Queen: The Studio Experience in Montreux – Visitor’s Guide

• December 4, 1971: During a Frank Zappa concert at the old Montreux Casino, a fan fires a flare gun… and the building goes up in flames. The scene would be immortalized by Deep Purple in their legendary anthem “Smoke on the Water.”Five years later, when the new casino opened its doors, a state-of-the-art recording studio designed by Tom Hidley was installed: Mountain Studios.It quickly became one of Europe’s most prestigious recording destinations, attracting artists like AC/DC, David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Chris Rea, The Rolling Stones, Yes, Rick Wakeman, Led Zeppelin, Bryan Ferry, Stan Getz, and Nina Simone. The studio also produced content for both the Montreux Jazz Festival and the Rose d’Or TV Festival.From 1979 to 1993, Queen owned the studio and made it their creative home. In 2002, the facilities were relocated to Attalens, near Châtel-St-Denis.

Once you step inside the casino, you’ll find yourself in a main hall with the reception desk at the back. Besides providing information, this is also where you can exchange cash for gaming chips.

If you’re here to try your luck, just head down the stairs on the right to enter the casino floor.

But since we’re only here for the music-related side of this place, we went left on the same floor, following the signs to the entrance of the museum. 🎸

The museum isn’t very big. It’s basically one main room filled with different themed displays, mostly dedicated to the albums recorded at Mountain Studios.

You’ll also find stage outfits, instruments, memorabilia, and other cool Queen-related artifacts.

A hallway then leads you to a recreation of the original recording room from the old studios — the very place where the albums we’ll describe below were recorded. And right there, you’ll spot the plaque on the floor marking the exact spot where Freddie laid down his final vocals.

July 1978. Queen arrive in Montreux to start working on their seventh album. While the Tour de France races through the city, Freddie dreams up “Bicycle Race”… and Brian comes up with “Fat Bottomed Girls.”

Teaming up once again with producer Roy Thomas Baker, the band finishes the album that same year between Montreux and the Super Bear Studios in Nice.

The release of Jazz leaves behind some truly iconic moments: the poster with the nude cyclists, and a legendary launch party at the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans that still flirts with myth status.

Recorded between January and March during the world tour, this was Queen’s first album fully mixed at Mountain Studios.

It’s the sonic snapshot of the band in their wildest, rawest state.

One night during the recording sessions, David Bowie dropped by to hang out with the guys. From that late-night jam with John Deacon came “Under Pressure”, recorded right here and released in 1981.

Hot Space took a bold turn into R&B and disco, splitting critics at the time — but today, it sounds way more modern than most people remember.

An album tied to the movie Highlander (directed by Russell Mulcahy), it was recorded between London, Munich, and Montreux.

It features classics like “One Vision”, “A Kind of Magic”, “Who Wants to Live Forever”, and “Friends Will Be Friends”.

This is Queen in full-on epic, cinematic mode.

With Freddie focused on the studio (no touring this time), the band decided to credit all the songs to Queen as a group, putting the spotlight on collective work.

From these sessions came “I Want It All”, “Breakthru”, “The Invisible Man”, and “Scandal”.

Shortly after, Queen received a Brit Award in 1990 for their outstanding contribution to British music.

The last album Freddie ever heard in full. Despite his declining health, his studio performance was nothing short of phenomenal.

The song “Innuendo” started as an improvised jam in the casino’s grand concert hall, then took shape here in this very control room.

Late-night rehearsals and marathon recording sessions became the norm

The sessions began in January 1991. Freddie worked deeply inspired, fully aware of the borrowed time they had left. He famously said:

“Call me when the backing track is ready; I’ll come in and sing the whole damn thing.”

On May 30, 1991, he recorded vocals for “Mother Love” right here in this control room.

Freddie passed away on November 24, 1991.

In 1993, Brian, Roger, and John returned to the studio, reopening the sessions and finishing the album using Freddie’s previous takes along with final arrangements.

Made in Heaven was finally released in 1995, becoming one of Queen’s most beloved albums and a lasting tribute to Freddie’s legacy.

In the 1980s, Freddie rented a beautiful lakefront house called The Duck House. The view inspired him to write later lyrics like “A Winter’s Tale”, which mentions mountains, children playing, and the world *“spinning around.”

Shortly before the end, he began renovating an apartment on Le Quai des Fleurs, but the project was left unfinished due to his illness.

Freddie Mercury Statue (1996): A stunning bronze sculpture by Irena Sedlecká, donated to the people of Montreux by Queen and the Mercury family. It was unveiled on November 25, 1996, by Freddie’s parents, Bomi and Jer, Montserrat Caballé, Brian May, and Roger Taylor.