Fearless (Pink Floyd song)

Last updated
"Fearless"
OneOfTheseDays.jpg
Italian vinyl single
Single by Pink Floyd
from the album Meddle
A-side "One of These Days"
Released29 November 1971 (1971-11-29) [1]
Recorded9 May – 11 September 1971 [2]
Studio AIR, Abbey Road, Morgan studios in London
Genre
Length6:08
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd singles chronology
"The Nile Song"
(1969)		"Fearless"
(1971)		"Free Four"
(1972)

"Fearless" is the third track on the 1971 album Meddle by Pink Floyd. [4] [5] It is a slow acoustic guitar-driven song written by Roger Waters and David Gilmour, and includes audio of football fans singing "You'll Never Walk Alone". It was also released as the B-side of the single along with "One of These Days", and was praised by critics as one of the better songs from Meddle.

Contents

Recording

The song's slow tempo and mellow acoustic sound bear similarities to some of the other tracks on the first side of the album. Roger Waters performed the acoustic guitar parts [6] using an open tuning in G major, taught to Waters by former member Syd Barrett. [7]

Near the beginning and at the end of the song, a field recording of fans in Liverpool's Kop singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" is superimposed over the music. [8] This Rodgers and Hammerstein song became the anthem of Liverpool F.C. after Gerry & the Pacemakers had a number one hit with their recording.

Other releases

Although it was not released as a single in the UK and never played live, it was released as the "B-side" of the single "One of These Days" in 1971. Roger Waters briefly resurrected the song for a small number of shows in 2016, and the song was played by Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets on their tours in 2018, 2019 and 2022. [9] [10] [11]

This song was one of several to be considered for the band's "best of" album, Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd , but was ultimately rejected for inclusion. [12]

Reception

In a review for the Meddle album, Jean-Charles Costa of Rolling Stone described "Fearless" as "a clever spoof" that "leads up to a classic crowd rendition of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "You'll Never Walk Alone"." [13] Classic Rock Review described "Fearless" as "the best overall song on the album and talks about meeting challenges in the face of adversity." [14] They went on saying "Fearless" is "highlighted by Gilmour’s calm yet strong guitar strumming and the odd beat from drummer Nick Mason." [14]

Personnel

with:

Related Research Articles

<i>Meddle</i> 1971 studio album by Pink Floyd

Meddle is the sixth studio album by English rock band Pink Floyd, released by Harvest Records. The album was produced between the band's touring commitments, from January to August 1971 at a series of locations around London, including EMI Studios and Morgan Studios.

"Echoes" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, and the sixth and last track on their 1971 album Meddle. It is 23+1⁄2 minutes long and takes up the entire second side of the original LP. The track evolved from a variety of different musical themes and ideas, including instrumental passages and studio effects, resulting in the side-long piece. The music was written by the group, while Roger Waters' lyrics addressed themes of human communication and empathy, which he returned to in later work.

"A Saucerful of Secrets" is a multi-part instrumental composition by progressive rock band Pink Floyd from their 1968 album of the same name. It is nearly 12 minutes long and was composed by Roger Waters, Richard Wright, Nick Mason and David Gilmour. The track features guitar feedback, a percussion solo section and wordless vocals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">See Emily Play</span> 1967 song by Pink Floyd

"See Emily Play" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released as their second single on 16 June 1967 on the Columbia label. Written by original frontman Syd Barrett, it was released as a non-album single, but appeared as the opening track of Pink Floyd, the US edition of the band's debut album The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Welcome to the Machine</span> Song by Pink Floyd

"Welcome to the Machine" is the second song on Pink Floyd's 1975 album Wish You Were Here. It features heavily processed synthesizers and acoustic guitars as well as a wide range of tape effects. Both the music and lyrics were written by bassist Roger Waters.

"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd, appearing on their second album, A Saucerful of Secrets (1968). It was written by Roger Waters, taking lyrics from a Chinese poetry book, and features a drum part by Nick Mason played with timpani mallets. It is the only song recorded by Pink Floyd to feature material from all five band members, as there are several different guitar parts recorded by both David Gilmour and Syd Barrett, although the guitar parts are buried in the mix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Let There Be More Light</span> Song by Pink Floyd

"Let There Be More Light" is the opening track on Pink Floyd's second album, A Saucerful of Secrets. It was also released in edited form as the fourth American single by the group.

"San Tropez" is the fourth track from the album Meddle by the band Pink Floyd. This song was one of several to be considered for the band's "best of" album, Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd.

"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.

"Astronomy Domine" is a song by the English rock band Pink Floyd. The song, written and composed by the original vocalist/guitarist Syd Barrett, is the opening track on their debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967). The lead vocal was sung by Barrett and the keyboard player Richard Wright. Its working title was "Astronomy Dominé ". "Domine" is a word frequently used in Gregorian chants.

"Two Suns in the Sunset" is the closing track on Pink Floyd's 1983 concept album The Final Cut, and Roger Waters' final chronological contribution to the band, before leaving in 1985.

"A Pillow of Winds" is the second track from Pink Floyd's 1971 album Meddle.

"Burning Bridges" is a song from Pink Floyd's 1972 album Obscured by Clouds. It shares a similar tune to the instrumental "Mudmen" on the same album.

"Childhood's End" is a song from Pink Floyd's 1972 album Obscured by Clouds. It was the last Pink Floyd song to be composed entirely by David Gilmour, as well as the last to feature lyrics written by him, until A Momentary Lapse of Reason in 1987. The song gets its title from the 1953 science-fiction novel of the same name by Arthur C. Clarke, though the theme of the song shares little with the story. The 2016 remixed version of "Childhood's End" which appears in The Early Years 1965–1972 box set was released as the second single to promote the box set in October 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Nile Song</span> 1969 single by Pink Floyd

"The Nile Song", written by Roger Waters and sung by David Gilmour, is the second song from Pink Floyd's 1969 album More, the soundtrack to the film of the same name. It was released as a single in 1969, and included on the 1971 compilation album Relics. While Pink Floyd never played the song in concert, Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets performed it in 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point Me at the Sky</span> Song by Pink Floyd

"Point Me at the Sky" is the fifth UK single by the English band Pink Floyd, released on 6 December 1968. It was their last single in the UK for nearly a decade. The song was an early collaboration by bassist Roger Waters and guitarist David Gilmour. The single was not released in the US, but was in Canada, Japan, and some European countries.

"Green Is the Colour" is a track on Pink Floyd's 1969 More. It was composed and written by Roger Waters and sung by David Gilmour. A tin whistle is heard in the song, played by drummer Nick Mason's then-wife Lindy. A live version of the song was released as the third single to promote The Early Years 1965–1972 box set in October 2016.

"Seamus" is the fifth song on Pink Floyd's 1971 album Meddle. The group performs it in the style of country blues, with vocals, an acoustic slide guitar in an open D tuning, and piano. The song is named after the Border Collie who howls throughout the 2:15 piece. Group biographer Nicholas Schaffner calls the tune "dispensable"; David Gilmour added "I guess it wasn't really as funny to everyone else [as] it was to us".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One of These Days (instrumental)</span> Song by Pink Floyd

"One of These Days" is the opening track from Pink Floyd's 1971 album Meddle. The composition is instrumental except for the spoken line from drummer Nick Mason, "One of these days, I'm going to cut you into little pieces."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets</span> English rock band

Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets are an English rock band formed in 2018 to perform the early music of Pink Floyd. The band comprises the Pink Floyd drummer and co-founder Nick Mason, the bassist Guy Pratt, the guitarists Gary Kemp and Lee Harris, and the keyboardist Dom Beken. As many fans had discovered Pink Floyd with their bestselling 1973 album TheDark Side of the Moon, Mason wanted to bring their earlier material to a wider audience.

References

  1. ↑ Glenn Povey (2007). Echoes: The Complete History of Pink Floyd. Mind Head Publishing. p. 344. ISBN   978-0-9554624-0-5.
  2. ↑ Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2017). Pink Floyd All The Songs. Running Press. ISBN   9780316439237.
  3. ↑ Murphy, Sean (27 March 2017). "The 100 Best Classic Progressive Rock Songs: Part 1, 100-81". PopMatters . Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  4. ↑ Strong, Martin C. (2004). The Great Rock Discography (7th ed.). Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 1177. ISBN   1-84195-551-5.
  5. ↑ Mabbett, Andy (1995). The Complete Guide to the Music of Pink Floyd. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN   0-7119-4301-X.
  6. 1 2 Udo, Tommy (27 April 2012). "Interview: Pink Floyd's Nick Mason, Engineer John Leckie Discuss the Making of 'Meddle'". Guitar World . Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  7. ↑ The Amazing Pudding archive, The Pink Floyd Fan Club.
  8. ↑ "The Hillsborough Tragedy". BBC. 16 June 2000. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
  9. ↑ "Roger Waters Setlist at Desert Trip". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  10. ↑ "Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets Setlist at The Half Moon, London". Setlist.fm. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  11. ↑ Bailie, Geoff (19 April 2022). "Concert Review: Nick Mason's Saucerful Of Secrets - Ulster Hall, Belfast - April 14th, 2022". The Prog Report. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
  12. ↑ Guthrie, James. "James Guthrie: Audio: Building A Compilation Album". Pink Floyd. Archived from the original on 2 June 2010. Retrieved 17 June 2013.
  13. ↑ Costa, Jean-Charles (6 January 1972). "Meddle". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
  14. 1 2 "Meddle by Pink Floyd". Classic Rock Review. 27 January 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.