Under Pressure

October 26, 1981

Under Pressure is a rock song by British band Queen with David Bowie. He appeared on the album Hot Space and it was pre- coupled on October 26, 1981 as a single. The song reached number one in the UK, number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 21 in Germany.

History

Queen had been working on a piece called Feel Like, however, were dissatisfied with the result. David Bowie had come to the Mountain Studios in Montreux to einzusingen backing vocals on another Queen piece, Cool Cat. However, Bowie was not happy with it, why his song was cut out. The band worked for a while in a jam session with Bowie, the piece was created in a first version.

Said in 1984 of bassist John Deacon Freddie Mercury was the real songwriter been. Brian May said then in 2008 the Mojo Magazine, based on the text 've Bowie "taken over" the song: "It was hard, Because You had four very precocious boys and David, who what precocious enough for all of us David Took over the song. lyrically. Looking back, it's a great song but it shouldhave been mixed differently. Freddie and David had a fierce battle over that. It's a significant song Because of David and its lyrical content. " Mercury said later: " It was not planned, if it is planned, it's boring, we have just a little fooling around and suddenly this song crystallized We said: .. . Fantastic, let it continue working something And out came Under Pressure " The song is about that permanent pressure be harmful and love could be a way out.

Reception

• Sounds ( UK ), 1981: " Queen's performance is surprisingly good, it's Bowie and Mercury's vocals and words did let the whole thing down. "
• Melody Maker ( UK ), 1981: "Something deep and significant going on here. Rage and pathos bubbling in Bowie 's performance, not to mention the squeaking of Mr Mercury's accompaniment. "

Performance

Queen played Under Pressure already on their tours of the 1980s. Bowie, however, put the piece to live only in the 1990s. When Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert Bowie sang the song together with Annie Lennox for the first time live.

Cover versions

The piece was often gecovert. So Vanilla Ice used the bass line in 1990 for the hit Ice Ice Baby. Live cover versions there were of The Flaming Lips and The Blood Brothers. Already in 1982, took the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra on a classic cover version for their album The Queen Collection and dedicated it to the band.