UNDER PRESSURE

David Bowie and Freddy Mercury

UNDER PRESSURE

The 1981 masterpiece is a plea for sanity in hard times

First it’s the iconic bass line – instantly recognizable; then, two simple piano chords giving way to subtle guitar, a brief scat vocal and … POW! – David Bowie blurts: “Pressure … pushin’ down on me…”. The song’s call for sanity in hard times starts. It continues – fever dream lyrics fervidly sung by two of the eras best voices and innovative musicianship culminating in an outcry for love …

Can’t we give ourselves one more chance?
Why can’t we give love that one more chance?
Why can’t we give love, give love, give love, give love
Give love, give love, give love, give love?

Under Pressure is a pop music triumph – 4 minutes and 8 seconds of aural power and passion. It has few musical equals.

True to its title, the 1981 hit was born under duress. Authors David Bowie and Freddy Mercury – mega-stars of the 80s with egos to match – clashed during its making. More relevant was Great Britain’s increasingly fraught political climate as it coped with the reign of Conservative UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The song has a range of interpretations. Bowie’s lyrics address the realities of hard economic times and an earnest search for relief.

Pressure pushin’ down on me
Pressin’ down on you, no man ask for
Under pressure that brings a building down
Splits a family in two, puts people on streets

Karen O and Willie Nelson (Rick Kern/WireImage; Rob Grabowski/Invision/AP)

Listening again

What prompts revisiting the song – one that’s been a favourite from my first listen – is a unique 2020 duet I came across recently by Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs‘ lead singer Karen O and Willie Nelson.

There aren’t many covers of Under Pressure and some merely mimic what’s been done. But this gentle acoustic and country-tinged version reinterprets the song as a poignant statement. The contrast in the singers’ age and voices adds a special dimension – hers offering a younger and aware lament; his sharing an older, wisened knowing.

This subdued and beautifully crafted version of Under Pressure maintains the potency of its lyric and message. The louder and charged original is a full throttle expression of agony and an impassioned plea for love over all. Karen O and Willie Nelson explore another way to tell the same truth and do so with authenticity and care.

Playlist: three more versions and the original

Today’s playlist highlights five versions of Under Pressure starting with Karen O and Nelson.

Next up, Jaida Dreyer takes a cool and spacious rock angle on the song. The Thunder Bay-born, US-raised musician bills herself as a country singer. But she also thinks in rock and roll. Using smart vocal and guitar chops she translates the song’s essence into a succinct, rollicking whole while subtly referencing a its runs and grace notes.

Canadian superstar Shawn Mendes shares his lovely voice on a lighter and upbeat acoustic rendering. He shares singing duties with frequent songwriting partner Teresa Geiger (aka Teddy or Teddy<3) who takes on the Bowie vocals with Mendes doing Freddy Mercury.

David Bowie and Queen’s version is fourth up. The song shot to the top of the British charts in 1981. To my dismay (!) Under Pressure ranks at only 429 on the Rolling Stone Top 500 list.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra rounds out the list with a classical version of the classic. No words and very true to the original.

A few words about the resources

Iconic songs – and music fan and critic favourites – generate a lot of attention. Under Pressure has its share of cover versions, reviews, videos of obscure demos, the song’s analysis and more. The selections below are all interesting to music geeks and, I think, well … even regular listeners might enjoy the novelty of hearing Bowie and Mercury in vocal isolation, right?
And then there’s Bowie’s duet with bass player and singer extraordinaire Gail Ann Dorsey. You can’t miss that.

And, and…

• PLAYLISTS 5 versions of Under Pressure on Spotify and YouTube
• ISOLATED VOCAL TRACKS Bowie and Mercury on YouTube
• EARLY DEMO version called Feels Like (1982)
• VIDEOS:
  Original Version: Bowie and Queen Montage
  Version: Bowie and Gail Ann Dorsey
  Understanding Under Pressure (13.41 mins)
• REVIEWS + INTERPRETATIONS
  Slate, American Songwriter, Daily KOS, The Delete Bin,

Kurated is a music sharing project.

24 August 2024

PLAYLISTS
On YouTube

https://music.youtube.com/browse/VLPLG-pRIXeCU7fRwY-T24arUn3TTLEv2qL1

On Spotify