September 27, 2006

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Felix and Arty (press release)
Getting to the Bottom of Woman Youre So Beautiful, but still..

For some weeks now music websites have been buzzing over the identity of Felix and Arty, whose reggae influenced track Woman Youre So Beautiful (but still a pain in the ass) is as hot as the recent summer, and in just the short time it has been circulating in cyberspace, has racked up over 18,000 plays on one UK site alone.
If any proof were needed of the impression being made by the duo, just drop their name into your Google toolbar and you'll find a return of 172,000 references.
Triggering the message board frenzy has been the suspicion that one half of the duo is in fact one of our biggest rock stars hiding behind a devilishly simple acronym. And, lo and behold, fans of the band appear to have penetrated the code this week, revealing that Arty in fact conceals the identity of RT, Roger Taylor, world famous writer, singer, drummer with rock legends Queen.
From there on, for fans of the band, is was easy to work out that Felix is none other than Taylors first son, who fans will recognize as being credited in band history minutiae as having provided Taylor with the title for one of his biggest selling songs, Radio Ga Ga. (Felix, then aged two, apparently responded to radio as bla bla).
So word is now out: son and father, father and son, Felix and Arty, singing the praises of the female sex (and, in parentheses, admitting to finding them a constant frustration, a pain in the a).
As a proud father of five, it was perhaps only a matter of time before we might have expected to see Taylor performing with one of his progeny, and enter, twenty-something son Felix.
The twist in the tale here, however, is that son Felix until this point had not shown the to-be-expected ambition of following in Taylor seniors gold-clad footsteps. Felix instead has followed the course of university graduate, art, and now, cutting his teeth in communications.
Taylor recorded the track himself at the tail end of his bands recent tour of Japan, performing all the musical parts and vocals himself. Having finished, the one part he wasnt happy with was the vocal. Out of the blue, he called in Felix, who had never sung before, to record his voice over Taylors original vocals. Dad was happier with this cut, and in the space of a reggae beat, the song found its way to a few download sites, and multiplied from there.
Felix meanwhile is back at his desk learning to communicate on behalf of a music royalty collection agency and wondering whether Dad will be calling on him again. On present form, wed suggest he stands by his mobile phone.
Oh, and on the subject of whether he agrees with his fathers sentiments on woman as expressed in Taylors lyrics for Woman Youre So Beautiful (but still a pain in the a..), Felix shows a true skill in diplomacy, I guess he has more experience than me, is as much as he has to say.

Felix and Arty " Woman Youre Beautiful"
Written by Roger Taylor. Music tracks by Roger Taylor.
Vocals Felix Taylor.

(Ed: This press release was taken from Felix and Arty's MySpace.com website. Go check it out!)

 
Felix questions - the return
Don't miss Felix' new answers on the QOL message board! Click here to read them.
 
:::Site updates::: More pictures are now awailable from the naming of Sir Robin Knox-Johnston's yacht. Click here and enjoy!
 
September 1, 2006

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Rock Royalty Launches Sir Robin's New Boat
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston's Open 60 Saga Insurance was officially named by Queen drummer Roger Taylor at Gunwharf Keys, Portsmouth yesterday. The British yachtsman is preparing to race the newly-sponsored boat in the Velux 5 Ocean race this October. It may be 37 years since Sir Robin, the oldest skipper in the 5 Oceans fleet, set the record as the first person to sail single-handed non-stop round the world, but the 67-year-old hasn't had much time to think about it:
'While there has been much curiosity about my position as the oldest skipper taking part, I have been far too busy living life and getting everything in place for a successful campaign to ponder the subject of age!'
Sir Robin has certainly been busy with the new project over the last few months; not only completing the necessary solo qualifying passage, but overseeing a major refit of the boat in preparation for the difficult offshore conditions that lie ahead. You can see the yacht at Gunwharf Quays this weekend; next week Sir Robin and Saga Insurance will leave British waters to make final preparations in Bilbao, Spain, from where the race starts on 22 October (source: Yachting Monthly, 23 September 2006).

Roger Taylor of Queen has agreed that RKJ may use "Don't Stop me now" as his theme song for the forthcoming Velux5Oceans race. RKJ, who is a great Queen fan, wanted something appropriate and bouncy and this fitted the bill perfectly (source).
 
Felix questions - the return
Felix, of Felix and Arty fame, has once more agreed to step up and then sit down in the hot seat and take some more of your questions as part of the lead up to the general online release of 'Woman You're So Beautiful' on all download services. Felix
enjoyed it so much, he is now encouraging your questions...
Submit questions to nickw@outsideline.co.uk with the subject: QUESTIONS FOR FELIX, NOT ARTY...THE RETURN
The track is available for download in the QOL download store and on iTunes. General download release is Monday October 2nd. (source)

A new message has been posted by Felix on the duo's MYSpace website as well!
 
 
Questions needed!
Justine is Roger's personal assistant, and was also assitant tour manager on the recent Queen+Paul Rodgers tour. She has very kindly agreed to answer some questions! She was very much part of all that went on 'behind the scenes" on the recent tour, and we felt that many of you must have questions about what goes on backstage, what goes into a tour from the tour managers point of view, what some of the gigs were like, favourites or not such good ones... things like that.
We will be publising Justines answers in our next fan club magazine - so do please send your questions! You can EMAIL them, or send a letter. If you email please use the subject line JUST QUESTION. Thanks!
Please submit your questions by October 5th! (posted by Jacky, source)
 
New Mercury Phoenix Trust site now live
The new Mercury Phoenix Trust site is now live.
The site now has a NEWS section, plus we will be adding some video to each initiative section where we have it. We will be filling up the gallery over time, plus we now have a message board for discussion. You can donate by Sponsoring A Star, this will be expanded to alternative options of donation in time.
 
September 1, 2006
Queen stars mark Mercury's birthday
QUEEN rockers BRIAN MAY and ROGER TAYLOR will mark what would have been the 60th birthday of late frontman FREDDIE MERCURY on Tuesday (05SEP06). The pair will perform live at a charity party performance of London musical WE WILL ROCK YOU, which will have an "outrageous" dress theme. Mercury's mother and sister will be in the audience at the Dominium Theatre. His former personal assistant PETER FREESTONE says, "Freddie loved a party. So much so that he would often arrange one and then think of an excuse for having it.
(source)
 
:::personal note::: Off for holidays
I will be away until September 12 enjoying the warm sun in Spain. The website wil not be updated during that time. For news check out the message board.

Have fun at all the birthday party's around the globe celebrating Freddie's 60th birthday!
 
To read past news please visit the website's archives.