One Day in a Record Store • Roger Taylor

41

A lot had happened for Queen by the time December rolled around; they'd recorded and released an album, they'd accidentally broken an elevator when they found out the single from that album had reached number one in the charts and they were back on tour.

Freddie and Roger had even bought additional places for them to live with the money they'd gotten from their sales; Freddie a place in Munich and Roger a place in Burbank.

They had done so impulsively after a show one night, with Brian and John trying to talk them down from their adrenaline highs. They didn't stop them though.

And, although it was quite a bit of money, they didn't regret it the next day. They were just excited to be able to buy things - big things, at that - for themselves.

Dylan was still at school. She hadn't been able to fly out to see them during her reading week, as she had to work, but she was still up to date with the guys' antics.

Roger had called her everyday - sometimes twice a day - when they were dealing with the release of their single, ranting and swearing up a storm to her over the phone, while she talked him off the ledge and convinced him not to try and get 'revenge' on anyone.

Even the other boys would occasionally get on the phone, voicing their worries and complaints about their label.

They'd played bits and pieces of the song over the phone for her, and from what she could hear, she thought it was great.

Different, but great.

So, when she heard Bohemian Rhapsody on the radio for the first time, she just about jumped out of her chair so she could call Roger and tell him.

And he had called Dylan as soon as they'd gotten out of the broken elevator to tell her about it getting to number one.

His call had woken her up, and she'd been cursing the name of whoever was calling, but before she could even say, "Hello, this is Dylan", Roger was screaming about how they were currently the number one band in England.

And she couldn't see, but he was practically jumping up and down while he told her.

She would've been too had it not been the middle of the night.

Dylan quickly realized just how famous the band was getting, especially after the release of A Night at the Opera;

Other students in her classes were talking about them, she'd hear their music more often on the radio and she could never once find their newest album in stock at the store.

Roger was quick to mail her one when she mentioned that to him, despite her declining his offer, saying she wanted to support them by buying their music.

"You support us enough by listening to us complain about our music," he'd told her. "Think we would have killed someone at EMI had you not talked us down."

He actually hadn't confirmed with her that he'd mailed her a copy. And since they talked over the phone rather than write to each other, Dylan rarely got the mail.

She went one evening on her back to her dorm, as it was on her way anyways.

The only things in there were some flyers from local businesses and the wrapped up package, though Dylan could tell what it was despite the wrapping.

When she got back to her dorm, Liz was just heading out for food with someone, meaning she could play it as loudly as she wanted.

She didn't though. She would've gotten noise complaints from her neighbours if she had.