Freddie Mercury felt Queen would ‘freak out’ over covering song in early days | Music | Entertainment

This week’s Queen the Greatest Live official YouTube series continues a look back at some of the band’s most memorable covers during their concerts.

Most recently they have shared rare footage of Freddie Mercury leading the group in a medley at Wembley Stadium back in 1986.

This included Ricky Nelson’s Hello Mary Lou, Little Richard’s Tutti Frutti and Elvis Presley’s (You’re So Square) Baby I Don’t Care.

And now fans are treated to the frontman and the band performing Peggy Lee’s Big Spender, made a hit by Shirley Bassey in 1967.

This week’s footage includes Freddie singing the track at Queen’s 1975 Hammersmith Odeon concert and at Wembley in 1986.

Freddie told Hit Parader in 1977: “Sneaking my cabaret influences into our act was done slowly.

“Could you imagine me doing Big Spender when we were first starting? As a rock band?

“They’d freak. Now we do more a combination of rock ‘n’ roll and theatre.”

Next week’s episode looks back at “An Unforgettable Moment”, whatever that could be…