Pressure (Billy Ocean song)

"Pressure" is a song by Trinidadian-British singer Billy Ocean, which was released in 1993 as the lead single from his eighth studio album Time to Move On. The song was written by Ocean, Wycliffe Johnson and Clevie Browne, and produced by Steely & Clevie. "Pressure" reached No. 55 on the UK Singles Chart and remained in the Top 100 for two weeks. It remains Ocean's last appearance on the chart.[1]

"Pressure"
Single by Billy Ocean
from the album Time to Move On
B-side	"On Your Knees"
Released	January 1993
Length	4:42 (album version) 4:04 (single version)
Label	Jive
Songwriter(s)	Billy Ocean Wycliffe Johnson Clevie Browne
Producer(s)	Steely & Clevie
Billy Ocean singles chronology
"I Sleep Much Better (In Someone Else's Bed)" (1990) "Pressure" (1993) "Pick Up the Pieces (Put It Back)" (1993)

"Pressure" was inspired by Ocean's wrongful arrest in October 1991 in London on the suspicion of drug dealing. The charges against the singer were subsequently dropped.[2][3]

Critical reception

On its release, Music & Media described the song as a "slightly disguised Italo dance tune".[4] Penny Kiley of the Liverpool Echo "He's kept up with new music - this is a solid dance track with some familiar samples. And the words sound heartfelt."[5] In a review of Time to Move On, Deborah Wilker of the Sun-Sentinel considered the song "buoyant" and one that "should score with the club crowd".[6]

Track listing

7" single

1. "Pressure" (U.S. Radio Edit) - 4:04
2. "On Your Knees" - 5:00

12" single

1. "Pressure" (Stevo's Extended Club Mix) - 6:00
2. "Pressure" (U.S. Radio Edit) - 4:04
3. "Pressure" (U.K. 12" Extended Mix) - 6:23
4. "Pressure" (U.K. Dub Mix 1) - 5:08

12" single (European promo)

1. "Pressure" (Extended Club Mix) - 6:25
2. "Pressure" (Sparse Mix) - 5:16
3. "Pressure" (Dub Mix) - 5:20

CD single (UK release)

1. "Pressure" (U.S. Radio Edit) - 4:04
2. "Pressure" (Stevo's Extended Club Mix) - 6:00
3. "Pressure" (U.K. 12" Extended Mix) - 6:23
4. "On Your Knees" - 5:00

CD single (European release)

1. "Pressure" (U.S. Radio Edit) - 4:04
2. "Pressure" (Mr Lee's Radio Dance Mix) - 4:15
3. "Pressure" (U.K. 12" Extended Mix) - 6:23
4. "On Your Knees" - 5:00

Personnel

Pressure

• Billy Ocean - vocals
• Dalton Browne, Danny Browne - guitar
• Wycliffe Johnson - keyboards
• Clevie Browne - drums, percussion

Production

• Steely & Clevie - producers
• Colin York - recording engineer on "Pressure" and "On Your Knees"
• Chris Trevett - mixing engineer on "Pressure" and "On Your Knees", recording engineer on "On Your Knees", remix engineer on "Stevo's Extended Club Mix"
• Anthony Saunders - recording engineer on "On Your Knees"
• Mr. Lee - remix and additional production on "Stevo's Extended Club Mix" and "Mr Lee's Radio Dance Mix"
• Stephen George - remix engineer on "Stevo's Extended Club Mix"
• Tommy D. - remix and additional production on "Extended Mix" and "Dub Mix"
• Gary Wilkinson - remix angineer
• Tom Coyne - mastering

Charts

Chart (1993)	Peak position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7]	39
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8]	44
UK Singles (OCC)[9]	55

References

1. "BILLY OCEAN; full Official Chart History; Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
2. Kinghorn, Peter (9 February 1993). "Time to move on". Newcastle Evening Chronicle. p. 15.
3. https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GDUYknYQ-tkC&q=%22billy+ocean%22+arrest+london+%22pressure%22&dq=%22billy+ocean%22+arrest+london+%22pressure%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjooLalmKDqAhW_QxUIHURTAvIQ6AEwAHoECAAQAg
4. "New Releases: Singles". Music & Media. 30 January 1993. p. 26.
5. Kiley, Penny (22 January 1993). "New singles". Liverpool Echo. p. 33.
6. Wilker, Deborah (17 June 1993). "A growing Plant". Sun-Sentinel. p. 3E.
7. "Ultratop.be – Billy Ocean – Pressure" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
8. "Dutchcharts.nl – Billy Ocean – Pressure" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
9. "Billy Ocean: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.