The MJ Show #25 (Pink Floyd Special Part 1 - David Gilmour in Concert)
Well, I promised you a Pink Floyd special for the 25th show. Here's what you're getting!
You're getting TWO! Not one...TWO! Not three...but TWO! :) Heh :)
Right, so why two? Because I had to give you what I have in today's show as a COMPLETE show in itself. Just showing you a song or two from today's set was not enough for me.
I mentioned in Ep #24 that there was an INCREDIBLE David Gilmour DVD which was pretty much a Pink Floyd Unplugged concert of sorts. Today, possibly for the first time ever, I'm showing you a COMPLETE concert!
So, the first Pink Floyd special, is a David Gilmour concert which is pretty much a Pink Floyd Unplugged Concert.
David Gilmour in Concert is a DVD of Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour's solo concert at the Royal Festival Hall, London in June 2001, as part of the Robert Wyatt-curated Meltdown festival.
It also features additional footage recorded during three concerts at the same venue in January 2002.(Tracks 14-16)
I'm also giving you today, the special features songs that are available in the DVD.
First up, let me say this...I have not uploaded these songs. The songs were already on youtube...and please take my suggestion...if you like what you see on this page...go out and BUY the dvd. I did...and it was one of the best buys of my life.
So yeah, though you're getting to watch the entire DVD right here, think of this as a free sample. You NEED to get the original dvd...and experience it in all it's brilliance.
Here's what I think is the best way to enjoy this show today. Click on all the videos, let em buffer...should take about 30 minutes or so depending on your speeds. They'll all get loaded...and then go from one song to the next and do read what I have to say about each song.
Trust me, this is NOT a page you want to just browse by. So sit back, kick off them shoes and come enjoy the 25th show here with me. I'm sharing something I love with you...I hope you love it too :)
So, that said, shall we begin?
He starts of the gig...all alone on the stage. The perfect song to kick things off. A song from Wish You Were Here, this was a nod to the man who started things off for Pink Floyd and I believe that in this gig it was a way to show people that, he can stand alone on a stage with no gimmicks, no lasers show, flying aircrafts or pigs and still blow you away!
Oh yeah, the incredible Dick Parry, the man who played saxophone on a lot of Floyd songs joins him towards the end of the song. Just incredible!
Check it out...
1st Song - David Gilmour - Shine On You Crazy Diamond Parts 1-5 #TheMJshow
The next song is a song by Syd Barrett that appears as the first track off his first solo album "The Madcap Laughs". David Gilmour again shows his respect for Syd by playing this song right at the start of the show.
2nd Song - David Gilmour - Terrapin #TheMJshow
At the end of the 2nd song we see the rest of the members of this incredible ensemble come up on stage behind Gilmour. The next song he chose to do was off "Atom Heart Mother"...a song called "Fat Old Sun".
The moment the rest of the musicians begin playing...you know this is going to be something else.
A double bass for bass, an additional guitar player who can really play and nine people in a choir that can REALLY sing! Here's the best part. Everyone who's going to play...is not even on stage yet!
3rd Song - David Gilmour - Fat Old Sun #TheMJshow
The 3rd song ends...he says "Another little blast from the past eh?" and then he turns around to his choir and there's magic! 'Nuff said...just watch this.
4th Song - David Gilmour - Coming Back To Life #TheMJshow
On the second verse of "Coming Back To Life" you saw the incredible Nic France, on drums come on stage. He is stunning throughout the gig. Keep checking out his expressions and his playing throughout the show. Really awesome.
So that song gets done. You're now in a music induced euphoria...a higher plane of existence and you think...what can top this? Well, Gilmour shows you what can.
The massive bell starts off. You KNOW what's coming. And lo and behold! Who do you see?! Michael Kamen playing the piano!! (I hope you know why I'm so excited mentioning him. If you don't, don't worry. Very soon, I'm going to do a special on the man...right here!)
Then towards the end of the song came a woman who I'm not ashamed to admit I had a massive crush on...not because of how she looked or anything. I didn't even know her name when I first saw the DVD. I know now that she was Caroline Dale and the reason I had a crush on her was because of how she played the cello in this song. Good God Almighty! It's just about the most beautiful sound I had or have heard. Incredible.
Ok 'nuff said again :) Here we go..."The grass was greener..."
5th Song - David Gilmour - High Hopes #TheMJshow
"High Hopes" gets over, he talks to the crowd a bit and then launches into the next song. The song was a bit of a mystery to me. It was a song from "Les Pêcheurs De Perles" (The Pearl Fishers), an opera by Georges Bizet. Not quite sure why he chose it...but I know that he did it so brilliantly! Maybe it was to show off Caroline Dale again :) She's the spine of the song. Listen to it. Tell me what you think of this.
6th Song - David Gilmour - Je Crois Entendre Encore #TheMJshow
The next was a song that I hadn't heard when the DVD came out. That's because this next song was featured on his third studio album "On An Island". In fact just as the song begins he says "This is a new one, so if you're bootlegging, start your machines now." :) Did I mention he's brilliant :) I think I did.
Anyhow, won't say a word about the song. Listen to it...and I hope you fall in love with it just as I did.
Listen to the harmonies provided by Ms.Aitch McRobbie and the beautiful guitar work of Mr.Neill MacColl.
7th Song - David Gilmour - Smile #TheMJshow
The band gets back on stage now. And we get to hear another one of Floyd's classics. Absolutely glorious. This is a song that all aspiring guitarist, me included at a point of time, love to figure out on the guitar. I don't think however anyone gets it quite like he does. Absolutely brilliant!
Listen to the piano and the cello towards the end of the song again. This is a 3 "Absolutely" song. :)
Absolutely INCREDIBLE!
8th Song - David Gilmour - Wish You Were Here #TheMJshow
I'll admit, I had no idea who Robert Wyatt was when I saw this DVD. It's not like I'm the definitive source on all there is about the man now either but I do know that he was the curator of the Meltdown Festival the year this gig happened.Oh and he was also a founding member of an influential Canterbury scene band caleld "Soft Machine".
What is the Meltdown festival (Here's wikipedia to the rescue again. What'd we do without it eh?:) )
Meltdown is an annual, English festival, held in London, featuring a mix of music, art, performance and film. Meltdown is held in June at Southbank Centre, the arts complex covering 21 acres (85,000 m2) and including the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall and The Hayward. Each year the festival chooses an established music artist or act as director of the event and they pick the performers of their choosing. Previous Meltdown directors include: Elvis Costello, David Bowie, Patti Smith, Morrissey, Jarvis Cocker, Nick Cave and John Peel. The festival in 2008 was directed by Massive Attack. The festival has been held annually since 1993, except in 2006 when the Royal Festival Hall was closed for refurbishment.
The reason he gets a mention right now is that he joins Gilmour on this song. It's interesting, his style of singing in this song. A little different from what we're used to on this song...but interesting. I'm sure you'll have your feelings about it. I kinda liked it. :)
Anyhow, this song is not really just about the singing is it. The verses get over and then we have it...the reason people LOVE this song...the guitar solo.
For the solo, Gilmour puts down the acoustic guitar that has been with him all this while and gently picks up a beautiful black electric guitar (Don't ask me which brand. I'm not so clued in on guitar makes. If you can figure out what he's got, let me know and I'll put it up here) and then we have it...the guitar solo...in all it's glory!
9th Song - David Gilmour - Comfortably Numb (With Robert Wyatt) #TheMJshow
I like how he introduces the next song. "This one's got nothing whatsoever to do with me. but I like it. It's by Richard Thomson and it's called 'Dimming Of The Day' "
I remember this song as sung by the fabulous Bonnie Raitt. I love her version but what Gilmour does with this song is no less. Listen to it and you'll see what I mean. Also pay attention to the harmonies in this song. Actually you couldn't miss it if you were deaf. They're brilliant!
10th Song - David Gilmour - Dimming of the Day #TheMJshow
The drummer starts rotating this thingamajig that makes it sound like waves crashing upon a floor. The guitar begins and the double bass (played by the very awesome Chucho Merchan) thumps in some notes. And then Gilmour brings in this crazy slide guitar that he plays off his lap. The gig is building up to a crescendo...you can feel it...and trust me, you are NOT disappointed. Watch this...
11th Song - David Gilmour - Shine On You Crazy Diamond Parts 6-8 #TheMJshow
He walks off stage after the last song, indicating that the gig is kinda over...but is it? No it isn't :)
Here are the encores from the night.
He chooses a beautiful song from "The Division Bell" as the first encore. I've always loved this song...and in this setting it's just that much more beautiful.
12th Song - David Gilmour - A Great Day For Freedom #TheMJshow
This is the last song for the night. Part of the band gets out. It's just Gilmour, Chucho, Caroline Dale and the choir on stage now.
The song that he chooses was featured in the 1968 film "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and it seems like the perfect song to end the night.
He ends the song and the show with a simlpe..."Good night". Perfect in my opinion.
13th Song - David Gilmour - Hushabye Mountain #TheMJshow
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That kinda ends the concert there...but there's more that I have for you.
There are 3 Bonus tracks from a concert that he did at same venue in January 2002.
First of the 3 bonus tracks was another song by Syd Barrett.
This one's a song called Dominoes and it featured on second and final studio album of new materialby Syd. It was an album called "Barrett".
1st Bonus Track - David Gilmour - Dominoes #TheMJshow
For the second bonus song we get to see another incredible Pink Floyd member on stage. The song is a song from Richard Wright's solo album "Broken China" and to sing it we have the awesome...Richard Wright!
2nd Bonus Track - David Gilmour - Breakthrough (with Richard Wright) #TheMJshow
And once again, we have the incredible, Comfortably Numb as the third bonus track from the Jan 2002 concert. Only this time you have Bob Geldof singing the parts with Gilmour!
You remember Bob right? Live Aid and The Wall and his not so famous band Boomtown Rats. Incidentally, if anyone ever asks you..."So who's Pink?" Say..."Why it's Bob!" :)
3rd Bonus Track - David Gilmour - Comfortably Numb (With Bob Geldof ) #TheMJshow
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Now that technically closes the concert part of the DVD.
But as often the cool thing about DVDs are the extra. Here are 3 songs that were the "extras" on this fabulous DVD.
First up..is a song that he does with Jools Holland in June 1992. This was featured on a show called "Later... with Jools Holland", a show that has been running without a break since 1992.
Singing the song is this incredible soul singer Mica Paris. She's absolutely astounding on this song.
"I Put a Spell on You" is a 1956 song written by Screamin' Jay Hawkins, whose recording was selected as one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
The song was later covered by numerous other artists, including Tom Waits, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Beefeaters, Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Nina Simone, The Animals, The Cramps, Them, Jimmy Barnes, Tim Curry, The Alan Price Set, Natacha Atlas, Sonique, Bryan Ferry, Bette Midler, Nick Cave, Buddy Guy and Marilyn Manson.
4th Bonus Track - David Gilmour,Mica Paris & Jools Holland - I Put A Spell On You #TheMJshow
The next song is special to me for two reasons.
a) It was originally recorded by Elvis in 1957!!!
and
b) Because you get to hear Gilmour sing and play it!!!
Man! Can it get any better!? :)
5th Bonus Track - David Gilmour - Don't #TheMJshow
The final track for tonight is something else! I can't imagine anyone else doing anything like this.
It's a sonnet written by Shakespeare put to music by Gilmour. The video is breathtakingly beautiful and it was shot on The Astoria, Gilmour house boat turned recording studio.
I'm not a big Shakespeare fan, but the future Mrs.J is. She is introducing me to the awesomeness of the Bard and maybe someday I'll get it. This one's for her :)
And for the Shakespeare fans...here is...
Sonnet 18
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate;
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date;
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.
–William Shakespeare
For Gilmour fans...here's what he does with the sonnet. :)
6th Bonus Track - David Gilmour - Sonnet 18 #TheMJshow
I remember when this DVD came out, EMI Music, the label that launched this DVD in the market made a special audio CD of the same for me. To the best of my knowledge I was the only radio jockey in the whole country who played these songs on radio because no official audio CD of this DVD was ever released.
I loved every minute of playing these songs on radio. I loved the feedback I got for them and the love that Floyd fans had for these songs. I loved that I was the only person playing these songs. Was also kind of proud of it. And I loved sharing these songs with you today.
I've loved every minute of all the cool things I got to do on radio. This was one of the coolest things by far.
Hope you enjoyed the show. Go out and buy the DVD. Haven't I given you enough reasons for that already :)
And all you Waters, Wright and Mason fans...fear not. Part 2 of the Pink Floyd Special will go into the entire Floyd discography. You'll get them all...and more!
Well, that about wraps up show #25!!
Whaddaya know eh? I've already done 25 of these shows here. Well I hope I never get tired of doing these.
I want to thank YOU. For coming to this page...for reading all that I write...for listening to the music and for sharing with me, my love for music.
Come back again...and again...and tell your friends about it too.
Comment on the posts and do add yourself to the page too so you know when a new show is up.
Right then! :)
Time for the words I used to use when I ended a show at night on radio...
Good night...and take care!
This is your "Musicman" Mihir signing off.
