Freddie Mercury Archives

Isolated Vocals of Bowie and Mercury: “Under Pressure”

We were sad to hear of the passing of David Bowie. Much will be written about his extraordinary contributions to music, pop culture, art, and other areas. He inspired many artists both on earth and in space. And the man could sing, including on one of my favorites, his collaboration with Queen on “Under Pressure.”

“Under Pressure” appeared on Queen’s 1982 album Hot Space, as well as later collections. The song was created by Bowie and Queen jamming together, and of course it went on to become a classic. In 2014, Rolling Stone magazine readers named it the greatest duet of all time.

In the audio below, the vocals are isolated. So you may hear Bowie’s and Freddie Mercury’s voices without the music, or even that memorable riff. Incredible.

If the isolated vocals made you want to hear the full recording, below is the original release of “Under Pressure.” In the song, Bowie and Mercury remind us (in lyrics written by Bowie), “And love dares you to care for / The people on the edge of the night; / And love dares you to change our way of / Caring about ourselves.”

Somewhere, I hope Freddie and David are singing to the angels. RIP.

Leave your two cents in the comments.

Karen O and Willie Nelson Record “Under Pressure” (Pandemic Song of the Day)

Adam Lambert Sings “Bohemian Rhapsody” On Tour With Queen

Somebody to Love

Valentine’s Day and Two Love Lessons

Michael Stipe’s Tribute to David Bowie

Scaramouche! Zac Brown Band Covers “Bohemian Rhapsody”

(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)

Adam Lambert Sings “Bohemian Rhapsody” On Tour With Queen

This Tuesday, Adam Lambert began his short tour with Queen in at Independence Square in Kiev, Ukraine. Among the songs was the Queen classic, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” While nobody can replace the great singer Freddie Mercury, Lambert has the singing chops to pull off the songs. I am glad that Queen can still tour with a worthy front man, although some may complain that Lambert got his start as a runner up on the reality TV show American Idol. The performance remains a tribute to Mercury, though, as his voice and images appear during the performance, haunting the song and making us miss him even more.

Should Queen have stopped touring or do you agree they were right to go on with Adam Lambert? Leave your two cents in the comments.

Isolated Vocals of Bowie and Mercury: “Under Pressure”

Will Majesty Rose Be the Next American Idol?

How Kiss Wrote the Hit Song “Beth”

Somebody to Love

Karen O and Willie Nelson Record “Under Pressure” (Pandemic Song of the Day)

Valentine’s Day and Two Love Lessons

(Some Related Chimesfreedom Posts)

Somebody to Love

Writer Christopher Hitchens tells a great story about the playwright and activist Lillian Hellman. Late in her life, she was speaking at a college and someone asked her why, considering all of her activist work, she had not been a vocal advocate for gay rights. As the elderly Hellman leaned on her cane and looked through her thick glasses, she explained, “The forms of f**king do not require my endorsement.”

Tonight, though, the New York Senate considered whether to endorse gay marriage, moments ago passing a bill that allows it. The New York Assembly had already passed the bill, which will now go to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo who announced he will sign the bill. So, it appears New York will become the sixth and largest state to legalize gay marriage. The law, of course, is landmark legislation considering the history of discrimination, including the Stonewall Rebellion that began in New York City forty-two years ago this coming Monday when police raided a gay nightclub.

I realize that people are divided on the issue, and many of us have views on gay marriage that have changed over time, just like Republican NY Sen. Mark Grisanti, who talked about his change on the NY Senate floor. But whatever you think about whether such things should require approval, you cannot deny that everyone needs somebody to love.

In the above video, Freddie Mercury and Queen perform “Somebody to Love” off of A Day at the Races (1976). Mercury was recently voted the second greatest singer of all time in an NME Magazine poll and voted the best in a radio poll.