Brian May Reveals Why He ‘Never Liked’ Queen and David Bowie’s ‘Under Pressure’ Collaboration

Brian May, Queen’s legendary guitarist, recently opened up about the creation of “Under Pressure”, one of the most iconic collaborations in rock history, between Queen and David Bowie. Despite its success, May revealed that he never quite liked the final version of the song. In an interview with Total Guitar, May candidly discussed the behind-the-scenes challenges and personal frustrations with how the recording turned out.

The collaboration, which took place in 1981, was born out of a spontaneous, late-night studio session after what May described as a “meal and a lot of drinks.” However, the process of blending two titanic forces in British music quickly became a creative battle. Bowie, a visionary known for his bold, experimental style, clashed with Queen’s established rock sensibilities, particularly with May’s guitar-driven contributions.

In the interview, May recalled how an early version of the track had a Who-inspired sound, which delighted him. “I was beaming because I liked The Who,” May said. However, Bowie had a different vision. May recalled joking with Bowie, who quickly shut down the idea, saying, “Yeah, well it’s not going to sound like The Who by the time I’ve finished with it!”

What followed was a tense and difficult creative process, especially for May. As Bowie and Freddie Mercury dominated the session, May felt his vision for the track slipping away. He described the experience as “the only time in my career I bowed out, because I knew it was going to be a fight.” According to May, the recording process was marked by clashing ideas of how the song should be mixed. He revealed that he decided to take a step back and let Bowie and Mercury take the lead.

“So basically it was Freddie and David fighting it out in the studio with the mix. And what happened in the mix was that most of that heavy guitar was lost,” May explained. His electric guitar, which formed the backbone of the early versions of the song, was replaced in the final mix with more subdued acoustic elements that were originally part of a demo.

May also noted that, despite the tension, the final mix worked for audiences, even if it left him personally unsatisfied. “I never liked it, to be honest, the way it was mixed. But I do recognize that it works. It’s a point of view, and it’s done very well. And people love it.”

The guitarist also reflected on the challenges of working with another “awesome creative force” like Bowie. He admitted that the abundance of strong personalities in the studio created a chaotic environment: “You can’t have too many awesome creative forces in the same room. It starts to get very difficult! Something has to give.”

“Under Pressure” became a massive hit when it was released in October 1981, topping the charts in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the Netherlands, and reaching No. 29 in the United States. Despite May’s misgivings about the recording process, the song has endured as a cultural milestone. Its influence has extended beyond its initial release, with covers by artists such as My Chemical Romance and Shawn Mendes, and the song’s riff controversially sampled in Vanilla Ice’s 1990 hit “Ice Ice Baby.”

In 2016, following David Bowie’s death, “Under Pressure” experienced a resurgence, returning to the charts in several countries as fans revisited the collaborative masterpiece.

For all the friction that occurred during its creation, “Under Pressure” remains a testament to the enduring power of artistic collaboration, even when the road to the final product is far from smooth. Despite Brian May’s reservations, the song continues to resonate with listeners worldwide, cementing its place as one of Queen and David Bowie’s most beloved works.