Sir Brian May tells Graham Norton about the re-release of his 1983 solo project Star Fleet

Virgin Radio

30 Jul 2023, 15:55

Sir Brian May joined The Graham Norton Radio Show with Waitrose to talk about his latest album and collaborating with Eddie Van Halen.

When the iconic British rock band Queen decided to take a short break 40 years ago, guitarist Sir Brian May decided to make an album in LA with some of his other talented musician friends.

Although it was released in 1983, the 76-year-old has recently remastered and rereleased the record in the hopes of “[taking] it to a new generation”.

Speaking to Graham Norton about how the project began, May recalled: “I woke up one morning in LA, which is one of my favourite places in the world. I feel more alive in LA. 

"I got on the phone and talked to a few mates and said how about going in the studio and just doing something for the fun of it? Not because we want to make a record, just because we want to play together? 

"I'm talking about Ed Van Halen, from the Van Halen group who's [an] amazing, incredible, beautiful player, sadly gone now from us, and Alan Gratzer from REO Speedwagon, also an amazing drummer for an amazing group,” he continued. “Fred Mandel, a keyboard player who'd worked with Queen on Radio Gaga, and the delightful Phil Chen who played on a lot of Rod Stewart's records.

"We're all different people in different groups, and we very seldom get out of our place where we play, so suddenly I said, 'Let's just go in', [and] we did."

The musicians spent two days in the studios, where May proposed the idea of making a “rock epic” inspired by the theme of Star Fleet, a kids' TV show that his five-year-old son Jimmy was watching at the time.

Describing the newly remastered album, the Queen guitarist said: “I'm putting out every take of every song we did, so it's like a glimpse backstage into the studios at the time.

"You can hear us larking about, making mistakes, and just the general vibe of people discovering each other. 

"[It’s as if] you're sitting in this beautiful studio, The Record Plant as it was in those days, in Los Angeles in 1983 with me, Ed Van Halen, Alan Gratzer, and the guys,” he added.

Talking to Norton about the title track, May confessed: “That magnificent solo is not me, that's Ed Van Halen doing his incredible stuff [as] he did for Michael Jackson on Beat It. 

"I wanted to give him that platform to just let rip.

"Very seldom that he stepped outside the group to do that, so I feel very honoured that this happened at all.”

Star Fleet Sessions is available to buy and stream now.

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