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- Friday 19th December
2008
Remember For The Holiday – From 'Later...with
Jools Holland'
- Thanks to the largesse of the BBC, we're able to bring
you the performance of Richard Wright's Remember
A Day, which David and his band played as a tribute
to Richard in September this year on the 'Later...with
Jools Holland' UK TV show.
Remember A Day was originally released on the
Pink Floyd album A Saucerful Of Secrets; go
to the Live
In Gdańsk page to see it and other live
video clips which weren't included on David's Live
In Gdańsk album/DVD.
Remember A Day, Speak To Me/Breathe/Time/Breathe,
Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Fat Old Sun,
Wish You Were Here, and the non-album song
Wot's... Uh The Deal? will be in rotation every
few days with other songs from the album's live DVD
on the special onscreen video player.
We hope you enjoy the clips and best wishes to all
for the holiday season.
- Tuesday 9th December 2008
Tonight: David Debuts Syd Song On BBC Radio 2.
 As
previously advised, David is a special guest
on the BBC Radio 2 Radcliffe & Maconie
show tonight, taking up the second hour of
the broadcast which airs from 8 to 10pm GMT.
As part of David's interview segment, Echoes
from Gdańsk will be played in its entirety,
but David will also perform a song live –
an acoustic version of Syd Barrett's Here
I Go. Originally on Syd's first solo album,
The Madcap Laughs, it's actually the
first time that David has ever performed the
tune.
You can catch the show live on Internet radio
via the BBC
Website, or (if you live in the UK)
check out the BBC's iPlayer for a repeat.
Click here
to see Mark Radcliffe with David on board the Astoria
boat studio for the pre-recorded interview.
- Thursday 4th December 2008
David's Grammy Double Whammy?
- Well, not yet of course, but we're all hoping that
the NARAS voters will award another Grammy to David
for Castellorizon from Live In Gdańsk,
nominated in the Best Rock Instrumental Performance
category. (David's previous Grammy, shared with Richard
Wright, was for their co-composition Marooned,
Pink Floyd's sole Grammy to date.)
Congratulations to David for his nomination; other
nominees are Metallica (Suicide & Redemption),
Nine Inch Nails (34 Ghosts I-IV), Rush with Hope (Live
For The Art Of Peace), and Zappa Plays Zappa (Peaches
En Regalia). Obviously, we're pinning our hopes on
David – a matching Grammy would at least help
keep the books on his bookshelf. The 51st Grammy Awards
will take place on February 8, 2009.
- Wednesday 3rd December 2008
'The Best Live Album There Has Ever Been'
- Not our words, but those of the esteemed UK publication
Hi-Fi World, who make those unsolicited comments
in an interview with Live In Gdańsk producer
Phil Manzanera. We expect positive comment
on the great music and musicianship on the album,
but it's gratifying for the production team (David,
Phil, Andy Jackson, Damon Iddins, Devin Workman) to
be recognised for their sonic excellence as well.
Read the article here
or check in Press
where you can also find a Guitar & Bass
feature, to be joined shortly, we hope, by two other
guitar-based features.
- Thursday 27th November 2008
David's Themetime Radio Hour: 9th December.
- Well, in fact David won't be spinning his own discs,
but he will be appearing as a guest on the rescheduled
BBC Radio 2 'Radcliffe & Maconie' show on Tuesday
9th December.
Listeners outside the UK can of course log in for
Internet radio via the BBC
Website, and they probably already know that
Mark Radcliffe and Stuart Maconie are two of BBC Radio's
more knowledgeable music presenters. David's appearance
is planned to incorporate a radio broadcast of the
full-length performance of Echoes live from
Gdańsk, and is sure to be an entertaining listen.
David appears in the second half of the show, which
airs from 8pm to 10pm GMT.
- Thursday 27th November 2008
Two Thanksgiving Amazon Competitions To Win A Black
Strat
- In the UK, EMI Records have donated a David Gilmour
Signature model Black Strat to be won on Amazon.co.uk,
while in the US, Sony have done the same with Amazon.com.
Apologies to our readers, since EMI thought the competition
would start on Monday 1st December and in fact it
has just started, while in the US, the Amazon.com
version is a little hard to find.
Here are the links:
UK-only residents at Amazon.co.uk
The prize-draw will close at 23.59 GMT on Sunday 21st
December 2008.
US-only residents at Amazon.com
The US prize-draw will close on Wednesday 17th December
2008 at 11.59 pm EST.
Fender have reported that the unforeseen orders on
the David Gilmour Signature Strat have meant they
can't be completely fulfilled until 2009, although
almost half the quantity has already shipped to dealers.
If you live in the US and want to double your chances
of winning one of these elusive guitars, there will
be another US-only competition, set up by Sony, in
mid-December; details to follow.
- Tuesday 25th November 2008
More Live Clips On Gdańsk Page
- Check out the revamped Live
In Gdańsk page, where you can find a
new video player featuring a bigger screen, currently
showing a choice of full-length song clips from David's
Gdańsk concert. The player's 'menu' holds eight
clips, and as well as favourites from the live album
such as A Great Day For Freedom and The
Blue, we will be including non-album videos like
Shine On You Crazy Diamond, and others.
The tracks available change every other day (at least
for the next ten days), so check in regularly.
The Live
In Gdańsk page is also the place to download
the free PDF of A Great Day for Freedom with
embedded video, plus it includes a history of the
Solidarity labour movement, which was founded in the
city's shipyards where the concert took place.
- Tuesday 11th November 2008
Back To Blu – RTN In Best Of Blu-ray List
- In its December 2008 issue US home theatre (or 'theater'
as they spell it) magazine Home Theater lists
its Top 5 Blu-ray concert/music video discs,
one of which is Remember That Night. The review
describes the Dolby TrueHD soundtrack of David's Royal
Albert Hall performance as 'just delicious'; click
here
to see the full comments and the rest of the Top 5,
which includes releases by John Mayer, Queen, Dave
Matthews, and Legends of Jazz.
- Thursday 6th November 2008
More Manzanera Music
 Not
one to rest easy when there is music to be
made, guitarist, producer and David Gilmour
collaborator Phil Manzanera is preparing
to release a range of albums on his own Expression
Records – a new studio album, a 2CD+DVD
career retrospective and a Christmas carol
reissue.
Monday 10th November is the release date for
all three, of which the all-new studio album
Firebird V11 features Leszek Mozdzer
on keyboards and vocals. Leszek of course
features on David's On An Island album
and the concert in Gdańsk. For more information,
visit Phil's Website.
- Thursday 6th November 2008
Albatross! David Serves Up Seabird To Jools.
 David
guests on the BBC Radio 2 Jools Holland show,
broadcast on Monday 10th November, and
in the process will perform Albatross
– the 1968 Fleetwood Mac instrumental,
as opposed to the Monty Python sketch.
David chats to Jools about the Live In Gdańsk
album and performs the song with Jools' rhythm
section.
The show is broadcast in the UK from 10.30 to 11.30pm,
and is available live via the Internet here,
but it should be available again via the BBC UK-only
iPlayer Internet function. If you still miss it, the
BBC have been granted permission to run the track
on their Website, so look for it here
from Tuesday 11th November onwards.
- Friday 17th October 2008
'Live In Gdańsk' Tonight In Your Living Room
– on VH1 Classic
- With apologies for the short notice, we have only
just been told by VH1 in the US that they're broadcasting
Live In Gdańsk tonight in the US
on VH1 Classic at 8pm-10pm.
This is a longer version of the show from the DVD
included in versions of the Live In Gdańsk
album; it includes the following extra songs: Speak
To Me; Breathe (In The Air)/Time/Breathe (In
The Air) (reprise); Shine On You Crazy Diamond;
and Wish You Were Here.
Directed by Gavin Elder, the 93-minute show (plus 27 minutes of ads) runs like
this: Speak To Me; Breathe (In The Air)/Time/Breathe
(In The Air) (reprise); The Blue; This
Heaven; Smile; Take A Breath; A
Pocketful Of Stones; Where We Start; Shine
On You Crazy Diamond; Astronomy Domine;
High Hopes; Wish You Were Here; A
Great Day For Freedom; and Comfortably Numb.
If you miss it tonight, there are repeats scheduled
as follows, all in October: 18th at 2pm, 21st
at 1am, 23rd at 5pm, and 25th at 7pm.
Please note that there is much flashing and strobing
in Take A Breath and Astronomy Domine,
so if you or any other viewers are susceptible to
flashing visual material, please avoid looking at
the screen during those numbers.
- Monday 13th October 2008
David Gilmour Interviews From The BBC's 'Story
Of The Guitar'
- A short interview between presenter Alan Yentob and
David featured in last night's UK transmission of
the BBC TV programme 'The Story Of The Guitar', a
three-part stroll through the mythology and mastery
of the modern guitar world. It did also include coverage
of such greats as B.B. King, Hank Marvin, and Mark
Knopfler, plus some of the history of the Rickenbacker,
Fender, and Gibson companies. UK residents can see it again
on the BBC iPlayer here.
The BBC have also made available two longer interview
extracts with David, one talking in general about
the electric guitar, and the other demonstrating the
properties of the acoustic 12-string. See them here.
- Monday 13th October 2008
Richard On The Radio – Listen Again
- A radio tribute entitled 'Remember A Day: Richard
Wright In His Own Words' was broadcast on BBC Radio
2 in the UK last Saturday, 11th October. Including
his last ever radio interview, the programme chronicles
Richard's personal history with Pink Floyd, told entirely
in his own words, drawing on BBC archive material.
Producer Mark Hagen interviewed Richard in September
2007, and has used this to create an essential special.
Songs featured include Remember A Day, Summer
'68, Echoes, Us And Them, The
Great Gig In The Sky, Shine On You Crazy Diamond,
and Wearing The Inside Out. Writer Tony Peters
stated in the Radio Times: "With a current music scene
that offers an infinite number of pretenders serving
up a seemingly endless supply of bland material, we
should mourn the loss of a true innovator". Who could
disagree?
Listeners in the UK can listen again via the Internet
here.
- Tuesday 7th October 2008
Richard On The Radio
- A radio tribute entitled 'Remember A Day: Richard
Wright In His Own Words' runs on BBC Radio 2 in the
UK this Saturday, 11th October, at 7.00 PM. Including
his last ever radio interview, the programme chronicles
Richard's personal history with Pink Floyd, told entirely
in his own words, drawing on BBC archive material.
Producer Mark Hagen interviewed Richard in September
2007, and has used this to create what should be an
essential special. Songs to be featured include Remember
A Day, Summer '68, Echoes, Us
And Them, The Great Gig In The Sky, Shine
On You Crazy Diamond, and Wearing The Inside
Out. In the UK Radio Times preview, writer Tony
Peters states: "With a current music scene that offers
an infinite number of pretenders serving up a seemingly
endless supply of bland material, we should mourn
the loss of a true innovator". Who could disagree?
Listeners outside the UK can tune in via the Internet
here.
- Monday 6th October 2008
David Dedicates Q Award To Richard
- At today's Q Magazine Awards in London, David was
honoured with the Outstanding Contribution To Music
Award, which he dedicated to Richard Wright in a speech
that conjured a strong emotional response.
David said: "I'm going to dedicate this to my old
friend and colleague Richard Wright, who died a couple
of weeks ago, and with whom I worked for 40-odd years.
There's all sorts of music I won't be able to play
without him, which is a source of great sadness for
me. One of the last things he wanted to do was play
a big outdoor festival such as Glastonbury which we
were unable to do, which is also a sadness. He deserves
this just as much as I do; you could say that he worked
in the position of second fiddle to the pushier chaps
at the front, but his work was vitally important to
our entire career".
He then proposed a toast to Richard and the entire
audience stood and raised their glasses in support
and tribute.
- Thursday 2nd October 2008
Dude, Where's My Box?
- Sadly, some retailers and some local record companies
didn't believe us when we said there would be a big
demand for the 5-disc box version of Live In Gdańsk,
the result being that in some areas it has been hard
to find. In the UK, even though the highest sales
are actually for the 2-CD version, the story started
when Amazon quintupled their order in the week before
it shipped. The 5-disc version comes in a box which
is made by hand, and the memorabilia, booklet, etc.,
takes time to create and collate, so the quoted production
time is six weeks. Therefore, if retailers order after
the initial order date, they can't get stock quickly;
however, a second batch has just arrived in the UK
and copies should be available tomorrow, Friday.
Elsewhere, some countries have been slow to order
stock. Sony Mexico received their 5-disc boxes from
the US last Friday and they should be instore now
– exclusively at Costco.
Sony Brazil have only just revealed that they are
just now taking retail orders for 4-disc, 5-disc,
and 5-LP versions, and expect it in-stock in November.
This is not what we were led to believe, so many apologies
for having raised expectations in good faith.
Meanwhile, many EMI European companies are belatedly
ordering more 5-disc boxes; the factory says to expect
them during the second week of November, although
we are working with them to improve that. The box
set was released by every EMI company in Europe, except
for the following: Austria, Italy, Poland, Portugal,
and Spain, although they have all now ordered stock,
except for Spain and Italy, who are talking to retailers
about stocking it.
We don't have any information at all about what EMI
Greece has released.
- Tuesday 30th September 2008
Chart Positions
- Chart positions have come in from around the world
for the Live In Gdańsk album: Portugal
– 9; UK – 10; Italy – 11; Germany –
12; Switzerland – 14; France – 15; Holland – 15;
Poland – 18; New Zealand – 20; Ireland –
22; Austria – 28; Norway – 34; Belgium –
36.
- Monday 22nd September 2008
Things For Today
- After last week's very sad events, please be assured
that we won't be forgetting Richard. Read David's tribute
below, and check out Press
for some of the Press coverage. There will be other
Richard-related material here in due course.
Today is of course the UK release of the Live In
Gdańsk album, of which no more need be said,
other than it features Richard at his absolute best,
playing and singing at the top of his form, and obviously
loving every minute of it. As usual, he received a
rapturous reception from the 50,00-strong audience
– and as usual he deserved it.
You can see him in action on the big screen today
at one of the special cinema showings of Live In
Gdańsk – click here
for details.
We have a brand-new item for you on the Live
In Gdańsk page – it is a free download
of A Great Day For Freedom, with a twist. Designer
Steve Knee has invented a new kind of all-in-one download
package, which includes an MP3 music file, an embedded
video (so you don't have to be subject to a stuttering
Weblink), and a photo gallery to enjoy while listening
to the track.
It is however 40 megabytes, so there is a 'Lite' version
(which does rely on an active Weblink), or just an
MP3 audio file if you don't want to download the pictorial
plenty.
N.B. For it to function, you MUST have downloaded
the latest version of Acrobat
Reader (Version 9), though it is free, and
is pretty easy.
Enjoy the package here.
Our understanding is that this is the first time ever
that audio-visual material has been presented it this
way, so we're pleased to be able to offer it here
and now.
- Monday 15th September 2008
David Pays Tribute to Richard Wright
 No
one can replace Richard Wright. He was my
musical partner and my friend.
In the welter of arguments about who or what
was Pink Floyd, Rick's enormous input was frequently
forgotten.
He was gentle, unassuming and private but his
soulful voice and playing were vital, magical
components of our most recognised Pink Floyd
sound.
I have never played with anyone
quite like him. The blend of his and my voices and
our musical telepathy reached their first major flowering
in 1971 on 'Echoes'. In my view all the greatest PF
moments are the ones where he is in full flow. After
all, without 'Us and Them' and 'The Great Gig In The
Sky', both of which he wrote, what would 'The Dark
Side Of The Moon' have been? Without his quiet touch
the Album 'Wish You Were Here' would not quite have
worked.
In our middle years, for many reasons he lost his
way for a while, but in the early Nineties, with 'The
Division Bell', his vitality, spark and humour returned
to him and then the audience reaction to his appearances
on my tour in 2006 was hugely uplifting and it's a
mark of his modesty that those standing ovations came
as a huge surprise to him, (though not to the rest
of us).
Like Rick, I don't find it easy to express my feelings
in words, but I loved him and will miss him enormously.
David Gilmour
Monday 15th September 2008
- Monday 15th September 2008
Richard Wright
- The family of Richard Wright, founder member of Pink Floyd,
announce with great sadness, that Richard died today after
a short struggle with cancer.
The family have asked that their privacy is respected
at this difficult time.
Richard Wright
Born 28 July 1943 (65)
- Thursday 11th September 2008
...The Deal To Support Your Local US Indie Store
 US 'Record
Store Day' will be celebrated for the second
time on April 18th 2009. Launched for like-minded
US Independent shops to pull together and boost
their retail offering, April 18th 2008 was apparently
the biggest sales day for Indies in years, with
some stores reporting stronger sales than even
Christmas.
Columbia Records (David's US label) will be
supporting them with various initiatives, and
they are supporting us by committing to the
Wot's... Uh The Deal? offer.
Wot's... Uh The Deal? wouldn't fit on Disc
2 of Live In Gdańsk, so Indie stores are
offering it as a bonus CD with purchase of the album
(see below).
Or indeed you can get an audio stream of it right
now by clicking here.
The 'Deal' runs until Monday 29th September 2008.
Every store on the Web site (found by clicking 'Participating
Stores') has either been serviced this bonus CD directly
– or if they are not a direct customer they can
get it from their One Stop wholesaler.
N.B. Our Sony US colleagues say: "That does not
mean that every store here will participate
but they are all eligible. For that reason the site
uses the line 'Check with a store near you for availability'.
No promises are being made that they will all have
it but the majority will – and, yes, it is FREE
with any of the 2, 3, or 4-disc CD versions (while
supplies last)".
If you have already ordered another version, or don't
live in the US, here are the other ways you can hear
it:
On David's MySpace page
Over the credits of the concert (in full) on Disc 3 of the 3-, 4-, or 5-disc sets
On Disc 3 of the 5-LP vinyl box edition
As a bonus track on iTunes UK if you buy the whole album (from September 22nd)
As the first free download in a series available monthly on Disc 3 of the 3-, 4-, or 5-disc sets (from release)
Perhaps in other streaming promotions from music retailers, ex-UK and US. The track is available for retailers to offer, should they wish to.
- Tuesday 9th September 2008
Exclusive re: US Best Buy 5-Disc Gdańsk Box.
 A little later
than expected, US retail chain Best Buy are
running details of their exclusive on the 5-disc
box version of Live In Gdańsk.
Some people commented favourably on the availability
of the Remember That Night DVD from Best
Buy, and this does mean that the set should
be widely available via Best Buy's 1,400 US
stores.
Their price is $69.99, which includes free shipping
if you don't live close to a store.
Click here
to see their offer page.
This is what you get, all in a package
designed by Steve Knee of Blade:
A robust card box, approx. 10.5" x 6"
A 10" x 6" 24-page colour booklet,
including photos, credits and more
5 discs (3 x CDs; 2 x DVDs), all in colour wallets
A double-sided colour poster
There's also a sealed memorabilia envelope
containing:
7 glossy printed photographs from Gdańsk
with explanatory stickers on the reverse
Replica laminate from Gdańsk show
Backstage pass
Replica ticket (full colour, double-sided)
Replica Gdańsk promotional postcard in Polish
David Gilmour guitar pick in actual size, material and style with Wireman logo, plus 'David Gilmour Gdańsk'
Click here
to see the contents. The memorabilia is exclusive to this version.
Plus of course 2 CDs (2 1/2 hours +) of the live concert,
Disc 3 (DVD of 115 minutes of the concert + a 37-minute
documentary), Disc 4 (8 audio-visual songs, plus 3
new Barn Jams plus the whole Surround Sound
audio of the On An Island album, all on DVD),
and finally Disc 5, an audio CD of 12 live tracks
from the 2006 On An Island tour.
If you live outside the US, and can't find it locally,
click on Shop
and then 'North America'. The David Gilmour
store will ship to you Internationally, but it may
take some time. If you want to save money, you can
get the 4-disc version, and eventually, via the Weblink
on Disc 3, it is planned to give access to all the
content on Disc 5 over 12 months via digital downloads.
- Saturday 6th September 2008
107 US Cities Screen One Night In Gdańsk
 As
per our story of Friday 29th August, this
news just in of the cinemas across the US
participating in the one-night only showing
of 108 minutes of Live In Gdańsk
on Monday 22nd September. Click here
for the list, which we're told will also be
up shortly on The
Bigger Picture.
We only have the cinemas' names and towns, so
can't list times or prices; please contact them
locally for details.
Apart from the 'Western Division', which seems rather
light at nine theatres, it's a travellers' trove for
towns with interesting names, or indeed song titles:
Lafayette Railroad, Stuck Inside of Mobile
(With The Memphis Blues Again), As Falls Wichita,
So Falls Wichita Falls...and so on.
No further news on whether the list will expand to
include your local theatre, but we will certainly
post any and all news here and on The
Blog. If you'd like to see a brief trailer,
there is one showing on The
Bigger Picture Website now.
- Sunday 31st August 2008
David Gilmour Plays 'Later...with Jools Holland'
- No sooner do we announce the one-day US-only cinema
presentation of Live In Gdańsk than we
can counter with UK-only information: David and band
will be performing live on BBC TV's Later...with
Jools Holland on Tuesday 23rd September.
The Later... TV format includes one song from
each guest in a half-hour show transmitted live between
10.00 and 10.30PM. There is also an extended version
of the show (taped separately on the 23rd), which
transmits in the late evening of Friday 26th September.
The full one-hour show will include three songs.
Later...with Jools Holland is syndicated around
the world by the BBC, so it may be possible to catch
the performances outside the UK, although we don't
have any details of BBC Licensees' broadcasts.
- Friday 29th August 2008
Gdańsk Onscreen For One US Night – The
Emerging Picture
- It's a holiday weekend in the US, so here's something
to check out in a spare moment: The
Bigger Picture will soon be running details
of a one-night-only big screen version of Live
In Gdańsk on Monday 22nd September in
the US only.
Similar to what was done for Remember That Night,
it will be a cinema presentation of select songs from
the Gdańsk concert (108 minutes in total) but
with one difference – it will include the audio-visual
presentation of five songs not included on the Concert
DVD with the live album. So, if you want to see Breathe
(known as Breathe (In The Air) in the US),
Shine On You Crazy Diamond or Wish You Were
Here, this will be the place to go. There might
of course be other places to see these songs in the
future, but this is all that is confirmed for now.
The whole programme has been re-transferred from the
original source masters by director Gavin Elder, and
the sound will be played out in full Surround Sound
in every cinema. However, although most of the concert
was shot in HD, some of the shots are from the Standard
Definition cameras covering the musicians in close-up.
Therefore there is a mixture of styles which adds
to the excitement of the experience but may not be
to the taste of some high-definition purists. Please
also note that some songs (in particular Take A
Breath and Astronomy Domine) are very heavy
on strobe effects, so the show is NOT suitable for
those with photo-sensitive epilepsy or other such
conditions. (Please note that only the local cinema
manager controls the playback volume, which concerned
a few cinema-goers at the Remember That Night
screenings.)
The full song list is: Speak To Me; Breathe
(In The Air)/Time/Breathe (In The Air)
(reprise); Castellorizon; On An Island;
The Blue; This Heaven; Smile;
Take A Breath; A Pocketful Of Stones;
Where We Start; Shine On You Crazy Diamond;
Astronomy Domine; High Hopes; Wish
You Were Here; A Great Day For Freedom;
and Comfortably Numb.
Around 106 cinemas are expected to participate and
we will list all details when available.
- Saturday 23rd August 2008
A Study In Scarlet – Be Well Red On The Gdańsk
Page
- The game is afoot for followers of the Live In
Gdańsk story – we will be constantly
adding to the Live
In Gdańsk page.
As well as the clip of A Great Day For Freedom,
we have added Where We
Start; both are available in a choice of resolutions,
and there will be more shortly.
If your eyes go blurry after a YouTube session, this
will be where to come, so make sure you check it out
regularly. We will also be updating it with surprises
(which we haven't thought of yet).
- Tuesday 19th August 2008
An Orchestrated Affair – See 'A Great Day
For Freedom'
 From now on, the
Live In Gdańsk page will be the
place to visit, since that's where we'll be
placing various elements of the live album for
you to enjoy.
First up is the full-length clip of A Great
Day For Freedom, featuring David, his band
and orchestra live onstage in Gdańsk using
the arrangements of the late Michael Kamen,
conducted by Zbigniew Preisner. Click here
to see the footage, which was directed by Gavin
Elder.
- Monday 4th August 2008
Latin Nights To Remember: Another HBO RTN Screening.
- More info from the TV sales team: a further Latin
American broadcast of Remember That Night has
been announced. It is the 75-minute version of the
Royal Albert Hall concert, and there will be showings
on HBO Plus across the Latin America region on Friday
22nd and Monday 25th August – both at midnight,
local time (i.e. Fri/Sat., and Mon/Tues).
Apparently there is one TV feed, and it covers Mexico,
Central America, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile,
Colombia, Ecuador, French Guyana, Guyana, Paraguay,
Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela, and the Caribbean
(excluding Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands).
- Monday 4th August 2008
Black Strat Price, Specs and Value.
 Apologies for the delay in announcing this, but Fender have
only just officially posted the Manufacturer's
Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the David Gilmour
'Black Strat' NOS and Relic versions. They are:
New Old Stock version MSRP $3,999.99 and Relic
MSRP $4,799.99.
It should be
stressed that manufacturers can't legally fix
prices in the US and UK, so it's 'suggested',
meaning that prices are expected to vary; one
technique is to telephone guitar dealers and
ask them for their 'best price'.
However, orders have come in at roughly double
the expected rate in the first day, so if you
really want the lowest price it might be better
to wait until after the first wave of buyers.
There has been certain amount of comment about the
price, which is at the high end of production-line
models. However, in terms of attention to detail and
personal construction, the 'Black Strat' has more
in common with Fender Custom Shop special editions,
even though it is not limited in numbers and is highly-customised,
with many unique features. One of these is the pickup
choice, of which the neck and middle are both custom-wound
by Fender to David's specifications (they are based
respectively on the Fat 50's and the '69 but are different
from both and will not be available elsewhere –
Fender have promised to update their sales data accordingly).
As important is the function of the guitar
– it is intended to both replicate David's
particular guitar, for those that are interested,
but also to play well and sound good. These
are highly individual and elastic concepts,
and the 'Black Strat' won't suit everyone.
But if you're interested in exploring the
quest for the perfect sonic solution, you
might like to check out ToneQuest magazine's
Website here.
They are independent and inspired by a desire for
knowledge, which certainly can be costly in commitment,
dedication and time.
Our best advice is to track down the 'Black Strat' guitar
in September at your local Fender Custom Shop
dealer and try it for yourself. Then make up your
own mind.
- Thursday 24th July 2008
Return To Fender – The 'Black Strat' Date
 Perhaps our
story of a year ago was just a tad premature,
but it's now official – Fender are now
launching the David Gilmour Signature 'Black
Strat' model on Monday 22nd September 2008,
to coincide with the Live In Gdańsk
album, which also hits the streets on that day
(Tuesday 23rd in North America).
The Fender Custom Shop's Mike Eldred and Todd
Krause have worked very closely with David and
Phil Taylor to make sure that the model is the
closest thing to David's own, much-customised,
guitar, but at a reasonable price.
We don't have a confirmed Manufacturer's Suggested
Retail Price yet, but it won't be $24,000 (the price
of the recent Eric Clapton limited 'Blackie' model),
nor is it intended to be a limited edition. However
its manufacture does take some time, so it may be
hard to find at first – hopefully only for a
short while.
In the two years that the guitar has been in discussion,
a number of prototypes have been produced, and the
final version was only approved when David was happy
that all elements combined to make a sound that was
as close as possible to his own guitar's. The
'Black Strat' comes in a hard case (by G&G)
stuffed with extras: Phil Taylor's 'Black
Strat' book, a set of GHS David Gilmour Boomer
strings, a copy of the 3-disc version of Live
In Gdańsk, a cable by Evidence Audio, a deluxe
Fender leather strap, and a David Gilmour plectrum.
The interior of the case is a plush green, including
embroidered David Gilmour and Fender Custom Shop logos.
The guitar itself features close renditions of the
Black Strat's maple neck, deep black pickguard,
shortened tremolo arm and custom electronics, and
is the only guitar that can be said to closely resemble
the real thing – beware of imitations.
Attention guitar obsessives: in a world where
you can get a Fender Baja Tele or a Gibson SG Special,
you don't need the David Gilmour Signature
Stratocaster. But if you want one, and are
desperate to study the special features, click
here.
- Thursday 26th June 2008
Live In Gdańsk – The Basic Details
- As any regular reader of The
Blog will know, David's next album is Live
In Gdańsk, a double live album plus concert
DVD to be released in September.
We will be listing all the details of all the formats
in a dedicated space shortly, but suffice to say that
it will be available in versions to fit every pocket.
The 2-CD audio-only version represents the August
2006 concert from the Gdańsk Shipyard, featuring
David and his stellar touring band plus a 40-strong
orchestra. The final concert of the On An Island
tour in front of 50,000 people, it can be seen as
well as heard on the 3-disc version, which includes
an extra concert DVD (114 minutes long) and Gdańsk
Diary, a 37-minute filmed documentary. All of
the show is included on the CDs, except for Wot's... Uh
The Deal?, which does however make an appearance over
the concert end-credits on the DVD.
There is also a 4-disc version, packaged, like the
2-disc and the 3-disc, in a carbon-neutral cardboard
wallet, with a 12-page booklet including credits and
concert photos, plus a 5-disc package, presented in
a cardboard box with bonus collectable extras. The
4-disc version is the same as the 3-disc version,
but with an additional DVD of live performances from
the Mermaid Theatre, the AOL Sessions, and Abbey Road.
It also has three brand-new tracks performed as live
jams by David with Richard Wright, Steve DiStanislao
and Guy Pratt, filmed in David's barn. In addition,
it also has the whole On An Island album in
5.1 surround sound audio, on Dolby Digital or DTS
format.
As if that wasn't enough, the 5-disc version
has all of the aforementioned discs, plus an extra
audio CD of live tracks recorded on the Summer 2006
tour, and a 24-page booklet, reproduction concert
memorabilia and a 2-sided poster.
Finally, for vinyl junkies, the entire concert will
be available in a box of LPs: 8 sides will be the
concert, including Wot's... Uh The Deal?, while
the 5th disc holds two Barn Jams, On The
Turning Away live from Venice, and two songs from
the Live From Abbey Road sessions. You also
get a 'Webpass', which allows one complete download
of the whole five discs in MP3 format to a computer
of your choice.
Need more details? Visit The
Blog, where there is a grid cross-referencing
the information.
- Sunday 15th June 2008
A No Bull Endeavour: 'Atom Heart Mother' Live.
- As imagined, David's involvement in Ron Geesin's presentation
of the Atom Heart Mother Suite took the performance
to another level. Saturday's show, which showcased
Ron's wide range of talents, including improvisation,
composing, experimental musicianship, and even poetry,
was well-received, and the Atom Heart Mother Suite
(plus humorous anecdotal introduction) which comprises
the second half of the show was a palpable hit.
However, from the Sunday afternoon runthrough onwards,
David's presence seemed to be the factor that finally
made all the disparate elements of the Suite coalesce.
Critics of the Suite have noted the amalgam of rock
band instrumentation with choir, brass ensemble and
solo cello, hardly the average accompaniment to a
band album in 1970; but in 2008, with David's bluesy
lead guitar and lyrical lap steel weaving in and out
of the orchestrated elements, it all seemed not only
vital, but far more genre-busting than any contemporary
competition. Certainly you wouldn't have found any
disagreement in the hall as a packed house rose to
its feet at the final chord. Ron Geesin at the piano,
Caroline Dale, the Canticum choir, Mun Floyd, the
brass section and in particular conductor Mark Forkgen,
all had the confidence of a successful previous night's
show, and were able to build on it to produce a tour
de force.
David, playing one of the prototype versions of the
forthcoming Fender 'Black Strat' model, reminded
the audience yet again what musical guitar
playing is – emotional, exciting, moving and
thrilling.
- Friday 30th May 2008
David & Atom Heart Mother – A Date For Your
Dairy
 Sunday 15th
June is the day on which David Gilmour has
accepted Ron Geesin's invitation to perform
as a special guest on one of the performances
of the Atom Heart Mother Suite at Cadogan
Hall, 5 Sloane Terrace, London SW1.
As previously announced elsewhere, Ron Geesin
is recreating Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother
Suite live onstage for the Chelsea Festival,
in two nightly performances: June 14th and 15th.
Ron, who co-composed the original piece with David
Gilmour, Nick Mason, Roger Waters and Richard Wright,
is staging it with the talents of a 10-piece brass
ensemble from the Royal College of Music, Italian
band Mun Floyd, the 40-strong Canticum chorus and
cellist Caroline Dale, who has performed with David
at the Festival Hall and on the On An Island
album. The evenings will also feature other Ron Geesin
music, including new scores created especially for
the occasion.
The June 14th show starts at 7.30PM, ending at around
9.45PM, while that on the 15th starts at 7.00PM, ending
at approximately 9.15PM. Tickets went on sale in March,
but we're told that some are still available
now at all prices – £55, £45, £35,
and £25 – though they are restricted to two
per customer (four for Friends of the Chelsea
Festival).
Ticket Purchase Details
Chelsea Festival Box Office
Phone (+44) (0)845 890 2435 or visit www.chelseafestival.org.
Cadogan Hall Box Office
Phone (+44) (0)20 7730 4500 or visit www.cadoganhall.com.
Booking fees apply, except for personal callers.
Box Office opening times are: Chelsea Festival –
Monday to Friday from 10.00AM to 6.00PM; Cadogan Hall
– Monday to Saturday from 10.00AM to 8.00PM (Sundays
10.00AM to 4.00PM). See The
Blog for more details.
Sadly the hall will probably not be full of inflatable
cows, but at least there is a horn section. Rumours
that Cadogan Hall is to be renamed Cowdungan Hall
for the evening have been dismissed as tripe.
- Thursday 22nd May 2008
Award To The Wise: David Honoured With Ivor
 We
are pleased to announce that David was today
the recipient of a Lifetime Achievement
Award from the British Academy of Composers
& Songwriters.
The prestigious guild of successful music creators'
annual Ivor Novello Awards chose this
year to honour David for all aspects of his
musical life. So far, this has encompassed writing,
performing, recording, producing and collaborating.
He has also nurtured talent in its early stages,
as with Kate Bush, Dream Academy, and others,
and no doubt the future will be just as rewarding.
David received a standing ovation as he collected
the award from his long-time friend Robert Wyatt.
The event, held at London's Grosvenor House, was hosted
by Paul Gambaccini.
- Wednesday 21st May 2008
Cream Of The Crop
 A Fender Stratocaster
Vintage '57 reissue will be featured at The
Icons Of Music II Auction, which takes place
at the Hard Rock Cafe on Broadway, New York,
on Saturday 31st May at 9.30AM (Eastern).
The guitar was purchased by David from Arbiters,
the UK Fender distributor, and fitted with a
short tremolo arm and later with a set of EMG
SA pickups and SPC/EXG tone boost circuits.
It is one of six vintage Stratocasters purchased
in the mid-eighties by David and was customised
and set up to his personal specifications.
This guitar (serial number V010612, cream finish,
3-ply pick guard) is known as Cream No. 2 – played
on occasion and mainly used as a backup for Cream
No. 1. It was taken on the Pink Floyd A Momentary
Lapse of Reason tours of 1987, 1988 and 1989,
and Knebworth in 1990. It was loaned to Fender for
an exhibition in the USA in December 1993 before appearing
on Pink Floyd's The Division Bell tour in 1994.
It was loaned to EMI in 1997 for their 'Music 100'
exhibition.
The guitar, which comes with a David Gilmour guitar
pick and guitar strings, has an estimate of $4000
to $6000.
- Friday 2nd May 2008
Red Sky That Night – The Gdańsk Album
Sleeve
 Here it is –
the album sleeve for David's forthcoming Live
In Gdańsk album, which is due in September.
The last concert on David's 2006 Summer Tour
was held in front of 50,000 people at the shipyards
in Gdańsk, Poland, at the request of the
Gdańsk Foundation. The creation of the
Solidarity movement, after Lech Walesa's sacking
from the shipyards, led directly to the dismantling
of the Soviet Union's control over the former
Eastern Bloc, and to the reunification of Germany.
The concert was the only occasion on which David performed
the tour material with an orchestra, using the 40-strong
string section of the Polish Baltic Philharmonic Orchestra,
conducted by Zbigniew Preisner, who was responsible
for the On An Island album's orchestral arrangements.
Other unique features of the show included the special
6-screen design, created by lightmeister Marc Brickman
to allow each band member his own dedicated screen
for the edification of the audience; the performance
of A Great Day For Freedom with the orchestral
arrangement of the late Michael Kamen, and a guest
appearance by prominent Polish pianist Leszek Mozdzer,
who reprised his piano part from A Pocketful Of
Stones.
- Friday 25th April 2008
A Date In Gdańsk
- As announced exclusively on The
Blog, David's next release will be a live
album, entitled Live In Gdańsk, recorded
in Poland at his August 2006 concert. It is still
a work in progress, with many more elements to be
added, but we can at least say that it will be released
in mid-September this year via EMI Records in Europe
and Sony BMG Records in the rest of the world.
Tune in to the regular Blog discussions for speculation
on what might be included, and be assured that firm
details once confirmed will be posted there regularly.
- Sunday 2nd March 2008
The Long March for Change – Crisis setback
 As
was widely reported at the time, David sold
his London house in 2003 and donated the money
to Crisis, the charity for the homeless, in
order to fund houses for London's destitute.
Five years on, local opposition has halted
the Urban Village scheme which was to have
housed up to 400.
In an article in today's UK 'Observer' newspaper,
Crisis describe how a combination of London's
labyrinthine planning laws and local residents'
opposition has halted the scheme, at least for the
time being. David is quoted as saying, 'Obviously
this setback is a disappointment, but I am determined
to make a success of the Urban Village project here
in London and to continue to work with Crisis to bring
real change to the lives of homeless people'.
One early London supporter was Rabbi Julia Neuberger,
a Liberal Democrat peer and mental health expert who
in 2003 was head of the King's Fund think-tank. 'If
we can't get a scheme like this running in London,
with all of its wealth and all the great need for
housing, that's pretty poor. There is a lot of nimbyism
around, but we have to find a way of making this work.
We can't give up on it.'
Click here
for the full article. If you'd like to help
Crisis and their excellent work in tackling
the problem of homelessness, please visit
their Website.
- Friday 22nd February 2008
Return To Remember in March
- Some more broadcast news for our readers in the U.S.
– PBS TV are running some extra showings of the
Remember That Night TV version in March.
As always, please check your local TV listings to
double-check times, just in case.
Saturday 1st March
PANAMA CITY, FL – WFSG, 10.30PM
TALLAHASSEE, THOMASVILLE, GA – WSFU, 11.30PM
Wednesday 5th March (10.30PM)
MISSOULA, MT – KUFM.
BUTTE, BOZEMAN, MT – KUSM.
Friday 7th March (03.00AM)
MISSOULA, MT – KUFM.
BUTTE, BOZEMAN, MT – KUSM.
Sunday 9th March
RAPID CITY, SD – KBHE, 12.00AM
(All below, 01.00AM)
SIOUX FALLS (MITCHELL), SD – KCSD
SIOUX FALLS (MITCHELL), SD – KDSD
SIOUX FALLS (MITCHELL), SD – KESD
SIOUX FALLS (MITCHELL), SD – KTSD
SIOUX FALLS (MITCHELL), SD – KUSD
MINOT, BISMARK, DICKINSON, ND – KQSD
RAPID CITY, SD – KPSD
- Monday 18th February 2008
The Titan Of Tone (Says Guitarist Magazine)
- David makes the cover of the latest Guitarist
magazine in the UK, having topped a poll of great
individual guitar tones. The search for top tone is
the guitarist's grail quest – the perfect balance
of guitar, amplifier, effects and technique that separates
the masters from the apprentices.
Of course, it's always a personal choice, but just
for the record, David's second solo in Comfortably
Numb beat such greats as Jimi Hendrix (2), Eddie
Van Halen (3), Brian May (4), and Stevie Ray Vaughan
(5), for the top slot. Other great tone purveyors
listed included Slash, Hank Marvin, Angus Young, Eric
Clapton, Billy Gibbons, George Harrison, Peter Green,
and many other influential players.
Click here
to see the details of how David gets his signature
tone, or check out the whole feature in the magazine,
which is on sale in the UK now.
- Tuesday 15th January 2008
Numb and Number (One)
- In the seventh week of the initial campaign of US
mobile ringtones and ringback tones derived from the
Remember That Night DVD, David has already
surpassed the all-time record for mobile downloads,
beating Prince, the previous champion.
See the News Archives (Monday 5th November 2007) for more details, but essentially
there have been three tunes on offer, of which Comfortably
Numb is currently available, and is getting
the best response so far. US phone network Verizon
is very pleased with the results, and will again offer
Wish You Were Here and Shine On
You Crazy Diamond as well as Comfortably
Numb when it ends its current exclusive run.
- Friday 11th January 2008
RTN Charts – A Continental Drift Upwards
- This just in from our colleagues at EMI Records...
Remember That Night made some jumps in the
Continental Europe music DVD charts over the Christmas
period: Denmark – 6 (up from 8); Italy
– 7 (up from 10); and Germany 6 (up from
18). In the UK this week it is up to 10 from
15.
- Wednesday 9th January 2008
Two Cool For School – RTN No. 2 in 2007
- David's live DVD Remember That Night – Live
At The Royal Albert Hall was the UK's 2nd highest
selling music DVD in 2007, after 'High School Musical
– The Concert', part of the ongoing Disney franchise.
Hard not to invoke the Avis slogan 'we try harder',
since RTN ended up ahead of releases by the original
cast of 'Joseph...', The X Factor, Oasis, Queen, Westlife,
Daniel O'Donnell, Les Misérables, and AC/DC,
amongst many others.
It also featured in The Sun's (UK) Top 10 music
DVDs of the year – which was nice. Click here
to see their critique.
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