The Tense Night That Resulted in a Rock Classic From David Bowie and Queen

Getting two big personalities to collaborate isn’t easy. A team usually works best with distinct roles. A frontman or woman will take the lead while the rest of their bandmates follow suit, etc. But when you are able to bind two egos in one studio, the result can be greater than anyone ever imagined. The most famous example of this kind of partnership is David Bowie and Queen’s “Under Pressure”.

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This funky, bass-heavy track is an icon in its own right. Even those in the younger generation who aren’t familiar with either the artist or the band will know this song. It has unparalleled longevity. But, just because this song proved successful doesn’t mean it was an easy make. According to Queen guitarist Brian May, tensions were rife while creating this song, as both iconic frontmen squared off.

[RELATED: When Freddie Mercury Sang All That He Could Sing, He Prepared for the Inevitable: “I’ll Drop Dead”]

The Tense Night David Bowie Spent Recording With Queen

Bowie and Queen were neighbors in a small town in Switzerland when this impromptu recording came about. The English rockers took a trip down to Bowie’s house to further their friendship with him, and they all decided that a writing session was in order. As May recalls, there was some competition between Freddie Mercury and Bowie while creating this duet.

“Freddie and David locked horns, without a doubt,” May once said. “But that’s when the sparks fly, and that’s why it turned out so great.”

Before those sparks flew, the session started with a few covers and sing-alongs. Eventually, though, the artists couldn’t help but create, deciding to write an original.

“We had fun kicking around a few fragments of songs we all knew,” May continued elsewhere. “But then we decided it would be great to create something new on the spur of the moment.”

“We all brought stuff to the table, and my contribution was a heavy riff in D which was lurking in my head,” May added. “But what we got excited about was a riff which [John Deacon] began playing.”

The Iconic Bass Riff

The first thing everyone remembers about “Under Pressure” is the bass riff. It’s perhaps the most iconic bass riff of all time, wedging itself in the listener’s mind and never letting go. As the story goes, Deacon wrote this riff and later forgot it. The version the bassist remembered differed from Bowie’s recollection, leading to the first fight during the recording session.

“This was a funny moment because I can just see DB going over and putting his hand on John’s fretting hand and stopping him,” May continued. “It was also a tense moment because it could have gone either way.”

Eventually, they landed on the riff we all know and love. But the discrepancy was also the first moment Bowie took the reins on the song. He would later take charge of the track as a whole, marking a departure from how Queen typically worked.

“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,” he added. “And the rest is history.”

Despite the turmoil, both Bowie and the band delivered an iconic effort. Whatever it took to get there was worth it.

(Photo by Larry Hulst/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)