At the peak of his showmanship, Mercury and his band drew a crowd of over 70,000 to Wembley Stadium, delivering a performance that left no attendee disappointed. As the familiar piano and bass beats of the introductory notes reverberated through the air, the anticipation in the stadium soared, with Mercury seamlessly taking over and Roger Taylor skillfully covering the vocals originally performed by David Bowie.
The intriguing backstory of “Under Pressure” is outlined in detail on This Day In Music. Recorded at Mountain Studios in Switzerland, a place that inspired the creative process for numerous London musicians, the song’s inception is intertwined with an interesting anecdote. Bowie, who happened to have a residence near the studio, paid Queen a couple of visits. Upon hearing John Deacon’s iconic seven-note bass riff, he recognized the potential for a song built around it, captivated by its enchanting melody.
During the recording process, both Mercury and Bowie engaged in an impromptu vocal improvisation session, resulting in Mercury’s remarkable scatting performance. The collaborative effort left everyone involved impressed, as noted by The Mirror. Even the sound engineer, upon completing the mixing work in New York a few weeks later, was astounded by the song’s unique structure
