Never-before-seen footage of Queen performing the groundbreaking free music video I Want To Break shows the incredible bond between the band members.
Candid images – all taken by a veteran photographer Simon Fowler – show the joy and fun of the group during the now legendary promo filming.
The video stunned music fans when it was released and the rockers were dressed as housewives in a suburban home.
In one of the newly revealed photos, the band are shown hysterical, with one crew member wiping away tears of laughter while Freddie Mercury has fun behind a wigged John Deacon.
Freddie appears to be pretending to be a hairdresser as John laughs in his seat, while Brian May beams near a back wall as they look in the mirror at their new look.
Later, Brian can be seen holding his curlers as he looks into the distance as he is captured on film.
Roger Taylor also looks like he’s having fun in one of the stock photos, pouting in his schoolgirl costume.
Photographer Simon, who has taken photos of the band throughout their career, has opened up his archive to allow MailOnline to publish some of the incredible snaps.
The group is seen having a good laugh backstage as they prepare to shoot the promotional video.
Roger Taylor in a suit pouts as his photo is taken on the set of I Want To Break Free in 1984.
He said he had no idea what the theme of the video was until he showed up at Limehouse Studios in London to take the photos.
Simon remembers: “On Break Free I had no idea what it was going to be. I arrived, saw them and thought “Whoa, what’s happening?”.
“It was obviously a pastiche of Coronation Street. I remember the day when everyone was laughing.
“It was so much fun that I was surprised they made a video.
“They had no fear of doing something unusual – they just did it.
“They were just having fun between filming. I remember a funny moment where they were trying the thing on and were like “what do you think of this wig?”.
“That was the great thing, you had Freddie with his big old blemish, giving it his all. “It was without a doubt the most fun filming I’ve done.
“Every time I think about it I smile, the day went by so quickly because everyone was having such a good time – it flew by.
Simon revealed the band preferred to be photographed together for their promotional photos
Brian May looks like he woke up from a deep sleep with the curlers in this photo from Simon
“When you got there I didn’t know the story and the PR told me it and I thought ‘that sounds great’.
“I went backstage and the first thing I saw was them doing all their work.”
Simon had previously photographed the band after receiving a phone call while recording their album Hot Space.
That record spawned the anthem Under Pressure and, at first, the photographer admits he had no idea who he was going to photograph.
He recalls: “I got a call out of the blue to do a job and I initially thought they had said Cream at the time, which I didn’t think could be right.
“At that time, you received millions of calls. I didn’t realize until later it was Queen and I was told I would only have ten minutes with them and that turned into three hours. It was for the Hot Space album.
“I think we got along pretty well. I wasn’t expecting a lot of time and it was great.
“Roger actually had me do a few taps while recording. I like to think I’m somewhere on Hot Space. It really started from there.
The band loved his work, so he was invited back and ended up doing many shoots with them.
John Deacon – whose character in the video was miserable – laughs in a moment of rest
Freddie Mercury poses on set, leaning on a piece of furniture and looking towards the side of the room
But he considers his work on I Want to Break Free some of the most exciting work of his career.
He admitted: “I knew when I was called up that it was going to be interesting.
“They didn’t skimp on the videos, they were big productions. If CGI existed, I’m sure that’s what they would do.
“When you were on set, you had to have eyes in the back of your head on some of the bigger productions, where there were cranes and other things going around.
“When we went to lunch, Brian was on the food bus talking to me. He was still in the curlers’ outfit.
“I remember thinking ‘that’s Brian May in front of me’. It was so surreal. “At the end of the day we saw the cup and it looked just great.
“I remember John taking a nap during the day, which he would have needed because the reality is they would have arrived very early.
“They were pioneers with videos, they really were. Queen was so unique in everything she did. Brian with sound and guitar. I loved every minute
Veteran music photographer Simon Fowler sells prints in aid of the Mercury Phoenix Trust
“Freddie was a trooper until the end. One of the things people don’t notice about Queen pictures is that you can often never get them out of the queue.
“The four of them didn’t often go out together to take photos.
“I think it’s because they were a band, but they were also amazing close friends.
“They all supported each other, none of them saw themselves as the star – they were all equal.”
Behind-the-scenes footage was brought back into the spotlight as Simon compiled art prints of Freddie, Brian, Roger and John from the filming of The Miracle.
They are being sold to help in the fight against HIV and AIDS, and 50 per cent of the profits will be donated to the Mercury Phoenix Trust.
Simon added: “I was delighted to do this, to just give something back and help a really good cause.
“I was delighted with the response and hope it can continue to help people.”
Prints of Freddie, Brian, Roger and John from the filming of The Miracle can be found here
