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Spike Edney

Philip "Spike" Edney (born 11 December 1951) is a British multi-instrumentalist best known as the touring keyboardist and musical director for the rock band Queen since 1984. Edney's career began in the 1970s, collaborating with artists including Ben E. King, Edwin Starr, the Boomtown Rats, Dexys Midnight Runners, Duran Duran, Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, and 10cc. He first joined Queen for the European leg of their 1984–1985 Works Tour, playing keyboards and guitar, and remained a key part of their live performances through the 1986 Magic Tour, which included landmark shows at Wembley Stadium and Knebworth Park. His contributions appear on Queen's live releases such as Live at Wembley '86 and Live Magic, and he participated in the band's historic 20-minute set at the 1985 Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium. Edney co-founded the supergroup The Cross with Queen's Roger Taylor in 1987, co-writing and contributing to its three albums. Following Freddie Mercury's death in 1991, he performed keyboards at the 1992 Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert. In 1994, he established the SAS Band, a project featuring rotating guest vocalists and musicians that has headlined events like the Prince's Trust Rocks concerts in 2000 and 2001, as well as Nelson Mandela's 46664 charity series from 2003 to 2009. Edney has continued his association with Queen through tours with Paul Rodgers (2005–2006, 2008) and Adam Lambert (2012–present), including the Rhapsody Tour from 2019 to present, with a North American leg in 2025, where he serves as musical director.

Early years

Early life

Philip "Spike" Edney, born Philip Edney on 11 December 1951 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, grew up in the coastal city during the post-war period. Details on Edney's family background remain limited, though he has recalled his father's ownership of a transistor radio as a key influence in his early years, introducing him to emerging rock music broadcasts from the early 1960s. His mother also played a role by gifting him tickets to a Beatles concert around his twelfth birthday in 1963, marking an early familial encouragement toward music. As a schoolboy in Portsmouth, near the Isle of Wight ferry routes, Edney supplemented his upbringing with part-time work serving refreshments on the ferries, reflecting the modest, working-class environment of his childhood in southern England.

Musical beginnings

Philip "Spike" Edney began his musical journey in his hometown of Portsmouth, England, where he formed part of the local music scene during his teenage years in the late 1960s. He started playing keyboards, joining early bands that performed at local venues and social gatherings in southern England. His initial group was Gold Dust, active in the 1960s, which evolved into Smiling Hard by the early 1970s, where Edney contributed on keyboards alongside members including the Gilson brothers and Dave Houghton. These formative experiences in Portsmouth's burgeoning rock and pop environment helped develop his multi-instrumental skills, including guitar and bass, through regular local gigs.

Pre-Queen career

1970s session work

In the mid-1970s, Spike Edney established himself as a session musician by recording and touring with soul acts such as The Tymes and Ben E. King, where he contributed on keyboards, bass, guitar, and trombone. These engagements marked his transition from local club performances in Portsmouth to professional circuits, showcasing his growing versatility in live settings. By the late 1970s, Edney advanced to the role of musical director for Edwin Starr, overseeing arrangements and leading live performances for the Motown legend during tours across the UK and Europe. In this capacity, he handled keyboard duties while coordinating the band's sound, blending soul and pop elements to support Starr's energetic shows. These experiences solidified Edney's reputation as a multi-instrumentalist within the UK's soul and pop scenes, where his adaptability on multiple instruments earned him steady work among established artists and honed his skills for larger productions.

1980s collaborations

In the early 1980s, Spike Edney transitioned from his 1970s session work into more prominent roles supporting established acts in the rock and new wave scenes, often contributing as a trombonist and keyboardist on tours and recordings. Edney provided live support for Dexys Midnight Runners during their 1982–1984 tours, playing trombone and helping to bolster the band's brass section amid their shift toward Celtic-influenced pop sounds following the success of "Come On Eileen." He also contributed trombone to The Boomtown Rats' 1982 album V Deep, produced by Tony Visconti, and joined them for tours including the Long Grass Tour, marking his ongoing involvement with Bob Geldof's group throughout the decade. Edney also worked with Thomas Dolby on tours and in the studio during the early 1980s, and provided support for Bucks Fizz in the same period. By mid-decade, Edney's versatility extended to new wave acts, where he played trombone on Haircut One Hundred's 1984 album Paint and Paint, adding to the band's polished, horn-driven sophomore release amid their post-Pelican West evolution. These collaborations highlighted Edney's growing integration into high-profile ensembles, bridging session expertise with onstage contributions in the vibrant British music landscape of the era.

Career with Queen

Joining and 1980s tours

In 1984, Spike Edney joined Queen as their touring keyboardist for the band's The Works tour, replacing Fred Mandel who had supported the earlier Hot Space tour and contributed to the album's recordings. This opportunity arose from Edney's prior 1980s session work and tours with artists like Duran Duran and the Boomtown Rats, which had caught the attention of Queen's management. His integration marked the beginning of a longstanding association, providing essential live support during the Freddie Mercury era. Edney's multifaceted role encompassed keyboards and synthesizers for songs like "Radio Ga Ga" and "Bohemian Rhapsody," where he handled arpeggiators and layered textures to replicate studio complexities on stage. He also performed rhythm guitar, notably on "Hammer to Fall," using a Gibson Les Paul Junior to add depth during Brian May's solos and enhance the band's dynamic sound. Additionally, Edney contributed backing vocals, often employing a vocoder to thicken harmonies and maintain Queen's signature vocal richness across the setlists. These elements were pivotal in the 1984–1985 Works tour, which included high-profile appearances such as Live Aid in 1985, and extended into the 1986 Magic Tour, culminating in Freddie Mercury's final concert at Knebworth. Beyond instrumentation, Edney influenced live arrangements by helping craft medleys and transitions, such as the seamless operatic segments in "Bohemian Rhapsody," ensuring the performances retained their theatrical intensity. His stage presence, positioned to the side yet integral to the ensemble, supported the core quartet's spotlight while bolstering the overall production through reliable musical direction and adaptability. This period solidified Edney's reputation as Queen's unofficial fifth member, enabling the band to deliver expansive, arena-filling shows during their 1980s peak.

Post-Mercury contributions

Following Freddie Mercury's death in November 1991, Spike Edney assumed primary piano and keyboard duties for Queen's live performances, a role he had partially filled during the tours but which became central after Mercury's passing. He first demonstrated this expanded responsibility at on April 20, 1992, at , where he performed keyboards and piano on multiple songs alongside surviving members and , as well as guest artists. Edney's longstanding experience from the tours, including the 1984–1986 , provided the foundation for his continued loyalty and seamless integration into Queen's post-Mercury era. Edney served as keyboardist and musical director for the Queen + Paul Rodgers tours, beginning with the 2005–2006 world tour that featured 66 shows across (2005), , and (2006), and continuing with the 2008 Rock the Cosmos Tour with 37 shows across , the , and . In these collaborations, he handled piano parts originally played by Mercury, such as on "" and "," while also contributing backing vocals and rhythm guitar when needed. From 2012 onward, Edney took on the same roles for Queen + Adam Lambert, starting with a short European summer tour of six dates in Ukraine, Moscow, Poland, and the UK, which marked the band's first performances with Lambert as lead vocalist. He continued as musical director and keyboardist for the extensive 2014–2015 world tour (67 shows across Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia), the 2016–2017 summer festivals, the 2017–2018 North American tour, and the 2019–2020 Rhapsody Tour, which included 44 dates (25 in North America in 2019 and 19 in Europe in 2020) worldwide before pausing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Rhapsody Tour resumed and extended into 2022–2023 with additional European and North American legs, totaling more than 180 shows with Lambert by 2023, where Edney's arrangements preserved Queen's signature sound while adapting to modern production. Tours were further interrupted by COVID-19 restrictions from 2020 to 2021, limiting live activity until resumptions in 2022. Edney served as the musical director and keyboardist for the London production of the Queen jukebox musical We Will Rock You from its premiere at the Dominion Theatre on May 14, 2002, until its closure on 31 May 2014, overseeing the show's orchestration and live band during its 12-year run of over 4,600 performances. He also serves as musical director for Queen Extravaganza, the official Queen tribute band formed in 2012, guiding its repertoire and performances on international tours that replicate Queen's catalog with young musicians selected via global auditions. Edney's recent Queen-related activities include his participation in the five-date Rhapsody Tour extension in Japan in February 2024, where he performed keyboards at venues like Tokyo Dome, drawing enthusiastic crowds and marking a return to the country he first toured with Queen in 1985. In 2025, he appeared as a guest at the Official International Queen Fan Club Convention on October 4–5 in Mablethorpe, England, delivering an interview and joining the band Belladonic Haze onstage for performances including "Man on Fire."

The SAS Band

Formation and lineup

The SAS Band, short for Spike's All Stars, was founded by Spike Edney in 1994 specifically to perform at the Gosport Music Festival near his hometown of Portsmouth, England, where it made its debut as a supergroup showcasing prominent guest musicians. Edney, a longtime keyboardist with Queen, established the ensemble as his signature project, serving as its founder, musical director, primary keyboardist, and guitarist to create a flexible platform for collaborative rock performances. The band's core concept revolves around a rotating lineup that emphasizes versatility and star power, drawing core and recurring members from renowned acts including Queen, Whitesnake, Free, Roxy Music, Toto, and Spandau Ballet. For its inaugural performance, the ensemble featured drummer Cozy Powell (formerly of Rainbow and Black Sabbath), bassist Neil Murray (of Whitesnake and the Brian May Band), and guitarist Jamie Moses (from Paul Young and the Brian May Band), highlighting Edney's connections within the rock community. Over time, the group's fluid structure has incorporated a wide array of guest vocalists and performers such as Fish, Roy Wood, Leo Sayer, Kiki Dee, Paul Young, Suggs, Lionel Richie, Bob Geldof, and Toyah Willcox, allowing for bespoke lineups tailored to each show. This post-Freddie Mercury era stability in Edney's commitments with Queen enabled him to dedicate time to developing the SAS Band as a creative outlet.

Performances and milestones

The SAS Band, formed by Spike Edney in 1994, evolved from its debut performance at the Gosport Festival near Portsmouth, UK, into a flexible touring ensemble enabled by its all-star lineup of rotating musicians and guest vocalists, allowing for dynamic, guest-driven setlists that span rock, pop, and soul genres. Initially focused on festival appearances, the band transitioned to sustained international touring and event performances, building a reputation for adaptability with sets tailored to featured artists such as Phil Collins, Paul Rodgers, and Jamie Moses. This evolution underscored the band's longevity, with consistent activity over three decades marked by high-energy shows that prioritize collaboration over fixed repertoires. Since its inception, the SAS Band has delivered international performances at high-profile events, including the televised Prince's Trust "Party in the Park" concerts in 2000 and 2001 at Hyde Park, London, as well as Nelson Mandela's 46664 charity series from 2003 to 2009 in locations such as Cape Town, South Africa; Hyde Park, London; and Radio City Music Hall, New York. The group has also undertaken major corporate gigs for clients like Microsoft, Harley-Davidson, HSBC, and McLaren Mercedes, alongside exclusive private parties across Europe, North America, and beyond, demonstrating its global reach and appeal to diverse audiences. These engagements, often featuring surprise guest appearances by luminaries like Brian May and Rod Stewart, have solidified the band's status as a premier all-star act capable of blending celebrity draw with professional musicianship. Key milestones highlight the band's enduring impact, including the 25th anniversary "25 Riff Tour" in 2019, which featured multi-night residencies at venues like The Guildhall in Portsmouth and guest spots from artists performing their signature hits. The 30th anniversary celebrations in 2024 marked a pinnacle of this trajectory, with special shows on December 4 and 5 at The Brook in Southampton, UK, followed by a headline performance on December 7 at G Live in Guildford, UK, complete with a global livestream to commemorate three decades of performances. These events, drawing on past and present collaborators, emphasized the SAS Band's sustained touring vitality and international legacy into 2025.

Other projects

Musical direction roles

Spike Edney has served as the musical director for the London production of the Queen jukebox musical We Will Rock You since its premiere at the Dominion Theatre in 2002. In this role, he oversees the keyboard section and ensures the fidelity of Queen's sound in live performances, managing a rotating team of up to 14 deputy musicians to maintain consistency over the show's long run, which ran for 12 years before closing in 2014. His direction emphasizes reliable, high-energy renditions of Queen's catalog, adapting to the theatrical format while preserving the band's stadium-rock essence. Edney also leads as the musical director for Queen Extravaganza, the official tribute band sanctioned by Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor, which he has guided since its formation in 2012. Through this ensemble project, he selects and trains young musicians via global auditions, arranging setlists and rehearsals to replicate Queen's live dynamics for international tours, including UK and European legs that celebrate milestones like the 50th anniversary of "Bohemian Rhapsody" in 2025, with a tour announced in 2024. His oversight extends to production elements, ensuring the band's performances honor Queen's legacy without direct involvement from the surviving members on stage. In addition to these projects, Edney provides directional guidance for guest artists within the SAS Band, which he founded in 1994 as a platform for collaborative performances. As band leader, he handles arrangement oversight for high-profile guests, coordinating musical integrations during tours and special events, such as the band's 30th anniversary shows in December 2024 featuring all-star lineups at venues like The Brook in Southampton and G Live in Guildford. This role allows him to blend diverse artists' contributions seamlessly, often drawing on his Queen-honed expertise in large-scale ensemble management.

Additional collaborations

Edney co-founded the rock band The Cross in 1987 alongside Roger Taylor, where he served as keyboardist, co-writer, and arranger for their three studio albums: Shove It (1988), Mad Bad and Dangerous to Know (1990), and Blue Rock (1991). The group toured Europe and Japan in support of these releases, blending hard rock with pop elements until their disbandment in 1993. Throughout the 1990s, Edney contributed to Brian May's solo endeavors as the keyboardist for the Brian May Band, participating in the extensive Back to the Light world tour from 1992 to 1993 and the Another World tour across Europe and Japan in 1998. His role involved providing rhythmic keyboard support and backing vocals, enhancing May's guitar-centric performances with layered arrangements. In the years following 2020, Edney has pursued sporadic and one-off engagements outside his primary commitments, including regular appearances with ' party band , which delivers sets of , pop, and soul hits spanning multiple decades. He performed at the Rock the Plaza charity concert in , joining and other prominent rock musicians to raise funds for local causes. Additionally, in late 2023, Edney participated in the Education Fund at Traditions Country Club in , sharing the stage with and to support youth scholarships, ultimately raising $1.25 million despite inclement weather. As of 2025, no major new collaborative projects have been announced.

Equipment and style

Keyboards and synthesizers

Spike Edney began his musical career in the 1970s primarily as a pianist, performing with soul artists such as Ben E. King and Edwin Starr, where standard acoustic and electric pianos formed the core of his setup. By the early 1980s, as he transitioned into rock and joined Queen for their 1984 Works Tour, Edney shifted toward synthesizers to meet the band's demanding live sound requirements, incorporating analogue and digital keyboards for greater versatility. This evolution was driven by the era's technological limitations, such as limited sample memory that necessitated manual floppy disk swaps during performances, prompting a move from traditional pianos to more programmable synths like the Roland Jupiter-8 for tracks such as "Radio Ga Ga." During the Queen + Paul Rodgers tours from 2005 to 2008, Edney adopted the Korg Triton Extreme as his primary workstation keyboard, valuing its expansive sound library and multitimbral capabilities for replicating Queen's layered arrangements in live settings. This instrument allowed him to handle piano emulations, orchestral elements, and effects in a single unit, streamlining his rig compared to the multi-keyboard stacks of the 1980s. With the formation of Queen + Adam Lambert in 2011, Edney initially relied on the Korg M3 workstation for early tours, appreciating its compact design and improved synthesis engine for on-stage reliability. He later upgraded to the Korg Kronos starting in 2012, using it as his sole keyboard through approximately 2021 and enabling advanced sound design through its nine sound engines, extensive layering options, and seamless integration of samples for Queen's complex keyboard parts across decades of material. In 2022, Edney switched to the Korg Nautilus, which has served as his primary—and sole—keyboard since, including during the Rhapsody Tour from 2019 to 2024. The Nautilus provides similar multitimbral capabilities and vast sample memory, allowing for streamlined live performances with layered sounds, effects, and vocal samples such as Freddie Mercury's voice.

Guitars and other instruments

During Queen's mid-1980s tours, particularly the 1984-1985 Works Tour, Spike Edney incorporated guitar into his performances as a secondary instrument to his primary keyboard role, providing rhythm support during select songs. He notably used a Gibson Les Paul Junior for these parts, most prominently on "Hammer to Fall," where he played rhythm guitar starting from the second half of the track to bolster the live arrangement. Edney's guitar contributions were limited but purposeful, often filling in during instrumental sections to enhance the band's sound without overshadowing Brian May's lead work, such as adding rhythmic fills that complemented keyboard leads in dynamic live settings. In addition to guitar, Edney handled backing vocals throughout Queen's tours from 1984 onward, using a dedicated microphone setup positioned at his keyboard station to layer harmonies and support Freddie Mercury's leads on songs like "Bohemian Rhapsody" and "We Will Rock You." He occasionally took on auxiliary percussion roles, such as tambourine or light rhythmic elements, during high-energy segments to maintain the full ensemble texture.

Discography

Queen-related releases

Spike Edney joined Queen in 1984 as their touring keyboardist, rhythm guitarist, and backing vocalist during The Works tour, marking the beginning of his extensive contributions to the band's recordings and performances. His first studio involvement came with the 1986 album A Kind of Magic, where he provided extra keyboards, enhancing the album's layered sound with his multi-instrumental input. Although primarily known for live work during this period, Edney's keyboard and guitar parts became integral to the band's expanded arrangements from the The Works era onward, including live renditions of songs like "Radio Ga Ga" and "I Want to Break Free," where he added synth layers and rhythm support using equipment such as the Roland Jupiter-8 and vocoder. Edney's role expanded with Queen's live albums, capturing his performances from major tours. On Live Magic (1986), compiled from the Magic Tour, he is credited with keyboards, guitar, and backing vocals, contributing to the full, dynamic sound of tracks like "Under Pressure" and "Bohemian Rhapsody." Similarly, Live at Wembley '86 (1992), recorded during the band's final tour with Freddie Mercury, features Edney on additional keyboards, guitar, and vocals, highlighting his ability to replicate and augment the band's studio complexity in concert settings. Following Mercury's death in 1991, Edney continued as Queen's longstanding live keyboardist, appearing on subsequent releases with guest vocalists. For Queen + Paul Rodgers, he performed keyboards, percussion, and vocals on the double live album Return of the Champions (2005), drawn from their 2005 tour and blending Queen's classics with Rodgers' material on songs such as "All Right Now" and "We Will Rock You." His involvement persisted with Queen + Adam Lambert, where he handled keyboards and vocals on Live Around the World (2020), a compilation of performances from 2014 to 2020 tours, including energetic takes on "Don't Stop Me Now" and "Somebody to Love" that showcase his enduring role in maintaining the band's theatrical energy.

SAS Band recordings

The SAS Band, under Spike Edney's direction since its formation in 1994, issued its first recording in 1997 with the self-titled studio album SAS Band on Bridge House Records. Edney co-produced the album with Robin Black, handling keyboards and arrangements throughout, while also contributing guitar on several tracks. The release blends covers of classic rock and pop songs with originals like "Original Sin," emphasizing the band's collaborative ethos through guest appearances; for instance, Chaka Khan provided lead vocals on the Delfonics cover "Didn't I Blow Your Mind," Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull) added flute to "The Name of the Game," and Chris Thompson sang on "You're the Voice." Other contributors included drummer Cozy Powell and guitarist Peter Green, underscoring Edney's role in curating high-profile talent. The band's sole live recording, The Show, followed in 2000 via Andrew Brel Music, capturing a February performance at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire. Edney served as co-producer with Andrew Brel and musical director, overseeing arrangements for the 15-track set that features rotating guest vocalists on each song to reflect the ensemble's all-star format. Standout collaborations include Paul Young on Hall & Oates' "Every Time You Go Away," Leo Sayer delivering "The Show Must Go On," and Fish (of Marillion) joined by Elisabeth Troy Antwi on "Just Good Friends." Bob Geldof also appeared, performing The Boomtown Rats' "I Don't Like Mondays," exemplifying the project's emphasis on celebrity-driven interpretations of hits from the 1970s and 1980s. A companion DVD of the concert was released simultaneously, further documenting Edney's production oversight. No additional studio albums or official live releases have emerged from the SAS Band since 2000, though Edney has continued arranging and producing material for their ongoing performances, including charity events and tours. The band's 30th anniversary in 2024 was marked by a series of UK concerts, such as the December 7 show at G Live in Guildford featuring guests like Roger Taylor and Justin Hawkins, which was live-streamed but not issued as a recording. These efforts maintain the guest-vocalist tradition without new discographic output.

Other contributions

Edney's early career in the 1970s and 1980s included session work as a multi-instrumentalist, often contributing brass and keyboards to various rock and new wave acts, which helped establish his reputation as a versatile studio musician before his prominent role with Queen. In the early 1980s, he provided trombone on The Boomtown Rats' album V Deep (1982), adding to the band's horn sections under producer Tony Visconti. He also supported Dexys Midnight Runners' live performances during the Too-Rye-Ay era, enhancing the group's soul-infused sound, and played trombone on Haircut One Hundred's single "Too Up Two Down" (1982). For Duran Duran, Edney contributed additional keyboards to their 1990 album Liberty, assisting in the production overseen by Chris Kimsey. These collaborations, alongside uncredited studio appearances with acts like Thomas Dolby and Haircut 100, showcased his adaptability across pop and rock genres. Edney was a core member of The Cross, Roger Taylor's side project, from 1987 to 1991, serving as keyboardist and backing vocalist on all three albums while co-writing several tracks. On the debut Shove It (1988), he co-wrote "Heaven for Everyone," shaping the band's hard rock direction. His songwriting role expanded on Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know (1990), where he largely wrote or co-wrote several tracks, helping craft the album's energetic sound. For the final release Blue Rock (1991), Edney wrote or co-wrote seven of the ten songs, significantly influencing the record's bluesy, guitar-driven style. Beyond The Cross, Edney supported Brian May's solo endeavors, joining the Brian May Band as keyboardist and backing vocalist for their 1993 world tour, captured on the live album Live at the Brixton Academy (1994). He also provided keyboards for the track "Slow Down" on May's studio album Another World (1998). In the late 1990s, Edney contributed keyboards to Peter Green's comeback project, the Peter Green Splinter Group, appearing on their self-titled debut album (1997) alongside Cozy Powell and Neil Murray, helping revive Green's blues legacy with a full band sound. No major new studio recordings outside his established projects have been documented for Edney from 2020 to 2025 as of November 2025, though he has continued performing with all-star ensembles at events like the SAS Band's 30th anniversary shows.

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