David Gilmour
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| David Gilmour | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | David Jon Gilmour |
| Born | 6 March 1946 Cambridge, England |
| Genre(s) | Progressive rock, hard rock, blues-rock, psychedelic rock, soft rock |
| Occupation(s) | Guitarist, Musician, Songwriter, Producer |
| Instrument(s) | Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboard, Saxophone, Drums, Harmonica |
| Years active | 1963 - present |
| Label(s) | Capitol, Columbia, Sony, EMI |
| Associated acts |
Pink Floyd, Joker's Wild |
| Website | DavidGilmour.com |
| Notable instrument(s) | |
| Fender Stratocaster Fender Esquire |
|
David Jon Gilmour CBE (born March 6, 1946)[1] is an English musician best known as the lead guitarist, one of the singers, and one of the main songwriters (with Roger Waters) in the band Pink Floyd. In addition to his work with Pink Floyd, Gilmour has also worked as a record producer for a variety of famous artists. Gilmour has been actively involved with many charity organisations over the course of his career. In 2003, he was appointed CBE for services to music.
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[edit] Early life
Gilmour was born in Cambridge, England. His father, Douglas Gilmour, was a senior lecturer in zoology at the University of Cambridge and his mother, Sylvia, was a teacher and film editor.
Gilmour attended The Perse School on Hills Road, Cambridge, and met future Pink Floyd guitarist and vocalist Syd Barrett who attended Cambridgeshire High School for Boys, also situated on Hills Road. He studied modern languages to A-Level, and along with Syd, spent his lunchtime learning to play the guitar. They were not yet bandmates however, and Gilmour started playing in the band Joker's Wild in 1963. Gilmour left Joker's Wild in 1966 and busked around Spain and France with some friends. However, they were not very successful, living virtually a hand-to-mouth existence. In July 1992, Gilmour stated in an interview with Nicky Horne on BBC radio that he ended up being treated for malnutrition in a hospital. In 1967, they returned to England, driving a van with fuel stolen from a building site in France.
[edit] Pink Floyd
Gilmour was asked to join Pink Floyd in January 1968 making Pink Floyd briefly a five-piece again. He was used to filling in for Barrett's guitar parts when the front man was unable to take a consistent part in Floyd's live performances. When Syd Barrett "left" the group (the band chose not to pick him up one night for a gig due to his erratic behaviour), Gilmour by default assumed the role of the band's lead guitarist and shared lead vocal duties with Roger Waters and Richard Wright in Barrett's stead. However, after the back-to-back successes of Dark Side of the Moon and then Wish You Were Here, Waters took more control over the band, writing most of Animals and The Wall by himself. Wright was fired during The Wall sessions and the relationship between Gilmour and Waters would further deteriorate during the making of The Wall film and the 1983 Pink Floyd album The Final Cut.
In 1985, Waters declared that Pink Floyd was "A spent force creatively ". However, in 1986, Gilmour and drummer Nick Mason issued a press release stating that Waters had quit the band and they intended to continue on without Waters. Gilmour assumed full control of the group and created A Momentary Lapse of Reason in 1987 with some contributions from Mason. Wright rejoined the band for a lengthy world tour and helped create 1994's The Division Bell as well. Gilmour explained:
| “ | I had a number of problems with the direction of the band in our recent past, before Roger left. I thought the songs were very wordy and that, because the specific meanings of those words were so important, the music became a mere vehicle for lyrics, and not a very inspiring one. .. Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here were so successful not just because of Roger's contributions, but also because there was a better balance between the music and the lyrics than there has been in more recent albums. That's what I'm trying to do with A Momentary Lapse of Reason; more focus on the music, restore the balance. | ” |
In 1986, Gilmour purchased the houseboat Astoria which is moored on the River Thames near Hampton Court, and transformed it into a recording studio. The majority of the two most recent Pink Floyd albums, as well as Gilmour's 2006 solo release On An Island were recorded there.
On July 2, 2005, Gilmour played with Pink Floyd — including Roger Waters — at Live 8. The performance caused a temporary 1,343% sales increase of Pink Floyd's album Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd.[2] As a result, Gilmour vowed to donate all of his resulting profits to charities that reflect the goals of Live 8 saying:
| “ | Though the main objective has been to raise consciousness and put pressure on the G8 leaders, I will not profit from the concert. This is money that should be used to save lives.[2] | ” |
Shortly after, he called upon all artists experiencing a surge in sales from Live 8 performances to donate the extra revenue to Live 8 fund-raising. After the Live 8 concert, Pink Floyd were offered GBP150 million to tour the states, but the band turned down the lucrative offer.[3]
On February 3, 2006, he announced in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica[4][5] that Pink Floyd would most likely never tour or write material together again. He said:
| “ | I think enough is enough. I am 60 years old. I don't have the will to work as much anymore. Pink Floyd was an important part in my life, I have had a wonderful time, but it's over. For me it's much less complicated to work alone. | ” |
He said that by agreeing to Live 8, he had ensured the story of Floyd would not end on a sour note.
| “ | There was more than one reason, firstly to support the cause. The second one is the energy consuming an uncomfortable relationship between Roger and me that I was carrying along in my heart. That is why we wanted to perform and to leave the trash behind. Thirdly, I might have regretted it if I declined. | ” |
On February 20, 2006, Gilmour commented again on Pink Floyd's future when he was interviewed by Billboard.com, stating, "Who knows? I have no plans at all to do that. My plans are to do my concerts and put my solo record out."
In December 2006, Gilmour released a tribute to Syd Barrett, who had died in July that year, in the form of his own version of Pink Floyd's first single "Arnold Layne". Recorded live at London's Royal Albert Hall, the CD single featured versions of the song performed by Pink Floyd's keyboard player (and Gilmour's band member) Richard Wright and special guest artist David Bowie. The single entered the UK Top 75 charts at number nineteen and remained steady for three weeks.[6]
Since their Live 8 appearance in 2005, Gilmour has repeatedly said that there will be no Pink Floyd reunion. However, in a 2007 interview with Phil Manzanera, he stated that he's "not done with yet" and that he plans on doing "something" in the future, suggesting another solo album.
[edit] Other projects
Taking time off from Pink Floyd's schedule, Gilmour also took up various roles as a producer, sideman and even concert sound engineer for a wide variety of acts which included former bandmate Syd Barrett, Kate Bush, Grace Jones, Tom Jones, Elton John, B.B. King, Paul McCartney, Sam Brown, Jools Holland, Bob Dylan, Pete Townshend, The Who, Supertramp, Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, Alan Parsons, and various charity groups among others.
He has also recorded three solo albums, of which David Gilmour (1978) and About Face (1984), charted at the U.S. Top 40 and went Gold. Most recently, Gilmour released his third solo album, On an Island, in 2006; it debuted at #1 in the UK charts.[7] The album reached Top five in Germany and Sweden, and Top six in Billboard 200.[8][9]
In 2001 and 2002, he held a small number of acoustic solo concerts in London and Paris, along with a small band and choir, which was documented on the In Concert release. In 2003, Rolling Stone included Gilmour in the list of hundred greatest guitarists of all time.[10]
On his 60th birthday, he released his third solo album, On An Island, on March 6, 2006 and a day later it was released in the US. Produced by Gilmour alongwith Phil Manzanera and Chris Thomas, the album features orchestrations by renowned Polish composer Zbigniew Preisner. The album features David Crosby and Graham Nash on harmonies on the title track, Robert Wyatt on cornet and percussion and Richard Wright on Hammond organ and vocals. Other contributors include Jools Holland, Phil Manzanera, Georgie Fame, Andy Newmark, B. J. Cole, Chris Stainton, Willie Wilson, Rado ‘Bob’ Klose on guitar and Leszek Możdżer on piano. The album also features Gilmour's debut with the saxophone.
Gilmour toured Europe, US and Canada from March 10 to May 31 to promote On An Island. There were 10 shows in the US and Canadian leg of the tour. Pink Floyd alumnus Richard Wright, and frequent Floyd collaborators Dick Parry, Guy Pratt and Jon Carin also accompanied him on the tour. More shows were held in Europe during from July through August in 2006.
In a press release to promote the tour, David Gilmour stated:
| “ | "I'm rather hoping that with this tour announcement, people will believe me when I say, honestly, this is the only band I plan to tour with!". | ” |
On An Island peaked the UK charts by reaching number one. On April 10, 2006, the album was certified platinum in Canada, with sales of over 100,000 copies. The album also gave Gilmour his first US Top 10 album as a solo artist.
A video recording of a show from Gilmour's solo tour, entitled Remember That Night - Live At The Royal Albert Hall[11] was released on September 17, 2007. The double DVD, directed by David Mallet, contains over five hours of footage, including an on-the-road documentary and guest appearances by David Bowie and Robert Wyatt. The two and a half hour concert features band members Richard Wright of Pink Floyd, Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music, Steve DiStanislao on drums, and various Pink Floyd regulars such as Dick Parry, Guy Pratt and Jon Carin. The 20-page booklet accompanying the DVD, features over 80 photos selected from studio recording and touring.
The final show of David Gilmour's On an Island tour was held at the Gdansk Shipyard on August 26, 2006 and the performance will be released as a live album sometime in 2008. The concert was held before a huge crowd of 100,000, and marked the twenty-sixth anniversary of Poland's 1980 revolution. Whilst, the concert was notable for the inclusion of "A Great Day For Freedom" as part of the encores, Gilmour's official blog also mentions, tantalizingly, that "there will be one or two assorted extras thrown in for good measure..." on the upcoming live album.[12]
[edit] Musical style
Although mainly known for his guitar work, Gilmour is also a proficient multi-instrumentalist. He also plays bass guitar (which he did on some Pink Floyd tracks), keyboards, harmonica, drums (as heard on the Syd Barrett solo track "Dominoes", and other songs where he opted to play all the instruments) and lately, the saxophone.[13]
In his early career with Pink Floyd Gilmour played a multitude of Fender Stratocasters. One of his popular guitar solos ("Another Brick in the Wall Part 2") was played on a Gibson Les Paul guitar.[14][15]. In 1996, Gilmour was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Pink Floyd. In August 2006, Gilmour's solo on "Comfortably Numb" was voted the greatest guitar solo of all time in a poll by listeners of the digital radio station Planet Rock.[16]
[edit] Personal life
Gilmour's first marriage was with Ginger and he had four children from this union, Alice (born 1976), Clare (born 1979), Sara (born 1981) and Matthew (born 1985). They originally attended a Waldorf School, but Gilmour called their education there "horrific".[17] He has four children from his second marriage to Polly Samson - Charlie (Samson's son with Heathcote Williams) whom Gilmour adopted and Joe, Gabriel and Romany. Charlie's voice can be heard on the telephone to Steve O'Rourke, at the end of The Division Bell.
Gilmour has been associated with various charity organisations. In May 2003, Gilmour sold his house in Little Venice to the ninth Earl Spencer and donated the proceeds worth £3.6 million to Crisis to help fund a housing project for the homeless. Apart from Crisis, other Charities to which Gilmour has lent support include Oxfam, the European Union Mental Health and Illness Association, Greenpeace, Amnesty International, The Lung Foundation, and Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy.
Apart from music, Gilmour is also an experienced pilot. Under the aegis of his company, Intrepid Aviation, he had amassed an impressive collection of historical aircraft. He later decided to sell the company, as his venture, which had started as a hobby was becoming too commercial for him to handle. In an interview to BBC, he stated:
| “ | Intrepid Aviation was a way for me to make my hobby pay for itself a little bit, but gradually over a few years Intrepid Aviation became a business because you have to be businesslike about it. Suddenly I found instead of it being a hobby and me enjoying myself, it was a business and so I sold it. I don't have Intrepid Aviation any more. I just have a nice old biplane that I pop up, wander around the skies in sometimes...[18] | ” |
[edit] Main musical equipment
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The following is a list of equipment Gilmour either has used on his solo or Pink Floyd recordings, as well as on current or previous tours.
[edit] Guitars
- Fender
- Stratocaster
- His main guitar, much modified over the years, is a (1970) black Stratocaster with black pickguard and white pickup covers and knobs, currently with a 1957 vintage re-issue maple neck. It also includes a small toggle switch that combines the neck and bridge pickups (Note this guitar was for brief time fitted with a kahler locking tremolo system, the system was subsequently un-installed and the removed wood filled with a replacement piece of timber and repainted to match as can be noted by close examination of the guitar behind its reinstalled Fender tremolo).
- His main guitar for the post-Roger Waters era Pink Floyd tours in support of A Momentary Lapse of Reason, Delicate Sound of Thunder (dubbed "Another Lapse") and The Division Bell was a Red '57 reissue with a set of EMG active pickups with the EMG SPC and EXG controls fitted. On the "On An Island" tour it was used every night of the tour on "Shine On You Crazy Diamond".
- Gilmour is the owner of Strat #0001. However, this is not the first Stratocaster ever made. It was last seen at the Strat Concert in Wembley Arena in 2004.
- Cream coloured '57 reissue. Used at 1984 solo tour and at the early parts of the 1987-1990 tour. In the 1994 tour it was used as spare guitar.
- '57 Lake Placid Blue. (Serial number #0040). Used at The Wall sessions.
- Double-neck Stratocaster. Used live (1970-72).
- White with white pickguard. Used in the late 1960s.
- Telecaster
- Blonde body with white pickguard. Used on the On an Island tour.
- '59 Sunburst body with sunburst ash body and white pickguard. Used on Animals' recording sessions. Last seen on rehearsals during the On an Island tour.
- '61 Telecaster used during The Wall recording sessions. Also used live in post-Waters era for "Run Like Hell". Last seen on the Syd Barrett memory concert in 2007.
- 1960s brown-faded body. Used in the late 1960s.
- 1960s blonde ash body with white pickguard. His main guitar during his first year with Pink Floyd.
- Esquire
- '55 Sunburst body aka "The workmate Tele". Neck pickup added. Used at the recording sessions for his first solo album, The Wall recording session and the following tour. Also seen when performing with Paul McCartney in the late 1990s.
- Fender Bass VI. Used during The Wall recording sessions.
- Fender Precision bass guitar
- Stratocaster
- Gibson
- A Gibson Les Paul Goldtop (P-90 pick-ups, Bigsby vibrato bridge)
- Gibson EH150 Lap Steel guitar
- Gibson "Chet Atkins" classical guitar
- Gretsch Duo-Jet
- Bill Lewis Guitar. Used at Meddle and Dark Side of the Moon recording sessions.
- Gibson, Ovation, Takamine and Martin Acoustics
- Taylor Guitars Acoustics
- Jose Vilaplana nylon string guitar
- Steinberger GL. His main guitar during A Momentary Lapse of Reason recording sessions.
- Charvel Fretless Fender Precision style bass guitar. Used during The Wall recording sessions.
- Music Man Fretless Stingray bass guitar. Used by Gilmour while running the house band at the 1991 Amnesty International concert, during Spinal Tap's performance on "Big Bottom." (All guitarists played bass on this song, and Gilmour played a solo.)
- Jedsen (tuned D-G-D-G-B-E) and Fender Lap Steel guitars
In November of 2006, Fender announced that they will be issuing a replica of Gilmour's modified black Stratocaster. David's official blog confirmed in October 2007 that it will be released in November, to coincide with the release of the 'Remember That Night' Blu-Ray disc.[19]
[edit] Amplifiers
- Hiwatt (main) DR 103 heads into WEM 4x12 cabinets loaded with Fane Crescendo speakers
- Fender ‘56 Tweed Twin amp (used for smaller concerts)
- Mesa Boogie Mark II C+
- Alembic F2-B bass preamp
- Custom-built 'Doppola' rotating speakers (driven by the Hiwatt heads)
- Gallien/Krueger 250ML combo amp
[edit] Effect pedals
- Electro-Harmonix/Sovtek Big Muff
- Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress
- MXR Dyna-Comp (pre-Dunlop 'Script' logo)
- MXR Phase 90 (Used for the famous "four note" Syd riff on Shine On Pts. I-V)
- MXR Phase 100 (Used live during the 1977 in the flesh tour but removed early during tour)
- Colorsound Power Boost
- Demeter Compulator
- Chandler Tube Driver
- BK Butler Tube Driver
- Boss CS-2 Compression Sustainer
- Boss GE-7 EQ Pedal
- Boss MZ-2 Digital Metalizer
- Pro Co RAT Distortion
- Heil Talk box
- Dallas Arbiter Fuzz Face
- Ibanez CP9 Compression Sustainer
- Uni-Vox Univibe
- Vox Wah-Wah pedal
- Dunlop Cry Baby Wah-wah pedal
- Binson Echorec II
- Binson Echorec PE
- Electro-Harmonix Small Stone
- Digitech IPS 33B (Used for Whammy effects)
- Ibanez Tube Screamer
- Ernie Ball Volume Pedal
- Pete Cornish all tube Pedal Boards and Custom effects
- Pete Cornish Soft Sustain
- Pete Cornish P-1
- Pete Cornish P-2
- Pete Cornish G-2
- Pete Cornish SS-3
- Pete Cornish ST-2
- Pete Cornish Line Driver
- Pete Cornish Linear Boost
- Pete Cornish Tape Echo Simulator (T.E.S)
- Boss CE-2 Chorus
- The EBow
[edit] Miscellaneous
- Heil Talk box (used in "Keep Talking" and "Pigs (Three Different Ones)")
- EMS Hi-Fli Prototype
- EMS Synthi-AKS
- EMS VCS3
- GHS Boomer strings in a custom set 10-12-16-28-38-48
- Herco Flex 75 plectrums (picks)
- Cross-stitched leather guitar strap used by Jimi Hendrix and bought for David by Polly Samson as a 60th birthday present
- Shaffer-Vega wireless system for The Wall concerts 1980-81 and his 1984 About Face tour
- Pete Cornish wireless system for the 1987-96 live Gilmour appearances
- Evidence Audio Cables
[edit] Solo work
- For his work with Pink Floyd, see Pink Floyd discography between 1968 and 1995.
[edit] Albums
- David Gilmour - May 25, 1978
- About Face - March 27, 1984
- On an Island - March 6, 2006
[edit] Singles
- "On An Island", March 6, 2006
- "Smile/Island Jam", June 13, 2006
- "Arnold Layne/Dark Globe" (Live) December 26, 2006
[edit] Filmography
- David Gilmour Live 1984 (VHS) - September, 1984
- David Gilmour in Concert (DVD) - October, 2002
- Remember That Night (DVD/Blu-ray) - September, 2007
[edit] Collaborations and work for other artists
| Year | Artist | Album / Work |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Syd Barrett | The Madcap Laughs |
| Syd Barrett | Barrett | |
| Ron Geesin and Roger Waters | Give Birth to a Smile | |
| 1974 | Unicorn | Blue Pine Trees |
| 1975 | Roy Harper | "The Game" from HQ |
| 1978 | Kate Bush | Executive producer for two tracks in The Kick Inside |
| 1979 | Wings | Back to the Egg |
| 1980 | Roy Harper | "Playing Games", "You (The Game partII)", "Old Faces", "Short and Sweet" and "True Story" credited to Harper/Gilmour from the album "The Unknown Soldier". Gilmour credited as musician on album. |
| 1982 | Kate Bush | "Pull Out The Pin" in The Dreaming |
| 1983 | Atomic Rooster | Headline news |
| 1984 | Paul McCartney | No More Lonely Nights in Give My Regards to Broad Street |
| 1985 | Supertramp | Brother Where You Bound |
| Bryan Ferry | "Is Your Love Strong Enough?" in Legend | |
| Bryan Ferry | Boys and Girls | |
| Nick Mason and Rick Fenn | "Lie for a Lie" (vocals) in Profiles | |
| Pete Townshend | "Give Blood" in White City: A Novel | |
| Arcadia | So Red the Rose | |
| The Dream Academy | Co-produced The Dream Academy | |
| Roy Harper and Jimmy Page | Whatever Happened to Jugula?,"Hope" credited to Harper/Gilmour. | |
| 1986 | Berlin | Count Three and Pray |
| 1987 | Dalbello | "Immaculate Eyes" in she |
| 1989 | Kate Bush | "Love and Anger" and "Rocket's Tail" in The Sensual World |
| Paul McCartney | "We Got Married" in Flowers in the Dirt | |
| Rock Aid Armenia | Smoke on the Water in The Earthquake Album | |
| Warren Zevon | Transverse City | |
| 1990 | Roy Harper | "Once" in Once (w/Kate Bush on backing vocals) |
| 1991 | All About Eve | "Are You Lonely" and "Wishing the Hours Away" in Touched by Jesus |
| 1992 | Elton John | "Understanding Women", in The One |
| 1993 | Paul Rodgers | "Standing Around Crying" in Muddy Water Blues: A Tribute to Muddy Waters |
| 1996 | The Who | Quadrophenia (1996 Hyde Park concert) |
| 1997 | B. B. King | "Cryin' Won't Help You Babe" in Deuces Wild |
| 1999 | Paul McCartney | Run Devil Run |
| 2003 | Ringo Starr | Ringo Rama |
| 2004 | Alan Parsons | "Return to Tunguska" in A Valid Path |
| 2005 | Various artists | "Ever Fallen in Love?" |
| 2006 | Chris Jagger and Atcha | Act of faith |
[edit] References
- ^ David Gilmour Official Biography. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
- ^ a b Pink Floyd gives back. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
- ^ Pink Floyd offered millions to tour. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
- ^ Il requiem di David Gilmour "I Pink Floyd? Sono finiti"
- ^ No More Pink Floyd Ever
- ^ Arnold Layne chart position. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
- ^ David Gilmour Biography. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
- ^ On an Island music charts. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
- ^ Billboard 200. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
- ^ Rolling Stone 100 Greatest guitarist of all time. Retrieved on 2007-12-04.
- ^ David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) remembers that night on a 2DVD set
- ^ David Gilmour's Official Blog. Retrieved on 2007-12-08.
- ^ http://www.davidgilmour.com/faq.php
- ^ http://www.davidgilmour.com/faqsPhil.htm
- ^ http://sparebricks.fika.org/sbzine04/sections/ggg.html
- ^ [1]
- ^ [2]
- ^ Intrepid Aviation. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ [3]
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Official Blog
- David Gilmour at the Internet Movie Database
- The Tone From Heaven: A look into the effects used by David Gilmour
- Gilmourish: The most comprehensive guide to all the equipment used on every album and tour
- Audio interview with David Gilmour
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| Studio albums | David Gilmour (1978) • About Face (1984) • On an Island (2006) |
| Singles | There's No Way Out of Here (1978) • Blue Light (1984) • Love on the Air (1984) • On An Island (2006) • Smile/Island Jam (2006) • Arnold Layne/Dark Globe (Live) (2006) |
| Videos and DVDs | David Gilmour Live 1984 (1984) • David Gilmour in Concert (2002) • Remember That Night (2007) |
| Related articles | Pink Floyd • Polly Samson • Astoria recording studio |
| Persondata | |
|---|---|
| NAME | Gilmour, David |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | |
| SHORT DESCRIPTION | British musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 6, 1946 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England |
| DATE OF DEATH | |
| PLACE OF DEATH | |
Categories: Articles needing additional references from December 2007 | Cleanup from December 2007 | Articles with sections that need to be turned into prose | Pink Floyd members | English guitarists | English male singers | English multi-instrumentalists | English rock guitarists | English singer-songwriters | English songwriters | Slide guitarists | Alumni of Anglia Ruskin University | Old Perseans | English philanthropists | People from Cambridge | Commanders of the Order of the British Empire | 1946 births | Living people
