Music Brian May on why recording ‘Under Pressure’ with David Bowie was “terrible”
Studio environments can often be filled with tension, which isn’t always a recipe for disaster. These hostile settings can occasionally help artists unlock their full potential, as Queen discovered when they worked with David Bowie on ‘Under Pressure’.
As the late Bowie had already achieved so much in the music industry when they began work on the collaboration in 1981, he wasn’t prepared to stay silent and refrain from giving his honest opinion on the way the process was developing. Furthermore, rather than working with another solo artist, he had to contend with four people, who each were forthright and unafraid to share their feelings.
For the song, Bowie headed to Queen’s studio in Montreux, Switzerland, where they were recording their upcoming album Hot Space. The collaboration was born in natural circumstances rather than being forced down their throats by leading record executives who concocted an idea for a hit single.
Fortunately, Bowie was also in Montreux, as he was recording ‘Cat People (Putting Out Fire)’ for the soundtrack to the horror film Cat People. While at the same facility, the iconic artist crossed paths with Queen and joined them in the studio, leading to the creation of ‘Under Pressure’.
Firstly, Bowie provided backing vocals on the Queen track ‘Cool Cat’, although his efforts were removed from the later released version. They continued working together and wrote ‘Under Pressure’, credited to Bowie along with all four members of Queen.
While this marked their first time working together, Bowie had known Queen singer Freddie Mercury since they were teenagers. Nevertheless, tension arose in the studio, which guitarist Brian May didn’t enjoy but admits spurred them onto greatness.
As quoted by the Express, May reflected on the collaboration: “It wasn’t easy because we were all precocious boys and David was very… forceful… Freddie and David locked horns, without a doubt. But that’s when the sparks fly and that’s why it turned out so great… (They battled) in subtle ways, like who would arrive last at the studio. So it was sort of wonderful and terrible.”
At first, May was discontent with the completed version of the track but later changed his mind and learned to love ‘Under Pressure’, adding: “At the time, I wasn’t happy about the mix. Looking back I still think it’s a very special song.”
Additionally, during an interview with Mojo in 2008, May revealed: “It was hard, because you had four very precocious boys and David, who was precocious enough for all of us. David took over the song lyrically. Looking back, it’s a great song, but it should have been mixed differently. Freddie and David had a fierce battle over that. It’s a significant song because of David and its lyrical content.”
Despite facing difficulty in the studio while adjusting to Bowie’s approach to creativity, they reaped the rewards and carved out a classic, which charted at number one.
