Brian May
Photo: Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 (editorial use)
Brian Harold May (born 19 July 1947) is an English guitarist, songwriter, and astrophysicist, best known as the lead guitarist of the band Queen.
His most direct and enduring connection to David Bowie came through the spontaneous creation of the 1981 single “Under Pressure”, one of the most recognisable songs in modern music.
- Name: Brian Harold May
- Born: 19 July 1947 (Hampton, London, England)
- Role: Guitarist, songwriter
- Bowie link: Co-writer and performer on “Under Pressure” (1981)
- Core idea: Melodic guitar architecture and emotional clarity
Queen and Brian May’s guitar language
Brian May developed one of the most distinctive guitar sounds in rock history, built around layered harmonies, sustained tone, and melodic phrasing. His playing formed a central pillar of Queen’s identity from the early 1970s onward.
May’s musical sensibility combined technical precision with emotional directness, allowing him to move seamlessly between grand statements and intimate textures.
The meeting with David Bowie
David Bowie encountered Queen in the late 1970s, a period when both artists were operating at the peak of their creative powers. Mutual respect quickly developed between Bowie and the members of Queen.
This respect set the stage for an unplanned collaboration that would become one of the defining recordings of the decade.
The birth of “Under Pressure” (1981)
“Under Pressure” emerged from an impromptu studio session in Montreux, Switzerland, where Bowie joined Queen during the recording of their album Hot Space.
Rather than arriving with a finished song, Bowie and Queen built the track collaboratively, trading vocal ideas, lyrics, and musical structures in real time.
Brian May’s role in the track
Brian May contributed guitar parts that emphasised restraint rather than dominance, allowing the song’s famous bassline and vocal interplay to remain at the forefront.
His guitar textures serve as framing devices, adding tension and release without overwhelming the emotional dialogue between Bowie and Freddie Mercury.
A meeting of equals
“Under Pressure” stands out because it is not a guest appearance, but a true collaboration between artists of equal stature. Bowie was treated not as an external star, but as a full creative participant.
Brian May has frequently spoken about the openness and intensity of the session, describing Bowie as both demanding and deeply respectful.
Brian May in Bowie’s creative universe
Brian May occupies a singular position in Bowie’s creative universe: not as a recurring collaborator, but as a peer whose musical intelligence matched Bowie’s own at a decisive moment.
Their brief collaboration produced a timeless work that continues to resonate as a testament to creative trust, spontaneity, and shared artistic vision.