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December 4th 1971, the Montreux Casino caught fire and burnt down in the middle of a concert by Frank Zappa. A song was composed by rock band Deep Purple by name “Smoke on the Water” which quickly became world famous.
Four years later, a young sound engineer, David Richards, settles down in Montreux and takes the control of the brand new recording studio that was built in the new casino. His first clients were the Rolling Stones. They came to finalize their new album “Black and Blue”. They will be the first from a long list. David Bowie, Yes, Duran Duran, Chris Rea, Sting, Phil Collins, AC/DC, Brian Ferry, Status Quo, Led Zeppelin, Michael Jackson, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, B.B.King, Marvin Gaye to name a few.
And Queen, of course.  John Deacon, Roger Taylor and Freddie Mercury. Picture taken at Mountain Studios in 1988
Queen came in 1978 to record their album “Jazz”. The title was chosen as a tribute to the famous Montreux Jazz Festival. They loved the place so they bought the studio two years later. Freddie was reticent in the beginning, but he will finally be in love with the town where he appreciated its tranquillity.
At the same time David Richards becomes Queen’s sound engineer and producer and they recorded the following albums: “The Miracle”, “Innuendo” and the posthumous “Made in Heaven”. While they were recording the vocals for “Made in Heaven”, in the course of 1991, Freddie was already quite affected with his illness. David Richards explains in an interview published by the Rolling Stones magazine in Germany in 1995: “It has taken us much more time for the vocal parts than usual since Freddie needed frequent breaks. But he also wanted to be more precise, more accurate because he knew there would be no other chance for him. His last recording needed to be perfect”.
 David Richards, Roger Taylor, Mike Moran and Freddie Mercury. Picture taken at Mountain Studios in 1988
Freddie Mercury wants to work until the end until his last breath even if he knows that the songs he was recording would be published after his death. One can figure out, for him, the sense of each word. The ultimate song he recorded was “Mother Love” whose words are written by guitarist Brian May. The last song Freddie Mercury wrote is “A Winter’s Tale”, a nostalgic and peaceful consideration of Montreux.
The sky, the water, the mountains, the sea gulls, children’s scream .... An interrupted moment that ends like that : «Am I dreaming? Am I dreaming? Oooh - it's bliss»
The remaining members of the band will need many years finishing the songs to finally come to the release of “Made in Heaven” in 1995. On the cover: the “Lake House”, a small property where Freddie would go to find peace and inspiration.
Today, the Mountain Studios have disappeared. The place has been converted into a bar. David Richards has left Montreux to settle down somewhere else. But he sometimes returns to see his friends.
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History 
