Scotscub57 yrsTHE BOWIE CONNECTION UNDER PRESSURE
From Hot Space , 1982
Recorded with David Bowie, Roger Taylor is right to call this song “one of the very best things Queen have done”.
The first time Queen collaborated with another artist they got their second UK No.1. Both Queen and David Bowie happened to be in Montreux in October 1981 and according to Swiss promoter Claude Nobs “We had a big barbeque at my house with wine and the weather was beautiful and at midnight I said to them: ‘Why don’t you go to the studio and do something?’ They looked at me and said: ‘What do you mean?’ And I said: ‘You don’t always have Queen and David Bowie together so why don’t you go into the studio and see what you can do?’” By next morning they’d recorded the song. It’s underpinned by one of the finest bass lines in pop history from John Deacon, but most of the arrangements were done by Mercury whose soaring vocals, while a perfect complement to Bowie’s, steal the show spectacularly. Bowie apparently wanted to re-record it all but Queen’s sense of spontaneity prevailed.
Andy Powell, Wishbone Ash
“It’s a killer riff and I often find myself whistling it when I myself am under pressure. It’s fantastic when an artist – or two in this case – comes up with a lyric that affects situations in real life.”
Russell Mael, Sparks
“It wasn’t one that they did on their own, which makes it a little more interesting. Bowie’s contribution really helped to make that song into something special.”
Mick Thompson, Slipknot
“Under Pressure is an awesome fucking song. There’s a lot in the way of dynamics, and it’s very moody. What I don’t like is if you’re ever playing it, and someone under the age of 28 hears it, they automatically think of Vanilla Ice. And I get almost violent!”