Roy Thomas Baker — Producer for Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ — Dies at 78

Roy Thomas Baker, one of the music producers behind Queen‘s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” has died. He was 78.

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.

Throughout his career, along with having worked on what would be the most-streamed song of the twentieth century, Baker also worked with Foreigner, Alice Cooper, Cheap Trick, Devo, Ozzy Osbourne, Sammy Hagar, Guns N’ Roses and Smashing Pumpkins.

Some of his most famous producing credits include The Cars’ “Just What I Needed,” “My Best Friend’s Girl” and “Good Times Roll” — which was thought to be inspired by his life. Baker also worked on Free’s “Alright Now” and “Bang A Gong” by T. Rex.

Baker was born in Hampstead, London, on Nov. 10, 1946. His career in music began when he served as second engineer to producers Gus Dudgeon and Tony Visconti at Decca Studios.

During his tenure with them, some of the artists whose music he worked on included Yes, David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Dusty Springfield and others. Baker was then with Trident Studios during his tenure with Queen, where he produced their first four albums in the ’70s.

In 1999, he spoke about working on “Bohemian Rhapsody,” calling it “basically a joke, but a successful joke,” per Mix Online. “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,” he recalled. “

“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.”

He then moved to the U.S. in and worked with Elektra Records, collaborating with Lindsey Buckingham, Journey, Mötley Crüe, Joe Lynn Turner and The Cars.\

Baker was nominated for two Grammys throughout his career and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2004.

The musicians he worked with throughout his prolific career praised his talent. Roger Taylor of Queen said that he “brought a certain amount of discipline and a lot of cynicism,” along with “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.”

Journey’s Neal Schon said that he “learned a lot from Roy.” “We did Infinity with the infamous Roy Thomas Baker, and we did so many different things on that record that I’d never tried, or even thought about doing.”

Cars’ guitarist Elliot Easton also noted what a joy it was working with Baker. “Roy was one of the pieces of the puzzle that made The Cars what they became,” he said. “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.”