In 1981, Queen and David Bowie partnered up to write “Under Pressure”. The song is known for John Deacon’s iconic bass line and David Bowie’s and Freddie Mercury’s moving vocal performance. Over the years, “Under Pressure” proved to be a timeless classic and it easily ranks among the most iconic collaborations of all time. In this article, we will discover the story, meaning, and legacy behind the song.
The Story Behind the Song
In 1981, the members of Queen and David Bowie ran into each other in the recording studio Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland. Queen owned the studio and was there to record their tenth studio album Hot Space. Bowie lived in Switzerland and was in the studio to record “Cat People (Putting Out Fire)”.
“They were in over a week’s period and I just popped in one day,” Bowie reflected to Top Of The Pops 2. “And somehow or other we ended up writing this thing together, as usually happens when musicians get together.”
The idea to write a song together emerged out of a jam session between the members of Queen and David Bowie. “We all bowled down into the studio and picked up our instruments,” Brian May reflected in the Daily Mirror. “We had fun kicking around a few fragments of songs we all knew. But then we decided it would be great to create something new, on the spur of the moment.”
According to Brian May, “Under Pressure” started to take shape when John Deacon came up with the song’s iconic bass line. The creation of the bass line, however, remains a topic of debate to this day. Roger Taylor and Brian May credited the bass line to John Deacon, but in a 1982 interview, John Deacon stated David Bowie created it.
In Roger Taylor’s memory, Deacon played the riff frequently during the jam session. But after taking a dinner break, Deacon forgot how the riff went. Luckily, Taylor remembered the riff and recalled it to Deacon. In Brian May’s memory, it wasn’t Taylor that helped remember Deacon the iconic bass line, but David Bowie.
The iconic bass line was combined with elements of an unfinished song Queen was working on called “Feel Like”, written by drummer Roger Taylor. As the song started to form, David Bowie and Freddie Mercury improvised their vocal melodies over the track separately without knowing each other’s contribution. “So when you hear Freddie sing, that’s what he wrote and when you hear me sing, that was mine,” Bowie later reflected.
Despite the – seemingly – great musical connection between Queen and David Bowie, the recording sessions of “Under Pressure” wasn’t without its challenges. Creative tensions arose, especially between Freddie Mercury and David Bowie. “It was hard, because you had four very precocious boys and David, who was precocious enough for all of us,” Brian May reflected to Mojo Magazine.
The mixing process in particular proved to be a challenge, with Mercury and Bowie having distinct ideas for the final mix of the song. In the end, a compromise was found, leaving most musicians involved unsatisfied with the final mix.
Despite the dissatisfaction, “Under Pressure” became a massive hit. It was a worldwide top 10 hit and even topped the chart in the UK and the Netherlands.
The Meaning of the Song
“Under Pressure” is a song about the impact pressure has on our lives. The lyrics delve into the existential dread and tragic consequences of living under pressure.
The lyrics were mainly written by David Bowie, with contributions from Freddie Mercury. “[David] told us he wanted to take the track over, because he knew what he wanted it to be about,” Brian May reflected in the Daily Mirror.
“So, to cut a long story short, that is what happened. We all backed off and David put down a lyric which now focussed on the ‘Under Pressure’ part of the existing lyric. It was unusual for us all to relinquish control like that but really David was having a genius moment – because that is a very telling lyric.”
Read more: The 10 Best Queen Songs of All Time
The Legacy of Under Pressure
“Under Pressure” was released as a single in October 1981. The single reached the top of the UK charts and was a worldwide hit. The song was later included in Queen’s tenth studio album Hot Space, released in May 1982.
In 1990, the bass line of “Under Pressure” was featured on Vanilla Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby”. Vanilla Ice didn’t credit Queen and David Bowie and claimed the bass line was different because he added a single note. Eventually, Vanilla Ice admitted he sampled “Under Pressure” for “Ice Ice Baby” and gave songwriting credit to Queen and David Bowie after their representatives threatened to sue. The case is one of the most famous examples of plagiarism in music.
Read more: 10 Super Famous Songs That Are Ripped Off
Despite Queen’s and David Bowie’s dissatisfaction with the mix of the song, “Under Pressure” has proven to be an enduring record. The song is regarded as a classic and ranks among the most iconic collaborations of all time. Not a bad feat for a spontaneous partnership.
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- Interested in more stories behind David Bowie songs? Click here
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