Roy Thomas Baker, who produced “Bohemian Rhapsody” with Queen, has died, Variety reports. A cause of death has not been revealed. Baker was 78 years old.
Baker was born in London in 1946. He got his start in the music industry at an early age, working at the city’s Decca Studios at age 14. Through his role as an apprentice engineer, he was exposed to the music of England’s biggest rock stars, like David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, and the Who.
After Decca, Baker worked at Trident Studios, the recording facility in London’s Soho district where Queen recorded. He first worked with Queen on their 1973 debut, co-producing the album with the band and John Anthony. He next co-produced Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, and A Night at the Opera, the 1975 album that houses “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Speaking with The New York Times, in 2005, Baker recalled the origins of Queen’s most famous song. “[Freddie Mercury] played the beginning bit on the piano,” Baker said, “then stopped and said, ‘This is where the opera section comes in.’ Then we went out to eat dinner.” Years later, Baker was portrayed by the British actor Tim Plester in the movie Bohemian Rhapsody.
Following A Night at the Opera, Baker did not produce Queen’s next two studio albums (1976’s A Day at the Racees and 1977’s News of the World), but he did return to work with the group once more, on 1978’s Jazz.
Beyond his work with Queen, Baker produced the Cars’ first four albums: 1978’s The Cars, 1979’s Candy-O, 1980’s Panorama, and 1981’s Shake It Up. He also worked with Yes, Journey, Devo, Mötley Crüe, Ozzy Osbourne, Dusty Springfield, the Smashing Pumpkins, the Darkness, Foreigner, and Slade, among others.