David Gilmour - The Girl In The Yellow Dress

Jazzy official video for "The Girl In The Yellow Dress" from David Gilmour´s "Rattle that lock".

You hear some Robert Wyatt cornet in the background there.

David Gilmour & Friends

We have recently had a post on David Gilmour as presented in the September issue of Uncut, and here is another one, since the October issue of Mojo (number 263 2015) is finally on sale in Norway.

On the CD accompanying this issue, "David Gilmour & Friends", Gilmour visits on tracks by Phil Manzanera, Robert Wyatt, Ben Watt, David Crosby & Graham Nash, The Pretty Things and David Courtney, and there are artists that ".. have been hugely influenced by his playing style, the atmospherics in his music, and THAT tone" (as stated on the cover). Among the artist here (probably?!) fitting in the latter category is Dungen, Steven Wilson, B J Cole and Ulver.

The Robert Wyatt track is "Forest" from "Cuckooland" (2003).

Oh, and let´s not forget that David & Joe Gilmour play "Here, There and everywhere" by the Beatles! Not released elsewhere.

David Gilmour

Eleven pages and front cover with David Gilmour in Uncut (Take 220 September 2015), focusing on the new solo album "Rattle That Lock" to be released in September.

Robert Wyatt is one of the people interviewed for the piece.

Wyatt on Pink Floyd versus Gilmour´s solo work: ""The Floyd was more overtly dramatic," he offers. "The climaxes were were more climactic. The wait-for-it-bits were more wait-for-it. There´s almost a kind of folk-music flow to what David does now. It´s more undulated landscape than mountains and valleys"".

Wyatt is playing cornet on the track "The girl in the yellow dress" on the new album.
On other tracks too?

David Gilmour In Concert as iPhone/iPad App

You techno freaks out there, are the days of the DVD soon over too?
David Gilmour will be releasing concert videos from 2001 and 2002 as apps for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch (19 November), and an app for Android will follow.

David Gilmour played a concert at Robert Wyatt´s Meltdown in London in 2001 ( DVD of course), and "Comfortably numb" from that concert, with Wyatt singing, is on this app version too.

The English Malady?

Schizophrenia, mental problems, low self esteem, alcohol, LSD and other drugs, and lots of fantastic (and not so fantastic!) rock music!
Now is there a connection here, and is it something about England?
Clinton Heylin is at least trying to describe the mental problems - music connection in his book "All the Madmen: Barrett, Bowie, Drake, the Floyd, The Kinks, The Who and the Journey to the Dark Side of English Rock" (Constable 2012).

There are some sidetracks in this story (a.o. Peter Green), but the soundtrack may look like this:
Nick Drake: "Pink Moon"
Syd Barrett: "The Madcap Laughs"
Kinks: "Muswell Hillbillies"
David Bowie: "Ziggy Stardust"
Pink Floyd: "Dark Side of the Moon"
The Who: "Quadrophenia"

We get to hear about Soft Machine, who spent some days in the studio to record for "The Madcap Laughs" (not much left on the album though).
And Heylin is not afraid to put it bluntly, he says that David Gilmour and Roger Waters hijacked Syd Barrett´s album, making the final result too much their own. Right or wrong?

Probably a better read for the ones who really know these artists and their recordings (yes of course, all of you do, but I mean the other ones), since it is pretty detailed. Me, I realized that I did not know my Kinks and Who as well as I thought (not too late is it?).

To rub it in, Heylin´s appendix is called: "A fast rewind through 400 years of the English malady".

David Gilmour 65

Congrats to David Gilmour on his 65th birthday today!
Here he is with Robert Wyatt in one of my favorite Pink Floyd songs, "Comfortably Numb", recorded at Robert Wyatt´s Meltdown in 2001.
The concert is still available on DVD.

"Love You" (S. Barrett)

I have been listening to "An introduction to Syd Barrett" this Christmas, and it´s an OK collection, with some  Pink Floyd songs and solo material from "The Madcap Laughs" and "Barrett" (and "Bob Dylan Blues"too) . The Barret fans will have to decide if the remixed songs are great or not.

As usual I´m looking for  Robert Wyatt clues. My vinyl and CD copies of "The Madcap Laughs" are placed among my Wyatt records,  as it is well known that Soft Machine did a session for Barrett in 1969.  The ultimate Wyatt discography list "Love You" (a song also found on this new collection) and "No Good Trying".
In Michael King´s "Wrong Movements. A Robert Wyatt History" (SAF 1994) it is written:
"May 3 - Abbey Road, sessions for Syd Barrett "The Macap Laughs" lp
released Jan/70 (Harvest SHVL 765)
a) "No Good Trying" b) "Love You" c) "Clowns and jugglers".
Syd Barret, guitars, vocals; Mike Ratledge, organ/piano (b); Hugh Hopper, bass; RW, drums, tambourine (c).
c) appears on the "Opel" compilation lp of Syd´s outtakes. Released Oct/88 (Harvest SHSP 4126)".
Here it may look like Robert Wyatt is on "Clowns and jugglers" only? Hey, this is an important question!

In Graham Bennet´s biography "Soft Machine. Out-Bloody Rageous" (SAF 2005) we can read that Soft Machine did "Sessions for Syd Barret´s album The Madcap Laughs. Produced by Malcolm Jones, David Gilmour and Roger Waters.
"No Good Trying" and "Love You" originally released on The Madcap Laughs in January 1970".

And while fixing up the post on my Norwegian blog, a guy sent me a link to  Malcolm Jones´ detailed description of the recording of "The Madcap Laughs"! These are words from the track by track description:

* 2. NO GOOD TRYING 
April 11th '69 take 3. Guitar and voice 
May 3rd., '69 Organ, bass, drums overdubbed (Soft Machine) 
May 4th., '69 Syd's backwards guitar par overdubbed. 

* 3. LOVE YOU 
April 11th '69 take 4. Guitar and voice 
May 3rd '69 Piano, bass, drums, overdubbed (Soft Machine) "

Let´s hear Graham Coxon perform Syd Barret´s "Love You" right now!

An introduction to Syd Barrett

In the beginning of October EMI will release a Syd Barrett collection called "An Introduction to Syd Barrett". It will contain material both from his Pink Floyd days and his solo albums. The music is remastered, and some tunes are remixed by David Gilmour.
Since "I love you" from "The Madcap Laughs" (1970) is here, I guess we may add another record to the Robert Wyatt discography too.

If you buy the CD, or download from iTunes, you will get a code that will give you access to a download, being a long instrumental called "Rhamadan". Probably a must, heh?

I found the info and the cover on the David Gilmour blog.

And David Gilmour is also on album together with The Orb!

Good music and good causes

Good music in support of good causes is still a good idea, isn´t it?

First of all you may download (that´s the only way!) Dirty Projectors and Björk´s "Mount Wittenberg Orca". You will get seven tracks for a minimum of $7, and the money will be granted to The National Geographic Society´s ocean initiative. No less, and it´s great music too!

Also check out the old Pink Floyd comrades David Gilmour and Roger Waters´ concert in support of young Palestinian refugees over at HOPING. Then click on the DONATE-button.

David Gilmour overkill

David Gilmour's "Live in Gdansk" is out now. Since the old Pink Floyd hero is a friend of Robert Wyatt, he will always be treated like a gentleman here in this blog, but this time I think he has freaked out totally. Thank god Wyatt was not invited on this project, because my collection would not be completed or the bank account would be emptied. "Live in Gdansk" will appear as double CD, triple CD, a box of four CDs and a five CD package with something extra!
But you know CDs are not always the best thing, so Gilmour makes a box of five LPs too, and if you buy that one you will get a code to download mp3 files just to be sure. As far as I'm able to extract from this info shock, you have to buy most of the versions to get all of it, but you may check that out yourselves here, if you dare.

Kate Bush 50

All the ladies are just getting older! Today Kate Bush turns 50 too! I don't really understand why I only own her first album, but it might be because some of my female friends (just friends!) played a few of the other ones to death. My copy of "The Kick Inside" from 1978 (with the hit "Wuthering Heights") has got quite a special cover compared to the one we usually see. I think it's an US edition with Harvest label. Two of the songs on "The Kick Inside" were recorded in 1975, with David Gilmour as executive producer.
Norwegian blogger Steinskog celebrates with a collection of her videos, if you'll like to join.

Cuckooland

Six years after the fantastic record "Shleep", Robert Wyatt's "Cuckooland" (Hannibal/RYKO 2003) was ready. Here you mainly get original songs by Wyatt, Benge/Wyatt and Karen Mantler, 16 songs all together. After the beautiful "Lullaby for Hamza" you even get a 30 seconds long break, and it is quite Wyatt-like to call the two parts of the album "neither here..." and "....nor there". Friends on the album: Karen Mantler, Brian Eno, Paul Weller, Gilad Atzmon, Annie Whitehead, Phil Manzanera, David Gilmour and more. You get both the finished lyrics, and copies from Robert Wyatt's sketchbook. You just have to buy this one too.

Atom Heart Mother

It seems to have become a trend to perform old pop and rock albums live, from track number one and all the way to the end. Now it's time for Pink Floyd's "Atom Heart Mother" from 1970. I will not claim to have been a big fan of Floyd, but this album I really played a lot. And yes, the Hipognosis cows were easy to track down in the basement this morning.
The Italian tribute band Mun Floyd perform "Atom heart Mother" at the Chelsea Festival today and tomorrow, with both Ron Geesin and David Gilmour (on sunday)! If we are going to get nostalgic, this just might be the way. More on Ron Geesin 1,2.

Will we ever see RW live?

The big question among fans of Robert Wyatt is of course:"Will we ever see him live?". I'm not going to ask him to perform, the only guy who seems to be able to do that is David Gilmour! If we are unbelievably lucky we will be at a concert where Robert just can't keep off stage, like (we've mentioned earlier) at a Dylan Howe concert in September 2007 (see picture far down on D. Howe's MySpace site).
On YouTube we find two videos of David Gilmour and Robert Wyatt. Robert is sitting below stage singing "Comfortably Numb" on "In Concert" (2002), and plays cornet (5 minutes into) "Then I close my eyes" on "Remember That Night. Live At The Royal Albert Hall" (2006).

Gilad Atzmon and some more

Robert Wyatt is allways a nice guy (let's at least pretend so), and is happy to credit his collaborators and helpers, like he did in the Purcell Room interview, where he hands it to Paul Weller (also for being a sharp dresser!), Eno, David Gilmour, Karen Mantler, Monica Vasconcelos and particularly the saxman Gilad Atzmon. I only own his "Re-arranging the 20th century" (Enja 2004) (and like it), but I guess I have to check out more from this guy?
In the interview Wyatt also mentions a musician not credited on the sleeve of comicopera. So the stupid completists have to get the next version too, where his name will be on the cover? No?
Instead of spending good money on crazy collecting habits, I might end up buying Food´s "Molecular gastronomy" (Rune Records) and Jupiter featuring Jonas Kulhammar: "III2" (Bolage) instead (and not the new Zeppelin collection).
And soon it is time to make lists again. This years best albums, anybody?

Wyatt live - again!

According to NME Robert Wyatt just had to get up on the stage to sing with Dylan Howe Quintet last Saturday. Even if the piece in NME states that this is the first live vocal from RW in 25 years, we have seen him on David Gilmour's "In Concert" (2002). This is good news, and let it be the first step. Next: World Tour 2008, including several shows in Norway!

David Gilmour DVD

Robert Wyatt guests on "Then I Close My Eyes" on David Gilmours new DVD "Remember That Night. Live At The Royal Albert Hall". David Bowie sings "Comfortably Numb", Robert's number from the previous Gilmour DVD "David Gilmour in concert".

Burgalat, Gilmour and others

Listen to Robert Wyatt with Bertrand Burgalat on Myspace! Everybody now, dance to Robert!

David Gilmour issues a new live-DVD, and who's on it, if not our man Wyatt?

Emmanuel Tugny has dedicated a song to Robert Wyatt on Myspace. It's the song "La Vue.."- something. I can't remember where i read it (it's all french to me on MySpace), but it's not totally unbelievable when you hear it!

The Norwegian Erik Johannessen claims he is inspired by Robert Wyatt. Listen to him on Norwegian Broadcasting's site "Urørt" (meaning untouched) (the music on "I killed the dog" sounds a bit inspired?).

Robert Wyatt - The Pink Floyd connection

Nick Mason: I'm a believer (7" 1974) (production and drumming)
Syd Barrett: The Madcap Laughs (1977)
Syd Barrett: Opel (1988)
David Gilmour: In concert (DVD 2002)
David Gilmour: On an island (2006)
Nick Mason: Nick Mason’s fictitious sports (1981)

Since Richard Wright guests on Gilmour’s DVD, only Roger Waters is missing a Wyatt connection on record? But hey, Pink Floyd played a benefit concert after Robert was paralysed, so let's be generous!