Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody was released a half century ago. CBS News' Elizabeth Palmer shows the converted farmhouse where the band wrote and recorded the song.

London

Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" was recorded at Rockfield Studios in the Welsh countryside, a facility established in the 1960s by Charles and Kingsley Ward. The song, which broke musical conventions and records, was laid down in three sections—choral, hard rock, and opera—by the band during a two-week stay in 1975 while working on their album "A Night at the Opera."

Studio founder Kingsley Ward recalls Freddie Mercury as a quiet and unassuming figure, contrasting with his flamboyant stage persona. The song's innovative structure, length, and the creation of the first promotional rock video contributed to its enduring popularity, with nearly 3 billion Spotify streams and a lasting cultural impact.

Inside the studio where Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" was recorded

As a rock song, Bohemian Rhapsody broke all the rules. And it broke plenty of records too. Twice number one in the UK. And half a century later, it's had almost 3 billion streams on Spotify. The most for any 20th century song. This is the actual machine that recorded Bohemian Rhapsody. It came to life here in the Welsh countryside at Rockfield Studios. Set up in the 1960s by two farmers-cum-musicians, Charles and Kingsley Ward. I don't think anybody realised at the time that Bohemian Rhapsody would end up the iconic record it was. Kingsley Ward, now 85, remembers Queen's brilliant but modest leader, Freddie Mercury. I felt Freddie Mercury very quiet, unassuming, and just a genuinely nice person. He wasn't flamboyant at all. It's hard to believe, considering how flamboyant he was on stage. Well he was, he was like two different people, wasn't it really? The band members, Freddie Mercury, John Deacon, Roger Taylor and Brian May, lived at Rockfield for two weeks in 1975. Working on their fourth album, A Night at the Opera. In the main studio, which is still in use, Queen laid the song down in three sections. Choral, hard rock and opera. The sound was revolutionary. And so was the length, almost six minutes. You know, it's probably the greatest record ever made, a rock record, because it changed the dynamics of music. People now realise they can do anything with music. This made history too, the very first ever promotional rock video. In weeks, Bohemian Rhapsody rocketed to the top of the British charts. In the US though, it took more than 17 years and Wayne's World to turn it into a mega hit. At Bohemian Rhapsody's Ground Zero, Kingsley Ward recalls Mercury kept the band waiting for the song they then knew only as Freddie's Thing. Roger, Brian and John were playing frisbee. I remember talking to Brian and saying, you've been here a long time, five days, you haven't done much. And I think Brian said, Freddie's in there writing something. And in the corner of the office was an old piano. And I walked in and I think that Freddie was finishing off Bohemian Rhapsody on the piano. Here's that scene from the biopic. Mercury working on lyrics that remain mysterious to this day. Out the window, we see Freddie's piano playing. Here's that scene from the biopic. Mercury working on lyrics that remain mysterious to this day. Out the window, Ward tells me, he would have been able to see the old farm wind vane. Now the odd thing is, a lot of people ask me, did Freddie get the idea of that iconic line, any way the wind blows, looking at the weathercock? We don't know, because Freddie's not here to tell us, but it's a great story, isn't it? I want to believe it. I want to believe it too. For CBS Mornings, I'm Elizabeth Palmer in Monmouthshire, Wales.

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