Roy Thomas Baker had an incredible resume. Not only was he the record producer for amazing artists such as Ozzy Osbourne, Devo, Foreigner, Cheap Trick, Alice Cooper and many more. He also produced Queen's legendary and iconic "Bohemian Rhapsody." Today, people within and beyond the music industry are looking back at Baker's stellar career. Sadly, he has passed away at age 78, per People. Per the outlet, "According to a press release, Baker died at his home in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., on April 12. The cause of death was not revealed."
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Roy Thomas Baker's Career Got Off To A Great Start
Baker , who hailed from London, was a second engineer at Decca Studios way back. He worked on the music of several celebrated artists such as The Who, Yes, Dusty Springfield, The Rolling Stones, and David Bowie. In the 1970s, he also produced Queen's first four albums.
'Bohemian Rhapsody' Was A Milestone For Baker And Queen
Twenty-six years ago, Baker reminisced about "Bohemian Rhapsody" per the outlet via Mix Online. He referred to the track as "basically a joke, but a successful joke." He added, "We had to record it in three separate units. We did the whole beginning bit, then the whole middle bit and then the whole end. It was complete madness."
Baker further explained, "The middle part started off being just a couple of seconds, but Freddie [Mercury] kept coming in with more 'Galileos' and we kept on adding to the opera section, and it just got bigger and bigger. We never stopped laughing."
Musicians Who Knew And Worked With Baker Laud His Skill, Professionalism, And Exacting Dedication
Guitarist Elliot Easton of The Cars said, "Roy was one of the pieces of the puzzle that made The Cars what they became. He didn't belabor anything or take things overly seriously. He was fun to work with, a mirthful guy whose affect was kind of Monty Pythonesque and, as it happens, a great cook."
Queen's Roger Taylor shared that Baker "brought a certain amount of discipline and a lot of cynicism," plus "a passion for fattening desserts. He liked his food, Roy. He was very disciplined and very strict in the beginning . . . he would always get it right. The take had to be right."
