On the Turning Away

10 tracks
Side one "Signs of Life " "Learning to Fly" "The Dogs of War" "One Slip" "On the Turning Away" Side two "Yet Another Movie" / "Round and Around" "A New Machine (Part 1)" "Terminal Frost" "A New Machine (Part 2)" "Sorrow"

"On the Turning Away" is a song from Pink Floyd's 1987 album, A Momentary Lapse of Reason.^[1]^[2] The song was a staple of live shows from the 1987-89 world tours in support of A Momentary Lapse of Reason and was one of the songs in rotation during the 1994 tour in support of The Division Bell. The song was resurrected by Gilmour on his 2006 On an Island Tour for one night only. Live recordings exist on Delicate Sound of Thunder (1988) and Live in Gdansk (2008).

Release

Released as the second single from the album, it reached number one on the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart in early 1988. In the United Kingdom, the song charted at number 55 on the UK Singles Chart.

Lyrics

The song, a power ballad, references issues of poverty and oppression, lamenting on the tendency of people to turn away from those afflicted with such conditions. It ends on a determined note, with the last stanza beginning, "no more turning away" and continuing "it's not enough just to stand and stare." It is a song that recovers the mysticism of songs like "Wish You Were Here" or "Us and Them", but this time treating topics like the suffering of people; the phrase "weak and the weary" portrays the suffering of people as a big problem in today's world.^[3]

Video

The music video for the track featured a live recording and concert footage filmed during the band's three night run at The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia in November 1987 directed by Lawrence Jordan (who has directed concert films for Rush, Mariah Carey and Billy Joel). Promotional videos for "The Dogs of War" and "One Slip" also used footage of this concert. The video made it to number nine on MTV's Video Countdown in January 1988.

Personnel

Studio

David Gilmour — guitars, lead vocals and sequencers
Nick Mason — drums, percussion

Additional musicians:

Richard Wright —organ, backing vocals
Tony Levin — bass guitar
Jim Keltner — drums
Jon Carin — synthesiser

Live Personnel 1987-1994

David Gilmour - lead vocals, lead guitar
Nick Mason - drums
Richard Wright - keyboards, backing vocals

Additional musicians:

Jon Carin - synthesisers
Guy Pratt - fretless bass guitar, backing vocals
Tim Renwick - acoustic guitar, backing vocals
Gary Wallis - percussion
Durga McBroom, Rachel Fury, Margaret Taylor - backing vocals (1987-1989)
Sam Brown, Durga McBroom, Claudia Fontaine - backing vocals (1994)

David Gilmour Live 2006

David Gilmour - lead vocals, rhythm guitar, lead guitar
Richard Wright - organ, backing vocals
Guy Pratt - bass guitar, backing vocals
Steve DiStanislao - drums
Jon Carin - synthesisers

References

↑ Strong, Martin C. (2004). The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 1177. ISBN 1-84195-551-5.
↑ Mabbett, Andy (1995). The Complete Guide to the Music of Pink Floyd. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-7119-4301-X.
↑ On The Turning Away, PinkFloyd.cl, Chile. (Spanish)

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to: A Momentary Lapse of Reason

A Momentary Lapse of Reason

Songs

Side one	"Signs of Life" "Learning to Fly" "The Dogs of War" "One Slip" "On the Turning Away"

Side two	"Yet Another Movie" / "Round and Around" "A New Machine (Part 1)" "Terminal Frost" "A New Machine (Part 2)" "Sorrow"

A Momentary Lapse of Reason Tour

Pink Floyd

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Compilations

Box sets

Concert films

Narrative films

The Wall
The Final Cut

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Managers and agents

Touring musicians

Additional vocalists

Singles discography

1960s

1967	"Arnold Layne" / "Candy and a Currant Bun" "See Emily Play" / "Scarecrow" "Flaming" / "The Gnome" (US) "Apples and Oranges" / "Paint Box" (UK)

1968	"It Would Be So Nice" / "Julia Dream" "Let There Be More Light" / "Remember a Day" (US) "Point Me at the Sky" / "Careful with That Axe, Eugene" (UK)

1969	"The Nile Song" / "Ibiza Bar" (France/New Zealand) or "Main Theme" (Japan)

1970s

1971	"One of These Days" / "Fearless" (US) or "Seamus" (Japan)

1972	"Free Four" / "Stay" (US) or "The Gold It's in the..." (Europe) "Julia Dream" / "Summer '68" (Japan)

1973	"Money" / "Any Colour You Like" (US)

1974	"Time" / "Us and Them" (US)

1975	"Have a Cigar" / "Welcome to the Machine" (US) or "Shine On You Crazy Diamond Part I" (Europe)

1979	"Another Brick in the Wall (Part II)" / "One of My Turns" (most countries) or "Young Lust" (South Africa) "Run Like Hell" / "Don't Leave Me Now" (Europe/Some US) or "Comfortably Numb" (later US) "Comfortably Numb" / "Hey You" (US)

1980s

1982	"Pink Floyd The Wall - Music From The Film" ("When the Tigers Broke Free" / "Bring the Boys Back Home")

1983	"Not Now John" / "The Hero's Return (Parts 1 and 2)"

1987	"Learning to Fly" / "Terminal Frost" and/or "One Slip" "On the Turning Away" / "Run Like Hell (live)" (UK) "One Slip" / "Terminal Frost" / "The Dogs Of War" (UK)

1990s

1994	"Take It Back" / "Astronomy Domine (live)" (US) "High Hopes" / "Keep Talking" / "Marooned"

1995	"Wish You Were Here (Live)" / "Coming Back to Life (live) / "Keep Talking (live)" (UK)

2010s

2014	"Louder than Words"

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