Hear Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Played on a 100-Year-Old Fairground Organ
Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" has inspired many inventive cover versions throughout the years. But have you ever heard the 1975 rock hit played on a fairground organ that's over 100 years old?
If you haven't — and we're only guessing you haven't — prepare to be blown away. In a YouTube video, the Freddie Mercury-sung classic rock staple gets transfigured into booming tones from a giant pneumatic organ constructed in 1905 by the French instrument maker Charles Marenghi & Cie. It sounds like an ethereal mix of the beloved English rockers and some old-timey fair attraction.
Watch the video down toward the bottom of this post.
The 81-key Marenghi organ shown in the clip operates in much the same way as a player piano. The instrument operator doesn't so much perform on the organ. Instead, he feeds into it a long book of perforated cardboard sheets that tells the organ what notes and percussive marks to hit.
The organ itself comes from the collection of Bill Nunn at Minnesota's Skyrock Farm. And we have to say, for being over 100 years old, the fairground curio sounds like it was built yesterday. The "Bohemian Rhapsody" cover vid was shared by mechanical music aficionado Alexey Rom — he's the one who actually arranged the music for the antiquated instrument — back in 2014.
So sit back, relax and take in the sonorous sounds of an early 20th-century instrument reproducing the signature Queen cut in an impressive, marvelous manner. Perhaps the only unfortunate aspect is that the organ can't quite duplicate that rippin' Brian May guitar solo!
Is this the real life, or is this just…"Bohemian Rhapsody" played on a fairground organ?
"Bohemian Rhapsody" Played by 100+ Year Old Fairground Organ