Tag: David Bowie

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

Karen O and Willie Nelson put an acoustic spin on “Under Pressure,” the classic song by Queen and David Bowie.

Under Pressure Willie

Karen O and Willie Nelson recently recorded a cover of “Under Pressure,” originally written and performed by Queen and David Bowie. Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs wrote Nelson seeking his help for a letter seeking funding for independent music venues during the COVID-19 pandemic.  In her letter, she also raised the possibility of working together. And out of that contact came this collaboration.

Through Nelson’s daughter, Nelson responded to Karen O asking for a suggested song.  And Karen O came up with the idea for a new interpretation of the Bowie-Queen classic.

This new version begins with the famous bass line, but it remains quieter and acoustic, focusing on the lyrics for our troubled times.  Check out Karen O and Willie Nelson on “Under Pressure.”

And that is our Pandemic Song of the Day. Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    Michael Stipe’s Tribute to David Bowie

    Stipe Bowie

    This week, Michael Stipe appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to pay tribute to the late David Bowie. It was a rare recent public performance by the former lead singer of R.E.M. and a moving way to honor Bowie with a performance of “The Man Who Sold the World.”

    Accompanied only by piano, a bearded Stipe sang a haunting version of Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold The World.” Check it out. [2018 Update: The video of the performance is no longer available, but the video below contains the audio of Stipe’s appearance.]

    Stipe is also taking part in two New York City David Bowie tribute concerts this week. One will be at Carnegie Hall on Thursday, March 31 and the other will be at Radio City Music Hall on Friday, April 1. You may watch a live stream of the April 1 tribute concert at musicofdavidbowie.com with a small donation that goes to the Melodic Caring Project, a non-profit that helps bring streaming music performances to kids in hospitals.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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

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    Isolated Vocals of Bowie and Mercury: “Under Pressure”

    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.

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    Dwight Yoakam on Acting and Music

    Dwight Yoakam interview
    In this new video from the Weekly Feed, country singer-songwriter Dwight Yoakam discusses acting, country music, and his next CD. Yoakam explains to interviewer Kyle Meredith how he came to sing a Creedance Clearwater Revival song recently as a character on CBS’s Under The Dome. He also explains why when he does cover songs, he usually tries to avoid iconic recordings. Other topics include Yoakam’s thoughts on David Bowie, Buck Owens, T-Rex, and the state of the music industry.

    Yoakam is one of the more intelligent artists around and he has a great understanding of history, so it is always enlightening to hear him talk about various subjects. So check out this interview from the WFPK studios in Louisville, Kentucky.

    Below is the clip from Under the Dome that he discusses, where his character sits in jail and sings “Who’ll Stop the Rain.”

    If all that leaves you wanting more Yoakam, below is the song he mentions at the end of the interview, “A Heart Like Mine,” from his 3 Pears (2012) CD. The song was co-produced by Beck.

    What is your favorite Dwight Yoakam song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    David Bowie Discusses Ziggy Stardust, Animated

    In Blank on Blank‘s latest animated video, PBS Digital Videos artists animate a 1988 interview Joe Smith did with David Bowie. In the interview, Bowie discusses his Ziggy Stardust persona (“half out of sci-fi rock and half out of the Japanese theater”) and recounts working with other artists like Lou Reed. Check it out.

    Johnny Cash fans should check out our recent post on another Blank on Blank video animating a Johnny Cash interview. For more about the Bowie interview, head over to Rolling Stone.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

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  • Karen O and Willie Nelson Record “Under Pressure” (Pandemic Song of the Day)
  • Michael Stipe’s Tribute to David Bowie
  • Isolated Vocals of Bowie and Mercury: “Under Pressure”
  • Dwight Yoakam on Acting and Music

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