Tim Staffell

Tim Staffell was the lead singer and bassist of the now legendary late sixties rock trio Smile, alongside guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:2NcbLU1bW55eahD0UgD7U3" data-name="Brian May">Brian May</a> and drummer <a href="spotify:artist:2PZEd7yktruWruOqORRChA" data-name="Roger Taylor">Roger Taylor</a>. When he left to pursue other musical projects in 1970, his college friend Freddie Bulsara took his place as lead singer. The band changed their name to <a href="spotify:artist:1dfeR4HaWDbWqFHLkxsg1d" data-name="Queen">Queen</a> and Bulsara changed his surname to <a href="spotify:artist:4M1FpEWs2PeYfJe7xxJfhH" data-name="Freddie Mercury">Freddie Mercury</a>.

The 2018 biopic ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ depicts this chapter of Queen’s history, portraying a gig where Smile performs ‘Doin’ All Right’, which Staffell co-wrote with May (and was also recorded with Mercury for Queen’s first album). Staffell supplied new vocals and bass parts for the movie and official soundtrack: ‘<a href="spotify:track:69VE5kmfqG4dJSkrB1OtCI" data-name="Doing All Right - ...Revisited">Doing All Right - ...Revisited</a>’.

Staffell has continued to write and and perform original music in the decades since he left Smile, collaborating with luminaries such as drummer Colin Peterson (<a href="spotify:artist:1LZEQNv7sE11VDY3SdxQeN" data-name="Bee Gees">Bee Gees</a>), keyboardist and composer <a href="spotify:artist:7zyMwBawm5wNhzlCx1Bopk" data-name="Morgan Fisher">Morgan Fisher</a>, guitarist <a href="spotify:artist:4DMlDJn7CPSSS0DuUf1vrH" data-name="Snowy White">Snowy White</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:3TV7tssuSl8x7ARqsTvIyM" data-name="Chaz Jankel">Chaz Jankel</a> (Ian Dury &amp; The Blockheads).

His later songwriting style and sound show a kinship with transatlantic songwriters like <a href="spotify:artist:6P7H3ai06vU1sGvdpBwDmE" data-name="Steely Dan">Steely Dan</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0S1SjYebdSaiMpI8xSW2Wb" data-name="Donald Fagen">Donald Fagen</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:77tT1kLj6mCWtFNqiOmP9H" data-name="Daryl Hall &amp; John Oates">Daryl Hall &amp; John Oates</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3Bhgbs9kIwl8SuU0eIqN6b" data-name="The Crusaders">The Crusaders</a> or <a href="spotify:artist:7guDJrEfX3qb6FEbdPA5qi" data-name="Stevie Wonder">Stevie Wonder</a>. His second solo album, ‘Two Late’, was released in the same week as the ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ film; it joins his earlier work ‘aMIGO’ which contained guest performances by May, White and Fisher, among others.

Tim&#39;s third solo album &#39;<a href="spotify:album:2T1z2sULAv5OrpBmwAdsNo" data-name="Wayward Child">Wayward Child</a>&#39; was released in June 2023.