Long after Freddie Mercury’s death in 1991, Queen remains one of rock’s most legendary bands, known not only for their groundbreaking music but also for memorable collaborations with icons like David Bowie and Elton John. Yet one of the most intriguing—and little-known—partnerships Mercury ever pursued was with none other than the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson. The catch? Their collaborative recordings from over 40 years ago were never officially released during their lifetimes, leaving fans to wonder what might have been.
A Friendship Born from Mutual Admiration
In the early 1980s, Michael Jackson was a devoted Queen fan who frequently attended their concerts. Freddie Mercury recalled in a 1983 interview, “He kept coming to see us… and then we started talking.” Their friendship quickly grew, marked by dinners and shared creative energy, leading Mercury to record in Jackson’s home studio in 1983.
During these sessions, Mercury and Jackson recorded three demo tracks: “There Must Be More To Life Than This,” “State of Shock,” and “Victory.” Both artists were at the height of their powers, and the prospect of a collaboration between two of the era’s biggest musical forces generated excitement among fans and industry insiders alike.
Why the Collaboration Was Never Released
Despite the buzz, the collaborations were shelved and the artists went their separate ways. Mercury cited their busy schedules as the primary reason for abandoning the project, explaining, “They were great songs, but the problem was time, as we were both very busy at that period.”
However, Queen’s then-manager Jim “Miami” Beach revealed a more unusual reason: Michael Jackson’s eccentric habit of bringing his pet llama, Louie, into the studio during recording sessions. According to Beach, Mercury grew increasingly unsettled by Louie’s presence and eventually called Beach in a state of panic, saying, “You have to get me out of the studio… I’m recording with a llama. Michael’s bringing his pet llama into the studio every day, and I’m really not used to it.” This bizarre situation strained the partnership and ultimately led to their creative split.
What Did See the Light of Day?
Of the three songs Mercury and Jackson recorded, only one was officially released as a duet: “There Must Be More To Life Than This.” Freddie Mercury’s solo version appeared on his 1985 album Mr. Bad Guy, while the original duet with Jackson was posthumously released on Queen’s 2014 compilation Queen Forever—23 years after Mercury’s passing and five years after Jackson’s.
“State of Shock” took a different path. In 1984, Jackson re-recorded the track with The Jacksons and featured Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones, turning it into a hit single. The original Mercury-Jackson demo leaked online in 2002, and although it was remixed by composer William Orbit in 2014 for Queen Forever, it ultimately didn’t make the album’s final cut.
The third track, “Victory,” remains unreleased and shrouded in mystery, leaving fans to speculate about the sound and style that might have emerged from such a collaboration.
A Collaboration Lost to Time—and Llamas
The story of Queen and Michael Jackson’s unreleased collaborations is a fascinating glimpse into the unpredictable nature of creativity—and the sometimes odd quirks behind the scenes. While their friendship and shared musical genius promised something extraordinary, differences in personality and, unexpectedly, Louie the llama, got in the way of what could have been a legendary partnership.
Though only fragments of their work together have emerged, these songs offer a tantalizing reminder of the magic that could have been—a musical “what if” that continues to captivate fans decades later.
