The Cross was Roger Taylor’s band outside Queen, in which the drummer moved to vocals and guitar. Their second album, “Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know”, was recorded live at Mountain Studios in Montreux between September and December 1989, then released on 26 March 1990. Taylor was on home ground: the studio had belonged to Queen for ten years. The record, co-produced by the band and Justin Shirley-Smith, marked a return to a more classic rock sound, with every member contributing to the writing. The CD version added a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady”.
The Cross: the band where Roger Taylor put down his sticks
A band built backwards
The Cross was born in 1987 out of a simple wish: Roger Taylor wanted to sing. In this band he left the drums, moved to the front on vocals and rhythm guitar, and handed the kit to someone else.
The line-up came together backwards. The first album, “Shove It”, was recorded mostly by Taylor alone, before the band even existed. He then recruited Spike Edney, the keyboard player from Queen’s touring band, and advertised for the rest: guitarist Clayton Moss, bassist Peter Noone and drummer Josh Macrae.
Montreux, headquarters
The band’s albums came largely out of Mountain Studios. Taylor was at home there: Queen had owned the studio since 1979.
The second record, “Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know”, was recorded there in live takes between September and December 1989, co-produced by the band and Justin Shirley-Smith. It came out on 26 March 1990. The dance influences of the first album had gone, replaced by a more direct rock, with every member contributing to the writing. The CD version adds a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady”.
A band that worked in Germany
The paradox of The Cross is that they never found their audience where it was expected. The albums and singles sold poorly in the United Kingdom, despite a few chart entries.
It was in Germany that the band found genuine standing and an audience. The third and final album, “Blue Rock”, was largely written by Spike Edney. The band split in 1993, after six years and three records, whose best memory rests in a studio on the shore of Lake Geneva.
The free exhibition inside the real Mountain Studios, where Queen recorded seven albums between 1978 and 1995.
Music recorded in Montreux
1990
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know
The second album by The Cross, Roger Taylor’s side project, recorded at Mountain Studios from September to December 1989. Queen’s drummer was playing at home.
