Queen and David Bowie Created ‘Under Pressure’ Through Creative Battles in 1981 Studio Sessions

Queen and David Bowie laid down "Under Pressure" in July 1981 at Mountain Studios in Montreux, Switzerland. Friction sparked between the artists during the sessions. Bowie dropped by to visit the band while they worked on their album, Hot Space, and that's when the magic started.

The track grew from a song called "Feel Like" through what producer Dave Richards described as madness in the studio. According to Udiscovermusic, Bowie first contributed backing vocals to the Queen track "Cool Cat," but those were taken out of the released version.

"It wasn't easy because we were all precocious boys and David was very… forceful… Freddie and David locked horns, without a doubt," May told the Express. "But that's when the sparks fly, and that's why it turned out so great."

Bowie seized control of the lyrics during the recording, and Freddie and David fought over it.

The bassist John Deacon crafted the now-famous bassline, though its origin has been disputed. May recalled Bowie reaching over to Deacon and questioning his approach. Deacon responded about being the bass player.

May wasn't satisfied with the final mix at first. "At the time, I wasn't happy about the mix," he said. "Looking back, I still think it's a very special song." Much of his heavier guitar work got stripped back and replaced by earlier acoustic takes.

The single came out on Oct. 26, 1981. Within a week, it hit No. 1 in the UK. The track is credited to all four Queen members, Freddie Mercury, May, Taylor, and Deacon, plus Bowie. Mercury and Bowie have known each other since they were teenagers.