Virgin EMI president Ted Cockle has told Music Week that Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody soundtrack will “lead the charge” for a major campaign to tie in with the new film.
The premiere was staged at SSE Arena, Wembley last night (October 23) with Queen in attendance.
Starring Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, the Queen biopic focuses on his life and culminates in the band’s Live Aid performance.
“The film is fascinating, Rami’s done a great job and the story’s bloody good,” said Cockle.
The soundtrack was released on Friday (October 19) and is heading for the Top 5.
“The band were adamant it was not just going to be a greatest hits,” Cockle told Music Week. “It does touch on what seem to be the most poignant moments of the film.”
The band were adamant it was not just going to be a greatest hits
Ted Cockle
Alongside rarities and live recordings, the soundtrack also features audio from Live Aid for the first time on a Queen release.
“Clearly Live Aid remains a fascinating talking point in cultural and historical terms, so to have these songs is very good news indeed,” said Cockle. “We hope that the soundtrack leads the charge, but there are also whole bodies of work and amazing compilation albums. A film that is being reviewed well is definitely going to put the spotlight back on the band – that’s what the mission is for us.”
Bravado and Twentieth Century Fox have launched an immersive shopping experience in Carnaby Street. The curated shop will sell official merchandise and apparel along with an exclusive collaboration with Bamford on a Queen watch.
Queen recently partnered with John Lewis on a major Bohemian Rhapsody sync.
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