A Great Day for Freedom

Last updated
"A Great Day for Freedom"
Song by Pink Floyd
from the album The Division Bell
PublishedPink Floyd Music (1987) Ltd
Released28 March 1994 (UK)
5 April 1994 (US)
Recorded1993
Genre
Length4:17
Label EMI (UK)
Columbia (US)
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"A Great Day for Freedom" is a song by Pink Floyd from their 1994 album, The Division Bell . [1] [2]

Contents

Writing

The song, originally titled "In Shades of Grey", addresses the great hopes following the fall of the Berlin Wall and the disappointment that followed. David Gilmour stated:

There was a wonderful moment of optimism when the Wall came down – the release of Eastern Europe from the non-democratic side of the socialist system. But what they have now doesn't seem to be much better. Again, I'm fairly pessimistic about it all. I sort of wish and live in hope, but I tend to think that history moves at a much slower pace than we think it does. I feel that real change takes a long, long time. [3]

Despite Gilmour's statements to the contrary, the lyrics have often been read as a reflection on the bitter and estranged partnership Gilmour had with former bandmate Roger Waters, who was the driving force behind the band's album The Wall . By this interpretation, the "Great Day for Freedom" would be the day Waters left the band, giving the other members freedom to determine the band's future direction. Gilmour commented on this reading: "I'm quite happy for people to interpret The Division Bell any way they like. But maybe a note of caution should be sounded because you can read too much into it. 'A Great Day for Freedom', for example, has got nothing to do with Roger or his 'wall'. It just doesn't. What else can I say?" [4]

According to session player Jon Carin the track was a leftover from the sessions for the band's previous album, A Momentary Lapse of Reason . [5]

In 2022, the song was reworked by Gilmour based on the original tapes, adding some new vocals, instruments and backing vocals by Sam Brown, Durga McBroom and Claudia Fontaine taken from the Pulse rehearsals. It was released as the B-side of the "Hey, Hey, Rise Up!" single. Although both Richard Wright and Gilmour are credited for playing keyboards on this version, this has been disputed by Carin, who has claimed that he played the keyboards, stating it was "incredibly disrespectful to use his name to promote something when he wasn’t even invited to play on it". [6]

Live

The song was performed by the band on selected dates of The Division Bell tour, and is available on the Pulse (1995) live album, but was omitted from the Pulse VHS and DVD. Gilmour performed it at his solo semi-acoustic concerts in 2002 which can be seen on the David Gilmour in Concert (2002) DVD. The song also made just one appearance during Gilmour's 2006 On an Island Tour, at the final show in Gdańsk, Poland; this performance can be found on the live album/DVD Live in Gdańsk (2008).

Personnel

The Division Bell

Additional musicians:

The Division Bell Tour, 1994

with:

David Gilmour Live in Gdańsk, 2006

with:

A Great Day for Freedom 2022

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shine On You Crazy Diamond</span> 1975 composition by Pink Floyd

"Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is a nine-part Pink Floyd composition written by David Gilmour, Roger Waters, and Richard Wright, which was first performed on Pink Floyd's 1974 French tour and appeared in Pink Floyd's 1975 concept album Wish You Were Here. The song is written about and dedicated to founder member Syd Barrett, who departed from the band in 1968 after dealing with mental problems and substance abuse.

"The Great Gig in the Sky" is the fifth track on The Dark Side of the Moon, a 1973 album by English rock band Pink Floyd. The song features music by keyboard player Richard Wright and improvised, wordless vocals by session singer Clare Torry. It is one of only three Pink Floyd songs to feature vocals from an outside artist. The Great Gig in the Sky was released as a digital single in February 2023 to promote The Dark Side of the Moon 50th Anniversary box set.

<i>David Gilmour in Concert</i> 2002 David Gilmour solo concert DVD

David Gilmour in Concert is a DVD of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour's solo concert that took place at the Royal Festival Hall, London in June 2001, as part of the Robert Wyatt-curated Meltdown festival. It also features footage filmed during three concerts at the same venue in January 2002. The track selection includes several Pink Floyd songs, in addition to Gilmour's solo works. Guest appearances are made by Floyd colleague Richard Wright, as well as Robert Wyatt and Bob Geldof. It includes the first performance of "Smile", a track that would appear almost five years later on Gilmour's third solo album, On an Island. Gilmour also plays two Syd Barrett songs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Time (Pink Floyd song)</span> 1973 song by Pink Floyd

"Time" is a song by English rock band Pink Floyd. It is included as the fourth track on their eighth album The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) and was released as a single in the United States. With lyrics written by bassist Roger Waters, guitarist David Gilmour shares lead vocals with keyboardist Richard Wright.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High Hopes (Pink Floyd song)</span> 1994 single by Pink Floyd

"High Hopes" is a song by English rock band Pink Floyd, composed by guitarist David Gilmour with lyrics by Gilmour and Polly Samson. It is the closing track on their fourteenth studio album, The Division Bell (1994); it was released as the second single from the album on 17 October 1994. An accompanying music video was made for the song and was directed by Storm Thorgerson.

The Bleeding Heart Band was the name Roger Waters gave his backing band for a brief period of his post-Pink Floyd solo career.

"Remember a Day" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, written and sung by their keyboardist Richard Wright, appearing on their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets (1968). It was performed by Pink Floyd only once, as an encore in May 1968; it was subsequently performed by David Gilmour in September 2008 in memory of Wright, who had recently died of cancer, on Later... with Jools Holland, and by Nick Mason during his Saucerful of Secrets tour. The dreamy, poetic lyrics are about nostalgia for the lost paradise of early childhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arnold Layne</span> 1967 Pink Floyd single

"Arnold Layne" is a song by English rock band Pink Floyd. Released on 10 March 1967, it was the band's first single and was written by Syd Barrett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Slip</span> 1988 single by Pink Floyd

"One Slip" is a song from Pink Floyd's 1987 album A Momentary Lapse of Reason.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take It Back</span> 1994 single by Pink Floyd

"Take It Back" is a song by the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, released as the seventh track on their 1994 album The Division Bell. It was also released as a single on 16 May 1994, the first from the album, and Pink Floyd's first for seven years. The single peaked at number 23 on the UK Singles Chart, the fourth highest in the band's history, below 1979 number 1 hit "Another Brick In The Wall" and 1967 top 20 hits "See Emily Play" and "Arnold Layne." The music for the song was written by guitarist David Gilmour and album co-producer Bob Ezrin, with lyrics by Gilmour, his wife Polly Samson and Nick Laird-Clowes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keep Talking (Pink Floyd song)</span> 1994 single by Pink Floyd

"Keep Talking" is a song from Pink Floyd's 1994 album, The Division Bell.

"Yet Another Movie" is the sixth track, along with "Round and Around" on Pink Floyd's 1987 album, A Momentary Lapse of Reason. It began as an instrumental piece to which words were later added and features soundbites from the films One-Eyed Jacks and Casablanca.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durga McBroom</span> American singer, songwriter, and actress

Durga McBroom is an American singer who has performed backing vocals for Pink Floyd and is a member of the house music band Blue Pearl, best known for their hit single "Naked in the Rain". She works as an actress, dancer, and singer in the United States and internationally.

"Wearing the Inside Out" is a song from Pink Floyd's 1994 album, The Division Bell. A collaboration between Richard Wright and Anthony Moore, it is the only song on the album for which David Gilmour receives no writing credit.

"Wot's... Uh the Deal?" is a song from Pink Floyd's 1972 album, Obscured by Clouds. The song features multi-tracked vocals by David Gilmour, and lyrics by Roger Waters that describe taking advantage of certain opportunities life gives and how they affect a person later on. The lyric "Flash the readies, Wot's...Uh the Deal" is reported to be a phrase by roadie Chris Adamson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dogs of War (song)</span> 1987 promotional single by Pink Floyd

"The Dogs of War" is a song by Pink Floyd from their 1987 album, A Momentary Lapse of Reason. It was released as a promotional single from the album. Live versions have an extended intro, an extended middle solo for the saxophone, a guitar and sax duel and a longer outro as compared to the album version. The track was a minor rock radio hit in the US and reached #16 on MTV's Video Countdown in May 1988.

"Terminal Frost" is an instrumental from Pink Floyd's 1987 album, A Momentary Lapse of Reason.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lost for Words (Pink Floyd song)</span> 1994 promotional single by Pink Floyd

"Lost for Words" is a song recorded by English rock band Pink Floyd, focused on forgiveness, written by guitarist and lead singer David Gilmour and his spouse Polly Samson for the band's 14th studio album, The Division Bell. It appears as the penultimate track on the album. The lyrics, mostly penned by Samson, are a bitterly sarcastic reflection on Gilmour's then-strained relationship with former bandmate Roger Waters. The song was released to US rock radio the week of the album's release, succeeding "Keep Talking", the previous promotional release, released the week before. The song reached #53 in the Canadian singles chart.

"What Do You Want from Me" is a song by Pink Floyd featured on their 1994 album, The Division Bell. Richard Wright and David Gilmour composed the music, with Gilmour and his then-girlfriend and subsequent wife Polly Samson supplying the lyrics. A live version from Pulse was released as a single in Canada, reaching number 28 in the Canadian Top Singles charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Division Bell Tour</span> 1994 concert tour by Pink Floyd

The Division Bell Tour was the final concert tour by the English rock band Pink Floyd, held in 1994 to support their album The Division Bell. Pink Floyd disbanded after the tour. Recordings were released on the 1995 live album Pulse.

References

  1. Strong, Martin C. (2004). The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 1178. ISBN   1-84195-551-5.
  2. Mabbett, Andy (1995). The Complete Guide to the Music of Pink Floyd. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN   0-7119-4301-X.
  3. "Sounds of Silence" interview Archived 2012-06-20 at the Wayback Machine , Guitar World , September 1994. Retrieved 28 July 2010.
  4. David Gilmour interview Archived December 24, 2007, at the Wayback Machine , Pink Floyd & Co., 1994.
  5. "Jon Carin".
  6. Jon Carin Facebook post
  7. "Jon Carin".
  8. "Pink Floyd news :: Brain Damage - Pink Floyd's a Great Day for Freedom 2022 - video".