"Under Pressure" is one of the biggest hits rock ‘n roll history, a collaboration between two legendary acts, Queen and David Bowie. But not everyone was satisfied with the result, especially Queen guitarist Brian May, who recently opened up about his frustrations with the song in an interview with ‘Total Guitar’ magazine.
May said that the song was recorded spontaneously in the studio after a night of drinking, and that he initially liked the heavy and chord-driven sound of the backing track, which reminded him of The Who. However, Bowie had a different vision for the song, and he clashed with May and Queen singer Freddie Mercury over the mixing process.
May said that he decided to bow out of the fight, and let Mercury and Bowie handle the mix. He said that he was disappointed that most of his electric guitar parts were lost in the mix, and that only the acoustic bits were used. He said he felt the song lacked the power and energy he wanted.
However, May also said that he eventually came to accept the song as it was, and that he recognized that it worked well, and that people loved it. He said that he still plays the song live with Queen and Adam Lambert, but with a heavier and more arpeggiated style that he prefers.
May also praised Bowie as an "awesome creative force" but admitted that it was difficult to have too many strong personalities in the same room. He said something had to give and that he was willing to compromise for the song's sake.
"Under Pressure" was released in 1981 and reached #29 on the Billboard Hot 100.
[Source: Classic Hits Today]