Queen legend Freddie Mercury’s unusual teeth and distinctive smile ensured he was easily recognisable.
What is not well known about the late singer is his gnashers sparked the Sex Pistols creating one of TV’s most outrageous moments.
In December 1976 the frontman, whose distinctive grin was the result of having four extra teeth in his mouth, developed a nasty toothache.
The pain was reportedly so bad he had to make his first trip to a dentist in 15 years.
It meant that Queen, who were signed to the EMI record label, had to cancel their appearance on Bill Grundy’s Today show on December 1, 1976.
EMI offered up one of their new groups, punk band the Sex Pistols, as a last-minute replacement for the show.
The band shocked the nation by swearing repeatedly on the live show boosting their popularity but EMI bosses were not impressed and they were dropped from the label a month later.
Freddie Mercury unusual teeth ensured he was easily recognisable (Image: Getty Images)
Their appearance introduced viewers to lead singer Johnny Rotten, real name John Lydon, but within seconds of the interview starting things went from bad to worse as the group unleashed a torrent of foul-mouthed expletives at Bill Grundy.
And guitarist Steve Jones became only the third person to say “f**k” in British TV history.
The band seemed to take offence that Grundy suggested their £40,000 pay day from their record company seemed to go against their “anti-materialistic view of life”.
Bass guitarist Glen Matlock replied: “No, more the merrier.”
Jones chipped in: “We f*****g spent it haven’t we?” before the band confirmed the cash had “all gone down the boozer”.
Grundy then asked the band if they were serious and said: “Beethoven, Mozart, Bach and Brahms have all died..”
EMI offered one of their new groups, snarly punk band the Sex Pistols as a last-minute replacement for Bill Grundy’s Today show (Image: YouTube)
Johnny Rotten sarcastically replies: “They’re all heroes of ours, ain’t they?…They’re wonderful people.”
Grundy: “Are they?”
Rotten: “Yes, they really turn us on.”
Grundy: “Suppose they turn other people on?”
Rotten: ”That’s just their tough s**t (under breath)
Grundy: “It’s what?”
Rotten: “Nothing, a rude word, next question.”
Grundy: “No, no what was the rude word?
Rotten: “S**t.”
Grundy: “Was it really? Good heavens.”
The band stunned viewers when they started to swear on the live broadcast- something that only happened twice in the history of Brit TV (Image: YouTube)
Grundy then turned to the female members of the band, known as The Bromley Contingent, and asked them: “What about you girls, behind? Are you worried, or are you just enjoying yourself?”
Siouxsie Sioux responded: “Enjoying myself”.
Grundy: “Are you?”
Sioux and Simone Thomas: “Yeah.”
Grundy: “Ah, that’s what I thought you were doing.”
Sioux: “I’ve always wanted to meet you.”
Grundy: “Did you really? We’ll meet afterwards, shall we?”
Jones: “You dirty sod. You dirty old man.”
After the appearance the Sex Pistols became more famous (Image: Getty Images)
Grundy: “Well keep going, chief, keep going. Go on. You’ve got another five seconds. Say something outrageous.”
Responding to the dare Jones said: “You dirty b*****d.”
Grundy continued to encourage him, saying: “Go on, again.”
Jones fired back: “You dirty f****r.”
Grundy then said: “What a clever boy.”
Jones added: “What a f*****g rotter.”
The Thames Television’s switchboard was flooded with complaints following the outrageous tirade.
According to loudersound.com, studio producer Mike Housego claimed when show ended the group were led back down to a room called the Green Room.
Queen had to cancel their appearance on the show due to Freddie’s toothache (Image: Getty Images)
He said harassed workers on the programme were receiving so many complaints from viewers they couldn’t answer them all.
Apparently the 12-line telephone system diverted any unanswered calls to… the Green Room.
It is said that the group started answering the phones and abusing the callers.
Matlock told how the band didn’t want to perform on the show but were persuaded by EMI.
“We very nearly didn’t do it,” he said.
“This big limousine turned up outside this place. [Being] punk rockers we were like: ‘We’re not getting in that thing…’ Then this phone call came through from [band manager] Malcolm McLaren saying: ‘If you don’t do it your wages will be stopped this week.’ We were all in the car like a shot.”
When the show aired punk rock was not a music genre that was in the limelight but it all changed after their appearance and the show.
The Sex Pistols’ controversial TV appearance ensured they made the front page of the Daily Mirror the next day (Image: Daily Mirror)
The bands actions were widely condemned after their performance by viewers and MPs.
A host of their gigs on their December’s Anarchy Tour were canceled by offended organisers and they were canned by EMI the following month.
Explaining the dismissal of the band the record label said in a statement: “EMI feels it is unable to promote this group’s records in view of the adverse publicity generated over the past two months.”
Despite this the band picked themselves up and were signed by Richard Branson’s Virgin Records the same year.
They released their second controversial single, “God Save the Queen,” and their seminal album, Never Mind the Bollocks, which both rocketed up the charts.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
