the Moon, haven't you?
Ray Foster
[nods]
I did.
JM Jim "Miami" Beach
Yeah, I absolutely love that record. [to Roger Taylor; answering his question] Uh, legally, no. No, he's got your balls in a vice. It's a different matter in a court of public opinion, of course. Ray Foster's a giant name in the music industry, but... to the average person. [shrugs] Say the name "Queen", on the other hand...ears prick up.
Ray Foster
[long moment of silence] [refusing to back down]
We're going with You're My Best Friend. Done.
Freddie Mercury
No, we know what we have, even if you don't. It's called Bohemian... [he puts his cigarette out on Ray's papers] ...Rhapsody. [leaves with the band] You will forever be known as the man who lost Queen.
John Reid
[after they leave, Jim takes one final glance at Ray while waving goodbye, before joining the others. The door closes, leaving Ray, John, and Paul]
Temperamental artists, eh? They're well aware they're tied to a contract, but who knows what goes on inside the inscrutable mind of the recording artist?
Ray Foster
Mark these words. If they're not careful, by the end of the year, no one will know the name "Queen". [brick is thrown through window] Christ!
Freddie Mercury
[Paul opens window, and, along with Ray Foster, sees Queen outside.] [shouting]
You can take that out of our royalties, twat!
Ray Foster
Wanker!
Brian May
You can shove your gold discs! You made a mistake, Foster!
Freddie Mercury
Arsehole!
Ray Foster
[shouting]
You'll never have a gold disc, you medium talent! [to Paul] And to think, I work with Hendrix.
