The Great Gig in the Sky

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The Dark Side of the Moon
Album by Pink Floyd
Released March 2, 1973
Recorded Abbey Road
June 1972-January 1973
Genre Progressive rock, electronic music, musique concrète, song cycle
Length 43:00
Label Harvest (UK)
Capitol (US)
Producer(s) Pink Floyd
Professional reviews
Tracks
  1. "Speak to Me" – 1:08
  2. "Breathe" – 2:48
  3. "On the Run" – 3:31
  4. "Time" (containing "Breathe (Reprise)") – 7:04
  5. "The Great Gig in the Sky" – 4:47
  6. "Money" – 6:23
  7. "Us and Them" – 7:48
  8. "Any Colour You Like" – 3:25
  9. "Brain Damage" – 3:50
  10. "Eclipse" – 2:06

"The Great Gig in the Sky" is the fifth track[1] from English progressive rock band Pink Floyd's 1973 album, The Dark Side of the Moon. It features soaring voice instrumental music by Clare Torry. The song was called either "The Religion Song"or "The Mortality Sequence" during recording.

Contents

[edit] Clare Torry's vocals

In an interview,[2] Torry mentioned that she was trying to emulate an instrument. So it was, from all published accounts, an improvisation with Torry apparently using her songwriting skills to give it form and function.

In fact, she mentions in her interview that she was never clearly told that the song was about death. In a different interview on the DVD "The Dark Side of the Moon" (Eagle Vision EV 30042-9 US NTSC version), Richard Wright mentions that she began singing words and they knew they didn't want that. Published interviews mention that she recorded the takes very quickly - on the DVD, the track sheet shows two tracks (four takes) used for her vocals.

In her interview, she mentions that an accountant at Abbey Road called her; other interviews with band members mentioned that Alan Parsons suggested her.

Chris Thomas, who was brought in to assist Alan Parsons in mixing the album mentions that they were actually in mixdown at the time. On the DVD, various members mention that they had this song and weren't quite sure what to do with it. Wright further mentions that when she finished, she was apologetic about her performance even though those present were amazed at her improvisation.

In Torry's interview she mentions that she left thinking that it wouldn't be included on the final cut. In fact, she states that the only way she knew it was used was when she saw it at a local record store, saw her name in the credits and purchased it.

During live performances by Pink Floyd, up to three singers were used, each taking different parts of the song. For example, Durga McBroom performed on the A Momentary Lapse of Reason and The Division Bell tours, as well as at Knebworth and on Gilmour's solo tours.

Aside from the soaring vocals there are two spoken parts, an introduction at 0:38 spoken by Gerry Driscoll (an Irish Abbey Road Studios doorman at the time), and Myfanwy 'Miv' Watts' (wife of roadie Peter 'Puddie' Watts, and mother of actress Naomi Watts) voice at 3:33.

In 2004, Torry sued Pink Floyd and EMI for songwriting royalties, on the basis that her contribution to "Great Gig in the Sky" constituted co-authorship with Rick Wright; originally, she was paid the standard Sunday flat studio rate of £30. In 2005, a settlement was reached in High Court in Torry's favour, although terms were not disclosed. In the P*U*L*S*E DVD booklet, The Great Gig in the Sky is credited to Wright and "vocal composition by Clare Torry".

[edit] Composition

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Most of the song is a slightly altered arrangement of the beat and bassline from the song "Breathe". The beat and bassline were very much part of Pink Floyd's playing style as far back as Atom Heart Mother. However, due to the altered beat and bassline, it is not directly related to "Breathe", unlike the last part of "Time" (sometimes listed in songbooks as "Breathe (Reprise)"), and "Any Colour You Like" (sometimes nicknamed "Breathe (2nd Reprise)").

When the Dark Side of the Moon suite was performed in 1972 (before the album was released), the song was completely different and went under the title "The Mortality Sequence". Then, it was simply an organ and samples of people speaking about death being played during the performance.

[edit] Spoken parts

(At 0:38)

And I am not frightened of dying. Any time will do; I don't mind. Why should I be frightened of dying? There's no reason for it—you've gotta go sometime.

– Gerry Driscoll

(At 3:33, faintly)

I never said I was frightened of dying.

– Myfanwy 'Miv' Watts, wife of roadie Peter 'Puddie' Watts

[edit] Trivia

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The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • The Great Gig in the Sky is the only song from The Dark Side of the Moon that is not played on XM Satellite Radio's Top Tracks (XM channel 46) classic rock channel. Speak to Me, Breathe, and On the Run are played together, as is Us and Them, Any Colour You Like, Brain Damage, and Eclipse. Time and Money are played as individual tracks.
  • At the end the song, with about 13 seconds left, while the last piano chord is ringing, the track speeds up, gradually raising the pitch of the sustaining piano.
  • A re-recorded version piece was used as the backing music in a UK television advert for an analgesic (Nurofen) in the early '90s (the band were not involved in this version, but Clare Torry again did the vocal).[3] The original version was used in a Dole banana commercial around the time of the release of the album.
  • In live performances of the song during the band's 1974-1975 tour, David Gilmour would play both lap steel guitar and the Hammond organ, allowing Richard Wright to concentrate solely on piano (his keyboards were arranged where he couldn't play both). David's pedal steel for Great Gig was located accordingly beside Rick's Hammond. This practice was discontinued in 1987 after additional touring keyboardist Jon Carin took over the Hammond parts.
  • The song was mentioned by Jack Black in the movie School of Rock in which Jack Black asks the backup singer to listen to "the vocal solo on The Great Gig in the Sky."
  • The song was used in the film C.R.A.Z.Y.
  • The song was used in the film Pirates of Silicon Valley
  • The song serves as a benchmark for believers of the Dark Side of the Rainbow phenomenon. The entry of Torry's lamenting vocals coincides almost exactly with the tornado striking Dorothy's farm, and the song ends just as Dorothy steps outside to find herself in Oz[citation needed].

[edit] Alternative and Live versions

  • P•U•L•S•E features a live version sung by host of backing singers, one of whom is Sam Brown. Similarly, the Delicate Sound of Thunder video features three different backing singers who provide the vocalisations for the song.
  • On the Echoes compilation album, the song segues from "Marooned" into "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun".
  • A bootleg version that was recorded in 1972 exists with no vocals here
  • Theresa Thomason performed Clare Torry's famous vocal improvisation on "The Great Gig in the Sky" when Dream Theater covered Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam, Holland on October 11, 2005 and the Hammersmith Apollo in London on October 25, 2005. The London show was recorded and released again on both DVD and CD through Dream Theater's Ytsejam Records.

[edit] Covers

On the Easy Star All-Stars' Dub Side of the Moon album, there are two different Dub music versions of the track, The Great Gig in the Sky (Track 4) and Great Dub in the Sky (Track 11).

Phish also does a live cover in Live Phish 7, Disc 3, Track 6

[edit] Personnel

with:

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ The track number depends upon the album version; some releases merge the two tracks "Speak to Me" and "Breathe," for instance.
  2. ^ Pink Floyd news :: Brain Damage - Clare Torry - October 2005 - Brain Damage exclusive
  3. ^ Echoes FAQ. Retrieved on August 29, 2006.