David Gilmour - Luck and Strange Making Of (Guitar Swell)

“It’s a sound that I call ‘swell’. A sound I’ve used many times…”

*ABOUT LUCK AND STRANGE*
‘Luck and Strange’ was recorded over five months in Brighton and London and is Gilmour’s first album of new material in nine years. The record was produced by David and Charlie Andrew, best known for his work with ALT-J and Marika Hackman. Of this new working relationship, David says, “We invited Charlie to the house, so he came and listened to some demos, and said things like, “Well, why does there have to be a guitar solo there?” and “Do they all fade out? Can’t some of them just end?”. He has a wonderful lack of knowledge or respect for this past of mine. He’s very direct and not in any way overawed, and I love that. That is just so good for me because the last thing you want is people just deferring to you.”

The majority of the album’s lyrics have been composed by Polly Samson, Gilmour’s co-writer and collaborator for the past thirty years. Samson says of the lyrical themes covered on ‘Luck and Strange’, “It’s written from the point of view of being older; mortality is the constant.” Gilmour elaborates, “We spent a load of time during and after lockdown talking about and thinking about those kind of things.” Polly has also found the experience of working with Charlie Andrew liberating, “He wants to know what the songs are about, he wants everyone who’s playing on them to have the ideas that are in the lyric informing their playing. I have particularly loved it for that reason.”

The album features eight new tracks along with a beautiful reworking of The Montgolfier Brothers’ ‘Between Two Points’ and has artwork and photography by the renowned artist Anton Corbijn.

Musicians contributing to the record include Guy Pratt & Tom Herbert on bass, Adam Betts, Steve Gadd and Steve DiStanislao on drums, Rob Gentry & Roger Eno on keyboards with string and choral arrangements by Will Gardner. The title track also features the late Pink Floyd keyboard player Richard Wright, recorded in 2007 at a jam in a barn at David’s house.

Some contributions emerged from the live streams that Gilmour and family performed to a global audience during the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021; Romany Gilmour sings, plays the harp and appears on lead vocals on ‘Between Two Points’. Gabriel Gilmour also sings backing vocals.

The album’s cover image, photographed and designed by Anton Corbijn, is inspired by a lyric written by Charlie Gilmour for the album’s final song ‘Scattered’. Of working with his family on ‘Luck and Strange’, David says, “Polly and I have been writing together for over thirty years and the Von Trapped live streams showed the great blend of Romany’s voice and harp-playing and that led us into a feeling of discarding some of the past that I’d felt bound to and that I could throw those rules out and do whatever I felt like doing, and that has been such a joy.”

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*DAVID GILMOUR SOCIAL MEDIA*

*ABOUT DAVID GILMOUR*

A Cambridge friend of Syd Barrett, David joined Syd, with Roger Waters, Richard Wright, and Nick Mason, in Pink Floyd in early 1968, only for Syd to leave the group five gigs later. Pink Floyd's subsequent huge worldwide success continued after Roger Waters' departure in 1985, with the albums A Momentary Lapse Of Reason and The Division Bell both charting at No. 1 in the UK and the US, and sell-out world tours. Rattle That Lock released in 2015 and David’s 4th solo album, went to No. 1 in 13 countries. In 2017, Live at Pompeii released as a live album and film which was recorded at the Amphitheatre of Pompeii.

#DavidGilmour #PinkFloyd #davidsguitars #behindthescene

[henrikibsen]

“David Gilmour can do more with one note than most other guitar players can do with the whole fretboard”
― Dave Mustaine

[batticusmanacleas]

Playing guitar has been a literal lifesaver for me. My brain has some faulty wiring. It gets dark. I likely wouldve tapped out years ago if Mr. Gilmour hadn't inspired me to learn to play. For 25 years playing music has kept me around. And his genius was the genesis for that. The true master.

[avir]

This man has been entertaining my ears for decades.

[rahularora]

That tone, those choices of notes. Gilmour always makes you shed a tear with his playing

[Andre-yuqs]

It's that marvellous sound that nobody can imitate! The David Gilmour sound.

[alexanderleyton]

Mr. Gilmour always creating beautiful, delicates and relaxing sounds. Just amazing as always.

[kentalanlee]

Thank you for showing us your secrets, David. Fascinating. There is really nothing like the sound you get out of a guitar. No one else sounds that way.

[sharonhaywood]

Been following him since 1970 love his style and music 🎵🎶❤🎉

[gilmardgilmard]

David gilmour is not a name. It is a way of life. Surfing on the waves of frequencies and words

[andyelliott]

You're a legend Dave, still making genre defining music in the 2020's INCREDIBLE.

[SailingCartagena]

Met your mother, Sylvia, when she spent quite some time ordering joinery items from a place on the Holloway road. That was back in the early 80'. She was lovely and very proud of you. A few years later I got to know the Kentish farmer who found your pig. Back around 2005 I taught a student in North Carolina, who introduced me to your music.

[donaldriddle]

Beautiful! Almost like being in a huge cathedral with a giant pipe organ. Right here is my number one guitarist, musician, period no question. Thank you Sir for the years of dedication to music.

[diegogamba]

So happy to see doing your thing, Love you David.

[kevyn]

Wonderful guitar tone and choice of notes, best guitar player ever in history of mankind. We love you David!

[robharper]

Building a sonic landscape. Love this guy.

[theshredguitarist]

David Gilmour never ceases to amaze me. No one does volume swells better than him!!!

[SteveMusicandArt]

David you are the greatest of all times 💯

[Claude-Eckel]

The sounds of your guitars are the best to me... This melancholy, their wistful, yearning sounds go straight to my heart, soul, whatever, and strike its arcane strings in just the same enigmatic way. There are no other guitars that can do that, played by whomever. It must be yours, and it must be you. Thanks for all yer great music, Mr Gilmour. 🙏🏼✌🏼

[lovejetfuel]

Gilmour inspired me to play the guitar, 3 years in...and I wish I had started years ago

[LindenLight]

That’s how they are born, the Gilmourean paths in my soul. Crystal clear, graceful and haunting, the heart catching on the sound. Another journey begins.